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Covid-19 BA Rebooking/Cancellation/Refund HELP & ADVICE *No Speculation etc*

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Old Mar 14, 2020, 4:58 pm
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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:
  • 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.

Paid Seating Refund:
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.
How to find out the status of your voucher and the amount it contains Future Travel Vouchers versus eVouchers
  • See posts 3052 and 3151 to understand the difference. FTVs cannot be used online (and are not really vouchers), whereas eVouchers, issued for simple bookings, can be used online.
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Covid-19 BA Rebooking/Cancellation/Refund HELP & ADVICE *No Speculation etc*

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Old Apr 16, 2020, 7:34 am
  #1636  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 44
Unhappy

I applied to cancel my booking to Japan departing on the 27 March and returning 14 April back in early March and be refunded in vouchers. I went through the voucher claim form and received two emails:

- One on the 14 March confirming that I had applied for vouchers.
- One on the 22 March advising me that it could take up to two weeks for my vouchers to arrive.

That was the last communication via any means that I've received from BA and my flights have since departed. I did notice that my booking was still showing up on the BA app and on my Executive Club page on the 27 March but after that it completely vanished so I'm guessing BA had cancelled it but with no confirmation as to my vouchers appearing I can't be sure.

Tried phoning BA but they hung up on me both times so I'm getting really worried. Does it really take 4+ weeks to get vouchers to me? Should I communicate to them in writing by post to see if I can get an answer from them that way?

EDIT: People might be a bit curious as why I'm desperate for a voucher rather than a refund and I can put it down to:

1. Being hell bent on going to bloody Japan at some point in the next 18 months.
2. Not wanting to fly with anybody else unless they're a direct BA, JAL or ANA flight.

I know where I want to go and I know who I want to fly with so why do I want to get a refund when I can get the full value in vouchers?
Prestwickuk is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2020, 8:03 am
  #1637  
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
 
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Originally Posted by Prestwickuk
1. Being hell bent on going to bloody Japan at some point in the next 18 months.
2. Not wanting to fly with anybody else unless they're a direct BA, JAL or ANA flight.

I know where I want to go and I know who I want to fly with so why do I want to get a refund when I can get the full value in vouchers?
Do you see the BA fare you want? This is the same problem I have with CX’s Fly Worry Free https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...e-message.html

By accepting BA voucher no longer have the flexibility of booking JL or NH. You also have no option to benefit from any BA fire sale in the future.

We trade gift cards over here - we fair valued airline gift cards at 40 cents on the dollar. But if you’re dead set on travelling, and you can’t buy some other FTer’s voucher, the voucher’s fair value is irrelevant.

I can see some use in using the voucher to nag hesitant SOs/family members to travel.
percysmith is online now  
Old Apr 16, 2020, 8:53 am
  #1638  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 610
Good afternoon all

I know that the response to this is somewhere in this thread but i have a migraine and was hoping i could possibly get a quick answer.

I have a rewards flight booked for the end of July to Dusseldorf. I used avios and paid Ł35 for the tickets. Is there any way i can get a voucher as well as a refund on my avios? I feel like such a noob asking this but i know if i straight up cancel i can get avios back but i was hoping for the voucher too. Is that possible?
MiraculousM is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2020, 9:09 am
  #1639  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
Originally Posted by MiraculousM
Good afternoon all

I know that the response to this is somewhere in this thread but i have a migraine and was hoping i could possibly get a quick answer.

I have a rewards flight booked for the end of July to Dusseldorf. I used avios and paid Ł35 for the tickets. Is there any way i can get a voucher as well as a refund on my avios? I feel like such a noob asking this but i know if i straight up cancel i can get avios back but i was hoping for the voucher too. Is that possible?
not at the moment voucher doesn't cover your travel dates up to now but wait for updates
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Hawk777 is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2020, 3:29 pm
  #1640  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,769
Originally Posted by Prestwickuk
Tried phoning BA but they hung up on me both times so I'm getting really worried. Does it really take 4+ weeks to get vouchers to me? Should I communicate to them in writing by post to see if I can get an answer from them that way?
Have you tried the Qantas look-up mentioned in the Wiki? If that just gives your original booking then you best call up at some point. But the initial emails are probably good enough for the time being unless you need to rebook soon.
corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2020, 4:17 pm
  #1641  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 77
Hey guys, no sure if you guys can help. I tried searching for a similar situation but couldn't find an answer.

I had an BA Avios booking and flew from YYZ to DUB on Aer Lingus. I decided to come back early to Canada before my intended date. Since there was no Avios seats left, I had to buy a one-way ticket back to Canada. When asking the agent if I can cancel the unused half of the ticket, they said sorry no because the journey already started.

At this point I thought I was at a loss for getting the points back, so when the news of the vouchers came out, I just put in a voucher request to see what would happen. Last week I got an email back saying they unfortunately cannot issue the voucher, but they have rescheduled my flight to the future so I can use the unused portion in the future. Perfect as I plan to finish my trip in a future date.

