Last edit by: ThatT1Feeling
Book with confidence policy: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...ith-confidence
Form for requesting an e-voucher: https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn
Don't forget to take a screenshot before submission and another after acceptance. A suggested method is in this post: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post32187702
The text of the Book with confidence policy as at 2145Z on Sun 15 March is in this post: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post32180050
IMPORTANT NOTE - the current understanding is that vouchers must be used to book, and travel must start, before the 12-month expiry date but travel may be completed after that date. See this post: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post32189408
Headline summary:-
Form for requesting an e-voucher: https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn
Don't forget to take a screenshot before submission and another after acceptance. A suggested method is in this post: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post32187702
The text of the Book with confidence policy as at 2145Z on Sun 15 March is in this post: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post32180050
IMPORTANT NOTE - the current understanding is that vouchers must be used to book, and travel must start, before the 12-month expiry date but travel may be completed after that date. See this post: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post32189408
Headline summary:-
- Flights booked at any time for travel
14 March to 31 Mayfrom nowand 13 October 2020for journeys to be completed by 30 September 2022 can be converted into a voucher for use in a future booking to be used for journeys to be completed by 30 September 2023. .Existing bookings made before 3 March are also covered until 30 October 2020, - Holidays booked at any time for travel up to
31 May13 Octobersine die can be date-changed, or converted into a voucher for use in a future booking. - Holidays:
- If booking after 16 December 2021 date changes must be made, or vouchers requested a minimum of 28 days before departure date. ( https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/incident/coronavirus/british-airways-holidays#howtochangeyourbooking )
- If booking after 11 June 2020 date changes must be made, or vouchers requested a minimum of three weeks before the original departure date.
- If you booked a package between 3 March and 11 June 2020 for travel up to 31 December 2020 48 hours’ notice applies and if travelling between 1 January and 30 August 2021 three weeks’ notice applies.
- Flight and holiday bookings made after 3 March can be converted into a voucher for use in a future booking for journeys to be completed by 30 September 2023.
- Flight and holiday bookings made for completion before 30 September 2022 have no change fee for changes of travel dates. New bookings for flights which do not complete by that date now attract change fees (unless fully flexible)
- Flight and holiday bookings to USA now being offered refund (0900 Sun 15 March) - see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32187403-post192.html
- You can change the dates and destination of your booking without incurring a change fee, although you will need to pay any difference in price.
Book with confidence policy
#1021
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London N8
Programs: BA (LTG), Miles&More (whatever the lowest level is), Oyster card (zones 1-2)
Posts: 888
On BA, long-haul I class was the last bastion of "use it or lose it", but even that is now changeable for change fee plus fare difference. I looked at a random LHR-JNB-LHR BA I class fare, and it says the normal change fee is Ł300.
ba.com says this about the conditions, which isn't exactly gobbledy-gook:
ba.com says this about the conditions, which isn't exactly gobbledy-gook:
#1022
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,936
I just had a quick play on ba.com to look at an open jaw LHR-JNB/CPT-LHR with F out and J back. Chose some dates in September and it was pricing A selling class out and I class back.
On the quote page there is a link to "Charges for changes and cancellations" which brings up a pop up as follows:
I agree it's a bit impenetrable, but as I understand it is non-cancellable, but changeable for Ł300 change fee and any fare difference?
On the quote page there is a link to "Charges for changes and cancellations" which brings up a pop up as follows:
Code:
Charges for changes and cancellations For inxc00s7 type fares note - general rule does not apply cancellations any time ticket is non-refundable. note - fare component is non-refundable. waived for death of a passenger and passengers travelling companions. when combining non-refundable fares with refundable fares 1. the amount paid on each refundable fare component is refunded. 2. the amount paid on each non-refundable fare component will not be refunded. 3. when combining fares charge the sum of the cancellation fees of all cancelled fare components. refund of unused taxes fees and charges paid to third parties permitted. associated carrier imposed charges will not be refunded. refund permitted within ticket validity. any non-refundable amount from a previous ticket remains non-refundable following a change. ticket is not transferable to another person. Cancellation repricing conditions reprice using any fare type except eru and eou. flown coupons must be repriced using historical fares in effect on the previous ticketing date. the fare for the journey travelled must be capped at the total fare amount plus carrier imposed charge paid on the ticket being presented for refund. fully flown fare components may be repriced using any booking code within the same cabin provided the new fare amount is equal or higher than original. partially flown fare components must be repriced using the same or higher booking code. changes any time charge gbp 300.00 for reissue/revalidation. note - with the exception of tickets changed in the us any penalty fee must be collected via an emd. refer to speedbirdclub.com or batraveltrade.com and your gds for instructions. charge applies per transaction - per person for all passenger types. infants without a seat - no charge. a change is a date/flight/routing/booking code change. new reservation and reissue/revalidation must be made on the same day. reissue must be made the same day as change of reservation but no later than scheduled departure time of flight being changed. otherwise the ticket will only be valid for refund if applicable. when more than one fare component is changed the highest penalty of all changed fare components within the journey applies. repricing conditions reprice using any fare type except eru and eou. 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. d. after departure of journey the itinerary must be re-priced using historical fares in effect on the previous ticketing date. 1. if same booking class is used new ticket value must be lower - equal or higher than previous and must comply with all provisions of the new fare being applied. 2. if a different booking class is used new ticket value must be equal or higher than previous and must comply with all provisions of the new fare being applied. when the itinerary results in a higher fare the difference will be collected. any applicable change fee still applies. any non-refundable amount from a previous ticket remains non-refundable following a change. no-shows for a flight are considered a cancellation after departure and changes are not permitted. ticket is not transferable to another person.
