This thread has been launched after discussion with the BA Moderators (Mods).
BA has prepared contingency plans for flight cancellations, stemming from the impact of Covid-19 on demand. There are already separate threads covering the following areas, but more cancellations are expected on other routes. BA have informed investors that they are expecting a down-turn in business as a result of outbreak of Covid-19 in multiple markets.
For Hong Kong and China see here:
*Coronavirus : BA Suspends all flts to mainland China* +discussion on long haul flts
For South Korea / Seoul see here
South Korea Cancellation advice
For Singapore see here.
A380 removed from BA11
For Italy related cancellations see here:
Potential Impact of Coronavirus on flights to Milan & rest of Italy
Cancellations have been noted for PKX, PVG, HKG, SIN, LIN, VRN. IAG have stated: "
Capacity on Italian routes for March has been significantly reduced through a combination of cancellations and change of aircraft gauge and further capacity reductions will be activated over the coming days. We also expect to make some capacity reductions across our wider short haul network. Short haul capacity is not being redeployed at this stage".
If your flight is cancelled, you are able to use the Standard Customer Guidelines (see post 2). If your flight is not cancelled, you need to see if there is a Customer Guideline specific to your route, which currently extends to north of Italy, Hong Kong and China only (though there are some additional guidelines for places like Taiwan and the Philippines for connecting passengers). See the threads above for more details.
Kindly note. This thread is intended for direct discussion on the matter at hand and this thread will lose its value if it goes too far off topic, accepting that this is a difficult issue and there are multiple complexities. So anything connected directly to BA's cancellations and alternative travel options is definitely in scope. The following seem to me to be out of scope: discussion on the general risks of Covid-19, links with influenza, face masks, effectiveness of government measures, the politics of the disease, the wisdom or otherwise of flying at the moment. Mods will just delete anything in this area, so you best save your typing. I think there will be a general Covid-19 thread elsewhere in Flyertalk soon, which I will publicise as and when it happens; and there is a very well developed thread in the China forum.