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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 May 1, 2020, 11:31 am
  #1966  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
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Originally Posted by NotVeryOften
Grateful for guidance .....................I have a booking lhr-pdx in club world, outbound on June 3rd direct to pdx, and back via sea on June 10th. These flights were booked in February as part of a BA Holiday (they include a hire car) and at present BA 'may' operate these or alternative flights. This booking was made in February ie before the March date often quoted as being able to access the refund/rebook process. Can anyone clarify please? (I am guessing that FO will be continue to be against 'unnecessary' travel and the US may still have restrictions on those arising from Europe.)
Regardless of when you booked, if one of your flights is cancelled you will be entitled to cancel and get a full refund or rebook later this year.

Additionally if your flights are not cancelled but you don't wish to travel you have the voucher/rebook option under book with confidence.
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Old May 2, 2020, 7:05 am
  #1967  
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 16
Have a package holiday booked to Cancun departing LGW on 11th June. However, our hotel isn’t due to reopen until the 12th June. Would I be entitled to request a refund on our holiday?
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Old May 2, 2020, 7:56 am
  #1968  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 148
How flexible are BA usually if we want to change the destination of our outbound flights booked with Avios/Amex 241/cash when we reschedule them for 2021? Currently flying to Nashville in June but considering trying to change this to Atlanta GA same time next year. What's the likeliest response to this request in the possible scenarios of BA cancelling the flights or us opting to cancel/rebook them with the £35 fee? Thanks
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Old May 2, 2020, 8:03 am
  #1969  
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Originally Posted by greenchicken
How flexible are BA usually if we want to change the destination of our outbound flights booked with Avios/Amex 241/cash when we reschedule them for 2021? Currently flying to Nashville in June but considering trying to change this to Atlanta GA same time next year. What's the likeliest response to this request in the possible scenarios of BA cancelling the flights or us opting to cancel/rebook them with the £35 fee? Thanks
if your flight is cancelled then it will be either same route or another gateway within 300 miles.
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Old May 2, 2020, 8:08 am
  #1970  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 148
Originally Posted by KARFA
if your flight is cancelled then it will be either same route or another gateway within 300 miles.
I think it's about 250 miles. If they won't move it, presume my best bet would be to get a refund or e-voucher and make a brand new booking?
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Old May 2, 2020, 8:22 am
  #1971  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
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Originally Posted by Pat Leigh
Have a package holiday booked to Cancun departing LGW on 11th June. However, our hotel isn’t due to reopen until the 12th June. Would I be entitled to request a refund on our holiday?
Ba could put you in a different hotel and "force" you to go on your trip ( ie holiday still available - take it or leave it ) if your flight was going but I doubt it would come to that. The terms say

8.4. Where your booking includes accommodation and/or a flight please note that the following is not a significant change:
  • A change of rating for the accommodation where the quality of the accommodation has not changed significantly since the time of the booking and the facilities are substantially as set out on our website or equivalent;
  • A change in the accommodation where substitute accommodation is offered in a similar location and at least equivalent quality (at no additional cost to you);
However, I cant see your flight going so its pretty academic. Have you paid your final payment? I ask as my trip to Barbados is in exactly the same situation as yours (hotel closed) and the final payment is due on the 19th of May. I am hoping they cancel before thats due.

Last edited by sunshinebob; May 2, 2020 at 8:32 am
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Old May 2, 2020, 8:53 am
  #1972  
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Originally Posted by greenchicken
I think it's about 250 miles. If they won't move it, presume my best bet would be to get a refund or e-voucher and make a brand new booking?
yes, but bear in mind if you go via the voucher route your 241 will be valid until voucher expiry, but if you cancel and rebook then you need to ensure your 241 is valid for dates in 2021
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Old May 2, 2020, 8:57 am
  #1973  
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 148
Originally Posted by KARFA
yes, but bear in mind if you go via the voucher route your 241 will be valid until voucher expiry, but if you cancel and rebook then you need to ensure your 241 is valid for dates in 2021
241 is valid until the middle of May, so I hope I'm right in thinking as long as I choose a departing flight before then I should be OK?
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Old May 2, 2020, 9:27 am
  #1974  
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Originally Posted by greenchicken
241 is valid until the middle of May, so I hope I'm right in thinking as long as I choose a departing flight before then I should be OK?
All your outbound flights need to take place no later than the expiry date of the 241.
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Old May 2, 2020, 9:47 am
  #1975  
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 16
Originally Posted by sunshinebob
Ba could put you in a different hotel and "force" you to go on your trip ( ie holiday still available - take it or leave it ) if your flight was going but I doubt it would come to that. The terms say

