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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
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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 9, 2020, 3:54 am
  #2116  
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: 63,850
Originally Posted by Jo Wilkins
I hear some have received refunds in less than a week. Any advice as to how I should proceed?
The agents should be able to find the reservations by the e-ticket number, which would be in the email on booking. PNRs do indeed vanish quickly but the e-ticket takes a few years to delete. So keep hold of your email e-ticket, the number begins 125

The best thing to do now, though, is to send a Private Message, via MyFlyertalk, to BA Refund Helper, giving him some flight intormation, and ideally the ticket number.

Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum Jo Wilkins.
corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 4:22 am
  #2117  
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
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Thank you , will do.
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Old May 9, 2020, 4:34 am
  #2118  
dnw
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Though there isn't a "one change only" rule on BWC, I wouldn't make too many changes if you can avoid it, it's best to go to FTV if travel dates are uncertain. Other guidelines generally do have a one change rule.
Yes, because BWC on new bookings isn't really a 'policy' as such it's actually an update to the underlying fare conditions - the change and upgrade fees on all new fares sold since it was introduced are set at £0. This can be seen on purchase and in MMB and means that unlimited fee-free changes are permitted.

Of course I'd rather not make any! but between juggling rebooks, cancellations and crystal ball predictions to try and get to my second home at some point in the next few months I'm bound to make a mistake or sub-optimal decisions so the changed fare conditions are most welcome.
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Old May 9, 2020, 4:36 am
  #2119  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DUB
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, Honors Diamond, BAEC Silver
Posts: 65
Any ideas if only the outbound of a 2-4-1 booking can be cancelled and applied to a Future Travel Voucher with the inbound portion kept active?

I have a 2-4-1 split across two trips (as an open jaw on the one BA booking) for July and December. I’ve then made a nested booking using other miles due to BA availability at the time of booking. I’ve read the 2-4-1 can be embedded in the FTV (which is fine and might help extend its validity in my case) but I’m not sure if BA can do this and only cancel the outbound portion of the booking in the 2-4-1.

Any thoughts?
Vorsprung is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 4:40 am
  #2120  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Originally Posted by dnw
Of course I'd rather not make any! but between juggling rebooks, cancellations and crystal ball predictions to try and get to my second home at some point in the next few months I'm bound to make a mistake or sub-optimal decisions so the changed fare conditions are most welcome.
If your second home is in the Irish Republic, USA or Portugal, my crystal ball says you are in with a chance for August. Anywhere else you are in the below 50% chance area, so leave the FTV until you are ready (which is I think what you want to do).
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Old May 9, 2020, 4:42 am
  #2121  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
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Posts: 63,850
Originally Posted by Vorsprung
Any ideas if only the outbound of a 2-4-1 booking can be cancelled and applied to a Future Travel Voucher with the inbound portion kept active?
That can't be done, it won't ticket properly even if it was allowed.
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corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 8:25 am
  #2122  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: BA Exec Club
Posts: 581
So quick update, some routine cancelled flights paid for by cash have been refunded within 7-10 days. For my BA AMEX 2-4-1 taxes refund I have still been waiting for about 6 weeks now. I've been told its been escalated and sent 4 times for a refund but still not been processed, so god knows whats going on there - given I'm owed almost £1400 by BA I am now getting distinctly grumpy.
jimlad48 is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 8:38 am
  #2123  
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Programs: BA EXECUTIVE CLUB
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by jimlad48
So quick update, some routine cancelled flights paid for by cash have been refunded within 7-10 days. For my BA AMEX 2-4-1 taxes refund I have still been waiting for about 6 weeks now. I've been told its been escalated and sent 4 times for a refund but still not been processed, so god knows whats going on there - given I'm owed almost £1400 by BA I am now getting distinctly grumpy.
totally with you on this one- £1800 owed, plus 165,000 Avios. Wonder if reward flights are lowest priority 😞
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Jo Wilkins is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 8:52 am
  #2124  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Dubai
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 396
Originally Posted by Jo Wilkins
totally with you on this one- £1800 owed, plus 165,000 Avios. Wonder if reward flights are lowest priority 😞
something going wrong here I think. For reference, I cancelled a 241 booking a couple weeks ago, avios and voucher (with extended validity) were back in my account instantly and cash back on my AMEX when I looked 48 hours later.
jamesreid978 is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 12:51 pm
  #2125  
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I got offered a voucher for my late May to early June LHR-NCE-MRS-LHR flights which were canceled.

Is there a way to get a refund without calling? BA doesn't seem to have a US number?

I submitted a contact form request about a week ago, got acknowledgement email then and nothing since.
wco81 is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 12:56 pm
  #2126  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,850
Originally Posted by wco81
Is there a way to get a refund without calling? BA doesn't seem to have a US number?
The only other way of getting a refund without calling is via Twiitter Direct Message. There is a USA telephone number, if you find it busy keep trying, or on a week day use Skype to contact the Germany number:
ba.com/contact
corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 12:59 pm
  #2127  
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BER
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,843
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
The only other way of getting a refund without calling is via Twiitter Direct Message. There is a USA telephone number, if you find it busy keep trying, or on a week day use Skype to contact the Germany number:
ba.com/contact
it Telephone: 1-800-AIRWAYS

Telephone: 1-800-247-9297
Daily, 7am - 11pm
Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Nephoi is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 12:59 pm
  #2128  
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Join Date: Oct 1999
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Originally Posted by wco81
I got offered a voucher for my late May to early June LHR-NCE-MRS-LHR flights which were canceled.

Is there a way to get a refund without calling? BA doesn't seem to have a US number?

I submitted a contact form request about a week ago, got acknowledgement email then and nothing since.
No, if you want a refund you have to call. BAEC does have a US number that you can call even though they no longer have a US service centre; all calls to the US number are answered by the U.K. or India.
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jerry a. laska is offline  
Old May 9, 2020, 1:00 pm
  #2129  
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Thanks all.
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Old May 9, 2020, 1:02 pm
  #2130  
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Right now would be a very good time to call 0 calls in the queue
Hawk777 is offline  


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