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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 27, 2020, 1:42 am
  #2476  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 670
Hello,
Had to cancel a flight early March due the event being cancelled. Was granted a voucher as expected and received a confirmation email on 18 March saying I'll receive it within 5 days. Nothing a month later...I called BA Gold line to get refunded for a flight they cancelled and took the opportunity to ask about the much delayed voucher. They checked and said that because of India lock down which was in charge of issuing them delay was normal. 6 weeks later (so 3 months since flight cancellation and 2.5 months since they say I'll get it within 7 days) still nothing...What can I do?
Thanks!
Sophoclefr is offline  
Old May 27, 2020, 3:46 am
  #2477  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
Originally Posted by iansh
Not sure if this is the right thread for this:

Trying to use FTV (from redemption cancellation) to upgrade a CW to F but was told by agent that I can't use redemption avios for upgrade to commercial tickets. Was the agent right or I should HUACA? Appreciate if anyone who has similar experience.
agent is right you can't do that as it's not a voucher you have but an open booking for a future trip so you can't use it to upgrade or pay for an existing booking
Hawk777 is offline  
Old May 27, 2020, 7:47 am
  #2478  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: CX DM, BA Gold
Posts: 135
Originally Posted by Hawk777
agent is right you can't do that as it's not a voucher you have but an open booking for a future trip so you can't use it to upgrade or pay for an existing booking
Sigh, should've got those refunded.
iansh is offline  
Old May 27, 2020, 10:12 am
  #2479  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: KSA
Programs: BA LTG, UA Gold, EK Silver, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott LT Titanium, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,241
Datapoint - phoned BA today at 7.20am - about 3 min wait time. Rebooked Amex 2 for 1 to December with no issue. Did try to do online but it seems the online re-booking tool only allows F redemptions to be re-booked if A class available. Outbound had F8 A5 so was no issue but inbound had F4 A1 so tool would not allow me to book (as obviously needed 2 F seats on a 2 -1) Rang BA and re-book was completed - no questions asked - Congrats to BA for making this easy.
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Old May 28, 2020, 5:42 am
  #2480  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 355
We had a BA holiday (Flight+Hotel) booking due to depart on 19/6/20 which I had to call to cancel just now, flights were on EI metal (BA codeshare) LBA>DUB>EWR>DUB>LBA. Despite LBA being closed EI have not cancelled the flights. I had only paid a Ł400 deposit which was due for final payment tomorrow. Called up and got a FTV sorted out in 12 minutes from dialing to hanging up by a very helpful agent who informed me it would take 10-14 days to be processed. refund not possible due to flights still operating even though she said the LBA>DUB flights were showing no availability.
LBA_flyer is offline  
Old May 28, 2020, 6:59 am
  #2481  
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: 63,736
Originally Posted by LBA_flyer
Called up and got a FTV sorted out in 12 minutes from dialing to hanging up by a very helpful agent who informed me it would take 10-14 days to be processed. refund not possible due to flights still operating even though she said the LBA>DUB flights were showing no availability.
Mmmm, well I guess this is Aer Lingus' processes not dovetailing into BA's timelines. I am slightly uncomfortable with the fact you were not offered a refund, I think there would have been admittedly complex avenues for you to follow on that one. But given it was just the deposit, and assuming you would be able to use the Ł400 at some point, I guess it is the easier outcome.
corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old May 28, 2020, 7:17 am
  #2482  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 355
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Mmmm, well I guess this is Aer Lingus' processes not dovetailing into BA's timelines. I am slightly uncomfortable with the fact you were not offered a refund, I think there would have been admittedly complex avenues for you to follow on that one. But given it was just the deposit, and assuming you would be able to use the Ł400 at some point, I guess it is the easier outcome.
Yes, the agent did say she could try going down a different route if I explicitly wanted a refund, I imagine Aer Lingus will formally cancel the flight prior to the two week EU261 deadline but payment was due tomorrow on the outstanding balance. I opted for the voucher on the basis of it being a relatively small amount that I'm pretty confident we will be able to use. I'm also happy not having to chase them further if the process became convoluted, tying up the phone system in the process for others with more pressing matters that need sorting out.
LBA_flyer is offline  
Old May 28, 2020, 7:44 am
  #2483  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 298
I have two questions about rebooking rights about an upcoming flight I expect to be cancelled. We're aiming to travel to LGW-SJO on an Avios redemption on 1st July - we're relocating assuming borders open in Costa Rica.

If the LGW-SJO leg is cancelled would BA have an obligation to put us onto Iberia LHR-MAD-SJO service which codeshares with BA - or not?

Additionally, this is a rebooking based on a FTV. For various administrative reasons it's been booked but not yet ticketed (issues applying 3x FTVs apparently). If LGW-SJO is cancelled before it is ticketed am I still eligible for treatment as a cancelled flight or would they be able to say "it wasn't ticketed"?
guytp is offline  
Old May 28, 2020, 9:00 am
  #2484  
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: 63,736
Originally Posted by guytp
I have two questions about rebooking rights about an upcoming flight I expect to be cancelled. We're aiming to travel to LGW-SJO on an Avios redemption on 1st July - we're relocating assuming borders open in Costa Rica.

