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Covid-19 BA Rebooking/Cancellation/Refund HELP & ADVICE *No Speculation etc*

Old Mar 14, 2020, 4:58 pm
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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:
  • 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.

Paid Seating Refund:
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.
How to find out the status of your voucher and the amount it contains Future Travel Vouchers versus eVouchers
  • See posts 3052 and 3151 to understand the difference. FTVs cannot be used online (and are not really vouchers), whereas eVouchers, issued for simple bookings, can be used online.
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Covid-19 BA Rebooking/Cancellation/Refund HELP & ADVICE *No Speculation etc*

Old Dec 23, 2020, 3:53 am
  #5131  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,706
Originally Posted by John Mc Grath
Hopefully not alone on this issue. Had booked BA LHR-DUB for 24/12 at 15:15.

BA have not cancelled the flight but have stopped selling the flight online. (Assume due to the Irish ban on GB pax entry).
MMB wont let me even request a voucher instead referring to the call centre which are not picking up !

If I dont get through to the CC before the flight tomorrow afternoon would my hopes of a voucher go too ?
you can just go directly to the FTV application page and enter the booking details.

https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn

you may as well wait to see if it gets cancelled. You can request an FTV anytime up to close of check in, but I would suggest do it no later than 2 hours before the flight is due to depart.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 3:55 am
  #5132  
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: 63,476
Welcome to Flyertalk John Mc Grath, and welcome to the BA forum.

If you bought the ticket from BA then you can get the FTV online up to about 2 hours (to be safe) before departure, it in the Cancel options for your trip. If your flight is cancelled and you get through to an agent you can have a refund, Avios credit or rebook as well. You can also try a DM to BA Twitter to at least get you offloaded from the flight so you have more time to resolve this. You want to avoid being a no-show in this situation. I don't know, but if the Contact Centres are difficult to contact - we're getting mixed reports that sometimes they are busy, sometimes they are not - then I suspect BA will have to offer refunds to no-shows but they are usually loathed to do this. BA are cancelling very late at the moment for some flights.

You could perhaps use Skype to contact the Czech line, which then goes to Bremen.
ba.com/contact
use the drop down to select the Czech Republic.
corporate-wage-slave is online now  
Old Dec 23, 2020, 4:24 am
  #5133  
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Welcome to Flyertalk John Mc Grath, and welcome to the BA forum.

If you bought the ticket from BA then you can get the FTV online up to about 2 hours (to be safe) before departure, it in the Cancel options for your trip. If your flight is cancelled and you get through to an agent you can have a refund, Avios credit or rebook as well. You can also try a DM to BA Twitter to at least get you offloaded from the flight so you have more time to resolve this. You want to avoid being a no-show in this situation. I don't know, but if the Contact Centres are difficult to contact - we're getting mixed reports that sometimes they are busy, sometimes they are not - then I suspect BA will have to offer refunds to no-shows but they are usually loathed to do this. BA are cancelling very late at the moment for some flights.

