Gill Charlton has been fighting for Telegraph readers and solving their travel problems for more than 30 years, winning refunds, righting wrongs and suggesting solutions. 

This week’s question… 

Dear Gill,

Last year, I booked flights to Singapore with British Airways using cash, Avios points and a Companion Voucher. We were unable to travel due to the pandemic so I cancelled the trip and received Future Travel Vouchers.

Unfortunately the vouchers are not redeemable online. I need to speak to British Airways to book new flights, which is proving nigh on impossible; I have been cut off repeatedly after holding for 90 minutes each time.

Now, I have learnt that the calls have cost me £230. Why is there no answering machine message giving one’s place in the queue? And why was I cut off?

It seems unfair that the airline and phone companies (my landline is with Sky and my mobile contract with Vodafone) are making money out of me. How can I get someone to answer?

– Rona Hellewell

Gill’s response:

Beware numbers starting with 0843/4/5 in particular. They are not included in the bundled minutes or “talktime” offered by most landline and mobile companies. Ofcom, the telephone regulator, says the cost of using 0844 numbers is split between a service charge of up to 7p a minute which goes to whoever you are calling, and a staggeringly high “access charge” of up to 65p a minute to the phone supplier.

Rona’s bills show she paid 22p a minute to call BA’s 0844 484747 phone line from her landline, and a whopping 65p a minute using her mobile phone. 

The main BA sales line is 0344 930747 and calls to it are free – but only if you have a mobile or landline contract that includes 03 numbers. Rona’s Sky contract doesn’t. Calls from this number also cost 22p a minute, or £19.80 each time she held for 90 minutes.

I gave her a freephone 0800 number for British Airways and told her to try phoning early or late in the day, or at weekend lunchtimes. She got lucky. The call was picked up within 30 minutes by a very helpful agent who sorted out new reward flights to Hong Kong. Trying to tie up dates and availability took 15 minutes. 

If every call to BA is this complex, no wonder customers complain. BA told me it knows it can do better and is in the process of upgrading its phone systems and recruiting more staff to answer calls. Other airlines and travel companies are also using these premium-rate lines to help pay for larger customer service operations. To avoid these costs, search the internet for freephone or landline numbers (having checked your phone contract). A good source of alternative numbers is saynoto0870.com.

Gill takes on a different case each week – so please send your problems to her for consideration at asktheexperts@telegraph.co.uk. Please give your full name and, if your dispute is with a travel company, your address, telephone number and any booking reference. Gill can’t answer every question, but she will help where she can and all emails are acknowledged.