Selling class change possible?
May 22, 2019, 2:32 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 73
Selling class change possible?
After seeing some of the fantastic advice provided here, finally registering to get some advice on a problem.
Myself and Mrs BGI Runner secures CW 241 reward tickets to BGI for next April. Unrelated to this query, a search indicates that it’s often queried whether you can book the return separately online and then add it to an existing 241 single booking for the outbound. Well according to BA not exactly but they had no problem after a quick phone call linking the separate bookings I had made online for the outbound and return and refunding me half the Avios for the return I had initially paid for in full. Avios were credited to my account within a few minutes of finishing the call!
Anyhow, on to the problem I’ve now got. I then called last week to book a revenue ticket for our 4 year old son. All went smoothly, TCP’d to our other reward bookings. Amazingly flight nearly full already (Easter) so outbound only available in J selling class (ouch!). Booked anyhow because I know our flights for this Easter fully sold out soon after I’d booked them last year.
Today a single C class ticket became available. Phoned BA to get J class outbound rebooked to C and fare difference refunded leaving return in D as booked. First operative (Bronze Line) tapped away went to speak to somebody and said not possible! On pushing said he would transfer me to a different department who may be able to help. Transferred to complaints department who apologised and said they could not deal with fare recalculations! Transferred back and had to give up after another 20 minutes on hold as had to get off home.
So question, is it possible to change one leg from J to C and refund fare difference? Just a case of trying again and getting more helpful operative?
Myself and Mrs BGI Runner secures CW 241 reward tickets to BGI for next April. Unrelated to this query, a search indicates that it’s often queried whether you can book the return separately online and then add it to an existing 241 single booking for the outbound. Well according to BA not exactly but they had no problem after a quick phone call linking the separate bookings I had made online for the outbound and return and refunding me half the Avios for the return I had initially paid for in full. Avios were credited to my account within a few minutes of finishing the call!
Anyhow, on to the problem I’ve now got. I then called last week to book a revenue ticket for our 4 year old son. All went smoothly, TCP’d to our other reward bookings. Amazingly flight nearly full already (Easter) so outbound only available in J selling class (ouch!). Booked anyhow because I know our flights for this Easter fully sold out soon after I’d booked them last year.
Today a single C class ticket became available. Phoned BA to get J class outbound rebooked to C and fare difference refunded leaving return in D as booked. First operative (Bronze Line) tapped away went to speak to somebody and said not possible! On pushing said he would transfer me to a different department who may be able to help. Transferred to complaints department who apologised and said they could not deal with fare recalculations! Transferred back and had to give up after another 20 minutes on hold as had to get off home.
So question, is it possible to change one leg from J to C and refund fare difference? Just a case of trying again and getting more helpful operative?
May 22, 2019, 2:56 pm
#2
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Join Date: Feb 2010
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If you made the follow up call within 24 hours of first purchase, and assuming there isn't something like a BA Holidays trip involved, then yes you should be able to amend the fare class in the way you outlined. Alternatively you can have a full refund and sort it out yourself, this process can now be done online normally. If you are past 24 hours then it depends on the precise fare conditions on your ticket, but there would often be a fee for doing this (and it probably would take the form of cancelling and rebooking).
If you called within 24 hours, are now over 24 hours, but the first agent didn't understand (etc), then you better call again and ask to have the case escalated.
May 22, 2019, 3:33 pm
#3
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Having a quick look at some fare rules for J class outbound and D class inbound for BGI on random dates, I noticed that there's a difference between the change rules.
The J class fare has:-
The D class fare has:-
If the latter rule is applied, then obviously you can't change the ticket to a lower fare.
I am not an expert, but my impression had been that if you are only changing the J class fare component and you aren't changing the D class fare component in any way, then only the J class fare rules should be applied to the change. I thought that BA had abandoned the "most restrictive rules apply" philosophy.
However, what you describe could be consistent with an application of the D class rule, and so it's possible that my impression is wrong. One of our ticketing experts will hopefully be able to give a more informed view, but I thought it might be worth mentioning what I have seen.
The J class fare has:-
NEW TICKET MAY BE LOWER - EQUAL OR HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS AND MUST COMPLY WITH ALL PROVISIONS OF THE NEW FARE BEING APPLIED.
NEW TICKET VALUE MUST BE EQUAL OR HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS AND MUST COMPLY WITH ALL PROVISIONS OF THE NEW FARE BEING APPLIED.
I am not an expert, but my impression had been that if you are only changing the J class fare component and you aren't changing the D class fare component in any way, then only the J class fare rules should be applied to the change. I thought that BA had abandoned the "most restrictive rules apply" philosophy.
However, what you describe could be consistent with an application of the D class rule, and so it's possible that my impression is wrong. One of our ticketing experts will hopefully be able to give a more informed view, but I thought it might be worth mentioning what I have seen.
May 22, 2019, 3:39 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,659
Having a quick look at some fare rules for J class outbound and D class inbound for BGI on random dates, I noticed that there's a difference between the change rules.
The J class fare has:-The D class fare has:-If the latter rule is applied, then obviously you can't change the ticket to a lower fare.
I am not an expert, but my impression had been that if you are only changing the J class fare component and you aren't changing the D class fare component in any way, then only the J class fare rules should be applied to the change. I thought that BA had abandoned the "most restrictive rules apply" philosophy.
However, what you describe could be consistent with an application of the D class rule, and so it's possible that my impression is wrong. One of our ticketing experts will hopefully be able to give a more informed view, but I thought it might be worth mentioning what I have seen.
