cancelling award ticket within 24h of booking?
Jun 21, 2016, 7:48 pm
#1
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cancelling award ticket within 24h of booking?
Just wondering: Is it possible to cancel an award booking within 24h of booking it?
If so, does it make any difference how close to departure I am?
(E.g. could I make an award booking for tomorrow and cancel the booking 4h before departure?)
Thanks in advance!
If so, does it make any difference how close to departure I am?
(E.g. could I make an award booking for tomorrow and cancel the booking 4h before departure?)
Thanks in advance!
Jun 21, 2016, 7:57 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
I believe the cut-off is 24 hours from departure. If you book (or cancel) within 24 hours of departure - you won't get your Avios back, unless you cancelled due to one of the (limited) covered reasons.
Jun 21, 2016, 8:01 pm
#4
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Thanks. So I wouldn't even get my miles back if I paid a cancel/redeposit fee?
Jun 21, 2016, 8:08 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
From the BAEC T&C:
..."17. Cancellation of Rewards
17.1. A fee as specified online at ba.com will be charged if flight bookings for Reward travel are cancelled by the Member prior to departure. Provided a cancellation is made more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the first flight in the Reward itinerary the Avios points charged for the Reward will be re-credited to the Member's account. Avios will not be refunded for partially flown bookings.
17.2. If flight bookings for Reward travel on British Airways or on flights operated by an Airline Partner are cancelled by the Member within 24 hours of departure, Avios points in respect of the Reward will not be re-credited to the member. In the event you are prevented from travelling by an Event Beyond Your Control we will refund your Avios points provided you have an unused Reward, have informed British Airways promptly, provided evidence of the event if requested to do so and paid the applicable fee specified on ba.com.
17.3. Failure to utilise an Reward flight i.e. "no show", will result in the airline's cancellation of any onward or return reservations and Avios points cannot be re-credited.
17.1. A fee as specified online at ba.com will be charged if flight bookings for Reward travel are cancelled by the Member prior to departure. Provided a cancellation is made more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the first flight in the Reward itinerary the Avios points charged for the Reward will be re-credited to the Member's account. Avios will not be refunded for partially flown bookings.
17.2. If flight bookings for Reward travel on British Airways or on flights operated by an Airline Partner are cancelled by the Member within 24 hours of departure, Avios points in respect of the Reward will not be re-credited to the member. In the event you are prevented from travelling by an Event Beyond Your Control we will refund your Avios points provided you have an unused Reward, have informed British Airways promptly, provided evidence of the event if requested to do so and paid the applicable fee specified on ba.com.
17.3. Failure to utilise an Reward flight i.e. "no show", will result in the airline's cancellation of any onward or return reservations and Avios points cannot be re-credited.
Jun 21, 2016, 8:15 pm
#6
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Correct, if your award is within 24 hours from departure - you will not get your Avios back.
From the BAEC T&C:
From the BAEC T&C:
Jun 21, 2016, 8:30 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
You're welcome. I believe BA does refund fees and taxes on awards (less their cancellation fee), even if within 24 hours from departure where you don't get the Avios back. I'm sure someone else will answer in case I'm incorrect about this.
Jun 21, 2016, 8:46 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2014
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You will not get any avios back if cancelled within 24hrs of departure.
Unfortunately I know this the hard way from once a few years ago (before smartphones) when I wanted to cancel something 26hrs before departure, but the U.S. (where I was) and UK offices were closed until 22hrs before departure so I couldn't get hold of them to cancel. [I had no internet access in the remote place I was staying and only had the U.S. and UK numbers at hand]
You will get back any taxes exceeding the cancellation fee - usually only applicable on longhaul routes with carriers with high YQ (so not AA or CX).
Unfortunately I know this the hard way from once a few years ago (before smartphones) when I wanted to cancel something 26hrs before departure, but the U.S. (where I was) and UK offices were closed until 22hrs before departure so I couldn't get hold of them to cancel. [I had no internet access in the remote place I was staying and only had the U.S. and UK numbers at hand]
You will get back any taxes exceeding the cancellation fee - usually only applicable on longhaul routes with carriers with high YQ (so not AA or CX).
Jun 21, 2016, 11:31 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 538
Within 24hr of departure Avios are forfeit but taxes and fees are refunded in full ..no cancellation fee charged in these circumstances.
Sep 3, 2016, 1:14 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oakland CA
Programs: DL Gold, AS MVPG, Globalist
Posts: 1,008
Well I just learned this the hard way. Booked a ticket yesterday for today; had to cancel it this morning, and thought I was in the clear because of the 24 hour cancellation policy.
But nope... my choices were to forfeit my avios, or pay the cancellation + phone fee as a 'one time exception' and get them back. I took the latter, which was nice of them, but that was a painful lesson to learn.
But nope... my choices were to forfeit my avios, or pay the cancellation + phone fee as a 'one time exception' and get them back. I took the latter, which was nice of them, but that was a painful lesson to learn.
Feb 28, 2017, 3:30 am
#13
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Any free cancellation within 24 hours would be based on what avios.com allow. Certainly the BA cooling off period would be irrelevant for a booking made on avios.com.
Having a look at avios.com I can't immediately see any reference to a 24 hr free cancellation period.
Having a look at avios.com I can't immediately see any reference to a 24 hr free cancellation period.
Feb 28, 2017, 3:35 am
#14
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 166
Lesson learned!