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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 Jul 25, 2020, 3:32 am
  #3181  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
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Originally Posted by eh220160
Can you FTV a flight booked using an FTV? Or is it a one-time thing, and then the normal fare rules around cancellations/rescheduling apply?
as long as the new booking is with range for a FTV yes you can.
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 5:59 am
  #3182  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Cambridgeshire
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Hi

Sorry, I'm sure it'll have been discussed before, but I'm not sure where.

I cancelled a 241 one-way flight in exchange for a FTV. I've just received the confirmation email which contains two voucher codes, both starting with 125- . with consecutive numbers.

I wasn't expecting two; I thought there'd just be one that would cover the avios, tax and companion voucher from the original booking. Do they issue separate FTVs for each person in the booking?

I'd made careful note of the value of each component of my original booking, but if they've issued it as two FTVs is there an easy way to know what is in each one?

If it helps, the other passenger is in a household account with me.

eta: OK, so I just checked that the codes refer to the original ticket numbers. It seems strange that BA now refer to them as voucher numbers. I'd expected the voucher number would be the original booking reference, ie one number, but they clearly say that there are two voucher codes.

Last edited by ttama; Jul 25, 2020 at 6:04 am
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 6:11 am
  #3183  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 90
Originally Posted by SimonP
Just to share my experience:

Had LHR-SYD in F booked with Avios and a companion voucher for late September. Flight was cancelled today by BA.

Despite everything going on we need to travel due to job relocation. Called YouFirst who initially started looking at when BA will operate the route again but took little convincing to get booked onto Qatar instead. In J but got some Avios back. Overall pretty happy and just hope that Qatar keep flying the route.
An unfortunate follow up here. BA called me this morning to say that Qatar are now no longer accepting rebookings and have cancelled my booking. BA are now saying I have no options for on/close to my original date and that I can either accept a refund or wait for their service to re-start (currently end of October).

Any thoughts on this please or anyone else in the same boat? Thanks
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 7:01 am
  #3184  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
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Originally Posted by ttama
eta: OK, so I just checked that the codes refer to the original ticket numbers. It seems strange that BA now refer to them as voucher numbers. I'd expected the voucher number would be the original booking reference, ie one number, but they clearly say that there are two voucher codes.
Yes, there it has been discussed prevously and calling it a voucher is misleading, since all BA are doing are taking your original ticket(s) and stripping out the flight bookings, to leave a shell ticket with just the original payment methods in it. Some are nowing being converted into EMD, which look more like a voucher since they can be used online, but even these are just 125 tickets with real cash attached. The FTV is also presonal, so there would be one ticket per person. If you look up the old booking reference (e.g. via Qantas) you may see a bit more information via the PNR, but the FTV itself is a 125 ticket.
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 7:04 am
  #3185  
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Originally Posted by SimonP
An unfortunate follow up here. BA called me this morning to say that Qatar are now no longer accepting rebookings and have cancelled my booking. BA are now saying I have no options for on/close to my original date and that I can either accept a refund or wait for their service to re-start (currently end of October).

Any thoughts on this please or anyone else in the same boat? Thanks
For redemptions this is probably the end of the road, in terms of what BA can / will do. If it was a commercial ticket they would consider other options. You may have a case under EC261 for a swifter rebooking on another airline, but the law isn't 100% in your favour and the reality would amount to you buying another ticket and then suing BA for whatever the cost was. With an uncertain outcome. Pragmatically it's probably best to go FTV or refund on this one.
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 9:25 am
  #3186  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Cambridgeshire
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Yes, there it has been discussed prevously and calling it a voucher is misleading, since all BA are doing are taking your original ticket(s) and stripping out the flight bookings, to leave a shell ticket with just the original payment methods in it. Some are nowing being converted into EMD, which look more like a voucher since they can be used online, but even these are just 125 tickets with real cash attached. The FTV is also presonal, so there would be one ticket per person. If you look up the old booking reference (e.g. via Qantas) you may see a bit more information via the PNR, but the FTV itself is a 125 ticket.
Thanks. So my one booking has been converted into 2 FTV's, but they're linked to the Amex companion voucher via the original booking reference number?

eta: the PNR, on Quantas, shows the correct passenger names and contact details but shows a fictitious flight, "BA8694, from Greenwich Mean TM to Mont Joli," next May. I assume this is some kind of holding data, as it doesn't seem to be a real flight and it's certainly nothing to do with me.

