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:
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*
#4201
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 43,025
you would have to call to book using a FTV, you can't book online using one.
not sure about doing the trick of booking at 355 though and whether you can do that in two stages with one ftv - hopefully someone can advise?
not sure about doing the trick of booking at 355 though and whether you can do that in two stages with one ftv - hopefully someone can advise?
#4202
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA, BA, Accor, Honors Diamond, IHG Diamond Elite and lots more....
Posts: 2,976
What is the policy on rearranging a return flight?
Is it a case of booking a new flight and loosing the current one or can the return be changed?
Is it a case of booking a new flight and loosing the current one or can the return be changed?
#4203
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 43,025
If you want to do a voluntary change BWC/FTV does apply now to part flown bookings - it didn't originally. you would be liable for any fare difference tho.
#4204
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 73
I have just had a cancellation on the afternoon Heathrow to Brussels flight next Friday. I am booked on the Friday morning flight down to Heathrow from Aberdeen that had a 2 hour connection. BA have offered to rebook me on the morning flight from Brussels to Heathrow but that means I would have to fly down to London on the Thursday evening. As this is now less than 14 days from departure should BA compensate me with the overnight stay at Heathrow?
#4205
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: 63,936
I have just had a cancellation on the afternoon Heathrow to Brussels flight next Friday. I am booked on the Friday morning flight down to Heathrow from Aberdeen that had a 2 hour connection. BA have offered to rebook me on the morning flight from Brussels to Heathrow but that means I would have to fly down to London on the Thursday evening. As this is now less than 14 days from departure should BA compensate me with the overnight stay at Heathrow?
#4206
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 73
The 14 days doesn't come into this since you are under Right to Care. But from what we have seen elsewhere, BA will pay a hotel bill if you are forced to connect overnight, though I'm slightly unclear from your wording whether a same day connection remains possible. You won't get BA to agree this before travel, you have to submit the bills after travel is completed.
#4207
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: 63,936
Thank you for this info. A same day connection is no longer possible as the one flight to Brussels leaves London at 9am and no flight from Aberdeen arrives before that. I spoke with a BA Rep on the phone who wasn't sure if I was eligible for compensation for the hotel bill and he told me to contact Customer Relations but he doubted I would get a response in time so I am now left not knowing if BA would pay a hotel bill if I was to take the last flight down on the Thursday evening into LHR. Would it be compensation I receive or the hotel expenses or would it be nothing? Any ideas as I am slightly confused by the wording on the BA website.
#4208
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GfL, Marriott PlatfL/Ambassador, TP Gold, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,656
I have a ticket for late October to TFS and the flight has now been cancelled. I was intending to rebook this for late December and returning in early Jan but the "disruption change page" doesn't show any availability on the outbound or inbound between 15 December and 10 January. Are there any applicable blackouts for changing dates for cancelled flights?
EDIT: Despite flights not showing as available on the website between the dates mentioned above, I called and the agent was able to rebook me to dates showing as unavailable on BA.com
EDIT: Despite flights not showing as available on the website between the dates mentioned above, I called and the agent was able to rebook me to dates showing as unavailable on BA.com
Last edited by mario; Oct 14, 2020 at 12:07 pm
#4209
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Blue
Posts: 1,360
We currently have a F booking using avios & a companion voucher to LAX travelling next April. I need to cancel this trip would would like to take a FTV as the companion voucher expires next June and I believe that this will extend the life of the voucher. We would then like to use the FTV to book flights for the Christmas Holiday period 2021 to a different US destination either if F or Club once availability appears this December or January.
Could anyone please advise how easy it is to re-book flights using a FTV when the booking was originally made using avios & a companion voucher. Can we book online once avios seats become available at midnight or do we need to call to book. And could we book the outbound flights using the FTV and then add on the returns a couple of weeks later again using the FTV once avios seats are released.