If the LGW-SJO leg is cancelled would BA have an obligation to put us onto Iberia LHR-MAD-SJO service which codeshares with BA - or not?

Additionally, this is a rebooking based on a FTV. For various administrative reasons it's been booked but not yet ticketed (issues applying 3x FTVs apparently). If LGW-SJO is cancelled before it is ticketed am I still eligible for treatment as a cancelled flight or would they be able to say "it wasn't ticketed"?
They have an obligation to offer a re-route, and your suggestion would probably be BA's preferred outcome anyway. For Iberia you don't need a BA codeshare, so long as it is their metal. If the new flight is cancelled, even if ticketed, the refund goes back to the method of payment, in this case the FTV.
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corporate-wage-slave is offline  
Old May 28, 2020, 9:02 am
  #2485  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 298
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
They have an obligation to offer a re-route, and your suggestion would probably be BA's preferred outcome anyway. For Iberia you don't need a BA codeshare, so long as it is their metal. If the new flight is cancelled, even if ticketed, the refund goes back to the method of payment, in this case the FTV.
Perfect, thanks for the feedback.
guytp is offline  
Old May 29, 2020, 2:36 am
  #2486  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: Bonvoy LTTitanium, BAEC Silver
Posts: 590
Question on flight cancelled by BA

Hi All,

I was due to fly from ABZ > LHR on 5th July but I received an email from BA saying the flight has been cancelled and they shared a link allowing me to choose another flight. If I choose a new flight via 'Manage my booking' do I have the flexibility to change this for free between now and the new date of departure?

Thanks in advance
Saint4805 is offline  
Old May 29, 2020, 3:09 am
  #2487  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,185
If you select a flight now and confirm it, you would still be able to benefit from the zero change fee or FTV options, but in case of a future ( voluntary ) change, you would need to pay the fare difference if applicable.
ISTFlyer is offline  
Old May 29, 2020, 4:14 am
  #2488  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: Bonvoy LTTitanium, BAEC Silver
Posts: 590
Originally Posted by ISTFlyer
If you select a flight now and confirm it, you would still be able to benefit from the zero change fee or FTV options, but in case of a future ( voluntary ) change, you would need to pay the fare difference if applicable.
Thanks IST. Is there any deadline to select a new flight or request a refund having now received the cancellation email from BA? If not, maybe I should just wait and confirm my new flight in a few weeks when I know my plans won't change? If I confirm a new flight now and then decide to change the date later then I will end up paying a change fee.
Saint4805 is offline  
Old May 29, 2020, 4:23 am
  #2489  
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Location: Istanbul, Turkey
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Posts: 14,185
Originally Posted by Saint4805
Thanks IST. Is there any deadline to select a new flight or request a refund having now received the cancellation email from BA? If not, maybe I should just wait and confirm my new flight in a few weeks when I know my plans won't change? If I confirm a new flight now and then decide to change the date later then I will end up paying a change fee.
I would leave the comment to another poster as I'm not sure about BA's policy of the latest deadline to take action after a cancellation.

Also, you would not be charged for a change fee if you confirm a flight at the moment and would like to change it later on. You would only be responsible for the fare difference. If there is availability on the same fare bucket, you would not need to pay anything, however, if there isn't availability on the same fare bucket, you would need to pay the fare difference.

From the BA website;
For bookings made from 3 March until 31 July 2020, with a departure date up to 31 December 2020, go to Manage My Booking to change your dates.

We’ve waived our change booking fee so you will not be charged, although you will need to pay any difference in fare.
If your booking was made before 3 March, you would need to first convert your ticket to a FTV and then re-book your new flight. There wouldn't be any service and change fees involved but if the voucher amount is less than the value of the new flights, you would need to pay the fare difference.

Again from the BA website;


If you are due to travel between now and 31 July 2020 and you decide you no longer wish to travel, you can claim a voucher to the value of your booking, valid until 30 April 2022.

Vouchers can be used as payment, or part payment, for a future booking. Your new trip booked with a voucher must be fully completed by 30 April 2022 (departure and return). You will receive your voucher by email within seven days of your application.

IMPORTANT: Please do not amend your booking in Manage My Booking yourself - we will do this on your behalf.
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ISTFlyer is offline  
Old May 29, 2020, 4:56 am
  #2490  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: Bonvoy LTTitanium, BAEC Silver
Posts: 590
Thanks again! The booking was made two weeks ago so the pre 3 March issue wouldn't apply. I may just sit tight and then select a new flight in a couple of weeks from now via Manage my booking. I imagine this will remain an option until the original departure date unless BA email send another email pressing me to make a choice. I can also monitor availability in the meantime and make the change if availability of my preferred option might be an issue.
ISTFlyer likes this.
Saint4805 is offline  


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