sew

Hi. In the event of a strike and a flight booked using avios (+companion vouchers) ends up being cancelled, when you're being re-booked, are you entitled to fly in the cabin booked originally (in this case J), or can they put you in Y even if there's J available on the re-booked flight?

Many thanks.

mikeyfly

Usually in extraordinary circumstances (weather events etc) you can be rebooked onto other BA services in revenue seats in the same cabin and on different dates. Rebook instructions will be issued if this occurs.

1Aturnleft

In past strikes this has been the case.
In the event your flight was cancelled, you could book into the same booking class if available or lowest booking class available in the same cabin in the event you still wanted to travel. They tended to review situations fairly regularly and updated rebook policies accordingly covering periods of the affected strikes and periods in which you could rebook etc... Also flexibility on alternative destinations and things like that. I'm fairly confident it would be the same if/when the next strike happens.

You certainly can't say BA aren't well versed or prepared - they have a lot of knowledge and practice in this situation!

mjghughes

What happens if you are abroad at the time of a strike? We have a trip planned using 2-4-1 in first, due to return from KUL on Aug 9th. If a strike goes ahead to the suggested timeline, what would BA be likely to do to get us home (note we have no status)?

UKtravelbear

There are no strike dates announced yet. All the media have done is calculated the earliest date a strike can take place.

The Unions can legally wait several weeks before actually naming any strike dates.

Pilots and other staff don't want to strike (as they lose salary) they are initially using it to pressurise BA back to the table and for BA to improve the offer.

But BA is obligated to try and get you home if necessary by rebooking you onto other carriers.

Often1

A ticket is a ticket is a ticket. How you pay for the ticket does not affect your rerouting in IRROPS, whether that is strike, weather or mechanical.

BA will either reroute you in the same class of service or let you wait for the next service which has availability in your ticketed cabin. If the former, you are all set. If the latter, you have to make a decision as to whether the downgrade is acceptable. In addition, if you choose to wait, BA has no "duty of care" obligations under EC 261/2004, although it is not unheard of that it will nonetheless take care of you.

If you are downgraded, you are due a refund of your 30-75% of your base segment fare depending on the distance covered by the downgraded segment.

The real key here, as with all IRROPS, is to be armed with information as to what you want and not to passively stand there and be handed new boarding passes. If you have done the research, you are then in a better position to ask for what you want.

mjghughes

Many thanks for the responses. Hopefully the situation will be resolved, and/or (very selfishly) UKtravelbear's comment would be the case in that any action would be after we return. And thanks Often1 for all the information.

Tim_T