My obvious concern is that the availability will disappear quickly when it is released at midnight and if I need to call BA to book we won't have much chance. The dates we need are the last Saturday before Christmas and I know how hard it is to grab these dates.
Could anyone please advise how easy it is to re-book flights using a FTV when the booking was originally made using avios & a companion voucher. Can we book online once avios seats become available at midnight or do we need to call to book. And could we book the outbound flights using the FTV and then add on the returns a couple of weeks later again using the FTV once avios seats are released.
My obvious concern is that the availability will disappear quickly when it is released at midnight and if I need to call BA to book we won't have much chance. The dates we need are the last Saturday before Christmas and I know how hard it is to grab these dates.
#4210
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA, BA, Accor, Honors Diamond, IHG Diamond Elite and lots more....
Posts: 2,976
Just wasn't sure if the policy covered us.
No problem with paying difference in ticket prices
I've never tried to alter a return ticket with BA, did it once with Norwegian who made it very simple.
#4211
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge UK
Programs: BA silver,
Posts: 254
You need to call to book the outward flight to use an FTV. You cannot book the outward flight on line and then call up when availability becomes available 355 days out for the return flight. I learned the hard way for a recent SIN booking!
#4212
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: KLM, BA Silver, Etihad
Posts: 918
Hi is there a separate thread for BA Holiday bookings please?
#4213
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,144
I was unable to find the specific thread/post even using Google search, so my apologies if the question was already answered.
Ba cancelled a flight that was booked using and e-voucher + cash. I'm going to ask for a refund, but what I exactly should I get back?
The full value of e-voucher + cash put back on the original credit card used - or - only the cash part refunded to the CC and another e-voucher sent to me, with the same amount of the one used?
Ba cancelled a flight that was booked using and e-voucher + cash. I'm going to ask for a refund, but what I exactly should I get back?
The full value of e-voucher + cash put back on the original credit card used - or - only the cash part refunded to the CC and another e-voucher sent to me, with the same amount of the one used?
#4214
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: London
Programs: BAEC - Blue AND Chief Taster for Walkers Crisps
Posts: 47
I was wondering if anyone could help.
I made a booking using a AMEX241 in May 2019 for travel to Miami for some time in April 2020.
This got cancelled and I rebooked using a FTV onto a flight for November (was told I needed to have award availability)
I contacted You First the other day to find out what my new options would be as I can not see the boarder opening up in the next 6 weeks.
I got this as a reply:
"If you choose to change the dates of the dates of the booking you must complete travel before 30 April 2021 as this is when your ticket validity will expire.
If you choose to take a Future Travel Voucher you can use the Avios and money on the voucher towards future travel which must be booked and completed by 30 April 2022.
When using the Future Travel Voucher you would need Avios rewards seats as you would need with your re-booking option" (can also cancel and get taxes/Avios back for £35)
Is that correct? There are not many first flights out to Miami with reward space left after Q2 next year. I have reread the wiki at the top which says something about not needing reward space but I don't know if this applies to my book.
Thank you
I made a booking using a AMEX241 in May 2019 for travel to Miami for some time in April 2020.
This got cancelled and I rebooked using a FTV onto a flight for November (was told I needed to have award availability)
I contacted You First the other day to find out what my new options would be as I can not see the boarder opening up in the next 6 weeks.
I got this as a reply:
"If you choose to change the dates of the dates of the booking you must complete travel before 30 April 2021 as this is when your ticket validity will expire.
If you choose to take a Future Travel Voucher you can use the Avios and money on the voucher towards future travel which must be booked and completed by 30 April 2022.
When using the Future Travel Voucher you would need Avios rewards seats as you would need with your re-booking option" (can also cancel and get taxes/Avios back for £35)
Is that correct? There are not many first flights out to Miami with reward space left after Q2 next year. I have reread the wiki at the top which says something about not needing reward space but I don't know if this applies to my book.
Thank you
#4215
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: 63,936