You could perhaps use Skype to contact the Czech line, which then goes to Bremen.
ba.com/contact
use the drop down to select the Czech Republic.
Thanks both for the tips - I see they have canx all todays BA LHR-DUB sectors so will hang tight on the FTV request for now.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 6:28 am
  #5134  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 224
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
What you can do is ask the agent to remove you from the flight. I use the term offloaded, but it's not terminologically correct since that would apply to those checked in, but the phrase seems to work. That leaves you with a ticket coupon without a date, some agents then put you on the mythical A380 service to an airstrip in the St Lawrence delta, but that's just to hold the coupon. Then when you are ready you can call again. You can also ask for an FTV just for the return leg, which gives you a bit more flexibility but it could take a while to work out the value if the booking is no longer on self serve.
corporate-wage-slave Brilliant, thank you Sir, much appreciated! It was just the return I was after really, since I went out on Sunday, blissfully unaware of any restrictions that came in Saturday.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 6:29 am
  #5135  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 224
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
What you can do is ask the agent to remove you from the flight. I use the term offloaded, but it's not terminologically correct since that would apply to those checked in, but the phrase seems to work. That leaves you with a ticket coupon without a date, some agents then put you on the mythical A380 service to an airstrip in the St Lawrence delta, but that's just to hold the coupon. Then when you are ready you can call again. You can also ask for an FTV just for the return leg, which gives you a bit more flexibility but it could take a while to work out the value if the booking is no longer on self serve.
corporate-wage-slave Brilliant, thank you Sir, much appreciated! It was just the return I was after really, since I went out on Sunday, blissfully unaware of any restrictions that came in Saturday.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 6:49 am
  #5136  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 172
What happens if I ask to be offloaded from a recently canceled 50% off Avios booking? The canceled flight was scheduled to depart on Jan 5th but given the changing travel restrictions, I'd like to wait beyond Jan 5th to decide the date on which to rebook. If I'm offloaded, will I have problems rebooking at the 50% Avios rate after Jan 5th? Any advice for waiting with rebooking? Thanks!
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 6:56 am
  #5137  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,476
Originally Posted by daniellovesflying
What happens if I ask to be offloaded from a recently canceled 50% off Avios booking? The canceled flight was scheduled to depart on Jan 5th but given the changing travel restrictions, I'd like to wait beyond Jan 5th to decide the date on which to rebook. If I'm offloaded, will I have problems rebooking at the 50% Avios rate after Jan 5th? Any advice for waiting with rebooking? Thanks!
Potentially you may lose your 50% reduction, particularly if you try for a date outside the original booking period. However if BA cancelled your flight, then they should be able to rebook you within a year of ticketing, so long as it is the same start and end point. If you were cancelled then you can have a full refund. Be wary of "maybe" bookings, there will be good deals when this is all over, so refunds aren't bad as a concept.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 7:11 am
  #5138  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 172
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Potentially you may lose your 50% reduction, particularly if you try for a date outside the original booking period. However if BA cancelled your flight, then they should be able to rebook you within a year of ticketing, so long as it is the same start and end point. If you were cancelled then you can have a full refund. Be wary of "maybe" bookings, there will be good deals when this is all over, so refunds aren't bad as a concept.
Thanks! So does this mean that I could request a refund at a later point after I've decided to be offloaded if they can't offer a new flight at my original 50% rate?
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 7:16 am
  #5139  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,476
Originally Posted by daniellovesflying
Thanks! So does this mean that I could request a refund at a later point after I've decided to be offloaded if they can't offer a new flight at my original 50% rate?
Yes, if it was BA that cancelled the flight. Once you rebook then you wipe away that option, however Avios redemptions are in any case fully refundable minus a maximum 35 redeposit fee per person, and the FTV process, which should still be open to you, would avoid even that fee.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 8:25 am
  #5140  
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: NYC
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 146
FWIW I've just been told by BA that as long as Avios seats booked in the 50% sale are re-booked for flights departing on or before 30 June 2021, sale prices will be honoured. YMMV!
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 8:28 am
  #5141  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: England
Programs: BAEC: Bronze; Marriott: Gold
Posts: 399
If a flight is cancelled - do we have to ask to be offloaded, or can we just let the PNR sit there until after the original flight dates and then call to reschedule to a future date? If so, is there any advantage one way or the other?
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 8:31 am
  #5142  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,691
Originally Posted by bakera
If a flight is cancelled - do we have to ask to be offloaded, or can we just let the PNR sit there until after the original flight dates and then call to reschedule to a future date? If so, is there any advantage one way or the other?
I think it depends on whether it's the first flight in the booking or not. If it's first, should be fine to contact at your own leisure. If it's not, then best to call ahead of the first sector.
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 10:52 am
  #5143  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 94
I'm one of these people who did a 'Maybe Booking' but it now looks like it might not happen.

The original booking I paid using cash. I then cancelled it and got a FTV, I then made this new holiday booking and used cash on the deposit. But then a BA CS allowed me to use the FTV from the cancelled booking and refunded the cash deposit, if BA cancels the flight do I get an FTV or will I get cash?
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 11:23 am
  #5144  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Gold
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
Yes. FTV will still be available if you can't get MMB to work, and it's possible an agent will just do it anyway, but strictly speaking the clock will run out in October 2021, based on your existing ticket, if not sooner.

Hi CWS. So after 90 mins on the phone to first a South African call centre and then a UK exec club person, they're telling me that because these are reward flights, they cannot be re-booked 'because there is no reward availability'. I can't see any J seats to BKK from mid November onwards (or SIN and I understand KUL is cancelled), and we have to travel by the end of 2021. They did say the ticket validity 'could be adjusted' but they cannot rebook us into commercial availability (which is extra annoying as the flights look very quiet). The advice was 'leave it and hope for availability' but since there are others in our party on paid tickets this really isn't practical. Is there anything I can do to escalate? It seems so unfair that they've cancelled our flights twice and will not now rebook us. They also advised a non-BA flight isn't an option for the two of us using the Amex 2-4-1. Any advice/further help very much appreciated!
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Old Dec 23, 2020, 11:32 am
  #5145  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 90
Returning home

Hello, I am currently in IST scheduled to fly back to the US early Jan. I booked my ticket w cash on BA. If they cancel, how would I get back home? Will I be responsible for finding another airline?
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