Mar 14, 2020, 4:58 pm
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*
Dec 16, 2020, 2:28 pm
#4981
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: 63,726
Dec 16, 2020, 3:15 pm
#4982
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Heathrow
Posts: 218
Sorry if this has already been asked.
Has anyone had any success rebooking avios flights to SYD to a different destination?
The story: I take an annual trip to SYD to visit friends, have always wanted to try F but never had the opportunity until the 50% off offer, so I booked managing to optimistically snag seats on my exact dates in August on BA11/12 as far as SIN and BA15/16 the rest of the way. However, just had them cancelled today
Obviously I'm not going to Sydney any more, but I'm still keen to try F, and would like to retain the 50% off offer in order to do so. Now I know normally you can only rebook in the same zone, but since theres nowhere else in zone 9 I'm trying to ascertain from Youfirst if I can do the following;
- Cancel and refund the sectors from LHR-SIN effectively leaving a zone 5 flight (80,000 down to 40,000 avios each way) in the booking.
- Then change those from SIN-SYD to, say, LHR-IAD or LHR-DXB or whereever is in that zone...
Thoughts?
Has anyone had any success rebooking avios flights to SYD to a different destination?
The story: I take an annual trip to SYD to visit friends, have always wanted to try F but never had the opportunity until the 50% off offer, so I booked managing to optimistically snag seats on my exact dates in August on BA11/12 as far as SIN and BA15/16 the rest of the way. However, just had them cancelled today
Obviously I'm not going to Sydney any more, but I'm still keen to try F, and would like to retain the 50% off offer in order to do so. Now I know normally you can only rebook in the same zone, but since theres nowhere else in zone 9 I'm trying to ascertain from Youfirst if I can do the following;
- Cancel and refund the sectors from LHR-SIN effectively leaving a zone 5 flight (80,000 down to 40,000 avios each way) in the booking.
- Then change those from SIN-SYD to, say, LHR-IAD or LHR-DXB or whereever is in that zone...
Thoughts?
Dec 16, 2020, 3:26 pm
#4983
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: 63,726
I can see you could cancel the SIN-SYD element, you would get a refund on the deta between 50% LHR-SIN and 50% LHR-SYD. That refund can then be used for any availability to anywhere in any class. Usual "maybe" booking disclaimer here. But you can just transfer that to another zone merely off the back of wishful thinking, unfortunately.
Dec 16, 2020, 4:25 pm
#4984
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 973
Agree, it is optimistic thinking. But, hopefully we can do the self isolation in our own home, instead of in a prison like hotel room (crying).
Dec 16, 2020, 5:16 pm
#4985
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 14
After a 90 min hold I have just come off the phone with BA.
I am caught in the Oz trap and will just cancel. My 241 voucher expires in April so I will book Paris return, then claim a future travel voucher to preserve it - this is better than keeping the Oz booking alive as the avios and fees are far higher sitting on a voucher.
I also have a flight to Osaka and back form Tokyo. The Osaka route has been cancelled. This one was booked in the 50% off sale.
The operator ( who was lovely) said my options were to Change the outsold to Tokyo. Re date flexibility they will only allow -3 days + 14 days with a move of return to keep the duration the same without the need to have Avios Availability.
Beyond this (a) there needed to be Avios availability and (b) If I went beyond the 50% off period of 30th June I would be change more Avios.
I has assumed that the option above - any change as long as within 12 months of the ticket - were Ok, but seemingly not ---- unless of course those here on FlyerTalk know more - and if so could you please let me know the internal notice number so I can quote it and get the flight moved.
Many thanks as always
I am caught in the Oz trap and will just cancel. My 241 voucher expires in April so I will book Paris return, then claim a future travel voucher to preserve it - this is better than keeping the Oz booking alive as the avios and fees are far higher sitting on a voucher.
I also have a flight to Osaka and back form Tokyo. The Osaka route has been cancelled. This one was booked in the 50% off sale.
The operator ( who was lovely) said my options were to Change the outsold to Tokyo. Re date flexibility they will only allow -3 days + 14 days with a move of return to keep the duration the same without the need to have Avios Availability.
Beyond this (a) there needed to be Avios availability and (b) If I went beyond the 50% off period of 30th June I would be change more Avios.
