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*
#2026
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 16
Once you connect to the 0800 number, it will give you the option to press 1,2 etc ... just ignore that and continue to hold, where it will tell you that you are ‘held in a queue and will be answered shortly’. I’ve had call to phone this number twice (around midday) and have managed t get through to somebody after 10/15min.
#2027
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: BA GOLD
Posts: 604
Well, you have to hand it to BA. United is spending all its time fighting to re-define "cancel." VS is simply stringing everyone along and facing wrath. AF is petitioning the government to withhold refunds.
BA has decided on a much more elegant solution -- just don't answer the phone.
BA has decided on a much more elegant solution -- just don't answer the phone.
We have had Hawk777 and BA refundhelper offering lots of advice and help which is greatly appreciated as has that offered by our mods. So please just have a little patience and when you do get through to them a simple thank you will be very much appreciated I am sure.
Last edited by Brighterside; May 4, 2020 at 12:12 pm
#2028
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,822
Please give the BA contact centre staff a break. It is well known that the Indian call centre is completely closed due to lockdown and has been for weeks. The centres in Newcastle, Manchester (and Waterside) have been doing their very best under extremely trying circumstances with some agents working from home but many still having to travel to work with the problems that entails. US calls have been impacted due to local regulations and again often fed through to the UK.
We have had Hawk777 and BA refundhelper offering lots of advice and help which is greatly appreciated as has that offered by our mods. So please just have a little patience and when you do get through to them a simple thank you will be very much appreciated I am sure.
We have had Hawk777 and BA refundhelper offering lots of advice and help which is greatly appreciated as has that offered by our mods. So please just have a little patience and when you do get through to them a simple thank you will be very much appreciated I am sure.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32343344-post745.html
Aside from management's decision to remove the ability to receive refunds online, I have been satisfied with my ability to reach the BA call centre (and the assistance of BA refund helper) and to receive refunds when considering the circumstances and when compared to my experiences with other airlines.
#2030
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
Please give the BA contact centre staff a break. It is well known that the Indian call centre is completely closed due to lockdown and has been for weeks. The centres in Newcastle, Manchester (and Waterside) have been doing their very best under extremely trying circumstances with some agents working from home but many still having to travel to work with the problems that entails. US calls have been impacted as they are fed through to the UK.
We have had Hawk777 and BA refundhelper offering lots of advice and help which is greatly appreciated as has that offered by our mods. So please just have a little patience and when you do get through to them a simple thank you will be very much appreciated I am sure.
We have had Hawk777 and BA refundhelper offering lots of advice and help which is greatly appreciated as has that offered by our mods. So please just have a little patience and when you do get through to them a simple thank you will be very much appreciated I am sure.
#2031
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ottawa, ON
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hertz President's Circle, Hilton Gold
Posts: 391
Well I suppose you could never say never, but yes what you noted as being able to cancel a reward up to 24 hours before the flight and get a full refund of all avios and cash minus the Ł35 pp fee is and has been standard reward booking terms for many years now. Nothing has been suggested that this is going to change.
Also, if flights on the booking are cancelled you are entitled to a full refund without any fees under BA terms and under Art 8 EC261.
Also, if flights on the booking are cancelled you are entitled to a full refund without any fees under BA terms and under Art 8 EC261.
"If your flight is not cancelled but you no longer wish to travel, your only option is to take the ‘Book with Confidence’ voucher."
#2032
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Accor Live Limitless Gold, Hilton Honours Gold, Avis Preferred Plus
Posts: 1,807
You can still cancel an Avios booking if you wish to, for a full Avios refund and a refund of the taxes/fees/charges minus the Ł35 fee.
Sorry if I have not understood your question properly.
#2033
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ottawa, ON
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hertz President's Circle, Hilton Gold
Posts: 391
As I understand it, the voucher contains both the Avios paid and the taxes/fees/charges paid. This means that in essence, you get to cancel your Avios booking without spending the Ł35 per person cancellation fee and then when you are ready, rebook using the Avios and cash stored in the voucher.
You can still cancel an Avios booking if you wish to, for a full Avios refund and a refund of the taxes/fees/charges minus the Ł35 fee.
Sorry if I have not understood your question properly.
You can still cancel an Avios booking if you wish to, for a full Avios refund and a refund of the taxes/fees/charges minus the Ł35 fee.
Sorry if I have not understood your question properly.
#2034
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 156
I used to voucher to rebook a flight last week and it was sent to back office for ticketing/. Now the flights are no longet available LGW-EDI so i assume they been puilled. But Ive not yet had the flight put on my bookings so what happens now? I can still see it on qantas site
#2036
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: 63,851
I used to voucher to rebook a flight last week and it was sent to back office for ticketing/. Now the flights are no longet available LGW-EDI so i assume they been puilled. But Ive not yet had the flight put on my bookings so what happens now? I can still see it on qantas site
#2037
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: 63,851
Try the Bremen number if you have Skype or someother VOIP. Number is on BA.com in Contacts and Help.
#2038
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,209
Once you connect to the 0800 number, it will give you the option to press 1,2 etc ... just ignore that and continue to hold, where it will tell you that you are ‘held in a queue and will be answered shortly’. I’ve had call to phone this number twice (around midday) and have managed t get through to somebody after 10/15min.
If you're calling the general line you have to wait until the call officially starts* (on your phone when the call timer starts) just hit 2 three times from this point and then you should find out whether you're in the queue or they're not letting you in. If you don't get in the queue then hang up and repeat.
*When you call BA if you look at your phone the initial message you hear has somehow replaced the ringing sound and the call duration timer doesn't appear until they start reading out the options. You can't press any of the options until the timer starts.
#2039
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 795
Thank you very much for the suggestion! That would have been my next move, but since my earlier post I tried contacting them by DM on twitter and it has all now been sorted very quickly, refund being processed. Thanks again