Last week, I got an email from British Airways denying me a compensation claim I’d made. I always knew there was a chance they’d say no, but I was hoping, given the absolute chaos of it all, that they wouldn’t. Then again, even making the claim in the first place had felt a bit cheeky, since I’d booked the flight with Avios.

To give you a (not-so) brief summary of how the whole experience went down, my husband and I were flying home from our mini-moon (half-moon? Crescent moon?) in Turkey in early November, and all was looking good as we boarded at Istanbul Airport. We did notice ground crew running to and from the plane with bits of paper, but thought nothing of it.

Balloons in Cappadocia on said mini-moon

Of course, boarding group rules hadn’t been followed, so there were people moving around the cabin in every direction. It took a while, but eventually we got moving. What I hadn’t appreciated, though, was just how far aircraft have to taxi at Istanbul airport—it took us around half an hour to reach our departure position near the runway.

We were sitting there for about 15 minutes before the pilot came over the loudspeaker to explain that we had in fact missed our ATC takeoff window, and the next one we could get was in 40 minutes. Cue grumbling from around the cabin.

“I’m sorry, but it gets worse,” he said. “Our aircraft was changed shortly before the flight, and we’re now travelling at maximum capacity, so we don’t have the extra fuel on board to wait here that long. We’ll have to taxi back to the stand to refuel. But as you know, that takes 30 minutes, so we’ll actually miss our next slot, too…” *groans*.

By around 1.5 hours into our tarmac-bound adventure, the cabin crew decided to serve us up our snack of a 250ml bottle of water and a flapjack. Most welcome at that point, especially since the plane’s air conditioning wasn’t exactly doing the job while static on the ground. Then, just past the 2-hour mark, the pilot said we had a slot in an hour, so we’d start taxiing in 30 minutes.

By that point, what had been a sunny morning when we’d arrived at the airport had turned into torrential downpours and strong winds. ATC were now limiting departure slots due to the weather. We were reassured that we’d probably be fine, though—and surprisingly, we were. Seemingly completely unaffected by the rain, we took off just over 3 hours late.

You’d think that’s where the saga ends, right? Wrong! Due to potential turbulence on the ascent, the cabin crew very sensibly stayed seated for longer than usual. They eventually began their service, approx. 2 hours after handing out complimentary refreshments. Except this is modern short-haul BA, and only the first one is free in economy (on most routes).

With a plane full of disgruntled, dehydrated and peckish passengers, everyone wanted to order something. And then the card machine started playing up. You can see where this is going…

Working their way from row 12 towards the back (we were in 27), it took them two hours to get to us. Not least, because the crew themselves needed a break during that time. They were exhausted, frustrated, and completely overwhelmed. Especially since we’d all started asking about what would happen to our connections once we arrived in Heathrow.

In the end, we landed 3 hours and 5 minutes late—just over the 3-hour requirement to qualify for compensation. They did manage to arrange alternative transatlantic flights for some passengers continuing to New York, but for most of us, it was a night in an airport hotel and the first flight home in the morning.

This was particularly frustrating, since our original connection had not yet departed. In fact, the gate hadn’t even closed. But Heathrow is big, and they weren’t able to hold the flight for the 15-odd of us heading to Glasgow. So off we went to spend our £10 meal voucher on 2 Boots Meal Deals each.

The flight the following morning was comparatively uneventful; the last minute gate change, more chaotic boarding and fog-bound landing seemed like small fry. We hesitated before hastily cracking into our free 250 ml bottle of water and breakfast bar this time, but given we were practically halfway to Scotland by that point, it seemed like a safe bet.

We landed safely around 12 hours later than planned, returned home to our feline friends, and spent most of the day fairly zonked on the couch.

Since we reached our destination over 3 hours late, we were entitled to compensation—unless the delay had been outside BA’s control. And what do you know, they blamed the weather at Istanbul. “But here’s a £50 voucher as a gesture of good will…”

This whole BA experience had been so different to my previous one, when I’d flown business class for the first time and felt like a proper VIP. In fact, I’d felt so fancy in the lounges, with my unlimited Diet Coke, and overly smiley cabin crew, that I began having notions of grandeur. Getting off the plane and having to catch the airport bus home with everyone else soon brought me back to reality.

But it got me thinking—is BA actually only good for business class passengers these days? Sure, we’d still have experienced the same delay in Turkey, but how bad would that have seemed if we’d been given a free coffee… or wine! The cabin crew wouldn’t have had to fight with technology to process payments, and they might have been able to keep smiles on their faces just a little longer.

