Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
BA Covid-19 Rebooking / Cancellation / Refund Help & Advice
If your flight is cancelled by BA:
Commercial booking: Your options are: cash refund OR Future Travel Voucher (FTV) OR rebooking OR Avios credit
Redemption booking: Your options are: full refund of cash and Avios OR FTV OR rebooking.
BA Holidays booking: You should be given a refund pro-actively.
If your flight is cancelled by BA - any flight in the PNR - you can get a full refund so long as you booked directly with BA. You can only get a refund by telephoning BA. Refunds are taking between a few hours to a few weeks to be repaid, depending on the sort of booking made. If you don't wish to travel you can opt for an FTV or eVoucher valid for travel until 30 April 2022, though flights more than 355 days away are not currently bookable - flights are enabled at 355 days before departure. Vouchers such as 2-4-1 are also thereby extended. You can do this even if the flight is operating. The best advice we can give is to delay opting for an eVoucher options until the last moment, since if BA cancel your flight you have more options. BA have also adjusted the Standard Customer Guidelines so that if BA cancel the flight you can be rebooked to anytime in 12 months after you originally bought the ticket, so long as there is space in the cabin - there is no need to have a fare bucket available or Avios availability. If you choose the Avios credit you will get between 108 to 126 Avios per GBP of your fare. Note older posts in this thread may now be inaccuarate since the current policy has been amended several times.
===
If your flight is not cancelled but you don't wish to travel
Commercial booking: If you are eligible for Buy with Confidence, you can have an FTV valid until April 2022. Rebooking may lead to a fare recalculation but no change fee.
Redemption booking: Your can do the normal Avios refund, with the redeposit fee capped at GBP 35 per person. Alternatively for the same fee you can rebook to new dates subject to availability. Alternatively you can have an FTV.
BA Holidays booking: You may be get a refund proactively, otherwise you are looking at an FTV for at least the flight component of your trip, maybe for all components.
If all of the flights in your booking are still scheduled and you don't wish to travel then you best wait until a few days before departure in case there is a cancellation. As you can see above, a cancellation gives you better options. You are in scope with Buy with Confidence if you are flying between now and completing travel before 31 August 2021, also if you bought your ticket after 3 March and due to complete all flights before September 2021. The BA web page on this is:
ba.com/confidence
===
Below are some of the options / workarounds being suggested in order to obtain a refund as opposed to a Future Travel Voucher, but they probably no longer work:
Refund of Cancelled Flights:
Paid Seating Refund:
Bookings made using Lloyds Upgrade Voucher
You should expect to receive:
Lloyds Upgrade Voucher Notes
If your flight is cancelled by BA:
Commercial booking: Your options are: cash refund OR Future Travel Voucher (FTV) OR rebooking OR Avios credit
Redemption booking: Your options are: full refund of cash and Avios OR FTV OR rebooking.
BA Holidays booking: You should be given a refund pro-actively.
If your flight is cancelled by BA - any flight in the PNR - you can get a full refund so long as you booked directly with BA. You can only get a refund by telephoning BA. Refunds are taking between a few hours to a few weeks to be repaid, depending on the sort of booking made. If you don't wish to travel you can opt for an FTV or eVoucher valid for travel until 30 April 2022, though flights more than 355 days away are not currently bookable - flights are enabled at 355 days before departure. Vouchers such as 2-4-1 are also thereby extended. You can do this even if the flight is operating. The best advice we can give is to delay opting for an eVoucher options until the last moment, since if BA cancel your flight you have more options. BA have also adjusted the Standard Customer Guidelines so that if BA cancel the flight you can be rebooked to anytime in 12 months after you originally bought the ticket, so long as there is space in the cabin - there is no need to have a fare bucket available or Avios availability. If you choose the Avios credit you will get between 108 to 126 Avios per GBP of your fare. Note older posts in this thread may now be inaccuarate since the current policy has been amended several times.
===
If your flight is not cancelled but you don't wish to travel
Commercial booking: If you are eligible for Buy with Confidence, you can have an FTV valid until April 2022. Rebooking may lead to a fare recalculation but no change fee.
