Our flights LHR-SYD for May 2021 have been cancelled by BA. In fact, all flights to SYD have been cancelled to end of October 2021. BA schedule now only shows flights to SYD from 1st November 2021 onward. Our F booking used 2-4-1 voucher (50% avios discount) which expires at the beginning of October 2021 (after 6 months extension by Amex).
I have asked the question before and understood that in the case of flights cancelled by BA, my options are:
(1) take a FTV to extend the 2-4-1 voucher till 30th April 2022 - meaning I will have to use this FTV to travel on or before this date. I can book new flights but they are dependent on avios reward seat availability - meaning, the flights will be repriced and I have to pay more avios as 50% avios discount is no longer applicable. Also, the FTV must be booked by phone, and not online.
(2) rebook (without repricing) to flights anytime in 12 months after I originally booked - so long as there is space in the F cabin, and there is no need to have avios seats available. I booked on 6th October 2020 (when BA had the 50% avios discount). The 12 months re-booking window (for no repricing) will finish on 5th October 2021. However, BA schedule currently only shows flights to SYD from 1st November 2021 - meaning I cannot use this option.
Therefore, it seems that our only option is no. 1 - take the FTV to extend the 2-4-1 voucher and pay the additional avios for available flights towards the end of 2021. At the moment no F avios seats have been released from 1st November 2021 - only Y. When F avios seats available, I can call and apply the FTV for booking.
We want to return home some time in 2021, when the Australian government re-opens the borders for normal flights. We will take the jab / vaccine to get exemption from having to do the 14 days mandatory quarantine in hotels. In BA current schedules, they show alternative flights with other airlines (eg CX). The question is: would we be able to ask BA to book us on another one world airline such as CX or QR or JL or QF flights from LHR to SYD - if these are operating? Or, not possible since our booking was with a 2-4-1 voucher?
Another question: What would happen if we did nothing? Would BA refund our avios to our account and taxes paid to our credit card automatically? Just curious!