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 17, 2020, 4:55 pm
#5026
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,549
Doing some sums right now and want to check I'm not making a faux pas. Can anyone kindly confirm if I'm doing my math right here?
Got 3 tickets MEX-LHR-BCN for March - Paid WTP but with UUA to Club. One gold, one silver, one bronze.
Total cost was 3750 USD, which includes the 25 per person we paid for the upgrade plus 50000 avios per person, so that means 150000 in total used. Would earn 58228 in Avios back.
Total tier points 200 per person as booked in T longhaul and S shorthaul
Key data point here is that one of the BCN legs was cancelled - new flights number - so this should in theory mean I can cancel for a full refund, which would be all the Cash plus the Avios.
Next...
Have found (and have on hold for just under 24 hours) 3 tickets on Iberia for MEX-MAD-LIS (in late July). These are business class seats and total 5200 USD (using BBVA card that got me like 12% discount on the retail fare).
If I am right in my sums, I'd get all the cash back from BA + 150000 avios recredited to my account.
Then flying with Iberia in business we'd earn 76666 avios from being gold, silver, and bronze, plus 360 TPs each, 140 per long-haul leg and 40 per short.
If I'm right in my sums here, I'd be paying the difference of 1450 USD to recoup 150000 avios, but also add 18438 extra avios (difference between the original 58228 and the 76666), plus an extra 160 TPs per person. So basically + 168000 avios and + 160 TPs. If this is correct, to me it seems like a very good deal? Am I right/wrong in my calculations? Am I missing anything?
While of course hard to answer, does giving up the book with confidence with BA for Iberia's slightly lesser version warrent this? Also, IB appears to be flying A350 on the route, so it looks like the better cabin. Oh, and I'd earn 12k avios on my credit card for the spend.
Any thoughts/comments greatly appreciated
TTmex
Got 3 tickets MEX-LHR-BCN for March - Paid WTP but with UUA to Club. One gold, one silver, one bronze.
Total cost was 3750 USD, which includes the 25 per person we paid for the upgrade plus 50000 avios per person, so that means 150000 in total used. Would earn 58228 in Avios back.
Total tier points 200 per person as booked in T longhaul and S shorthaul
Key data point here is that one of the BCN legs was cancelled - new flights number - so this should in theory mean I can cancel for a full refund, which would be all the Cash plus the Avios.
Next...
Have found (and have on hold for just under 24 hours) 3 tickets on Iberia for MEX-MAD-LIS (in late July). These are business class seats and total 5200 USD (using BBVA card that got me like 12% discount on the retail fare).
If I am right in my sums, I'd get all the cash back from BA + 150000 avios recredited to my account.
Then flying with Iberia in business we'd earn 76666 avios from being gold, silver, and bronze, plus 360 TPs each, 140 per long-haul leg and 40 per short.
If I'm right in my sums here, I'd be paying the difference of 1450 USD to recoup 150000 avios, but also add 18438 extra avios (difference between the original 58228 and the 76666), plus an extra 160 TPs per person. So basically + 168000 avios and + 160 TPs. If this is correct, to me it seems like a very good deal? Am I right/wrong in my calculations? Am I missing anything?
While of course hard to answer, does giving up the book with confidence with BA for Iberia's slightly lesser version warrent this? Also, IB appears to be flying A350 on the route, so it looks like the better cabin. Oh, and I'd earn 12k avios on my credit card for the spend.
Any thoughts/comments greatly appreciated
TTmex
Dec 18, 2020, 8:04 am
#5027
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: 63,841
Longhaul cancellations Summer 2021 update - update for passengers to KUL - updated 18/12/2020 02.36 PM (GMT)
Those passengers with 125 tickets, issued by BA directly, can now be rebooked into the the same cabin on MH or MAS as Malaysia Airlines is sometimes known.
It included redemption tickets and you will be retain any of the various instruments used such as GUFs, AUPs, UuAs and companion vouchers - you will stay in your current cabin. You can accept a downgrade (and reclaim the fare difference) if there is no availability in your booked cabin. No comments on dates, but you can probably move by a few days without raising a virtual eyebrow.
This is reactive change, so you need to call up. If you booked with a travel agency then they can also do it, but you best give them a few days to catch up with the email - this is a free change but an agency may charge a handling fee. Indeed anyone calling a BA contact centre today - and really you don't need to do this immediately - bear in mind this has only just come out so the contact centre agents may not have seen this yet. My previous post on this was post 4992.
For other longhaul destinations, hang on for more updates. Be wary of "maybe" bookings. And since all of these changes are not until March, you may want to hold back on changes for a month or two or three since you can only make one change and right now you have more flexibility.
This has featured in 7 or 8 other threads, I won't update those but by all means point across to this thread.
Those passengers with 125 tickets, issued by BA directly, can now be rebooked into the the same cabin on MH or MAS as Malaysia Airlines is sometimes known.