None of this was a problem in business class, we noticed, as service was flowing all through the delay and as soon as it was safe after takeoff. Their dedicated crew member bobbed merrily up and down the aisle to replace empty wine bottles and food trays, his passengers blissfully unaware of the chaos behind the economy curtain.

Of course, the main benefit of my flight was the convenient connection from Glasgow right through to Istanbul. But had I not been collecting Avios and had a BA Companion Voucher to spend, I would probably have chosen a cheaper flight with KLM via Amsterdam, or non-stop from Edinburgh with Turkish Airlines.

It certainly seems that it’s a sort of outdated patriotism that keeps Brits returning to our flagship, rather than quality. The majority of us are not flying business class, so what is it that we're drawn to? Is it the convenient Heathrow departures/connections and decent flight times? The range of destinations?

I want to hear about your British Airways experiences, good and bad! Is it time for us to get over the flag carriers? And how does the BA experience compare to others, like Air France, Air Canada, or Lufthansa?

The US may not have a flag carrier airline, but what is it that keeps those of you travelling in the States returning to United, American, or Delta over cheaper alternatives?

Hit ‘Reply’ to share your thoughts with us, and you might well see them in the Detour next week. How very festive!

Is there an article you'd like to see in the Detour? Do you have a burning travel question you need answered? Let me know!

I have an idea!

Perfectly timed for the karaoke party season, today we're singing “Sweet Home Alabama! Where the skies are so blue”… Allegedly, but then again, it’s also the birthplace of windscreen wipers, so do with that what you will.

Now you can think of this Heart of Dixie state kinda like that substitute teacher who dabbles in practically every subject. So to kickstart today's curriculum, let's dive straight into double history over in Montgomery.

Home to some of the most notable figures and integral events of the Civil Rights era, The Rosa Parks Museum makes for a poignant and enlightening start to your Alabama visit. Travel back in time to hear the accounts of brave women and men who fought for racial equality, and even ride a replica 1955 Montgomery city bus.

Reach even further back in the state’s turbulent history with a walk along another man’s memory lane in the far north of Alabama. Tom Hendrix spent over 30 years building a beautiful commemorative wall to honour his great-great-grandmother, who was one of 100,000 Native Americans kicked off her land and forcibly relocated along the Trail of Tears.

Next up on the timetable is science, more specially astrophysics. Over in Huntsville sits every sci-fi-obsessed kid’s dream, Space Camp. Along with the US Space and Rocket Centre, which houses one of the world's largest collections of spacecrafts. Plus, for only $10 you can hurtle round in one of these unhinged contraptions—what joy!

Now how about a little geography field trip to the monstrous caves of Jackson County? Both Neversink Pit and Stephens Gap Cave are spectacular heavyweights in the spelunking world. Don’t forget your camera, as the cascading waterfalls and eerie sunbeams make for a seriously epic selfie backdrop.

Oh, and if you want a little extracurricular P.E, did we mention that you can abseil down into them as well?

By now, you’ve probably worked up an appetite. Lucky for you, scrumptious southern soul food is never too far away. Back in Huntsville you’ll find all the fried chicken, mac & cheese, okra, and collard greens you can imagine at local legend, Betty Mae’s.

But if you’d prefer to try the most succulent shrimp you’ve ever devoured, ditch the Bubba Gump chains and head straight down south to the source, AKA the cosy fishing village of Bayou La Batre. Any wannabe shrimpers can even go one step further by joining a fishing charter for the day. Although word to the wise, waters get pretty choppy during storm season!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• Impressive and concerning in equal measure, a Scandinavian Airlines passenger managed to fly all the way from Denmark to the US without any valid documentation in November, only getting stopped upon his arrival at LAX..
• Turbulence could become a thing of the past, as an Austrian start-up aims to shake up the aviation industry.
• If 2024 is the year you’re planning to go on a big, fancy cruise, have a look at these bucket list boat trips.
• And finally, love it or hate it, plane food is pretty fascinating. Prepared on the ground, but consumed at 38,000, everything has to be tailored carefully to suit how our taste buds work at high altitudes.
  Fun fact: Even though cleanliness and safety are top priority during the prep stage, captains and co-pilots will never eat the same meals, just in case of contamination.
  Fun fact #2: BA is expecting to serve 600,000 brussels sprouts during the festive period! A bold move, if you ask us...