Former England and Manchester United footballer Gary Neville is furious after British Airways allegedly overbooked a flight he was due to be on.
The Sky Sports pundit, 42, claimed to have booked a seat on a flight which was leaving Manchester Airport for London Heathrow on Monday morning.
But he was unable to board the flight and went on to describe the firm as a ‘disgrace’ in a Twitter rant just before 7am today.
He said British Airways is the ‘worst airline he has seen’ and it later transpired that he was forced to board a train to the capital instead.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville (pictured) has today slammed British Airways after they allegedly overbooked his flight
The former England international blasted the airline on Twitter this morning and called them a ‘disgrace’
Neville, who earned 85 caps playing for his country, later said that other airlines such as Flybe, easyJet and Jet2 are ‘so much better’.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘@British_Airways you are an absolute disgrace!! Overbooking flights and not getting people on…worst airline I’ve ever seen!
‘I never actually travel with @British_Airways as they are a shambles. But they have a monopoly on Manchester to Heathrow. @flybe @easyJet @jet2tweets so much better!!’
British Airways replied to his furious tweet and said that they are ‘concerned’ by his message.
An employee wrote: ‘Hi Gary, we’re concerned to hear this. Could you DM us with some more information? We’ll certainly see if there is anything we can do.’
BA told MailOnline: ‘We’re getting in touch with Gary to apologise and resolve the issue, caused by difficult weather conditions in Manchester.
‘Many airlines operate over booking policies because a small number of passengers, having made their bookings, do not turn up for their flights.
‘By careful monitoring of booking and load patterns for each flight, we do our best to maximise the number of customers able to travel on each service.’
He then went on to say that other airlines including Flybe, easyJet and Jet2 are ‘so much better’
The airline responded to his original tweet and said that they were ‘concerned’ to hear about his ordeal
It comes as the owner of British Airways is calling for an end to Heathrow’s ‘monopoly’ on the airport’s terminals, saying competition between third operators would lower costs for passengers.
International Airlines Group (IAG) was responding to a consultation related to Heathrow’s expansion, saying the development provides ‘a great opportunity’ for independent firms to design, build and run commercial facilities at the airport, including terminals.
IAG chief executive Willie Walsh said: ‘Heathrow’s had it too good for too long and the Government must confirm the CAA’s (Civil Aviation Authority) powers to introduce this type of competition.
‘This would cut costs, diversify funding and ensure developments are completed on time, leading to a win-win for customers.’
He said the company’s proposal will ensure Heathrow is focused on cost control, ‘something it has been reluctant to do in the past’.