I Think I may Have Had It With BA
#16
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 71
If that's true then are BA effectively saying that EU261 doesn't apply to avios bookings? I can't find this information in the terms and conditions on the BA website, could you please post a link.
#17
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Interesting !
You have left us to speculate on the identity of the carrier involved, so I’m going to hazard a guess, and see if I’m correct :
Was your friend by chance travelling with We DO Give a Damn Airways ......... ??
#18
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,478
If you have a confirmed F reservation and they downgrade, the law is on your side - and BA know it.
#19
In my personal experience - albeit with a GUF2 - BA do try it on in this area. I was downgraded onto VS J when an A380 went tech, and had to take the MCOL route. BA’s defence ran to 10 pages. My counter submission ended up at 6. We settled in mediation, but essentially I got the whole amount due under EC261 albeit in travel vouchers (which was fine, and I’d spent them within a few months), but the opening offer in that process was absolutely derisory. I spent almost the whole hour letting BA know I’d be prepared to go to court if they continued to insult me and ignore the law, albeit I’d concess to travel vouchers rather than cash, and with three minutes left they caved in.
If you have a confirmed F reservation and they downgrade, the law is on your side - and BA know it.
If you have a confirmed F reservation and they downgrade, the law is on your side - and BA know it.
#20
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
Well there are only two carriers on that route with an F product
#21
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,830
I actually suspect that only a few people were affected by this, BA switched First availability on this sector to only a 6 week horizon a few months back, and many would be on an onward service that would need rebooking as well. The 6 week horizon isn't a total guarantee against late cancellations.
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, several other less interesting cards...
Posts: 3,712
I shall all watch Death in Paradise tonight. I won’t be claiming EC261 compensation for the 24 hour delay.
#25
#26
#27
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
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Location: UK/Las Vegas
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As they say, patience is a virtue
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
EC261 does apply to Avios bookings, there are a few complexities here. This would be seen as a cancellation and therefore BA need to rebook with "comparable" transportation. Now as it happens QR has a fairly limited fleet of longhaul aircraft with First on it, just the A380 aircraft and there are only 8 of them, which in turn have 8 "suites" each.
Having done Qatar F, which has no privacy if you are in the middle seat pair, I would be OK with QSuite on a 777 though .... especially if your F middle seat neighbour spends the flight watching videos on his phone WITHOUT headphones, as happened to me. Same thing happened to me on RJ last week too where for added pleasure my seatmate removed his shoes and socks and then sat cross legged, thus putting his foot under my nose, for much of the flight.
#30
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,620
EC261 does apply to Avios bookings, there are a few complexities here. This would be seen as a cancellation and therefore BA need to rebook with "comparable" transportation. Now as it happens QR has a fairly limited fleet of longhaul aircraft with First on it, just the A380 aircraft and there are only 8 of them, which in turn have 8 "suites" each. Indirect routing to DOH is currently restricted too. So in many cases rebooking into QR First wasn't going to happen. BA has long taken the view that Avios rebookings are treated differently to revenue rebookings, the Customer Guidelines have a separate space for it. But EC261 does not make that distinction. In court cases that I've seen BA have attempted to portray the alternative arrangement as "comparable", even if it is a different class of travel (after all there are no shortage of people in this forum who do the same when it comes to Qatar!). But clearly it isn't difficult for passengers to argue the case that F = F.
I actually suspect that only a few people were affected by this, BA switched First availability on this sector to only a 6 week horizon a few months back, and many would be on an onward service that would need rebooking as well. The 6 week horizon isn't a total guarantee against late cancellations.
I actually suspect that only a few people were affected by this, BA switched First availability on this sector to only a 6 week horizon a few months back, and many would be on an onward service that would need rebooking as well. The 6 week horizon isn't a total guarantee against late cancellations.
There seems to be nothing at all there that a cancellation/rebook is an exception
I would have thought that a claim for a 75% reimbursement would have little chance of failure if a claim was lodged via MCOL Has BA actually won cases that the downgrade is not entitled to the reimbursement?