It included redemption tickets and you will be retain any of the various instruments used such as GUFs, AUPs, UuAs and companion vouchers - you will stay in your current cabin. You can accept a downgrade (and reclaim the fare difference) if there is no availability in your booked cabin. No comments on dates, but you can probably move by a few days without raising a virtual eyebrow.
This is reactive change, so you need to call up. If you booked with a travel agency then they can also do it, but you best give them a few days to catch up with the email - this is a free change but an agency may charge a handling fee. Indeed anyone calling a BA contact centre today - and really you don't need to do this immediately - bear in mind this has only just come out so the contact centre agents may not have seen this yet. My previous post on this was post 4992.
For other longhaul destinations, hang on for more updates. Be wary of "maybe" bookings. And since all of these changes are not until March, you may want to hold back on changes for a month or two or three since you can only make one change and right now you have more flexibility.
This has featured in 7 or 8 other threads, I won't update those but by all means point across to this thread.
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Dec 18, 2020 at 8:09 am
Dec 18, 2020, 9:48 am
#5028
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 14
even i got told that today! i usually email when i have a few trips to sort. 2x ba metal only bookings for next feb, have had at least one flight cancellation on both, asked to move to aug and sep. exactly same routing. email comes back today you can only move them -3/+14 days otherwise you need same booking class.
a curt email has been sent back and referenced the correct policy
a curt email has been sent back and referenced the correct policy
) ...Another question too please ... My flights were in April..
JER -> LGW / LHR -> PEK
KIX -> LHR
Now that KIX is cancelled, *IDEALLY* I'd like the following in *September*:
LHR -> PEK
KIX - TYO - LHR
i.e. let me use a feeder flight to still get home from KIX as originally planned, drop the JER->LGW leg, and move to September.
If not possible (I feel that dropping the JER-LGW leg may be contentious lol), the most desired change is the move to September, so can I expect to be able to move my whole itinerary (with Jersey) to September by getting BA to add in a feeder flight from KIX to TYO?
Thanks in advance as always!
Dec 18, 2020, 10:04 am
#5029
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 270
Has anyone managed to get through to ba holidays today?
Ive phoned (according to my iphone) 158 times today since 8am and never managed to get into the queue!
Ho hum.....
Ive phoned (according to my iphone) 158 times today since 8am and never managed to get into the queue!
Ho hum.....
Dec 18, 2020, 10:49 am
#5030
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: 63,841
I'm sure KARFA won't mind me replying. That should be OK, because JER-LGW was cancelled, so you can ask that to be sent for a (small) refund and leave the rest of of the booking. Assuming your ticket was originally ticketed after September 2020 then you can also move to September 2021, but (a) "maybe booking" alert and (b) you are then outside BWC, so be very, very careful on this. However you can use the Tokyo linkage or alternatively return via Helsinki in Finnair. And I'm afraid it's only very special people who can email BA, and KARFA is one of them.
Dec 18, 2020, 12:35 pm
#5031
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EP, MUCCI, Proudly BA Blue,.
Posts: 888
Seat Selection Unavailable After Rebooking on Voucher?
I've had to reschedule a flight on a voucher, but I'm unable to select seats until the new itinerary has been ticketed, which I'm being told can take up to a month. If this is the case, it puts me within two weeks of my flight which makes me a little nervous traveling with kids... Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
Dec 18, 2020, 12:45 pm
#5032
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 58
Booked in 50% Avios sale LHR-KUL F 17 May return 2 June. Spoke to You First agent yesterday who helpfully suggested waiting to see if I could rebook on MH, thanks CWS for the update. A few questions spring to mind, am I right in assuming that if I rebook on MH it would be Business Suite rather than Business Class and does there have to be reward availability? I’m not sure if MH offer reward seats in Business Suite? The agent did say I could rebook flying via Singapore so could I rebook MH direct to KUL outbound and return via Singapore or vice versa? I’m flying on from KUL to Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) with MH booked on the same ticket. Obviously I don’t want to loose the benefit of the 50%Avios deal and this assumes that Malaysia reopens to tourists by then 🤞.
EF
EF
Dec 18, 2020, 1:03 pm
#5033
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: 63,841
I've had to reschedule a flight on a voucher, but I'm unable to select seats until the new itinerary has been ticketed, which I'm being told can take up to a month. If this is the case, it puts me within two weeks of my flight which makes me a little nervous traveling with kids... Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
Dec 18, 2020, 1:09 pm
#5034
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: 63,841
if I rebook on MH it would be Business Suite rather than Business Class and does there have to be reward availability? I’m not sure if MH offer reward seats in Business Suite? The agent did say I could rebook flying via Singapore so could I rebook MH direct to KUL outbound and return via Singapore or vice versa?
Dec 18, 2020, 1:16 pm
#5035
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 58
Many thanks CWS, as helpful and knowledgeable as ever.
