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
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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*
#2506
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 491
I've had Stockholm flights cancelled (18/06-25/06). SAS are flying a daily flight between LHR-ARN, am I in a position to call up and request to be put on that flight or am I SOL because it's out of the 14 day period?
#2507
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Cambridge, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,367
Yes, you'll get another FTV for any residual, assuming it was a commercial booking. If it's under GBP 20 then instead you get a refund to the original form of payment. However (a) you could just leave it until you are more sure of dates (assuming the current Guidance holds) (b) take a cash refund or (c) take the Avios credit since TFS is usually good for Avios redemptions out of season. You will have to do the maths carefully to ensure that my hunch on the Avios credit is correct, which will depend in turn on your fare.
It would make the decision easier if there was a bonus credit being offered. A voucher of 125% of the booking would be a good gesture.
#2508
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: 63,774
I know of people being rebooked on other airlines yes, so by all means ring up and ask. We've only seen a few data points in this area so far, so it's difficult to be definitive about ths. BA resume ARN on 1 July.
#2509
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: HKG/LON
Programs: QRPC-Plat/OWE, MPC, BAEC
Posts: 106
Hi, I have a booking for which I have received and redeemed a FTV on a different itinerary (outbound departing late July) last week. Just wanted to ask if the change is protected under the BWC policy? So if I change my mind again am I entitled to another FTV? Thanks! HMA
#2510
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
flight was over 3 weeks away when I called and had been cancelled for 3-4 weeks.
#2511
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: 63,774
Hi, I have a booking for which I have received and redeemed a FTV on a different itinerary (outbound departing late July) last week. Just wanted to ask if the change is protected under the BWC policy? So if I change my mind again am I entitled to another FTV? Thanks! HMA
#2512
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 491
Per CWS I was offered alternative flight back from Split on LH connecting to BA. Was only offered one option on the same day (early morning) and one the following day (afternoon), so it’s possible you might be offered an indirect routing.
flight was over 3 weeks away when I called and had been cancelled for 3-4 weeks.
flight was over 3 weeks away when I called and had been cancelled for 3-4 weeks.
I just called them and they refused to give me SK, but they did offer me Finnair. I said I was unsure as to the Finnish entry restrictions for transit passengers and he said it's one change only so to keep an eye on the entry restrictions to Finland and then call back.
#2513
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Bristol
Programs: Lowest of the low
Posts: 25
About 2 hours before departure to be safe, it could be a little later (redemptions would have to be the day before however). This assumes the free rebook policy continues - 14 days was previously allowed - and note that with a cancellation you get the Avios credit as well as the FTV, cash and rebook options. I doubt in that route Avios would be good idea so only look at that if you do other Avios worthwhile routes. It also assumes you can contact BA in time. If it's the first flight cancelled then there is no panic, you have 6 years to claim your cash. In reality BA seem to cancel about 3 or 4 weeks out and a few at two weeks out. so 10 days before departure would be a good time to review this.
#2514
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 3
An update on my query - I called BA just now (only an 8 minute wait, not bad!). You can indeed book JUST the outbound and wait for the return to come on sale later. Technically my flight isn't "booked" yet but rather reserved for me until the return portion is booked. Fingers crossed my preferred return flight is available when I go to book it!
Hello, occasional browser but first time poster here.
Getting a bit confused over my options here but here's my situation:
Like weebit I currently have an Amex 2FOR1 redemption departing mid June and returning mid July in CW. The June outbound has been cancelled by BA. However unlike weebit I haven't taken any action thus far, so I believe I have the choice of refund, FTV or rebooking are available to me at this stage. The 2FOR1 voucher was originally meant to expire this September.
I'm ideally looking to rebook everything 364 days later. But could also consider May best year. What's the best course of action?
- I gather cancelling refunds avois and cash back to me but when does the 2FOR1 expire?
- Does rebooking opens up non reward availability (presumably only on this route) but only for 355 days after outbound?
- If I wait until after departure (like IST suggests) don't I lose FTV rights? Can I still keep cancellation rights
Basically I'm wondering if it's possible to attempt to rebook a year ahead but keep the option to rebook in May of availability isn't there
#2515
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: 63,774
BA would allow a TA to do this, the issue as I am sure you are aware is that TA's have an incentive to push you towards the BWC policy with the fare difference. As seen upthread, it's not helped that the BWC policy is easier to understand compared to the Coronovirus Update 4. It also depends on dates and other details, there are some restrictions on the free rebooking, but in broad terms BA would allow TAs to rebook with fare difference.
