British Airways ‘flight from hell’ left more than 200 furious passengers stuck for THREE days

Hundreds of British Airways passengers are furious after their journey from Orlando to London turned into a 48-hour ‘flight from hell’ where they were forced to sleep on an airport floor.

There were more than 200 passengers aboard the British Airways Flight 2036 that was scheduled to leave Orlando on Thursday evening for Gatwick Airport in London.  

They were scheduled to depart from Orlando International Airport at 7.25pm on Thursday but ended up diverting to New York on Friday and taking off for London after 7.25pm for London on Saturday.

Passengers said their frustrations started when they shuttled to their hotel in Orlando.   

British Airways Flight 2036 was supposed to fly from Orlando to London on Thursday but it ended up dragging out into a two-day journey ‘from hell’

Passenger John Chapman tweeted the airline asking for guidance saying 'your lack of information is appalling'

Passenger John Chapman tweeted the airline asking for guidance saying ‘your lack of information is appalling’

He followed up with a picture of a seven-year-old girl sleeping on the floor of Terminal 7 at JFK airport after the flight was diverted to New York on Friday

He followed up with a picture of a seven-year-old girl sleeping on the floor of Terminal 7 at JFK airport after the flight was diverted to New York on Friday

Twitter user Rosie Slater Watts uploaded pictures of children curled up sleeping on the ground saying: 'Cannot believe our children had to sleep on the floor of an airport terminal for five and a half hours'

Twitter user Rosie Slater Watts uploaded pictures of children curled up sleeping on the ground saying: ‘Cannot believe our children had to sleep on the floor of an airport terminal for five and a half hours’

The flight was delayed in Orlando due to mechanical issues for 24 hours and British Airlines sent customers to a hotel while their plane was prepared for takeoff the next day, but once there they found no airline representative or guidance of any kind – they were simply given a print out letter.

Customers said they were confused as the departure time kept changing, and the hotel –  Rosen Shingle Creek – failed to update them on the time changes. 

Many customers took to Twitter to search for answers amid the confusing delays and diversions. 

Passenger John Chapman tweeted on Friday: ‘What’s happening with flight BA 2036 , it’s nice having extra time in Orlando BA , but you lack of information is appalling, apparently we are not flying till gone midnight , info please , my family and I would like to get home.’  

Friday evening the flight finally took off, but experienced complications where it dumped fuel mid-air and lowered the landing gear at a high altitude, then diverted to JFK airport in New York. 

As workers scrambled to fix the plane, the passengers were left to sleep on the ground at Terminal 7 at the airport overnight. 

Shocking pictures from the airport reveal a myriad of strewn about suitcases and tired passengers.

Once at JFK, the angry tweets started to pour on Friday night. 

Passenger Jenny Collom wrote: ‘Can you please give us some information regarding the BA2036 flight? We’ve been diverted to JFK and are currently sitting in a check in zone with no staff in sight. People are laying on the floor, and no staff are here to provide any information whatsoever.’ 

SOS: Angry passengers said they were left clueless and helpless after they were diverted to JFK on Friday

SOS: Angry passengers said they were left clueless and helpless after they were diverted to JFK on Friday

Pictures from the scene at JFK reveal the mess of suitcases and passengers sleeping on the floor

Pictures from the scene at JFK reveal the mess of suitcases and passengers sleeping on the floor

The more than 200 passengers had no choice but to camp out and sleep on the ground at JFK before British Airways sent another aircraft to take them home on Saturday

The more than 200 passengers had no choice but to camp out and sleep on the ground at JFK before British Airways sent another aircraft to take them home on Saturday

Nowhere to go: The overnight stay at JFK (above) was just one stop of the long two-day journey from Orlando to London on Flight 2036

Nowhere to go: The overnight stay at JFK (above) was just one stop of the long two-day journey from Orlando to London on Flight 2036

Passenger Andrew Palmer said the trouble started in Orlando when they were delayed overnight and put up in hotels - but were given no guidance about departure times

Passenger Andrew Palmer said the trouble started in Orlando when they were delayed overnight and put up in hotels – but were given no guidance about departure times

Angry: This user shared a copy of the letter they received regarding the changes to Flight 2036

Angry: This user shared a copy of the letter they received regarding the changes to Flight 2036

He followed up with a photo hours later of a seven-year-old girl sleeping on the cold floor of JFK airport covered in a thin blanket. 

‘@British_Airways 7-year-old cancer survivor, sleeping on the floor at terminal 7 JFK. Thanks for nothing,’ he wrote. 

Passenger Craig Brown said ‘We have just been dumped with no help or advise, shame on you @British_Airways this is beyond a joke now’ on Twitter on Friday. 

‘How about you let us into the lounge while we wait instead of sitting on the floor???’ he added. 

A British Airways spokesperson responded saying: ‘I’m afraid we can’t offer what you’re asking. We’re sending a relief aircraft out to JFK to get customers to London as quickly as possible.’ 

Finally on Saturday, the airline sent a new aircraft as promised to JFK and the 200 passengers were taken off to their final destination – London. 

A British Airways spokesman said that the aircraft problems were a ‘minor technical issue’ and issued an apology to the customers aboard the plane saying they worked to get the passengers to London ‘as soon as possible’, according to the New York Post.   

British Airways is yet to respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk