Why not to fly with British Airways

My horrible experience with British Airways customer care and UK transit visa policies (just a blab):

Experience with UK transit visa policies

I was refrained from boarding Flight no BA 207  from Washington DC, USA to New Delhi, India via Heahthrow (UK) on 31st May, 2013.  The reason cited for denial was:

"I have an extended greencard stamp on my passport which is not accepted by UK Govt as an exemption of Transit Visa. All US valid visas otherwise are accepted."

Extended greencard stamp was issued to me by US Govt which acts as a valid greencard in US for all purposes. I have been flying with British Airways for last 3-4 years for the same sector but this problem just appeared this time due to the extension of greencard.

UK is clearly a minority in this issue as other countries accept the above as a valid greencard document and this requirement should have been highlighted in the international airticket to appraise the unwary traveller. If it is expected out of passengers to read all such fine prints when they book a flight, no one should fly with such an airline.

The airport attendant then cancelled my ticket and informed me that -

• I can not just cancel my one way flight - I will have to cancel return flight as well. Only taxes be refunded as this is a non refundable ticket
• I can reuse the ticket by changing the flight dates till one year - but then I will have to pay the amount to reschedule the flight (which is 275$ as penalty fees + 300 INR as service fees)

With flight cancelled and no where to go I felt so helpless at the airport! All my subsequent plans were spoiled and I had to book last minute flight on Lufthansa and a hotel in Washington to wait for the Lufthansa flight on next day.

After a few days I emailed to BA customer care and asked for the 'weird visa rule'. I as well wanted to know how to reuse the ticket to book next BA flight. 

Experience with BA customer care

Update 1:

It has been 2 months and no reply from customer care. I have posted on twitter and all I hear back is to be patient with my complaint

Update 2:

I didn't get any response from BA and I called their customer care. They told that the airport attendant in Washington failed to make any notes on my cancelled ticket and that I can not reuse the ticket now. I tried to explain that it is not my fault if airport attendant forgot to mention the same. The customer care representative then told that she has talked to her manager and now I can reuse the flight ticket till 1st April 14. When I asked for an email confirmation, she told that she can not give me any - but I can always call customer care and refer them to her notes and book the flights with the same ticket.

Update 3:

After a few days I got a response from BA on my original email, that they can not do anything for the flight ticket and they will be cancelling the same and will be refunding a very small amount (only taxes). The reason was that there were no notes made by the airport attendant in Washington Dulles airport. I told the customer care that it is not my fault. Also customer care on phone did allow this option, and she has even made notes on the ticket.
Still, she cancelled my tickets after that - undoing what their customer care did in update 2.  I lost 1200$ because of BA airport attendant who failed to mention what she told me while cancelling my ticket on airport.

Very frustrating response from BA. Their customer care is very insensitive and look forward to suck money out of travelers giving lame excuses. I followed up with consumer forums and BBB.

Update 4 (18th Aug, 13):

Immediately after following up with consumer forums, I received an email from BA and they refunded my complete ticket amount as a goodwill gesture in the form of an e-voucher. The reason cited was 

"I understand you have been given conflicting information regarding policies we have in place when reissuing tickets." -- BA Customer Care

Some relief! I suggest BA to streamline their process of last minute cancellations on airport. If they tell passengers that flight ticket can be reused, then one should not have to followup so many times with customer care and consumer forums. I didn't have to go to consumer forums or to consumer court.