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*
#526
Join Date: May 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 320
I am trying to move forward a flight back to the UK from Los Angeles. I was due to fly back on 24 March, but now want to come home sooner, this Friday is available.
Luckily LAX is one of those airports that are operating flights from the UK, and BA have so far cancelled only one of the 3 daily flights.
As a holiday booking, I cannot change online, although I have the usual red notice, saying I could amend my booking if I wanted to due to the increased uncertainty.
British Airways customer service seem to insist that the price needs to be recalculated, and I would need to pay the difference (if any) - their back office team are busy, so they can't tell me what the cost would be - but just wondering if this is right? Flights from the USA could be cancelled further any minute and BA would charge me to come home sooner, on the same route and flight, just a few days earlier? For clarity, they are not charging a change fee by the way. Advice welcome.
Luckily LAX is one of those airports that are operating flights from the UK, and BA have so far cancelled only one of the 3 daily flights.
As a holiday booking, I cannot change online, although I have the usual red notice, saying I could amend my booking if I wanted to due to the increased uncertainty.
British Airways customer service seem to insist that the price needs to be recalculated, and I would need to pay the difference (if any) - their back office team are busy, so they can't tell me what the cost would be - but just wondering if this is right? Flights from the USA could be cancelled further any minute and BA would charge me to come home sooner, on the same route and flight, just a few days earlier? For clarity, they are not charging a change fee by the way. Advice welcome.
#527
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: 63,804
Well I suspect if you call in June - for example - the queues will be shorter. If it's the first flight in an itinerary you cannot be a no-show, so while I wouldn't leave it 6 months, you certainly do not need to do anything now. Now clearly if you have a pressing need to rebook using those Avios right now, then by all means call. See also post 435. Otherwise wait for reports of people gettting through quickly, maybe next week, maybe the week after.
#528
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: 63,804
Was wondering if anyone has any experience changing the date and destination of flights that have not been cancelled over the phone. Wanted to check if it is possible here first before waiting on the line and wasting both the CSO’s and my time. My alternative would be to buy a new ticket to Singapore although that would mean more money out of pocket.
#529
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: 63,804
British Airways customer service seem to insist that the price needs to be recalculated, and I would need to pay the difference (if any) - their back office team are busy, so they can't tell me what the cost would be - but just wondering if this is right? Flights from the USA could be cancelled further any minute and BA would charge me to come home sooner, on the same route and flight, just a few days earlier? For clarity, they are not charging a change fee by the way. Advice welcome.
#530
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,814
Hi,
I have had the outbound portion of a long haul flight in early April cancelled. I booked WT+ and upgraded using Avios.
My booking says cancelled, and that I can call to rebook or get a full refund. If I get a refund, will I get my Avios back?
I understand BA are experiencing extremely high call volumes at present, and we are advised not to call unless our flight is in the next 72hrs. How am I meant to get a refund if I can't call?
I have had the outbound portion of a long haul flight in early April cancelled. I booked WT+ and upgraded using Avios.
My booking says cancelled, and that I can call to rebook or get a full refund. If I get a refund, will I get my Avios back?
I understand BA are experiencing extremely high call volumes at present, and we are advised not to call unless our flight is in the next 72hrs. How am I meant to get a refund if I can't call?
#531
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: London. Or a plane.
Programs: "Only" 50,000 TPs until BA GGLfL
Posts: 2,777
I think BA have just started the forward wave of cancellations beyond the next 7 days. My early April flight is missing form my booking (rather than showing as cancelled), it's also missing from the GDS rather than showing as cancelled
#532
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,926
I am trying to move forward a flight back to the UK from Los Angeles. I was due to fly back on 24 March, but now want to come home sooner, this Friday is available.
Luckily LAX is one of those airports that are operating flights from the UK, and BA have so far cancelled only one of the 3 daily flights.
As a holiday booking, I cannot change online, although I have the usual red notice, saying I could amend my booking if I wanted to due to the increased uncertainty.
British Airways customer service seem to insist that the price needs to be recalculated, and I would need to pay the difference (if any) - their back office team are busy, so they can't tell me what the cost would be - but just wondering if this is right? Flights from the USA could be cancelled further any minute and BA would charge me to come home sooner, on the same route and flight, just a few days earlier? For clarity, they are not charging a change fee by the way. Advice welcome.
Luckily LAX is one of those airports that are operating flights from the UK, and BA have so far cancelled only one of the 3 daily flights.
As a holiday booking, I cannot change online, although I have the usual red notice, saying I could amend my booking if I wanted to due to the increased uncertainty.
