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

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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*

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Old Apr 8, 2020, 2:49 am
  #1411  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Originally Posted by flashware
Any idea why the message when you call in is still saying if no travel within 72 hours please drop off the line?

In any case, as someone who had issues calling last week and successfully used the Skype option to call in - both my mobile (Three) and Skype are now dropping after the pre-recorded message, calling both the standard number as well as the gold line, so I can't get through at all.

It looks like lots of May cancellations have been processed too as have received 6 cancellation e-mails regarding various bookings.
Originally Posted by Hawk777
just tell them that policy ended last week and if they aren't aware of it to speak to a duty manager to confirm it for them
Originally Posted by simon stingray
I had the same thing all yesterday-kept getting the "cannot take your call right now, please try later".

Called this morning at 07.45 (I believe they open at 07.30) and was put in the queue and I got to speak to someone after 15 mins.
Good to see the message on 0800 727800 has been updated to remove the 72 hour message. Gold line still has it though.

Tried calling both this morning and it just hangs up when it gets to the queue. Ah......... such fun. Difficult to ask for a refund if you can't even get through. I am Gold so can use the Gold line, Skype not working again today just rings out.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 2:53 am
  #1412  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
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I'm sure you've spotted the pattern: mornings are the most busy, afternoons less so, until perhaps the USA comes on stream later on. There was also a wadge of cancellations put through the system in the last few days. On the other hand there are cases upthread of people getting through, with or without a Gold card, so with patience and a Redial button you should get through in the end.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 2:54 am
  #1413  
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Join Date: Mar 2010
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Just had our JER-LGW-MLA cancelled, as expected. Currently still live in MMB, but that will change soon, I'm sure.
Explored the Javascript workaround, which indeed gave me a Refund form ... but only for T&F (£120.84) and not the £674.84 paid (+70,200 Avios). I'll look again when MMB shows the cancellation.
Resigned to waiting until T-72 to telephone.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 2:55 am
  #1414  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
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Originally Posted by T8191
Consigned to waiting until T-72 to telephone.
It's good if you can be patient due to the recent set of cancellations, but the 72 hour rule was removed last week.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 2:59 am
  #1415  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I'm sure you've spotted the pattern: mornings are the most busy, afternoons less so, until perhaps the USA comes on stream later on. There was also a wadge of cancellations put through the system in the last few days. On the other hand there are cases upthread of people getting through, with or without a Gold card, so with patience and a Redial button you should get through in the end.
It's ridiculous you even have to call in, they should just enable the ability to process a cancellation refund online. Just adding extra stress/annoyance for the sake of it. I'm on hold now, but it took having to go visit my neighbour (socially distanced) and borrow his phone, sanitise it and then dial in, which is on a 3rd network (O2) which does seem to not drop the call. I'm on hold now, so that's progress ......
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:04 am
  #1416  
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Originally Posted by flashware
It's ridiculous you even have to call in, they should just enable the ability to process a cancellation refund online. Just adding extra stress/annoyance for the sake of it. I'm on hold now, but it took having to go visit my neighbour (socially distanced) and borrow his phone, sanitise it and then dial in, which is on a 3rd network (O2) which does seem to not drop the call. I'm on hold now, so that's progress ......
There are multiple reports - including my own experience - of Skype working on the 0800 number.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:07 am
  #1417  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
There are multiple reports - including my own experience - of Skype working on the 0800 number.
Yes, including my own if you recall. It just will not work today for me, however. I tried via my laptop, my phone, my wife's laptop, my wife's phone.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:16 am
  #1418  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Milton Keynes, UK
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Posts: 576
Originally Posted by flashware
Yes, including my own if you recall. It just will not work today for me, however. I tried via my laptop, my phone, my wife's laptop, my wife's phone.
All day it's been "we're unable to take your call now" and hangs up. I even got up early to try as soon as it opened :-(
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:18 am
  #1419  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
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Originally Posted by flashware
Yes, including my own if you recall. It just will not work today for me, however. I tried via my laptop, my phone, my wife's laptop, my wife's phone.
From what I can make out, if they are in the "we are too busy to take any more calls" mode - which they would be after yesterday's news - then Skype may well not connect, but will do so once the the queues accept calls. I have had both examples this morning - no connection and joining the queue.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:34 am
  #1420  
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Join Date: Mar 2002
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refund after cancelled flight?

I've been unable to get through by phone (xabout 15) over the last 24 hours for a flight scheduled for 10.55 and cancelled by BA. If I don't manage to get through before 10.55, can I still get the refund later? How much later?
thx
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:34 am
  #1421  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
From what I can make out, if they are in the "we are too busy to take any more calls" mode - which they would be after yesterday's news - then Skype may well not connect, but will do so once the the queues accept calls. I have had both examples this morning - no connection and joining the queue.
Got through on the Gold line (using a 3rd mobile network as mentioned) in 35 minutes. Refunds being processed but advised it will take up to 28 days, if not received then to reach out again. Wow, that's a bit of an increase but not unexpected. The chap I spoke to today was based in the Manchester office.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:37 am
  #1422  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Originally Posted by Stewie Mac
I've been unable to get through by phone (xabout 15) over the last 24 hours for a flight scheduled for 10.55 and cancelled by BA. If I don't manage to get through before 10.55, can I still get the refund later? How much later?
thx
You have 6 years, but best to deal with in the first year.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:39 am
  #1423  
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,821
Originally Posted by Stewie Mac
I've been unable to get through by phone (xabout 15) over the last 24 hours for a flight scheduled for 10.55 and cancelled by BA. If I don't manage to get through before 10.55, can I still get the refund later? How much later?
thx
If it is the first leg on your PNR, you have 6 years to claim it. It is best to do it in the first 6 months or so however, since it gets more difficult to find the information as time moves on. But if you kept your email e-ticket then there isn't a rush on.
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:45 am
  #1424  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 211
This may seem a stupid question,so I apologise in advance.
Have just received the cancellation e mail regarding two cash flights in May and the link to claim a refund(ie voucher)
If I do nothing,will I eventually get an automatic cash refund or do I actively have to do something to get the cash(ie phone up)
Thank you
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Old Apr 8, 2020, 3:50 am
  #1425  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 447
Just had some May flights to Dubrovnik cancelled. Tried to move them to September online, but no matter which dates I pick I just get "There is no availability for selected date. Please change your date."

Have BA now restricted online rebooking to the same fare class only? I was able to move all my April flights this way without any issues and don't think they all re-booked into the same classes.

I guess if I call they'll be able to put me into a different class too?
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