EF
EF
Dec 18, 2020, 3:26 pm
#5036
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EP, MUCCI, Proudly BA Blue,.
Posts: 888
Per your suggestion just now, I just called again to see perhaps if I would have different luck, and of course, as always, you were right! Thank you!! It took almost an hour, but I got seats!
Another example of why one should always HUACA!
Dec 18, 2020, 3:26 pm
#5037
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 427
Booked in 50% Avios sale LHR-KUL F 17 May return 2 June. Spoke to You First agent yesterday who helpfully suggested waiting to see if I could rebook on MH, thanks CWS for the update. A few questions spring to mind, am I right in assuming that if I rebook on MH it would be Business Suite rather than Business Class and does there have to be reward availability? I’m not sure if MH offer reward seats in Business Suite? The agent did say I could rebook flying via Singapore so could I rebook MH direct to KUL outbound and return via Singapore or vice versa? I’m flying on from KUL to Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) with MH booked on the same ticket. Obviously I don’t want to loose the benefit of the 50%Avios deal and this assumes that Malaysia reopens to tourists by then 🤞.
EF
EF
Am happy none the less as I'm told this is going to be a better overall product than BA F.
Dec 18, 2020, 4:39 pm
#5038
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 14
I'm sure KARFA won't mind me replying. That should be OK, because JER-LGW was cancelled, so you can ask that to be sent for a (small) refund and leave the rest of of the booking. Assuming your ticket was originally ticketed after September 2020 then you can also move to September 2021, but (a) "maybe booking" alert and (b) you are then outside BWC, so be very, very careful on this. However you can use the Tokyo linkage or alternatively return via Helsinki in Finnair. And I'm afraid it's only very special people who can email BA, and KARFA is one of them.
I only meant to ask KARFA directly about the email bit, so thanks for responding CWS!So it sounds like very good news indeed -- but a couple questions please.
Outside BWC -- hmmm... Yes, I see that it only applies for journeys which complete by 31-Aug-2021. However, I hadn't mentioned this but this is a redemption ticket with Amex241 + Avios 50% discount, so don't I have the right to cancel at any time for any reason at all, and I'll only have to pay a £35 fee..? Is there some other benefit that BWC gives me which would make me want to endure the Chinese & Japanese summer heat in August?
Secondly, what did you mean about Jersey -> Gatwick being cancelled? I just did a flight search and BA are still flying that route from what I can see!
Bonus question - what's the better product? Finnair Business from KIX to HEL, or BA Business TYO to LHR?
Last edited by seputus; Dec 18, 2020 at 4:49 pm
Dec 18, 2020, 8:40 pm
#5039
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,190
I'm sure this has already been answered, but here we go...
I believe that one can cancel an Avios (single flight, for simplicities sake) booking 24 hours (or more) before the flight (and pay the accompanying fee $55 / £35 IIRC. Less than 24 hours and one is SOL, unless one takes an FTV, is that correct? If so what's the last point in time one can take an FTV? If not, is there any recourse with less than 24 hours to go?
I'm asking for a friend!
rb211.
I believe that one can cancel an Avios (single flight, for simplicities sake) booking 24 hours (or more) before the flight (and pay the accompanying fee $55 / £35 IIRC. Less than 24 hours and one is SOL, unless one takes an FTV, is that correct? If so what's the last point in time one can take an FTV? If not, is there any recourse with less than 24 hours to go?
I'm asking for a friend!
rb211.
Dec 18, 2020, 10:00 pm
#5040
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,821
I'm sure this has already been answered, but here we go...
I believe that one can cancel an Avios (single flight, for simplicities sake) booking 24 hours (or more) before the flight (and pay the accompanying fee $55 / £35 IIRC. Less than 24 hours and one is SOL, unless one takes an FTV, is that correct? If so what's the last point in time one can take an FTV? If not, is there any recourse with less than 24 hours to go?
I'm asking for a friend!
rb211.
I believe that one can cancel an Avios (single flight, for simplicities sake) booking 24 hours (or more) before the flight (and pay the accompanying fee $55 / £35 IIRC. Less than 24 hours and one is SOL, unless one takes an FTV, is that correct? If so what's the last point in time one can take an FTV? If not, is there any recourse with less than 24 hours to go?
I'm asking for a friend!
rb211.
(1) for avios bookings you may cancel and get your avios and the taxes and fees you paid back if you cancel at least 24 hours before the flight and pay the redeposit fee;
(2) for avios and commercial bookings you can cancel and receive an FTV, provided you do so before check-in closes.
From ba.com:
Date changes must be made, or vouchers requested before check-in closes
Also see these posts among many others:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32860928-post4789.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32754189-post4245.html
And see the wiki at the top of the thread.
Redeposit fees:
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...d-service-fees
Last edited by jerry a. laska; Dec 18, 2020 at 10:21 pm Reason: add fees