Involuntary Layover at Heathrow

When we arrived at Heathrow, we went to the American Airlines service counter. The agent there checked us in for the next day’s flight and told us that the Ibis Hotel at Bath Rd was “expecting” us, and she hand wrote our names on a sheet of paper. She then told us to ask for directions to the hotel bud at the information counter.

What the agent didn’t tell us was that we had to pay our own way - both for transport (£20 for the Hotel Hoppa bus) and accommodation (£189). We had a rude shock when we arrived at the hotel and we were told that American “holds” the rooms but there is no arrangement for them to pay the hotel directly.

AA only reimbursed us in miles when we wrote to them asking for reimbursement. Fortunately we purchased travel insurance and we received cash reimbursement later.Read more