Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > British Airways | Executive Club
Reload this Page >

Covid-19 BA Rebooking/Cancellation/Refund HELP & ADVICE *No Speculation etc*

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
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.
Print Wikipost

Covid-19 BA Rebooking/Cancellation/Refund HELP & ADVICE *No Speculation etc*

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 5, 2020, 4:54 am
  #2626  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Originally Posted by Light Travellers
They must have relaxed the rules further.
I've managed to change a flight this morning. Booking date August 19 for flight this weekend. Changed online to May next year.
Received e-receipt quoting the fare paid last year and no additional charges.
Hope it isn't a glitch.
If done online, then it is a glitch. Via the call centre they won't allow it, unless you get a *very* friendly agent who doesn't really care too much. Although not sure if they have the ability to do so still, there have been reports of it in the past.
flashware is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 5:00 am
  #2627  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,976
Originally Posted by Light Travellers
They must have relaxed the rules further.
I've managed to change a flight this morning. Booking date August 19 for flight this weekend. Changed online to May next year.
Received e-receipt quoting the fare paid last year and no additional charges.
Hope it isn't a glitch.
Good question. I have checked and for BA-125 ticketed customers whose BA flight is cancelled we are still on update 4 from 21 May, and that still says "New travel dates: Up to ticket validity".

There do seem to be odd ones which slip through the cracks though with phone agents. Also sometimes it will let you do the change beyond 12 months from original ticket issue on MMB so that is worth trying as well - I managed to rebook a trip to March 2021 where the original ticket issue was September 2019.
KARFA is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 5:12 am
  #2628  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 76
Does anyone have a link to the latest customer guidelines saying redemption bookings can be rebooked regardless of redemption availability on hold to supervisor as the agent told me couldn't do it
Alun is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 5:20 am
  #2629  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,976
Originally Posted by Alun
Does anyone have a link to the latest customer guidelines saying redemption bookings can be rebooked regardless of redemption availability on hold to supervisor as the agent told me couldn't do it
Update 4 issued on 21 May for cancelled flights https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...kba?faqid=8166

KARFA is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 5:34 am
  #2630  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 76
Being put through to redemption team now wonder if its time to hang up and try again 45 minutes in!
Alun is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 5:56 am
  #2631  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 76
Been told now I can't rebook for next year as there are no keywords in my booking cancellation does that make sense? Can only use commercial availability for 3 days prior or 14 days post original travel dates.
Alun is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 6:00 am
  #2632  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,976
Originally Posted by Alun
Been told now I can't rebook for next year as there are no keywords in my booking cancellation does that make sense? Can only use commercial availability for 3 days prior or 14 days post original travel dates.
I assume they are referring to the cancellation reasons noted in red, so OPEN COMN and COVN. These are the cancellation reasons corresponding to operational, commercial, and covid.

Tbh I would give up if I were you and try again later.
KARFA is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 6:02 am
  #2633  
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: 63,828
Originally Posted by Alun
Been told now I can't rebook for next year as there are no keywords in my booking cancellation does that make sense? Can only use commercial availability for 3 days prior or 14 days post original travel dates.
Have your BA flights been cancelled by BA?
corporate-wage-slave is online now  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 6:05 am
  #2634  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Have your BA flights been cancelled by BA?
Yes they have they are avios bookings with a 241

Last edited by Alun; Jun 5, 2020 at 6:14 am
Alun is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 6:13 am
  #2635  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by KARFA
I assume they are referring to the cancellation reasons noted in red, so OPEN COMN and COVN. These are the cancellation reasons corresponding to operational, commercial, and covid.

Tbh I would give up if I were you and try again later.
Presumably a reason isn't going to magically appear in my cancellation, so does that mean I need to take a refund or should I try again and hope for a more friendly agent? If so will my cards be marked on the system now?
Alun is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 6:43 am
  #2636  
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: 63,828
Originally Posted by Alun
Presumably a reason isn't going to magically appear in my cancellation, so does that mean I need to take a refund or should I try again and hope for a more friendly agent? If so will my cards be marked on the system now?
You can HUACA and hopefully the next agent will be better placed. If it's an Avios booking and you are trying to do something slightly out of the ordinary it is important to speak to the Warrnington Avios team OR (better still) the Manchester premium teams. If you had an argument it is possible your record will have been updated with a few short sentences but I don't think it will stop you from calling again. Next time ensure you are with the right team, then say "BA cancelled my flight but I believe I can rebook them to X date" and try to keep it uncomplicated. Or find a date when there is availability.
KARFA likes this.
corporate-wage-slave is online now  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 6:59 am
  #2637  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 76
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
You can HUACA and hopefully the next agent will be better placed. If it's an Avios booking and you are trying to do something slightly out of the ordinary it is important to speak to the Warrnington Avios team OR (better still) the Manchester premium teams. If you had an argument it is possible your record will have been updated with a few short sentences but I don't think it will stop you from calling again. Next time ensure you are with the right team, then say "BA cancelled my flight but I believe I can rebook them to X date" and try to keep it uncomplicated. Or find a date when there is availability.
Think I must've spoken to Warrington given the scouse accent. Didn't argue just declined a refund. Flights are MRU in J so no availability. Don't think I can use Manchester as Bronze despite 700 TP and several other cancelled flights so 1 qualifying flight short and can't even do a hop from MAN
Alun is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 7:40 am
  #2638  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 76
Thanks all.
HUACA seemed to work spoke to a charming young lady who rebooked as requested.
Alun is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 7:58 am
  #2639  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 1,267
I have a BWC voucher for a cancelled flight booked with a 241 and GUF2.
I want to re-book for June 2021 and will be calling 355 days out to book the outbound and then a couple of weeks later call back to arrange the inbound.
Has anyone had experience of this causing problems with the voucher being held open to book the return when Avios seats are released?
HarryHolden68 is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2020, 1:18 pm
  #2640  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Denver
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,070
Weird situation I'm in, and looking through other threads I believe I have most of the information.

I had an F ticket booked through my TA, on BA (3/4 segments on BA, 1/4 on AA), my first segment was cancelled and I called my TA to initiate the refund. I received it almost two months later, but that is another issue. My refund was the cost of my ticket less $200, but there was no line item on the invoice as to why. I called my TA and they said since I had changed my ticket prior, the one time change was waived, and this is where the $200 charge is coming from. Now, the first change was before all the waivers in Jan/Feb, and was because an aircraft change had downgraded me to J, I called the TA and asked to be moved to a later flight due to the downgrade, to my originally booked cabin. (This i believe is in my rights due to EU-261/BA?). The BA flight segment cancellation was again, involuntary, and per DOT rules, (and EU-261?) I was entitled to a full refund. Am I incorrect to question them charging me the $200 on the refund since it was my "2nd" change, even though both were involuntary changes and covered (unsure about downgrade) by local laws?
safari ari is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.