My only question is this. They emailed me that the booking is under the original PNR and ticket number. When I look this up, or login to my BA Avios account, I have no record of this reservation anywhere. Is this normal and perhaps this is an off-system booking? Is it supposed to trigger a new PNR? Any info would be greatly appreciated! It's not urgent, and don;\'t want to call to overwhelm the phone line.
MaHa is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2020, 4:39 pm
  #1642  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,769
Originally Posted by MaHa
My only question is this. They emailed me that the booking is under the original PNR and ticket number. When I look this up, or login to my BA Avios account, I have no record of this reservation anywhere. Is this normal and perhaps this is an off-system booking? Is it supposed to trigger a new PNR? Any info would be greatly appreciated! It's not urgent, and don;\'t want to call to overwhelm the phone line.
Have a look at the Wiki, for how to use the Qantas website to see the PNR and potential link to Mont-Joli. But the ticket number is in fact the key here. So long as you have that then you can use that and the original PNR to rebook, see upthread for various experiences of this.

For Avios bookings you can move the return date after flying the outbound, so long as you make the change more than 24 hours from departure - that's a normal policy, more details in the Sticky on the top of the forum. If the flight is cancelled then you can get a refund, but not if you already applied for the eVoucher.
corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2020, 7:01 pm
  #1643  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: NOC/LAX
Posts: 432
Have they closed the youfirst line? I can't get through at all. Phone just disconnects. Or perhaps it's just not operating 24 hours anymore?
hedur is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2020, 1:35 am
  #1644  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
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Originally Posted by hedur
Have they closed the youfirst line? I can't get through at all. Phone just disconnects. Or perhaps it's just not operating 24 hours anymore?
It's not 24 hours now. Previously during the UK night time calls were handled by the New Delhi contact centre but that is closed for the foreseeable future on government orders. So YouFirst is only open during UK daylight hours, when the Manchester office is operating close to normally at the moment. More information upthread.
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corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2020, 2:46 am
  #1645  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott Plat
Posts: 686
Hi - I'm sure this has been answered many times already but I can't find it so will ask in case someone is kind enough to advise. I have just had an AVIOS booking to Singapore (with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher) cancelled. The website directs me to the 12 month voucher page when I press 'cancel' - can I just fill out this form to have my taxes, AVIOS and 2-4-1 returned to my account, or do I have to call? It's not clear to me, obviously I would rather not waste BA's time if I can just complete this form. Thanks in advance
peck is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2020, 2:52 am
  #1646  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
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Posts: 42,936
Originally Posted by peck
Hi - I'm sure this has been answered many times already but I can't find it so will ask in case someone is kind enough to advise. I have just had an AVIOS booking to Singapore (with an AMEX 2-4-1 voucher) cancelled. The website directs me to the 12 month voucher page when I press 'cancel' - can I just fill out this form to have my taxes, AVIOS and 2-4-1 returned to my account, or do I have to call? It's not clear to me, obviously I would rather not waste BA's time if I can just complete this form. Thanks in advance
Hi. Don't fill out that form. That is only to get a future travel voucher. If you want a refund then you would have to call to do that. The call centres seem less busy now so you should get through.
KARFA is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2020, 2:54 am
  #1647  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott Plat
Posts: 686
Originally Posted by KARFA
Hi. Don't fill out that form. That is only to get a future travel voucher. If you want a refund then you would have to call to do that. The call centres seem less busy now so you should get through.
Understood - many thanks KARFA hope you're well.
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peck is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2020, 3:04 am
  #1648  
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: London
Programs: M&M FTL, BAEC Silver
Posts: 22
The call centre seems to be rather busy at the moment. I've tried it many times this morning. The long-haul cancellations are doing their bit I think.
bavarian1992 is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2020, 6:41 am
  #1649  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 85
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
So if cancelled your options are
- eVoucher
- full cash refund
- rebooked 14 days on in same cabin, so long as there are seats
- rebooked thereafter subject to fare bucket availability.
- rerouting, but in the case of SEZ that seems implausible (well, you could ask if there is a BA codeshare via Doha going).
A quick look at SEZ suggests the lower CW fare buckets are reasonably wide open, so if you research via EF, KVS, ITA or this forum, you will probably be able to move without a significant fare difference and you should maintain your BOGOF. If you do end up in a higher fare bucket then the fare difference could be very high. Frankly the easiest is cash, and it seems to me very plausible that at some point you could get something similar in the Tropics somewhere in the world for a good price at some point.
Thanks for this clarification CWS.
Two quick follow-up questions:
- Is it true that there is a technical limit which is that, in any case, the return date of the rebooked flight need to be no later than 1 year after the date the ticket was issued originally?
- For a cash ticket upgraded with a GUF from CW to First, am I right to think that A availability would be what is needed to get the new flight?
FrenchInLondon is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2020, 7:20 am
  #1650  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,769
Originally Posted by FrenchInLondon
- Is it true that there is a technical limit which is that, in any case, the return date of the rebooked flight need to be no later than 1 year after the date the ticket was issued originally?
- For a cash ticket upgraded with a GUF from CW to First, am I right to think that A availability would be what is needed to get the new flight?
Yes, to both questions. For th GUF, it may be easier just to get that re-credited, since unless it's somewhere like JFK or LAX, I don't think anyone can assume that First will be offered on all route / aircraft that currently have it.
corporate-wage-slave is offline  


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