Angry Customer Used Promoted Tweets to Chastise British Airways

A miniature PR fiasco unfolded on Monday night as a British Airways customer used promoted tweets to publicly reprimand the airline for losing his father's luggage. Here's what happened.

learn more about Brian Patrick Eha

By Brian Patrick Eha •

Airports Internationl

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

British Airways is getting a sharp reminder that social media is a bully pulpit that welcomes big companies and little guys alike, after one disgruntled customer used promoted tweets to complain that the airline had lost his father's luggage.

Promoted tweets are typically used by brands to gain visibility for their products and promotions. But Hasan Syed, whose Twitter handle is @HVSVN, used them to call out the airline for allegedly ruining his European business trip and failing to address the issue.

Syed reportedly bought his tweets in the New York City and United Kingdom markets, aiming to reach other British Airways customers on both sides of the Atlantic. As the hours went by and the airline did not respond, his one-man campaign attracted attention, much of it admiring and supportive.

According to The Guardian and other news outlets, the airline finally woke up to the problem and made haste to address it, saying in a statement Tuesday: "We would like to apologize to the customer for the inconvenience caused. We have been in contact with the customer, and the bag is due to be delivered today."

Read the story as it unfolded below:

Syed continued to lash out at the airline:

Which prompted other Twitter users to begin sharing their stories of bad experiences with British Airways:

JetBlue Airways' senior vice president of marketing took notice:

Fellow travelers continued to show their support:

Syed wasn't happy about the continued silence from British Airways:

An airline representative finally responded, but the exchange didn't go well:

United Kingdom-based marketing agency TBG offered a helpful suggestion to a competing airline, Virgin Atlantic:

Finally, the night ended with Syed promising to divulge analytics data on Tuesday:

Related: 5 Secrets to Increasing Customer Retention -- and Profits
Brian Patrick Eha

Brian Patrick Eha is a freelance journalist and former assistant editor at Entrepreneur.com. He is writing a book about the global phenomenon of Bitcoin for Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It will be published in 2015.

Related Topics

Twitter Customer Relationship Management Customer Service Airlines JetBlue Customer Feedback

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
6 Questions to Ask Before You Begin Your Franchise Search
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game

Most Popular

See all
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

By Don Weber

Business News

American Airlines Sued After Teen Dies of Heart Attack Onboard Flight to Miami

Kevin Greenridge was traveling from Honduras to Miami on June 4, 2022, on AA Flight 614 when he went into cardiac arrest and became unconscious mid-flight.

By Emily Rella

Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Marketing

After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.

Author Karen Inglis breaks down the strategies and tactics you need to generate awareness and sales for your self-published book.

By Dan Bova

Business News

Jake Paul and Lindsay Lohan Fined $400,000 for 'Illegally Touting' Crypto

The SEC just disclosed that eight celebrities agreed to a massive settlement without admitting guilt.

By Jonathan Small

Marketing

Entice Customers to Make Additional and Larger Purchases Using These Two Tactics

With transparency, permission, and an eye on the customer's perception of value, you can knock both cross-selling and upselling out of the park.

By David Partain