#2516
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: 63,774
- I gather cancelling refunds avois and cash back to me but when does the 2FOR1 expire?
- Does rebooking opens up non reward availability (presumably only on this route) but only for 355 days after outbound?
- If I wait until after departure (like IST suggests) don't I lose FTV rights? Can I still keep cancellation rights
- Does rebooking opens up non reward availability (presumably only on this route) but only for 355 days after outbound?
- If I wait until after departure (like IST suggests) don't I lose FTV rights? Can I still keep cancellation rights
#2517
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Birmingham, UK
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Virgin Gold
Posts: 240
Hi everyone, id be grateful for some advice here, fully open to the fact that i may have messed up so don't go too hard on me if thats the case.
I made reservations for Christmas using avios about a month ago on AA for US internal flights, 7,500 avios + Ł4.60 taxes, I have since changed my albeit speculative plans and went through the online cancellation process and i was expecting to get my avios back and lose the cash element. All thats happened is i received future travel vouchers and no refund of the avios (its been three days since i cancelled).
When i try and make a dummy booking to see how much the FTV's are worth it comes back with an error message saying to check the details as the vouchers are unrecognised, i can't see a way to check what these vouchers are worth or if they are valid at all.
I was on hold for about 30 mins the other day before giving up when trying to make a new holiday cash booking so i'm keen to avoid being on hold for hours just to be told i've lost out. Any advice would be appreciated...
I made reservations for Christmas using avios about a month ago on AA for US internal flights, 7,500 avios + Ł4.60 taxes, I have since changed my albeit speculative plans and went through the online cancellation process and i was expecting to get my avios back and lose the cash element. All thats happened is i received future travel vouchers and no refund of the avios (its been three days since i cancelled).
When i try and make a dummy booking to see how much the FTV's are worth it comes back with an error message saying to check the details as the vouchers are unrecognised, i can't see a way to check what these vouchers are worth or if they are valid at all.
I was on hold for about 30 mins the other day before giving up when trying to make a new holiday cash booking so i'm keen to avoid being on hold for hours just to be told i've lost out. Any advice would be appreciated...
#2518
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: 63,774
When i try and make a dummy booking to see how much the FTV's are worth it comes back with an error message saying to check the details as the vouchers are unrecognised, i can't see a way to check what these vouchers are worth or if they are valid at all.
I was on hold for about 30 mins the other day before giving up when trying to make a new holiday cash booking so i'm keen to avoid being on hold for hours just to be told i've lost out. Any advice would be appreciated...
I was on hold for about 30 mins the other day before giving up when trying to make a new holiday cash booking so i'm keen to avoid being on hold for hours just to be told i've lost out. Any advice would be appreciated...
#2519
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 3
Welcome to Flyertalk LethalNote, and welcome to the BA forum. The free rebooking without need for redemption space is only on the same route AND it has to be within a year of the original booking, NOT the original departure date as implied by the second point above. From the way you asked the question I presume you booked weeks / months ago. So if you want to go a year later, you would need to look at the FTV and look for Avios space as well, which on many routes is currently wide open. You don't lose your FTV rights if the first flight is cancelled, you just need to avoid being a no-show on the first sector, however as you can see this doesn't help you. If instead you go for bullet one, a cash refund, then the Companion Voucher would be extended by 6 months, and you could rebook before that new expiry for flights after that expiry. Looking at this the FTV approach seems best for what you want to do specifically, but generally you would have more flexibility on the cash refund, notably if you were looking at other destinations instead.
If I refund then can use the Avois and cash how I wish, but 2for1 will expire in Mar 2021 (current expiry plus 6 months)
#2520
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: 63,774
Thanks, so just to confirm FTV the 2for1 is essentially extended until April 2022 (but I can only make new 2for1 redemption bookings with the FTV voucher)
If I refund then can use the Avois and cash how I wish, but 2for1 will expire in Mar 2021 (current expiry plus 6 months)
If I refund then can use the Avois and cash how I wish, but 2for1 will expire in Mar 2021 (current expiry plus 6 months)