Miranda's Tom Ellis vows never to fly with British Airways again

Miranda star Tom Ellis took to Instagram to criticise British Airways after the airline refused to change the name on a flexible ticket when a family friend was denied a US visa.

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The actor, who plays Lucifer in the American series, wrote a lengthy post about the carrier's "lack of compassion and common sense".

Sharing the post with his 323,000 Instagram followers and 195,000 Twitter followers, the 38-year-old explained how his children were visiting him in States and were travelling with a family friend from Indonesia as they are too young to travel alone.

His friend's visa was reportedly denied after he purchased a £1,200 flexible ticket but the actor claims that when another friend offered to help, British Airways would not change the name on the fare, forcing him to buy another ticket.

He wrote: "My children are coming to the UK to visit me. As they're too young to travel themselves, they were meant to be brought to Los Angeles by our family friend who is from Indonesia, a primarily Muslim country.

"My friend had to apply for a special visa to travel to the US that had to be approved by the US Consulate in London, where she has lived and worked with a full UK work permit for 7 years.

"In order to get an appointment at the US consulate I was required to purchase the flight in advance to prove when she was entering and leaving the US.

"I purchased a flexible ticket from British Airways for £1200. The visa was then denied.

"I was left needing to find someone else who I trust to bring my children.

"Thankfully another good friend has offered. I assumed British Airways would understand this situation and change the name on the ticket that I had been forced to purchase in the first place.

"I was wrong. Instead, I have to buy a whole new ticket and will not be refunded for the first.

"Unfortunately in the sad current climate, I am not surprised by the US immigration decision – but I am disgusted by British Airways' lack of compassion and common sense.

"If it hadn't cost so much already I would cancel all the tickets and use another airline – but I can categorically say that I will never fly with British Airways again."

In a statement to The Sun, British Airways said: "We always do everything we can to help customers when their travel plans change.

"We can correct spelling mistakes on all of our tickets, and on many we allow changes to the date or time of a flight too.

"However, we don't allow customers to transfer their tickets as this could lead to a secondary market of trading in airline tickets."