Redemption booking: Your can do the normal Avios refund, with the redeposit fee capped at GBP 35 per person. Alternatively for the same fee you can rebook to new dates subject to availability. Alternatively you can have an FTV.
BA Holidays booking: You may be get a refund proactively, otherwise you are looking at an FTV for at least the flight component of your trip, maybe for all components.
If all of the flights in your booking are still scheduled and you don't wish to travel then you best wait until a few days before departure in case there is a cancellation. As you can see above, a cancellation gives you better options. You are in scope with Buy with Confidence if you are flying between now and completing travel before 31 August 2021, also if you bought your ticket after 3 March and due to complete all flights before September 2021. The BA web page on this is:
ba.com/confidence
===
Below are some of the options / workarounds being suggested in order to obtain a refund as opposed to a Future Travel Voucher, but they probably no longer work:
Refund of Cancelled Flights:
- Call BA (no longer a requirement to be travelling in the next 72 hours, you may need to make repeated calls to get through). Telephone numbers are in this thread, but you can also find them on BA.com at the bottom left of the website, under Help and Contacts.
- Online forms (Post #435 - corporate-wage-slave) - manual process which may take many weeks
Paid Seating Refund:
- https://www.britishairways.com/trave...ing_claim_form (Post #765 - travelhappypair)
Bookings made using Lloyds Upgrade Voucher
You should expect to receive:
- Full refund of Avios and money paid
- A new voucher issued, which has validity for 6 months (from the date of issue, i.e. when you request the 'refund')
Lloyds Upgrade Voucher Notes
- Flights can be used within 12 months, so it will be good for travel up until the end 6 months plus 12 months if you book just before the new expiry
- It's been advised to take the voucher instead of rebooking as it gives me more flexibility.
- The original expiry date of the voucher was irrelevant because the booking was cancelled.
- You must book within 6 months of the voucher being issued and the ticket has 12 months validity so you can change flights after, provided the new flights are within the 12 month window.
- You won't receive any email, only the refund and the miles.
- Use the Qantas website and look back to your original PNR. Step by step guide in post 954
Covid-19 BA Rebooking/Cancellation/Refund HELP & ADVICE *No Speculation etc*
#1576
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
Same here - and a one-way trip it seems
#1577
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
#1578
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,854
That is a genuine service, BA177 to JFK, it's a 777 so it wouldn't be your preferred aircraft anyway. That may be visible if you click the down arrow on the right. The Travel Agent reference is kind-of correct, Qantas is just picking up the extra coupon from Amadeus and it shows on their system as an agency booking. The whole thing is done to keep it current in Amadeus to allow rebooking, it's just a means to an end.
#1579
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 172
Clicked on voucher with no idea I could get refund.
So BA did not give me a refund selection on the website and I had called ina few times and was on hold for too long. I clicked on the voucher but really wanted a refund. I sent email to '[email protected] today as well. The voucher has not shown up in my account but the bookings have disappeared for the reference numbers I had. BA was not clear on their site around refunds when I pressed voucher and the government has changed stance since i clicked on voucher. I am going to wait on email back from above as I have called in and they told me to call 312-843-5794 but that line says not operational and to go to website and find email address/fill out form for questions.
I have two tickets for refund. One that is using Avios plus fees and the other is direct CC from web site but did vouchers on both before the rules changed.
Does anyone have any other recommendations besides send email as the agent at 877-767-7970 (waited 20 minutes for) said that I needed to call executive club support and customer relations. Both of those numbers have NO contact center agents at them...
Thanks,
Kimbray
I have two tickets for refund. One that is using Avios plus fees and the other is direct CC from web site but did vouchers on both before the rules changed.
Does anyone have any other recommendations besides send email as the agent at 877-767-7970 (waited 20 minutes for) said that I needed to call executive club support and customer relations. Both of those numbers have NO contact center agents at them...
