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*
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
My father has a booking early next month on Aer Lingus and booked with BA: LAX-DUB-MAN. When I try and cancel on the BA website it mentions that as it's a restricted fare he's limited to getting only taxes and fees returned. How can we get a full refund since the flight is not running. Is there an alternative to calling and if not what is the best time to call (LA based) and what call center? Thank you.
#32
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
I do have a silly question. Should I fill the form asking for my evoucher directly or should I cancel my flight first? Is asking for the evoucher in fact triggering the flight cancellation or are they two different operations? I am unable to find this information anywhere. both flights were bought with money + avios.
I would rather avoid calling BA if someone can answer here.
Thanks
I would rather avoid calling BA if someone can answer here.
Thanks
#33
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,111
I booked a WTP holiday and upgraded one way with avios to club. The form does take this into consideration, its not until may 7th and I have part paid so no real rush but I guess I need to call to unwind the deal before the final payment is due. Any thoughts?
#34
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 5
I feel for the BA helpdesk teams right now. Since I'm flying (or rather, now, not flying on Tuesday), I'm sitting on hold, and the wait time is currently over an hour.
I filled out the ba.com/confidence form yesterday to switch my flights for a voucher, but it then said I should call in anyway, and I foolishly thought to myself "Ah it'll be quieter once the initial rush has passed".
Spoiler: it was not quieter
I filled out the ba.com/confidence form yesterday to switch my flights for a voucher, but it then said I should call in anyway, and I foolishly thought to myself "Ah it'll be quieter once the initial rush has passed".
Spoiler: it was not quieter
#35
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: BA GOLD
Posts: 604
Looking for assistance with the following part travelled return journey please - I will try to make this as clear as I can.
Due to travel BA 2038MCO-LGW 31st March 2 paxs in J (Former Staff Discount fare if that is relevant).
BA 2036/2038 showing no availability - suspect they will be cancelled.
Haven't contacted BA yet but looking at what my options may be, changing dates, accomodation etc not a problem so am flexible.
Thanks everyone your input is greatly appreciated.
EDITED:- Have taken the precautiion of obtaining ETA's for Canada just in case we need to transit through there on our return.
Due to travel BA 2038MCO-LGW 31st March 2 paxs in J (Former Staff Discount fare if that is relevant).
BA 2036/2038 showing no availability - suspect they will be cancelled.
Haven't contacted BA yet but looking at what my options may be, changing dates, accomodation etc not a problem so am flexible.
Thanks everyone your input is greatly appreciated.
EDITED:- Have taken the precautiion of obtaining ETA's for Canada just in case we need to transit through there on our return.
Last edited by Brighterside; Mar 15, 2020 at 6:25 am
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
Spain update 1 announced
ticket issued by 14 March
travel by 14 April
rebook onto ba service between 14 April and 1 August change fee waive but any fare difference applies
no refunds
obviously voucher policy also applies
ticket issued by 14 March
travel by 14 April
rebook onto ba service between 14 April and 1 August change fee waive but any fare difference applies
no refunds
obviously voucher policy also applies
#37
Join Date: May 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: Was BA GGL but no longer travelling
Posts: 583
In December I booked a return (UK to Dallas) travelling in May. The conference I was due to attend has been cancelled. Through MMB I have the option to cancel but will lose £1400 in cancellation fees. Would there be an eVoucher option for me? If so, could somebody point me to the process? Many thanks.
EDIT: I think I found it, thanks.
EDIT: I think I found it, thanks.
#38
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
Looking for assistance with the following part travelled return journey please - I will try to make this as clear as I can.
Due to travel BA 2038MCO-LGW 31st March 2 paxs in J (Former Staff Discount fare if that is relevant).
BA 2036/2038 showing no availability - suspect they will be cancelled.
Haven't contacted BA yet but looking at what my options may be, changing dates, accomodation etc not a problem so am flexible.
Thanks everyone.
Due to travel BA 2038MCO-LGW 31st March 2 paxs in J (Former Staff Discount fare if that is relevant).
BA 2036/2038 showing no availability - suspect they will be cancelled.
Haven't contacted BA yet but looking at what my options may be, changing dates, accomodation etc not a problem so am flexible.
Thanks everyone.
Last edited by Hawk777; Mar 15, 2020 at 5:19 am
#39
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: 63,791
Looking at the wiki post it seems BA call centre won't rebook outside of BA/IB/JBA until T-24 before the flight, is that correct in this case? Is it safe to leave it that late? Will they make any exception given clearly no other BA route is likely to open up in the meantime?
#40
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: BA
Posts: 40
Currently in Dubai with BA holidays.
given new visa restrictions I’m expecting some flight disruption as there will be no requirement to fly 3x daily.
I’m still waiting to hear news and not going to contact BA unless there’s movement - question is am I covered by duty of care?
I have insurance but it’s just easier and less stressful.
given new visa restrictions I’m expecting some flight disruption as there will be no requirement to fly 3x daily.
I’m still waiting to hear news and not going to contact BA unless there’s movement - question is am I covered by duty of care?
I have insurance but it’s just easier and less stressful.
#41
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,754
Watching this all very closely with a pending trip late April LHR-JFK then IAH-LHR. I suspect the first leg MIGHT remain, however I also suspect they could cancel the return leg from IAH. If they were to do that, can I get a refund for the whole trip?
#42
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
Currently in Dubai with BA holidays.
given new visa restrictions I’m expecting some flight disruption as there will be no requirement to fly 3x daily.
I’m still waiting to hear news and not going to contact BA unless there’s movement - question is am I covered by duty of care?
I have insurance but it’s just easier and less stressful.
given new visa restrictions I’m expecting some flight disruption as there will be no requirement to fly 3x daily.
I’m still waiting to hear news and not going to contact BA unless there’s movement - question is am I covered by duty of care?
I have insurance but it’s just easier and less stressful.
#43
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
if they are all one the same PNR then yes if any of the flights are cancelled you can refund the entire booking
#44
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: LHR & JER
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 253
I have a booking due to depart in the evening of the 16th March to Dubai which I used UuA to upgrade the outbound from W to J. We're looking to cancel as half the party are over 70, and happy to take BA credit but I was wonder what happens to the 24k Avios per person for the upgrade. Anyone have any experience with a UuA booking?
#45
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Newcastle UK
Posts: 1,114
I have a flight booked for later next week to cancel/apply for an e-voucher. I understand you need to fill in the online form, but does anyone know if after entering that form that you receive a confirmation email or even a response on the page with some sort of reference or a time date stamp? Otherwise all you have is maybe a screenshot of your own that doesn't show time and date of request? Thanks for any information.