I has assumed that the option above - any change as long as within 12 months of the ticket - were Ok, but seemingly not ---- unless of course those here on FlyerTalk know more - and if so could you please let me know the internal notice number so I can quote it and get the flight moved.
Many thanks as always
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32579078-post3320.html
Dec 16, 2020, 5:32 pm
#4986
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,881
Hmm, everything I've just read says this isn't true. The minus 3 day plus 14 day thing is the old standard rule, but is only meant to apply if you need to extend ticket validity. If the date you want is within a year of the date you booked the ticket, then "option 2" of the standard terms says you can rebook any date at all. This option 2 is much the same as the new Covid rebooking rule. Reference:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32579078-post3320.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32579078-post3320.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32809399-post18.html
so yes if your ba fight is cancelled you can move it to another date within ticket validity on the same route and you just need space in the same cabin. Reward bookings are included.
Dec 16, 2020, 10:29 pm
#4987
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Programs: Ba Silver ( for now!)
Posts: 775
Many thanks. I will call again.
jeremy
jeremy
Dec 17, 2020, 12:27 am
#4988
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 131
we are now on update 9 which is dated early November, so this one is current. I have just checked it.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32809399-post18.html
so yes if your ba fight is cancelled you can move it to another date within ticket validity on the same route and you just need space in the same cabin. Reward bookings are included.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32809399-post18.html
so yes if your ba fight is cancelled you can move it to another date within ticket validity on the same route and you just need space in the same cabin. Reward bookings are included.
thanks.
Dec 17, 2020, 1:17 am
#4989
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: UK
Programs: British Airways Executive Club, Virgin Flying Club, Shangri-La Golden Circle
Posts: 8
Lloyds Voucher/Avios
Hi all,
I've similarly in the same situation as Jeremy in that my outbound flight to Osaka next July (for the Olympics) has been cancelled. I booked the flights using my Lloyds Voucher via the Avios Call Centre.
I call both Avios and BAEC last night. BAEC said they cannot do anything as it is an Avios.com related booking. Avios.com said they can offer me only BA flights to Tokyo, not via any rerouting with a OW airline. I wondered if anyone else has had this same issue with Avios.com before?
I've similarly in the same situation as Jeremy in that my outbound flight to Osaka next July (for the Olympics) has been cancelled. I booked the flights using my Lloyds Voucher via the Avios Call Centre.
I call both Avios and BAEC last night. BAEC said they cannot do anything as it is an Avios.com related booking. Avios.com said they can offer me only BA flights to Tokyo, not via any rerouting with a OW airline. I wondered if anyone else has had this same issue with Avios.com before?
Dec 17, 2020, 1:25 am
#4990
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: 63,726
I would urge people to leave this at least a week or two or seven before looking at these long term cancellations. As mentioned elsewhere, there are going to be more options over time rather than fewer, including perhaps specific rebooking guidelines by route. I know there is a natural tendency to want to sort things out, but it's sometimes best not to do so. And again, be careful of maybe bookings.
Dec 17, 2020, 3:49 am
#4991
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: ARN
Programs: Excecutive Club Bronze
Posts: 60
I don't think you can screw it up, there is a confirm button at the end, But you want on the main MMB page (I think I'd advocate using the website rather than the App, at least the first time around) this link at the end of the screen:
Change date/time of my flight
and then it's self explanatory, on many screens there is an escape button on the bottom left which then allows you to return to the main part of MMB. If you are not eligible for a free change the system will tell you. However the change facility works best for simple bookings, which seem a bit of a rarity around these parts. The LHR connection may flumox the computer, but an agent can sort it out. If the agent suggests something, you don't have to go ahead with it.
Change date/time of my flight
and then it's self explanatory, on many screens there is an escape button on the bottom left which then allows you to return to the main part of MMB. If you are not eligible for a free change the system will tell you. However the change facility works best for simple bookings, which seem a bit of a rarity around these parts. The LHR connection may flumox the computer, but an agent can sort it out. If the agent suggests something, you don't have to go ahead with it.
At least now I know what it looks in the change area, wasn't that scary. It doesn't work for connecting flights though, I could only change both at the same time. Called and it was fixed for free. Now all I need is for the UK to remain open so I can connect through there in Jan
Dec 17, 2020, 3:58 am
#4992
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: 63,726
IMPORTANT - Customer Gudeline for longhaul cancellations
This hasn't got a version number, so it's probably number one, updated 16/12/2020 01.39 PM (GMT), answer ID 8497.
