Q: We've had a problem with a missing flight segment that I've tried to resolve for the last six months.

Here's what happened: We had seats booked on a British Airways flight from Calgary to Rome with a connection in London. When the airline e-mailed my confirmation, I noticed that a leg was missing.

I called British Airways and asked how we were supposed to get to London. The agent said our flight had been canceled but didn't give me a reason. I asked to be rebooked on that evening's flight and was told no seats were available. But when I checked online, I found that there were seats -- in first class.

Our travel agent got us on a flight the next day. But we lost a day of our vacation and a night's stay at our hotel in Rome that we had to pay for, but not enjoy. We also had to pay a 120-euro fee for being no-shows at our hotel in Rome.

It turns out our original flight had been canceled because of a lack of cabin crew. I filed an e-mail complaint, but British Airways said it canceled the flight because ''circumstances were beyond their control.'' Since then, I've heard nothing from British Airways.

-- KAREN KERNOHAN

Calgary, Canada

According to the airline's general conditions of carriage -- the contract between the airline and you -- it should have rebooked you on the next flight.

Rule 9, Section B number 3 promises the airline will ''carry you as soon as we can to the destination shown on your ticket on another of our scheduled services on which a seat is available in the class of service for which you have paid the fare,'' according to the contract.

But that's not all it should have done for you. EU Rule 261 says you were owed compensation.

There's a loophole in the rule that British Airways is taking advantage of. It says air carriers are off the hook when a cancellation occurs ``in extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.''

British Airways believes a crew shortage is an extraordinary circumstance. I don't.

Actually, the ''extraordinary circumstances'' excuse is commonly used by airlines flying to and from Europe. And there's only one way to close the loophole: You have to threaten to sue them. Politely.

In your correspondence with an airline invoking circumstances, you need to mention in the first or second sentence that if this isn't resolved to your satisfaction, you may be forced to take the matter to a European court. The airlines are nervous that a court will define ''extraordinary circumstances'' and that they won't like the definition.

Under most circumstances, threatening a lawsuit would be a last resort. But in a situation like this, where an airline is exploiting a contractual loophole, it would be my first move.

I contacted British Airways on your behalf, and it apologized for the cancellation. It insisted that extraordinary circumstances were to blame for the cancellation, but it agreed to refund your 120-euro no-show fee. It also sent you a $200 voucher for your trouble.

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