Were you one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of British Airways customers stranded in New York over the new year period?

It’s worth contacting the Customer Relations department - you might get some free flights out of it.

My recent trip to New York was extended by three days because BA cancelled our flight from JFK to Heathrow on 3 January. I went online immediately and tried to rebook but it was so busy that the closest available flight was not until 6 January. Their telephone staff later told me it was due to staff illness and that at least one flight had been cancelled every day that week.

We were fortunate enough to be staying with friends and I made the most of the extra time visiting Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Green-Wood Cemetery. But even without hotel bills,  New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and both my travelling companion and I had to take an extra two days off work.

The one thing I really wanted BA to do was to upgrade us to business class. We were flying back on a Sunday night, for arrival early Monday morning, and an upgrade would have made the world of difference to whether or not we could work that day. However, BA was unable to do this. Firstly, because the flight was completely full in all classes and secondly, because it is set up to deal with retrospective complaints rather than dealing with problems as they arise. I was advised that there was nothing they could do to help and I should contact BA’s Customer Relations department on my return.

I nearly didn’t do so as our travel insurance entitles us to some compensation, a claim that is still being processed. But when I realised the insurance pay-out for flight delays would result in just £80 each for three days’ delay, I decided I ought to contact BA again after all.

I’m glad I did because the airline has just come through with a £100 travel voucher for BA flights per passenger. I suspect that if I had been in a position to present some hefty hotel bills that it might have been even more, but given our particular circumstances, I’m pleased with the outcome. I still wish they could have sorted out an upgrade though.