Help understanding re-booking policy
May 22, 2020, 7:45 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, Emirates Skywards Silver
Posts: 170
By insisting that the rebooked travel dates be within the original one year ticket validity, BA runs the risk of losing customers. My situation is a case in point:
In September 2019, I booked 2 tickets Mauritius-LON-USA (4 flights per ticket) in CW for travel in June 2020. Ticket validity is Sept 2020.
BA has now cancelled all our 4 flights and offered us the option of either a refund or rebooking.
We would ideally postpone our trip by a year and hope to have the tickets rebooked for travel in May 2021.
Here comes the important point. If BA insists that we have necessarily to travel within the original ticket validity period i.e. by end Sept 2020, this is not possible for us due to the Covid risk likely to prevail in Sept 2020. Additionally, transcontinental flights may still stand cancelled in Sept 2020, which is beyond our control.
Also, if BA insists that any rebooking beyond the original ticket validity (end sept 2020) will attract a fare difference , then we will definitely not rebook on BA, since May 2021 prices on BA for the same itinerary have increased by USD 2,000 per person that is $4K extra for our two tickets.
And since I have found much cheaper prices on Turkish Airlines for May 2021 travel (at less than 50% BA prices) in the same cabin class, we will have no other option than to shift to Turkish. We have travelled several times on TK in the recent past and their product is very good - comfortable seats, hot meals cooked on the plane live in front of you before service, and TK lounge in Istanbul is better than most airport lounges we've been to.
In September 2019, I booked 2 tickets Mauritius-LON-USA (4 flights per ticket) in CW for travel in June 2020. Ticket validity is Sept 2020.
BA has now cancelled all our 4 flights and offered us the option of either a refund or rebooking.
We would ideally postpone our trip by a year and hope to have the tickets rebooked for travel in May 2021.
Here comes the important point. If BA insists that we have necessarily to travel within the original ticket validity period i.e. by end Sept 2020, this is not possible for us due to the Covid risk likely to prevail in Sept 2020. Additionally, transcontinental flights may still stand cancelled in Sept 2020, which is beyond our control.
Also, if BA insists that any rebooking beyond the original ticket validity (end sept 2020) will attract a fare difference , then we will definitely not rebook on BA, since May 2021 prices on BA for the same itinerary have increased by USD 2,000 per person that is $4K extra for our two tickets.
And since I have found much cheaper prices on Turkish Airlines for May 2021 travel (at less than 50% BA prices) in the same cabin class, we will have no other option than to shift to Turkish. We have travelled several times on TK in the recent past and their product is very good - comfortable seats, hot meals cooked on the plane live in front of you before service, and TK lounge in Istanbul is better than most airport lounges we've been to.
May 22, 2020, 9:25 am
#17
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,923
@lall I think BA are being a little naughty with you. Whilst their current policy is generous, it is inconsistent with Article 8(1)(c) of EU Regulation EC261.
Have a read of the information in the following link and perhaps raise this with BA: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32371752-post23.html
They have cancelled the flight, they have put a limit on the validity of the ticket. The Regulations give you the option of rerouting at a later date at your convenience.
Have a read of the information in the following link and perhaps raise this with BA: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32371752-post23.html
They have cancelled the flight, they have put a limit on the validity of the ticket. The Regulations give you the option of rerouting at a later date at your convenience.
May 22, 2020, 9:57 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, Emirates Skywards Silver
Posts: 170
@lall I think BA are being a little naughty with you. Whilst their current policy is generous, it is inconsistent with Article 8(1)(c) of EU Regulation EC261.
Have a read of the information in the following link and perhaps raise this with BA: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32371752-post23.html
They have cancelled the flight, they have put a limit on the validity of the ticket. The Regulations give you the option of rerouting at a later date at your convenience.
Have a read of the information in the following link and perhaps raise this with BA: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32371752-post23.html
They have cancelled the flight, they have put a limit on the validity of the ticket. The Regulations give you the option of rerouting at a later date at your convenience.
Tobias-UK
Thank you very much for your contribution.
For the benefit of all others who may be facing similar situation as me, I am reproducing below the relevant extract you have referred to, that is, Article 8(1)(c) of EU Regulation EC261 which reads as follows:
Right to reimbursement or re-routing
Where reference is made to this Article, passengers [[i]e.g. whose flights have been cancelled by an airline] shall be offered the choice between: (a) — reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger's original travel plan, together with, when relevant, — a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity; (b) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or (c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger's convenience, subject to availability of seats.
May 22, 2020, 12:55 pm
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
Tobias-UK
Thank you very much for your contribution.
For the benefit of all others who may be facing similar situation as me, I am reproducing below the relevant extract you have referred to, that is, Article 8(1)(c) of EU Regulation EC261 which reads as follows:
Right to reimbursement or re-routing
Where reference is made to this Article, passengers [[i]e.g. whose flights have been cancelled by an airline] shall be offered the choice between: (a) — reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger's original travel plan, together with, when relevant, — a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity; (b) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or (c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger's convenience, subject to availability of seats.
Thank you very much for your contribution.
For the benefit of all others who may be facing similar situation as me, I am reproducing below the relevant extract you have referred to, that is, Article 8(1)(c) of EU Regulation EC261 which reads as follows:
Right to reimbursement or re-routing
Where reference is made to this Article, passengers [[i]e.g. whose flights have been cancelled by an airline] shall be offered the choice between: (a) — reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger's original travel plan, together with, when relevant, — a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity; (b) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or (c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger's convenience, subject to availability of seats.
May 22, 2020, 1:38 pm
#20
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,923
BA’a policy is inconsistent with EC261, where a passenger is denied their statutory rights a complaint to Trading Standards and the CAA could be considered.
May 22, 2020, 1:45 pm
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
no it's been debated on here and I suppose in a way at BA as agents have to stick to ba conditions of carriage and guidelines at the time, until someone does challenge nothing will change