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*
#4951
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: 63,838
Do I have to wait until I receive the voucher(s) before going and booking the new BA Holiday Flight+Hotel and then pay for seats on the new flights, or can i do all of that now before receiving the voucher and then use the voucher nearer the balance due time to pay off some of what is left?
However: please have a good think before you make another "maybe" booking. You may be boxing yourself in, and the September trip would not be covered by Buy With Confidence, as things stand. If your flight gets cancelled you have a lot more flexibility.
#4952
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
So BA has cancelled a booking more than 9 months before it was due to fly. RIP LGW-LIM.
Edit: Took a free-of-charge LHR-MAD-LIM r/t routing on A350 instead.
Edit: Took a free-of-charge LHR-MAD-LIM r/t routing on A350 instead.
Last edited by mmxbreaks; Dec 16, 2020 at 5:19 am
#4953
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,984
you should be able to rebook on to IB without a fare difference.
#4954
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 195
Hi all,
I have an Avios booking that is set to depart on Saturday 12/19 - due to the recent spike in cases we're no longer comfortable traveling so we'd like to cancel. From what I'm reading I'll be charged $35 per person for canceling. Is BA waiving that fee at all? Would it be best to call and speak to someone or will I just be wasting my time?
Thanks in advance!
I have an Avios booking that is set to depart on Saturday 12/19 - due to the recent spike in cases we're no longer comfortable traveling so we'd like to cancel. From what I'm reading I'll be charged $35 per person for canceling. Is BA waiving that fee at all? Would it be best to call and speak to someone or will I just be wasting my time?
Thanks in advance!
#4955
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,262
No, if you choose to cancel / refund you lose the fee. So you can lose the fee and get the balance and Avios, otherwise take a Future Travel Voucher
#4956
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,984
Hi all,
I have an Avios booking that is set to depart on Saturday 12/19 - due to the recent spike in cases we're no longer comfortable traveling so we'd like to cancel. From what I'm reading I'll be charged $35 per person for canceling. Is BA waiving that fee at all? Would it be best to call and speak to someone or will I just be wasting my time?
Thanks in advance!
I have an Avios booking that is set to depart on Saturday 12/19 - due to the recent spike in cases we're no longer comfortable traveling so we'd like to cancel. From what I'm reading I'll be charged $35 per person for canceling. Is BA waiving that fee at all? Would it be best to call and speak to someone or will I just be wasting my time?
Thanks in advance!
1. cancel anytime up to 24 hours before your first flight. You will be redunded everything minus a $55 per person cancellation fee.
2. anytime up to around 2 hours before the flight, take a future travel voucher. all avios and cash will be kept on the voucher, you won't get anything refunded. you can use this towards a new trip anytip up to april 2022. you will not be charged any fees.
#4957
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors, Virgin
Posts: 766
We have just had the return of our April LON-ANU-LON cancelled and pushed back a day. It is a 241 booking in J. Reading the wiki, I believe we can just cancel? I also get the impression we can re-book onto another flight. Does this mean we are restricted to the ANU route? Does there need to be reward availability on the new flight?
We are thinking we may bring it forward to Barbados but I already know there is no reward availablity for the period we would want to travel so is that out of the question?
Thanks
We are thinking we may bring it forward to Barbados but I already know there is no reward availablity for the period we would want to travel so is that out of the question?
Thanks
Last edited by steve170461; Dec 15, 2020 at 10:13 am
#4958
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,262
We have just had the return of our April LON-ANU-LON cancelled and pushed back a day. It is a 241 booking in J. Reading the wiki, I believe we can just cancel? I also get the impression we can re-book onto another flight. Does this mean we are restricted to the ANU route? Does there need to be reward availability on the new flight?
We are thinking we may bring it forward to Barbados but I already know there is no reward availablity for the period we would want to travel os is that out of the question?
Thanks
We are thinking we may bring it forward to Barbados but I already know there is no reward availablity for the period we would want to travel os is that out of the question?
Thanks
#4959
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 19
Hi all, have just had a LGW-MCO cancelled in July and have been moved on the earlier flight. The return flight has been pushed back by 15 minutes. The booking was in Y with an upgrade to J using Avios. Will I be able to move to the LHR-MCO flight departing the same day but closer to the original flight time and then to the corresponding MCO-LHR back?
#4960
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
I'm getting a lot of flight cancellation notifications for flights in April-June next year. It's destinations with multiple flights per day so it's resulting in either an earlier/later flight but it looks like already there is some short haul consolidation happening well into next 2021.
#4961
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: County Durham
Programs: BAEC Blue
Posts: 2
You should get the BAH FTV fairly quickly. I would definitely do that first, and ensure there was at least a clear overnight before making the new booking, and at that point pay the deposit. The FTV has to be used on a brand new booking, rather than an existing one, and you need to show a time gap there. Then as you indicate the FTV can be used to pay down the rest. It's possible the FTV will come in before the new booking.
However: please have a good think before you make another "maybe" booking. You may be boxing yourself in, and the September trip would not be covered by Buy With Confidence, as things stand. If your flight gets cancelled you have a lot more flexibility.
However: please have a good think before you make another "maybe" booking. You may be boxing yourself in, and the September trip would not be covered by Buy With Confidence, as things stand. If your flight gets cancelled you have a lot more flexibility.
Thanks very much for your quick response CWS, its much appreciated.
#4962
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 52
BA have cancelled both our outbound and inbound flights to Florida for next August. They have rebooked us on the best alternatives albeit on different dates to my orignal booking.
BA have asked me to either cancel, confirm or rearrange to another date but havent given a deadline before which this should be done.
If I postpone confirming these seats until maybe February/March, do I risk losing them ? They are avios/companion voucher bookings but I understand that I can request another date even if there are no reward seats available - is this correct ?
BA have asked me to either cancel, confirm or rearrange to another date but havent given a deadline before which this should be done.
If I postpone confirming these seats until maybe February/March, do I risk losing them ? They are avios/companion voucher bookings but I understand that I can request another date even if there are no reward seats available - is this correct ?
#4963
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: 63,838
You don't need to rush, have a good think about this. In particular if you accept these dates you may find yourself running out of options if you have second thoughts, and see the many examples of "maybe" bookings causing problems upthread. But yes under current policies you can change to different dates witin 1 year of when you made the booking without needing availability, and several other options (see the wiki). But you can leave it to March or later. The potential risk is that BA will remove the 1 year option, and revert to their standard guideline which allows a 14 day movement without availability.
#4964
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 52
You don't need to rush, have a good think about this. In particular if you accept these dates you may find yourself running out of options if you have second thoughts, and see the many examples of "maybe" bookings causing problems upthread. But yes under current policies you can change to different dates witin 1 year of when you made the booking without needing availability, and several other options (see the wiki). But you can leave it to March or later. The potential risk is that BA will remove the 1 year option, and revert to their standard guideline which allows a 14 day movement without availability.
#4965
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: 63,838
Thanks for the clarification. If BA decide to remove the 1 year option, surely they would have to give some notice of this. Thinking out loud, the main purpose of this trip is to visit WDW, however if restrictions are still in place in August, we may prefer to defer the trip until 2022. The companion voucher used to purchase the flights had an expiry date of September 2021, but if the 1 year option is still in place, would I be able to transfer the booking to August 2022 ?