Martin Lewis issues advice as British Airways passengers left overcharged by thousands

Saving for a holiday is hard enough as it is, the last thing you need is to be charged twice for it.

But that's exactly what happened to some holidaymakers looking for some sun, sea, and sand.

The extra charge is accidental, the airline says, but it's left customers deeply out of pocket, with thousands more taken out of their bank accounts than they had initially expected.

So it's lucky the financial whizz Martin Lewis is on hand to save the day, yet again.

Posting on X, one devastated customer contacted BA directly to vent their understandable frustration.

"@British_Airways I've been charged twice for my flights, now in my overdraft. I'm unable to get through on the phone or chat, I just get a message you're too busy and to try later," they wrote.

"I need this correcting asap and are you going to convert any fees that I'm charged by the bank?"

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Another user responded: "The same has happened to me. I’ve just managed to speak to someone who said they’re aware of the problem. BA might like to have addressed this with their customers!"

Another added: "@British_Airways you’ve taken £4,200 out of my account twice to pay for my flights (taken not pending). Rang BA and told it’s a known system issue and the refund will take three days. How can you take >£4K more than you’re entitled to and not send a single email to explain the error?"

Fortunately, however, Martin Lewis has now got involved to offer some of his wisdom following the fallout from the mix-up.

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Issuing advice to those affected, his website says: "British Airways told us that all refunds have now been processed and should arrive in customers' accounts shortly.

"Exactly how long it'll take to receive this payment will vary depending on your bank, so make sure you keep an eye out for the payment.

"If you don't receive a refund from British Airways as expected, or you're unhappy about the treatment you've received, you can make an official complaint via British Airways' website."

On top of this, MSE says that if you have had to endure extra costs as a result of this, you should go directly to British Airways with your grievance. This could be if you've incurred extra overdraft or credit card fees. To do this, MSE says visit the BritishAirways.com and select 'Bookings and reservations' where you should provide evidence of extra costs you have incurred.

A spokesperson for British Airways, which has not revealed how many people have been affected, said: "We’ve apologised to those customers who were incorrectly charged for bookings. All refunds have now been processed and should arrive in customers' accounts shortly."

They added that no one would be 'left out of pocket'.