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*
#556
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 34
Thanks for your help (and quick reply)!
I just tried the US number but got cut off after being told “Due to heavy call volume, your call can not be completed at this time”.
#557
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Taunton, UK
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Silver
Posts: 1,158
Is anyone able to see if BA7403 (QF35) is still operating next Thursday 26th please? Cannot see any availability now via Skyscanner, but not showing cancelled yet in my booking.
I am booked on it in Premium MEL-SIN and then SIN-HKG-LHR in premium/WT+ on the 28th.
I emailed Carlton Travel who said everything running so would cost me £600 fare difference to ditch SIN altogether and fly SYD-SIN-LHR in one go.
If the QF flight does get cancelled MEL-SIN, is it reasonable to ask to be rebooked MEL-SYD-SIN-LHR straight through, or will they just insist on trying to get me to SIN in time for the other flights?
I am booked on it in Premium MEL-SIN and then SIN-HKG-LHR in premium/WT+ on the 28th.
I emailed Carlton Travel who said everything running so would cost me £600 fare difference to ditch SIN altogether and fly SYD-SIN-LHR in one go.
If the QF flight does get cancelled MEL-SIN, is it reasonable to ask to be rebooked MEL-SYD-SIN-LHR straight through, or will they just insist on trying to get me to SIN in time for the other flights?
#558
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Star Alliance Silver
Posts: 232
I want my cash back and not a "Future Voucher"
Hi all
Given BA have cancelled a lot of flights with this awful Covid-19 virus, many of my bookings have been cancelled.
If you follow the MMB workflow, you end up with a form to claim back a Future Travel Voucher,.
Given BA is hardly a going concern at the moment, I would actually like my cash back. How can I do this without going through the overloaded call centres?
Any advice most welcome!
Thank you and be safe!!
Given BA have cancelled a lot of flights with this awful Covid-19 virus, many of my bookings have been cancelled.
If you follow the MMB workflow, you end up with a form to claim back a Future Travel Voucher,.
Given BA is hardly a going concern at the moment, I would actually like my cash back. How can I do this without going through the overloaded call centres?
Any advice most welcome!
Thank you and be safe!!
Last edited by Oxon Flyer; Mar 19, 2020 at 3:29 am Reason: Terminology updated
#559
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,092
It's a repeated question - for a refund you will currently need to call.
If the matter is not urgent, obviously please wait to reduce load on call centres. If it is urgent, you will simply need to keep trying (With that said, the Gold line picked up within 15 mins for me a few days ago)
If the matter is not urgent, obviously please wait to reduce load on call centres. If it is urgent, you will simply need to keep trying (With that said, the Gold line picked up within 15 mins for me a few days ago)
#560
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Oxford
Programs: BA Silver, HH Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 169
I'm booked on BA274 LAS-LHR on the 26th March. This morning, the Flight Status page shows it as cancelled but MMB is still showing it as going. Does anyone have an idea of how long it takes to filter through?
My outbound is tomorrow to LAX but that is still flying and I want a cash refund - also a bit more complicated, it's booked through Iberia - would that update when BA MMB updates so i can call for a refund?
My outbound is tomorrow to LAX but that is still flying and I want a cash refund - also a bit more complicated, it's booked through Iberia - would that update when BA MMB updates so i can call for a refund?
#561
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Peterborough, UK
Programs: BA Silver; IHG Spire; Avis P+; Global Entry
Posts: 1,505
check HfP for the workaround
#562
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 138
HFP reports a workaround to get a cash refund on a cancelled fight.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/0...google-chrome/
Once you are on the consent page, fill in the fields but do not click to continue, disable javascript, click to continue, you'll be offered the refund.
Then you can re-enable javascript and continue.
I just used this to get a refund on our TLV flights that have just been cancelled by BA, it worked perfectly, I have already received the confirmation email.
Edit: btw you do not need Chrome to do this, as long as you can disable javascript it should work, I used waterfox as I have that browser set up to easily enable/disable scripting.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/0...google-chrome/
Once you are on the consent page, fill in the fields but do not click to continue, disable javascript, click to continue, you'll be offered the refund.
Then you can re-enable javascript and continue.
I just used this to get a refund on our TLV flights that have just been cancelled by BA, it worked perfectly, I have already received the confirmation email.
Edit: btw you do not need Chrome to do this, as long as you can disable javascript it should work, I used waterfox as I have that browser set up to easily enable/disable scripting.
#563
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,992
HFP reports a workaround to get a cash refund on a cancelled fight.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/0...google-chrome/
Once you are on the consent page, fill in the fields but do not click to continue, disable javascript, click to continue, you'll be offered the refund.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/0...google-chrome/
Once you are on the consent page, fill in the fields but do not click to continue, disable javascript, click to continue, you'll be offered the refund.
#564
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; Accor Plat; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meliá & HH & Marriott Gold
Posts: 5,450
The same applies to a (non-Avios) booking I've been looking at -- a flight has been cancelled and all options at the bottom right of the MMB page are greyed out. The only online route to cancellation is the red button nearer the top of the page, which takes you to the voucher request page.
#565
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: BAEC GOLD, Star Alliance, HH Gold
Posts: 75
Apologies if this question has already been asked and I've missed the answer.
Trying to change our Helsink flights on line from this weekend to a later date in September. Message appears saying date selected is more than 365 days from when booking was made.
Is this an error or feature. Booking was made last July so does that mean we cant rebook after July.
Trying to change our Helsink flights on line from this weekend to a later date in September. Message appears saying date selected is more than 365 days from when booking was made.
Is this an error or feature. Booking was made last July so does that mean we cant rebook after July.
#566
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Based out of MAN; LON/NYC regular
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum Amb, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 214
That's normal for the fare rules. You can work around it by requesting a voucher which will be valid up to 365 days from the date of the outbound flight, and then use that voucher to rebook.
#568
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 156
cancelled flight- rebooking issues
My flight to LCY from PMI has been cancelled. Trying to rebook for later in the year. On searching flights it shows loads of availabilty byt going through the rebooking on line there are very few flights it allows me to choose. Does anyone know why this might be? Is it to do witth needing to be in same fare bucket?
#569
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
New system implanted for CALL centres. The request to call only if travelling in 72 hours is now basically a policy anyone calling and getting through not travelling in 72 hours will not be dealt with and asked to call back.
the phone message is being updated to say this to save people hanging on
the phone message is being updated to say this to save people hanging on
#570
Join Date: May 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 830
New system implanted for CALL centres. The request to call only if travelling in 72 hours is now basically a policy anyone calling and getting through not travelling in 72 hours will not be dealt with and asked to call back.
the phone message is being updated to say this to save people hanging on
the phone message is being updated to say this to save people hanging on
Good luck out there and thanks for all your continuous input.