8.4. Where your booking includes accommodation and/or a flight please note that the following is not a significant change:
  • A change of rating for the accommodation where the quality of the accommodation has not changed significantly since the time of the booking and the facilities are substantially as set out on our website or equivalent;
  • A change in the accommodation where substitute accommodation is offered in a similar location and at least equivalent quality (at no additional cost to you);
However, I cant see your flight going so its pretty academic. Have you paid your final payment? I ask as my trip to Barbados is in exactly the same situation as yours (hotel closed) and the final payment is due on the 19th of May. I am hoping they cancel before thats due.

Tbh am hoping that our flight does get cancelled as have not intention of getting on an aircraft any time soon. Plus am assuming that if the Foreign Office still advice against all but essential travel, our Insurance would be invalidated🤷‍♀️

No, only paid deposit. Balance was originally due on the 23rd April but had it moved back to 21st May.

Regards,
Pat
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Old May 2, 2020, 12:47 pm
  #1976  
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Programs: BA Gold, BA Amex, Flyingblue Silver
Posts: 28
I see all Vouchers are now valid up until 30 April 2022 (includes previous issued Vouchers). That gives a bit more flexibility for rebooking as 12 months was way too tight. For 241 bookings better to take the voucher option than a refund. If take refund then likely to lose the 241 voucher as it would need to be used before its expiry date.
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Old May 2, 2020, 12:57 pm
  #1977  
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Originally Posted by Highfly76
I see all Vouchers are now valid up until 30 April 2022 (includes previous issued Vouchers). That gives a bit more flexibility for rebooking as 12 months was way too tight. For 241 bookings better to take the voucher option than a refund. If take refund then likely to lose the 241 voucher as it would need to be used before its expiry date.
yes, although you voucher may have already been extended by 6 months even if currently used. If your flights are cancelled it may be better to rebook as well rather than take a refund or voucher.
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Old May 2, 2020, 1:38 pm
  #1978  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Germany
Programs: BA GGL, CCR - TK G
Posts: 809
Hi community. I have a flight cdg lhr jfk sfo on the 4th of may. All legs have been canceled by ba already.
I was told I can rebook to a different airport on a different date.. But only once?
That sounds kinda strange.
If I rebook this to July and the US will still not allow shengen travel... What's gonna happen?
Thnx for ur input.
It was a good fare so I would like to rebook instead of refund. To answer that
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Old May 2, 2020, 1:42 pm
  #1979  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
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Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,990
Originally Posted by Vasco Pridat
Hi community. I have a flight cdg lhr jfk sfo on the 4th of may. All legs have been canceled by ba already.
I was told I can rebook to a different airport on a different date.. But only once?
That sounds kinda strange.
If I rebook this to July and the US will still not allow shengen travel... What's gonna happen?
Thnx for ur input.
It was a good fare so I would like to rebook instead of refund. To answer that
if you rebook to july, no flights in your new booking are cancelled, but you don't want to travel then your options are those under book with confidence. so future travel voucher, or rebook to later in the year but pay any fare difference.
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Old May 2, 2020, 1:49 pm
  #1980  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Germany
Programs: BA GGL, CCR - TK G
Posts: 809
Originally Posted by KARFA
if you rebook to july, no flights in your new booking are cancelled, but you don't want to travel then your options are those under book with confidence. so future travel voucher, or rebook to later in the year but pay any fare difference.
thnx KARFA .. not saying i dont want to. what if the USA wont let us but flights wont get cancelled?
Vasco Pridat is offline  


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