Tom Aspinall Issues Fiery Message to $22B Airline After Costly “System Error”

Tom Aspinall may be laser-focused on cleaning out the heavyweight division, but his most recent fight took place at 30,000 feet rather than inside the Octagon. A frustrating incident with British Airways turned what should have been a normal journey into a 32-hour travel nightmare, leaving Aspinall enraged and families devastated.

The problem began with a minor delay on his initial flight from Manchester to London. Nothing unusual happened, and they arrived at the gate for their connecting flight to Vegas with plenty of time. In fact, they arrived early. Despite being physically there and on time, the Briton and approximately a dozen other passengers were told they had been automatically removed from the flight.

The British Airways system silently canceled their seats, assuming they would miss the connection owing to the delay. And with that, they were stranded. What made the situation worse wasn’t just the “system error”; it was the lack of accountability. The frustration in Aspinall’s voice was evident in his YouTube video. “It wasn’t just us,” Aspinall explained.

“Families were there. People were crying. It was absolutely outrageous.” He said the airline workers just gave reasons and a robotic response: “Computer says no.” Despite the fact that there were 15 empty seats and 15 passengers rejected, personnel claimed that a “system error” made it impossible to fix.

Aspinall eventually made it to Las Vegas and UFC 317 after being rerouted through New York, but the experience surely left a bitter taste. “Never ever flying with British Airways again,” he declared. “If you’re thinking about flying with British Airways, do not do it. We’ve had no compensation, had no apology, nothing.”

For someone who prepares for high-pressure situations, the reigning heavyweight champion was simply taken aback by how little the airline owned by the $22 billion worth International Consolidated Airlines group seemed to care about passengers caught in a crisis. The consequences may extend beyond a single trip. Aspinall, with his massive global reach as a UFC champion, asked his fans to boycott the airline entirely.

As British Airways faces further criticism over its cancellation practices, one thing is certain: they now have a powerful critic in the UFC champion, and he is not going to let this one go unnoticed. However, there is another request that the Briton recently made to his fans. One that they might not like.

Tom Aspinall has a special request for his fans

While his frustration with British Airways made headlines, Tom Aspinall had another message for his own followers. Now carrying the weight of the undisputed title and looking forward to defending it, the champion admitted that fame has begun to encroach on the one area where he has to focus the most: the gym. “I’m not Taylor Swift… but training publicly is becoming a bit more difficult,” he said. “Privately is more convenient.”

Aspinall is unafraid to be known as the “people’s champ,” and he sincerely appreciates those who connect with his journey. However, there’s a line that he likes to maintain. Selfie requests during training rounds are stretching things, and he was honest about how it impacts him. “People asking for selfies in between rounds isn’t ideal,” said the champion. “When I’m training, I am a bit of a d—, because it’s really important to me.”

But what really irritates him is when people intrude on his personal life, particularly regarding his children. “The other time I’ll be a d— to you, and this is for anyone watching out there: if I’m with my children and you take a picture without my consent, there might be hands flying,” he warned. Well, the message is clear: he will always show respect, as long as it is mutual.