Thanks,
Kimbray
Last edited by kimbray; Apr 13, 2020 at 10:38 am Reason: email
#1580
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,991
So BA did not give me a refund selection on the website and I had called ina few times and was on hold for too long. I clicked on the voucher but really wanted a refund. I sent email to '[email protected] today as well. The voucher has not shown up in my account but the bookings have disappeared for the reference numbers I had. BA was not clear on their site around refunds when I pressed voucher and the government has changed stance since i clicked on voucher. I am going to wait on email back from above as I have called in and they told me to call 312-843-5794 but that line says not operational and to go to website and find email address/fill out form for questions.
I have two tickets for refund. One that is using Avios plus fees and the other is direct CC from web site but did vouchers on both before the rules changed.
Does anyone have any other recommendations besides send email as the agent at 877-767-7970 (waited 20 minutes for) said that I needed to call executive club support and customer relations. Both of those numbers have NO contact center agents at them...
Thanks,
Kimbray
I have two tickets for refund. One that is using Avios plus fees and the other is direct CC from web site but did vouchers on both before the rules changed.
Does anyone have any other recommendations besides send email as the agent at 877-767-7970 (waited 20 minutes for) said that I needed to call executive club support and customer relations. Both of those numbers have NO contact center agents at them...
Thanks,
Kimbray
For your reward booking if the flights are cancelled you would have been entitled to a full refund of all the avios and the cash (i.e. the taxes/fees/charges). For the cash booking if any flights were cancelled you would have been entitled to a full refund - if you used some previous evouchers then you would get reissued evouchers - and if there was any additional cash paid on top that would be refunded to the original payment method.
However, if you have applied for a future travel voucher for a booking then that is what you will get now. The information on the voucher is in the wiki - it isn't a normal evoucher and will not show up online. It takes a few weeks to process and for the email to come out and confirm it is ready to use.
#1581
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Kamloops, BC
Programs: Air Canada-Aeroplan, NEXUS, E50K, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite
Posts: 346
Has anyone received their refund using the javascript method? Been waiting 3 weeks now. On the my booking page it says refund/cancellation being processed. Thanks!
#1582
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,991
In terms of refunds (i.e. not applications for future travel vouchers), and excluding any BA holiday bookings, one option is to PM to BA refund helper if you have been waiting more than a week https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32267001-post259.html
#1583
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 16
Spoke to YouFirst this week.
June schedule changes - they have absolutely no idea. I guess they will wait till the last possible moment.
It stinks because I have multiple trips booked that require coordination beyond airline tickets and I too am stuck in the same boat...
June schedule changes - they have absolutely no idea. I guess they will wait till the last possible moment.
It stinks because I have multiple trips booked that require coordination beyond airline tickets and I too am stuck in the same boat...
Yes, I’m kind of in the same position ... package holiday to Mexico with BA, balance due 22nd April with flight on 11th June. Regardless of whether the holiday is cancelled or not we have decided not to travel given the current circumstance, plus my husband has been furloughed from his job. I’m assuming that BA won’t cancel our holiday until at least our balance date has passed? With this in mind we have decided to cut our loses and lose our £750 rather than pay the balance of £7,000 for fear of not getting the cash back and just being offered a voucher. When we cancel next week with the loss of deposit, given that BA cancellations are only up until 31st May at the moment, would we have any come back on trying to claim this back through our credit card company or, accept that we have lost the deposit altogether ... am assuming the latter? Tia
#1584
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
The door is locked!
It’s all well and good discussing BA’s scheduling here and on other threads, but I reiterate that personal travel is also dependent on whether the receiving country will permit entry. The last time I looked, the USA will deny entry to those travelling from UK, Schengen etc. etc.
Now some flights may be operating to the USA, and their few pax may indeed fall under one of the USA waivers (returning citizens, etc). BUT ... where does that leave, for example, UK pax booked with BA on a flight to the USA that is operating (i.e. not cancelled)? Will BA offer refunds as the pax will effectively be denied boarding under US entry rules? Or do the pax have to turn to travel insurance?
Has anyone encountered this scenario yet?
Now some flights may be operating to the USA, and their few pax may indeed fall under one of the USA waivers (returning citizens, etc). BUT ... where does that leave, for example, UK pax booked with BA on a flight to the USA that is operating (i.e. not cancelled)? Will BA offer refunds as the pax will effectively be denied boarding under US entry rules? Or do the pax have to turn to travel insurance?
