Indian chess Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, 21, described his recent trip with British Airways as the “worst experience flying with the airline”, venting his frustrations on X (formerly Twitter) on July 14, 2025.

In his post, Erigaisi criticized the airline for an involuntary downgrade, rude employees, lack of communication, and delays in baggage delivery for over 48 hours, calling the situation “frustrating” despite following all required procedures: “Messages, emails, forms, everything done & submitted. It’s been over 2 days, and still no word.” 

The tweet has since gone viral, with many users sharing similar grievances; one commented: “British Airways is one of the worst airlines in the world… The staff [are] extremely arrogant and unprofessional.” 

British Airways has not yet responded to the complaint.

Erigaisi’s complaint gained attention just weeks ahead of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 (Sept 3–16), a key qualifier for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.