PUCCI GALORE

Without any notification from AA or BA and thanks entirely to you, I checked the first flight that is to take us SOF-LHR-DFW-PSP and it has indeed been cancelled. Indeed the SOF - LHR sector has vanished entirely from the itinerary. The itinerary now reads -LHR-DFW-PSP. I booked all this through AA - and now I would like you all for advice as to what I can or cannot do as I have not had this happen before

1) If I decide to proceed ex LHR as per the itinerary - will this cost me anything?

2) Can I make them reinstate this flight for when there is a direct flight that is still going?

3) Can I get a refund?

4) Can I get the whole itinerary moved to another time when maybe Covid does not rule the world

5) What if there is still no admittance into the USA in early February even if the flight is going - can I cancel?

I realise that the last question should be normally posed elsewhere but I thought that I'd ask anyway.

If this is best asked over at AA I will do but as all the sectors except one are on AA, I'd like to know what you all think as you know a lot about these things


Many Thanks

Intl359Widget

Where is that hairbrush of yours that we’ve famously heard about as we expect you to teach BA a thing or two about muddling about.

Unfortunately for you BA will only allow you to start in LHR if the change is 300 miles or less. So if there isn’t a flight from Sofia that works for you then they’re entitled to cancel and refund you versus trying to make this itinerary work without repricing from a new origin.

bisonrav

You would probably find BA would let you start at LHR if it were a BA issued ticket, they did for me, and I was also able to timeshift an itinerary any time during the ticket validity (1 year). But it being an AA ticket you need to call them.

But they are extremely responsive and helpful. Quick pick up and they can action things quite fast, this is without status or anything like that.

bisonrav

Also good advice is to sit on cancellations as they give you a lot of flexibility. You should at least be able to get a refund if one leg has been cancelled. So you are in Position A and can wait and see how things pan out.

corporate-wage-slave

A lot of this information is in the Rebook thread and wiki. In fact all of it.

1) Unofficially they may allow this, strictly speaking you should be repriced for an ex London departure.
2) Only if it is covered by the Guidelines, and unless there is something from AA / AY / IB which is useful, I doubt this is going anywhere.
3) Yes.
4) Yes, up to 1 year within ticket issue (not the first flight).
5) Not after rebooking (apart from the FTV option), unless there is another movement: so here is the key message: unless you lose sleep over things like this (and some FTers clearly do) just leave it until you know more. Don't accept the new booking in MMB, or try to change seats etc.

In the shunned thread, my usual comment about "maybe" bookings would go here.

BerksFlyer

When was this itinerary for? I have an ex-SOF itinerary and I’d rather take a refund and travel when things are more ‘normal’. Any large change like yours would definitely take me down the refund route rather the re-book.

PUCCI GALORE

I accept my smack on the wrist gracefully! I suppose that I was more concerned about this particular instance.

I am, however, confused as to the meaning of a shunned thread.

Thank you all for coming back so quickly. I am far from keen about taking this trip given the situation in the USA - indeed I would far rather have a refund as matters stand. I am far from fussed about rushing into anything. I will wait and see. It seems rather stupid to me to start doing a lot of booking until one can have some kind of assurance that one will actually depart and I suspect that it will not be until late March until the road is clearer - but did we not all think this back in May when I booked this in the first place.

Again - thanks to all.

PUCCI GALORE

Early February Love.

ISTFlyer

I assume that you booked through BA so you could also change your origin to IST and fly IST-LHR instead of SOF-LHR.
However, you would need an overnight at IST at your own expense if you're positioning from London.

By the way, waiting as corporate-wage-slave mentioned could be useful as you might actually make the trip if US border rules change and the Presidential Proclamation is removed.
However, if you're seeking a refund, go for it.

BerksFlyer

my trip is February too and I’m assuming it won’t go ahead. I’d personally take a refund but YMMV.

Anonba

If a flight is cancelled you are entitled to take a refund for just that flight in the itinerary. So if that is the case it wouldnt be repriced.

Anonba

Hi if the flight is cancelled though you are able to take a refund of just the cancelled sector. The 300 miles rule only applies if you wish to rebook to an alternative airport.

vintagepilot

I've had a Feb cancellation too - posted in the TP Run thread too as a bit of a heads up for the ex-SOF crowd https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32854798-post6087.html

Hydebear

If you go I may see you there. Not been to the desert since March and miss it greatly.

PUCCI GALORE

Thank you all - I think that I will go the refund route - but I will hold on for now - there is simply no rush. Frankly I do not want to go to the USA until things improve greatly. Each and every state seems to be doing something different and quite honestly the last thing that I would want to do is fall ill over there, I carry huge insurance but that would be invalidated if I traveled against FO advice. This is purely leisure and it can wait - but we will see what happens none the less.