#1023
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London N8
Programs: BA (LTG), Miles&More (whatever the lowest level is), Oyster card (zones 1-2)
Posts: 888
Thank you KARFA for taking the time to do that. I *think* you’re right, but it could be a little clearer given in that case it seems to be the same conditions as a simple return.
Do you know whether those rules mean any booking changes would be restricted to the same route - ie LHR-JBG/CPT-LHR? Or could I rebook to another destination by simply paying the change fee/fare difference?
And, since prices would no doubt be much more expensive when we did rebook, could we ‘downgrade’ to Club each way, or would we be restricted to rebooking into First out/Club back?
Do you know whether those rules mean any booking changes would be restricted to the same route - ie LHR-JBG/CPT-LHR? Or could I rebook to another destination by simply paying the change fee/fare difference?
And, since prices would no doubt be much more expensive when we did rebook, could we ‘downgrade’ to Club each way, or would we be restricted to rebooking into First out/Club back?
#1024
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Do you know whether those rules mean any booking changes would be restricted to the same route - ie LHR-JBG/CPT-LHR? Or could I rebook to another destination by simply paying the change fee/fare difference?
And, since prices would no doubt be much more expensive when we did rebook, could we ‘downgrade’ to Club each way, or would we be restricted to rebooking into First out/Club back?
And, since prices would no doubt be much more expensive when we did rebook, could we ‘downgrade’ to Club each way, or would we be restricted to rebooking into First out/Club back?
And as I read the rules of the lowest First fare (which are likely to be the most restrictive), you can downgrade from First to Club. To my eyes, the main limitation is that if you rebook the First part of the trip, or if you rebook the Club part of the trip into any class other than I class (presumably what you have booked now), you are basically subject to a "no downward price revision" provision. But the BWC change rules broadly speaking contain the same fare difference rules already; it's the change fee waiver that's the most notable part of BWC for that.
You can always get the full fare rules, with all of the technical detail, by pricing your trip on ITA and looking at the fare rules there.
#1025
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London N8
Programs: BA (LTG), Miles&More (whatever the lowest level is), Oyster card (zones 1-2)
Posts: 888
Thank you. So in essence BWC is, to all intents and purposes, a waiver of the change fee?If so, that is relatively good news.
I do wonder whether BA will simply revert to pre-Covid rules, or maybe introduce a version of what seems to be Star Alliance policy that gives more flexibility for a little more cash.
I do wonder whether BA will simply revert to pre-Covid rules, or maybe introduce a version of what seems to be Star Alliance policy that gives more flexibility for a little more cash.
#1026
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,936
Yes I think BWC two advantages on that basis are waiver of the change fee, and an ability to get a fare difference refund if what you change to costs less than what you booked originally.
#1027
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
However, even under standard rules, if you're planning to use the ticket for the trip that you're cancelling for another trip a reasonable amount of time into the future, you could always in effect secure this by paying two lots of change fees. Once to move the current trip to a date a very long time away, and then again when you actually know the dates on which you want to travel. If you play your cards right, you might even be able to time the first change to coincide with a sale, so as to minimise the effect of any applicable "no downward price revision" rule that would otherwise take effect.
#1029
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,287
Haven't the US airlines completely removed change fees, even cheap-ish tickets? (I'd say permanently but that doesn't actually apply!)
It'd be good if BA could do this, and even better if there were an option to do it online!
It'd be good if BA could do this, and even better if there were an option to do it online!
#1030
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Most legacy US carriers have removed change fees but it doesn't apply for Basic Economy tickets.
#1031
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Sacramento, CA
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt,Marriott,BA,AS
Posts: 4,425
BA just increased the "fuel" surcharges on Avios bookings to much of the western U.S. so don't hold your breath waiting for them to change any policy that reduces their profits.
#1032
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
Seems to have been a change to the BWC policy this week. Travel up to the end of September 22 is now covered - was 31 August 22.
BWC Policy: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...exible-booking
Also, seems to be a change to the FTV for reward bookings saying that companion vouchers and upgrade vouchers will be returned rather than embedded in a FTV until Sep 23.
FTV request form: https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn
and note: If you have an Avios Reward Flight Saver, Reward Flight, Companion or Gold Upgrade Voucher booking, please note that by submitting this form you will be given a refund and your Companion or Gold Upgrade Voucher will revert back to the original expiry date.
BWC Policy: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...exible-booking
Also, seems to be a change to the FTV for reward bookings saying that companion vouchers and upgrade vouchers will be returned rather than embedded in a FTV until Sep 23.
FTV request form: https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn
and note: If you have an Avios Reward Flight Saver, Reward Flight, Companion or Gold Upgrade Voucher booking, please note that by submitting this form you will be given a refund and your Companion or Gold Upgrade Voucher will revert back to the original expiry date.
#1033
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Programs: BA Gold, Mucci
Posts: 2,068
#1034
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Stafford, England, UK
Programs: BA Executive club
Posts: 140
Apologies if this has been asked elsewhere….. we have a BAH booked to Bangkok (just 1 night in heathrow to make it a holiday) for Easter.
BA have cancelled there flights, and they’re not flying to Bangkok until the winter season.
I understand that Qatar is the rebooking option. But would I be able to move our booking forward to December? We booked in October 21…. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that BA were only rebooking up to 12m from booking date, but this was later changed to 12m from the original departure.
Would this apply to a BAH booking as well?
jist before I ring, I’d like to know my options.
thanks in advance
BA have cancelled there flights, and they’re not flying to Bangkok until the winter season.
I understand that Qatar is the rebooking option. But would I be able to move our booking forward to December? We booked in October 21…. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that BA were only rebooking up to 12m from booking date, but this was later changed to 12m from the original departure.
Would this apply to a BAH booking as well?
jist before I ring, I’d like to know my options.
thanks in advance