Has anyone encountered this scenario yet?
#1585
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,213
Uncle T, there are provisions for these circumstances that are covered by BA’s Book with Confidence policy. See Book with confidence policy
#1586
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,991
It’s all well and good discussing BA’s scheduling here and on other threads, but I reiterate that personal travel is also dependent on whether the receiving country will permit entry. The last time I looked, the USA will deny entry to those travelling from UK, Schengen etc. etc.
Now some flights may be operating to the USA, and their few pax may indeed fall under one of the USA waivers (returning citizens, etc). BUT ... where does that leave, for example, UK pax booked with BA on a flight to the USA that is operating (i.e. not cancelled)? Will BA offer refunds as the pax will effectively be denied boarding under US entry rules? Or do the pax have to turn to travel insurance?
Has anyone encountered this scenario yet?
Now some flights may be operating to the USA, and their few pax may indeed fall under one of the USA waivers (returning citizens, etc). BUT ... where does that leave, for example, UK pax booked with BA on a flight to the USA that is operating (i.e. not cancelled)? Will BA offer refunds as the pax will effectively be denied boarding under US entry rules? Or do the pax have to turn to travel insurance?
Has anyone encountered this scenario yet?
#1587
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Uncle T, there are provisions for these circumstances that are covered by BA’s Book with Confidence policy. See Book with confidence policy
However, I do most emphatically NOT want a voucher. I will, eventually, want a Refund for 2 TATL tickets in First.
If BA can get us JER-UK by then, and if LHR-IAD (BA217) is still operating, the ‘Book With Confidence’ doesn’t give me confidence we will get a FULL cash refund on that PNR ... on the basis that the USA won’t let us in anyway!
Minority interest ... I’ll see what evolves.
#1588
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
Ok, so booked last November for travel in July ... I trust the timelines will move along.
However, I do most emphatically NOT want a voucher. I will, eventually, want a Refund for 2 TATL tickets in First.
If BA can get us JER-UK by then, and if LHR-IAD (BA217) is still operating, the ‘Book With Confidence’ doesn’t give me confidence we will get a FULL cash refund on that PNR ... on the basis that the USA won’t let us in anyway!
Minority interest ... I’ll see what evolves.
However, I do most emphatically NOT want a voucher. I will, eventually, want a Refund for 2 TATL tickets in First.
If BA can get us JER-UK by then, and if LHR-IAD (BA217) is still operating, the ‘Book With Confidence’ doesn’t give me confidence we will get a FULL cash refund on that PNR ... on the basis that the USA won’t let us in anyway!
Minority interest ... I’ll see what evolves.
#1589
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Aadvantage platinum; IHG Spire
Posts: 546
Yes, I’m kind of in the same position ... package holiday to Mexico with BA, balance due 22nd April with flight on 11th June. Regardless of whether the holiday is cancelled or not we have decided not to travel given the current circumstance, plus my husband has been furloughed from his job. I’m assuming that BA won’t cancel our holiday until at least our balance date has passed? With this in mind we have decided to cut our loses and lose our £750 rather than pay the balance of £7,000 for fear of not getting the cash back and just being offered a voucher. When we cancel next week with the loss of deposit, given that BA cancellations are only up until 31st May at the moment, would we have any come back on trying to claim this back through our credit card company or, accept that we have lost the deposit altogether ... am assuming the latter? Tia
#1590
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Aadvantage platinum; IHG Spire
Posts: 546
Yes, I’m kind of in the same position ... package holiday to Mexico with BA, balance due 22nd April with flight on 11th June. Regardless of whether the holiday is cancelled or not we have decided not to travel given the current circumstance, plus my husband has been furloughed from his job. I’m assuming that BA won’t cancel our holiday until at least our balance date has passed? With this in mind we have decided to cut our loses and lose our £750 rather than pay the balance of £7,000 for fear of not getting the cash back and just being offered a voucher. When we cancel next week with the loss of deposit, given that BA cancellations are only up until 31st May at the moment, would we have any come back on trying to claim this back through our credit card company or, accept that we have lost the deposit altogether ... am assuming the latter? Tia