Last edited by ttama; Jul 25, 2020 at 9:33 am
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 10:04 am
  #3187  
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Yes, on both accounts, see the Wiki for my post about Mt -Joli, this is what I would expect.
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 11:34 am
  #3188  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Cambridgeshire
Programs: Varies
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Yes, on both accounts, see the Wiki for my post about Mt -Joli, this is what I would expect.
Thank you.

If I have a real flight booked I'm glued to this forum, but because I'm just dipping in and out at the moment I'm missing the good stuff. Thanks for your patience.
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 12:24 pm
  #3189  
 
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Mont Joli Regional Airport has the IATA Code YYY so it has ended up being used as a 'placeholder' destination to keep the value of the cancelled ticket alive in ticketing systems as a voucher, since XXX and ZZZ don't exist in the IATA code list.

Mont Joli apparently has some pretty impressive mural artwork on buildings around the town so might be worth a side trip if ever in Quebec.

https://www.bassaintlaurent.ca/en/ci.../themed-tours/
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 1:11 pm
  #3190  
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Newcastle, England
Programs: BAEC, Flying Blue
Posts: 106
I notice that you have to apply for a cancellation 3 weeks before to get an FTV, I’ve got Madrid booked in 2 1/2 weeks but now wish not to travel due to quarantine rules.

Does anyone have any experience getting a rebooking / voucher with less than 3 weeks to go please?
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 1:16 pm
  #3191  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,769
Originally Posted by Rob0895
I notice that you have to apply for a cancellation 3 weeks before to get an FTV, I’ve got Madrid booked in 2 1/2 weeks but now wish not to travel due to quarantine rules.

Does anyone have any experience getting a rebooking / voucher with less than 3 weeks to go please?
Ring BA Holidays tomorrow or Monday, it will be a struggle get through, but don't FTV online just yet. (I am assuming this is a BA Holidays trip because that is where the 3 week rule comes in).
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 1:58 pm
  #3192  
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 182
Originally Posted by cuteusmaximus
Hi All,
I'm getting some pushback from BA agents (via Twitter messenger) to this line in the Wiki:
"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."

I am being told that award seat availability *must* be available if I want to rebook. This will really torpedo our plans as our combination (outbound Premium Economy, return Business) is extremely difficult to find. Where there are Premium Economy seats available (extremely few) there are no Business seats a week or so later. And vice versa. Has anyone managed to re-book on the phone a set of companion voucher flights according to that line in the Wiki?

Also, I cannot for the life of me get through to a human being to speak to via the BA number. Any tips?
Thanks

CM
I had exactly the same response when trying to re-book a cancelled award flight today.I shall try again over the next few days, but right now I have other battles to fight after the Spain quarantine announcement...
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 2:20 pm
  #3193  
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Originally Posted by Haagen Daz
I had exactly the same response when trying to re-book a cancelled award flight today.I shall try again over the next few days, but right now I have other battles to fight after the Spain quarantine announcement...
It is definitely still current. It is Coronavirus guidelines update 4 from 21 May 2020 and applies where BA flights are cancelled with cancellation codes COMN, OPEN, and COVN, and where you have not started the booking. The guidelines explicitly state:

New Travel Dates - Up to ticket validity
Rebooking Allowance - Rebook onto a British Airways operated service on the same routing into the same class as the original flight or lowest available in the same cabin
Refunds Allowed - Yes, as per standard customer guidelines
Redemptions included - Yes
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 2:25 pm
  #3194  
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 182
Originally Posted by KARFA
It is definitely still current. It is Coronavirus guidelines update 4 from 21 May 2020 and applies where BA flights are cancelled with cancellation codes COMN, OPEN, and COVN, and where you have not started the booking. The guidelines explicitly state:

New Travel Dates - Up to ticket validity
Rebooking Allowance - Rebook onto a British Airways operated service on the same routing into the same class as the original flight or lowest available in the same cabin
Refunds Allowed - Yes, as per standard customer guidelines
Redemptions included - Yes
Thanks, KARFA, I shall fight on.
Why are BA incapable of disseminating their own policies to their staff?
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Old Jul 25, 2020, 2:58 pm
  #3195  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 538
The policies are communicated to staff but unfortunately not all staff take the time , or indeed have the time, to check the latest policy and will sometimes need a gentle reminder.
Of course most callers do not follow Flyertalk and benefit from the collective wisdom and advice that is available here , so sadly some passengers are not offered this flexibility.
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