Affected airports:
Permanent suspensions from S21 season onwards:
Pittsburgh (PIT)
Calgary (YYC)
Charleston (CHS)
Seoul (ICN)
Durban (DUR)
Dammam (DMM)
Lima (LIM)
Osaka (KIX)
Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
Seychelles (SEZ) – last service 24 April 2021
Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Muscat (MCT)
Jeddah (JED) – short adhoc operation to continue over Hajj period in July 2021
S21 season only suspensions (until 30 October 2021):
Sydney (SYD)
Bangkok (BKK)
San Jose (SJO) – last service 17 April 2021
[CWS note: the word "permanent" in aviation is the alternative to "temporary", but it doesn't mean it has gone forever].
For those who booked on or before 16 December 2020, and travelling after 28 March 2021, which is the Summer timetable change date.
- Change of gateway allowed as per usual policy (300 miles), with the following extra: Calgary can go to Vancouver, Jeddah can go to Riyadh
- Using alternative airlines:
This normally allows changes to QR and IB (commercial tickets, redemptions if there is redemption space).
Refund allowed, redemptions are in scope (but note the issue with Qatar in particular for redemptions). BAH have their own rules particularly in respect of hotel and car hire. One change only, so don't rush to the first idea.
This hasn't got a version number, so it's probably number one, updated 16/12/2020 01.39 PM (GMT), answer ID 8497.
Affected airports:
Permanent suspensions from S21 season onwards:
Pittsburgh (PIT)
Calgary (YYC)
Charleston (CHS)
Seoul (ICN)
Durban (DUR)
Dammam (DMM)
Lima (LIM)
Osaka (KIX)
Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
Seychelles (SEZ) – last service 24 April 2021
Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Muscat (MCT)
Jeddah (JED) – short adhoc operation to continue over Hajj period in July 2021
S21 season only suspensions (until 30 October 2021):
Sydney (SYD)
Bangkok (BKK)
San Jose (SJO) – last service 17 April 2021
[CWS note: the word "permanent" in aviation is the alternative to "temporary", but it doesn't mean it has gone forever].
For those who booked on or before 16 December 2020, and travelling after 28 March 2021, which is the Summer timetable change date.
- Change of gateway allowed as per usual policy (300 miles), with the following extra: Calgary can go to Vancouver, Jeddah can go to Riyadh
- Using alternative airlines:
This normally allows changes to QR and IB (commercial tickets, redemptions if there is redemption space).
Originally Posted by BA
Use all options from standard Conditions of Carriage to rebook with partner carriers:
For Asian JB/Siberian JB – utilise AA/AY/JL options
For Qatar JB – utilise QR options
For SJO/LIM – utilise IB options
Please follow the specific rules within each of the above rebooking guidelines.
We are currently working on reprotection agreements with other carriers and these will be published once agreed.
For Asian JB/Siberian JB – utilise AA/AY/JL options
For Qatar JB – utilise QR options
For SJO/LIM – utilise IB options
Please follow the specific rules within each of the above rebooking guidelines.
We are currently working on reprotection agreements with other carriers and these will be published once agreed.
Dec 17, 2020, 4:25 am
#4994
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: 63,726
On "permanent" cancellations, BA will need to make some alternative arrangement, which will usually take a few weeks. But otherwise the requirements under EC261 are re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to the [passengers'] final destination at the earliest opportunity. And BA, along with most airlines, will regard that as being when they next fly again to that location. Despite much of what I see about written about this, I am not aware of CJEU ruling that says BA must rebook on to another airline if they are still running services to that location. In practical terms BA also won't want that tested in court either so there may be leeway to book something else and send the bill to BA. But that is jumping the gun, in a few weeks this may well be sorted out.
Dec 17, 2020, 4:59 am
#4995
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: BA/VS Gold
Posts: 276
Ah ok, thanks.
Quick question - for rebooking, is there any restrictions on rerouting within 355 days of original booking date or the travel dates? Or can I (for example) wait until February and then re-book 355 days from that point?
Quick question - for rebooking, is there any restrictions on rerouting within 355 days of original booking date or the travel dates? Or can I (for example) wait until February and then re-book 355 days from that point?