The J class fare has:-The D class fare has:-If the latter rule is applied, then obviously you can't change the ticket to a lower fare.
I am not an expert, but my impression had been that if you are only changing the J class fare component and you aren't changing the D class fare component in any way, then only the J class fare rules should be applied to the change. I thought that BA had abandoned the "most restrictive rules apply" philosophy.
However, what you describe could be consistent with an application of the D class rule, and so it's possible that my impression is wrong. One of our ticketing experts will hopefully be able to give a more informed view, but I thought it might be worth mentioning what I have seen.
May 22, 2019, 3:48 pm
#5
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A CHANGE IS A DATE/ FLIGHT/ ROUTING/ BOOKING CODE CHANGE.
--- REPRICING CONDITIONS ---
A. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT IS CHANGED THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED.
B. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN CHANGES ARE TO BOOKING CODE ONLY IN THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT AND RESULT IN A HIGHER FARE THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON THE PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE OR USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED - WHICHEVER IS LOWER.
C. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT BUT OTHER FARE COMPONENTS ARE CHANGED THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON THE PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE OR USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED - WHICHEVER IS LOWER.
A. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT IS CHANGED THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED.
B. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN CHANGES ARE TO BOOKING CODE ONLY IN THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT AND RESULT IN A HIGHER FARE THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON THE PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE OR USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED - WHICHEVER IS LOWER.
C. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT BUT OTHER FARE COMPONENTS ARE CHANGED THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON THE PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE OR USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED - WHICHEVER IS LOWER.
It would fall within B except that the change results in a lower fare.
And so it would seem to be a type A change and that all that's needed would be a reprice at today's fares. I don't immediately understand why the change can't be made?
May 22, 2019, 4:30 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 73
Excellent, thanks for all the helpful replies. I did query the possibility of this sort of change with the BA agent when I bought the original ticket. He seemed like a very experienced agent as he was dealt with the transaction and TCP’ing to our 2 reward bookings very efficiently. He said repricing to a lower selling class would be possible.
The agent I spoke to when trying to make the change however, seemed very unsure about everything and just not very willing to try to help. I’ll try phoning again when I get another chance.
A simple cancellation of the whole ticket and buying a new one looks an interesting idea if not as i’d still be some £400 better off even taking into account the cancellation fee on the D class return portion. My only concern with this is flight is filling up fast (BA2155 4 April) and I can’t buy the new ticket online as my son is only 4 so it has to be a phone booking. I’d be a little concerned with trying to do this unless the cancellation and repurchase could be done simultaneously on the phone, just in case something unsettles and the single C class ticket available disappeared!
The agent I spoke to when trying to make the change however, seemed very unsure about everything and just not very willing to try to help. I’ll try phoning again when I get another chance.
A simple cancellation of the whole ticket and buying a new one looks an interesting idea if not as i’d still be some £400 better off even taking into account the cancellation fee on the D class return portion. My only concern with this is flight is filling up fast (BA2155 4 April) and I can’t buy the new ticket online as my son is only 4 so it has to be a phone booking. I’d be a little concerned with trying to do this unless the cancellation and repurchase could be done simultaneously on the phone, just in case something unsettles and the single C class ticket available disappeared!
May 22, 2019, 4:55 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 90
I would suggest the issue is not with the J segment but rather the D segment. Some of the D fares are restrictive whilst others are more similar to J and fully flexible.
The general rule of ticketing is that the most restrictive conditions apply to the whole ticket. So if the D segment is of the restrictive type, the fare difference may not be refundable, even of the changes are made to the J segment.
The general rule of ticketing is that the most restrictive conditions apply to the whole ticket. So if the D segment is of the restrictive type, the fare difference may not be refundable, even of the changes are made to the J segment.
May 22, 2019, 6:04 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,659
I would suggest the issue is not with the J segment but rather the D segment. Some of the D fares are restrictive whilst others are more similar to J and fully flexible.
The general rule of ticketing is that the most restrictive conditions apply to the whole ticket. So if the D segment is of the restrictive type, the fare difference may not be refundable, even of the changes are made to the J segment.
The general rule of ticketing is that the most restrictive conditions apply to the whole ticket. So if the D segment is of the restrictive type, the fare difference may not be refundable, even of the changes are made to the J segment.
Last edited by Anonba; May 22, 2019 at 6:12 pm
May 23, 2019, 2:58 am
#9
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If one leg is refundable and the other is non refundable it doesnt make both non refundable. The rule you mention is to do with change fees. If one leg has a £300 change fee and the other £500 then fare rules will say something like if both legs are changed most restrictive rule applies ie higher of the two change fee would be charged.
The J class fare and the D class fare that I saw both have:-
WHEN MORE THAN ONE FARE COMPONENT IS CHANGED THE HIGHEST PENALTY OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS WITHIN THE JOURNEY APPLIES.
So I'm still curious about what rules are in play here that are causing the problem.
May 23, 2019, 3:01 am
#10
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A simple cancellation of the whole ticket and buying a new one looks an interesting idea if not as i’d still be some £400 better off even taking into account the cancellation fee on the D class return portion. My only concern with this is flight is filling up fast (BA2155 4 April) and I can’t buy the new ticket online as my son is only 4 so it has to be a phone booking. I’d be a little concerned with trying to do this unless the cancellation and repurchase could be done simultaneously on the phone, just in case something unsettles and the single C class ticket available disappeared!