British Airways customer service seem to insist that the price needs to be recalculated, and I would need to pay the difference (if any) - their back office team are busy, so they can't tell me what the cost would be - but just wondering if this is right? Flights from the USA could be cancelled further any minute and BA would charge me to come home sooner, on the same route and flight, just a few days earlier? For clarity, they are not charging a change fee by the way. Advice welcome.
For part-flown customers who want to return as soon as possible*
Rebook onto an alternative British Airways service for travel as early as possible
Rebook without charge into the same class as original or lowest available in the same cabin
#533
Join Date: May 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 320
There should be no charge for the change, here is the policy wording for USA:
For part-flown customers who want to return as soon as possible*
Rebook onto an alternative British Airways service for travel as early as possible
Rebook without charge into the same class as original or lowest available in the same cabin
For part-flown customers who want to return as soon as possible*
Rebook onto an alternative British Airways service for travel as early as possible
Rebook without charge into the same class as original or lowest available in the same cabin
#534
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
Over in the previous closed thread, I mentioned that I I had an LGW-SVQ-LGW (Gatwick to Seville) flight, booked cheaply and upgraded with a POUG ( https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32183354-post866.html ) and there is more than one person in the same situation (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32183412-post867.html). I applied for an e-voucher on March 14 and today (March 18th) I received this from BA:
So, turnaround for a response is several days but they are answering. I'll post another update when I see how much it is for (since I'm hoping to get back the low base fare and the relatively larger POUG cost).
Booking Reference: XXXXXX
Dear flatlander,
Thank you for contacting British Airways and requesting a Future Travel
Voucher.
We're now processing your voucher and you'll receive it within the next
seven days.
As you can imagine, our call centres are very busy at the moment, so
please do only contact them if you're due to travel within the next 72
hours and have an issue that can't be resolved via ba.com.
Please only submit one request per booking reference.
Thank you for your understanding.
Warm regards,
British Airways Customer Service
BA
Dear flatlander,
Thank you for contacting British Airways and requesting a Future Travel
Voucher.
We're now processing your voucher and you'll receive it within the next
seven days.
As you can imagine, our call centres are very busy at the moment, so
please do only contact them if you're due to travel within the next 72
hours and have an issue that can't be resolved via ba.com.
Please only submit one request per booking reference.
Thank you for your understanding.
Warm regards,
British Airways Customer Service
BA
#535
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: 63,804
#536
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: YVR,TPE,LHR
Programs: CX Diamond, BA Gold
Posts: 48
Hello all,
I have an upcoming booking LHR-YYZ // YYC-LHR, and I just got a notification that YYC-LHR sector is cancelled (looks like the route is cancelled).
I do want to fly the outbound segment to return to Canada...so what are my options here? Proceed to airport as usual and rebook the YYC-LHR segment from a different airport in Canada when I am ready to fly back to London?
Thanks.
I have an upcoming booking LHR-YYZ // YYC-LHR, and I just got a notification that YYC-LHR sector is cancelled (looks like the route is cancelled).
I do want to fly the outbound segment to return to Canada...so what are my options here? Proceed to airport as usual and rebook the YYC-LHR segment from a different airport in Canada when I am ready to fly back to London?
Thanks.
#538
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 20
Hi,
I am due to fly on friday the 20th march from LHR to Boston, BA0213, at 11.20
Of the 4 flights on this date, 2 have been cancelled, but mine has not been.
Can I assume that all the flight cancellations for this week have been done?
My next flight will probably be 363 days after that one, so just sneaking in to the one year rule, so would prefer a refund just in case, rather than a voucher, but understand that if I dont get cancelled then that's my best option.
thanks for all the hard work and help!
karen
I am due to fly on friday the 20th march from LHR to Boston, BA0213, at 11.20
Of the 4 flights on this date, 2 have been cancelled, but mine has not been.
Can I assume that all the flight cancellations for this week have been done?
My next flight will probably be 363 days after that one, so just sneaking in to the one year rule, so would prefer a refund just in case, rather than a voucher, but understand that if I dont get cancelled then that's my best option.
thanks for all the hard work and help!
karen
#539
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Yes, I was meant to fly on 8th April LHR-JFK - whilst my original flight is still running, I just checked and BA is down to only 2 LHR-JFK services on that day . The 117 and 113 remain in the schedule. That is a decimation of the schedule, unfortunately.
#540
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 1,624
DEN tomorrow now cancelled (was just missing from MyBooking but showing as cancelled on BA Flight Status) . Polite YouFirst agent sorted and chatted briefly about why i was going and about the whole situation.
Of note, needed supervisor to override Voucher which i had originally applied for when told flight was operating.
All done sorted and hopefully refunded (on the same day Insurance said they would cover it!)
Of note, needed supervisor to override Voucher which i had originally applied for when told flight was operating.
All done sorted and hopefully refunded (on the same day Insurance said they would cover it!)