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-   -   BA won’t rebook into Qatar (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2028106-ba-won-t-rebook-into-qatar.html)

annihilation Nov 6, 2020 4:34 am

BA won’t rebook into Qatar
 
Hi all,

Been hit with a cancellation of our return flight from the Maldives. We haven’t been offered any alternatives and they are only offering a refund of what we paid which doesn’t help.

They are claiming their is a new policy that stops them booking into Qatar so we are stuck.

I think this is all rubbish and they have an obligation to get us home but why are they being so difficult?

Any advice?

alex67500 Nov 6, 2020 4:46 am

There are a few questions first: are you there already, or are you yet to fly out? Did you book through BA or a TA? Was it a packaged holiday or simple there and back booking?

cosmo74 Nov 6, 2020 4:47 am

Check the Impact of November lockdown thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...travel-26.html

Someone has managed to do just that from MLE, seems very much dependent on the agent you speak to.

KARFA Nov 6, 2020 4:47 am

And one more question if i may, is this a cash fare or reward booking?

annihilation Nov 6, 2020 5:00 am

Thanks for the replies.

We are already out here as this was direct as a reward booking.

Yes, you are right, different agents are saying different things.

GGL seems to count for nothing at this time too. They were pretty rude.

KARFA Nov 6, 2020 5:07 am

Ok thanks. Firstly BA do have an obligation to reroute you and get you home. They can't simply leave you there and provide no plan for your return flight - or at least of they do they are responsible for duty of care beyond when the flight should have happened and I imagine the cost of a hotel after a few days will soon eclipse any cost of rebooking you on another carrier. Are they expecting you to stay there until whenever the route resumes in December or 2021?

There is a policy to rebook on QR, but it does not cover rewards, and I think this may be why they said no. However, I think that's unreasonable if the result is they are not providing you with any options at all. Perhaps the approach is to point out my comments in the first paragraph?

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/I66oWf.png

DYKWIA Nov 6, 2020 5:09 am


Originally Posted by annihilation (Post 32799716)
Hi all,

Been hit with a cancellation of our return flight from the Maldives. We haven’t been offered any alternatives and they are only offering a refund of what we paid which doesn’t help.

They are claiming their is a new policy that stops them booking into Qatar so we are stuck.

I think this is all rubbish and they have an obligation to get us home but why are they being so difficult?

Any advice?

Do you need to get back? If not, just stay there at BA's expense until this bloody lockdown is over and they can get you home.

alex67500 Nov 6, 2020 5:11 am

In that case, BA have an obligation to get you home, end of. It might mean buying a ticket yourself and pursuing a refund after the fact but there's no getting out of it for BA.

sammyg901 Nov 6, 2020 5:11 am

I can't find the post now but someone posted that BA are planning "repatriation" flights where they can't reroute everybody and Male was mentioned, which would make sense considering how many full plane loads of people they've carried out there recently...

Might be worth waiting and seeing if you can be a bit flexible - especially as a direct option will avoid quarantine vs a flight via a hub. Sense will prevail eventually, no way they're just going to leave people in the Maldives or Seychelles for a month on the hook for duty of care!

EDIT: found it - HfP comments - https://www.headforpoints.com/2020/1...ge-2/#comments

annihilation Nov 6, 2020 5:16 am

Some excellent points here. Thank you very much. I have no reason to rush back and am happy to stick it to BA and hold out. They were even trying to wriggle around the duty of care, etc.

My in laws are with us and are a little more eager to get back.

I’ll give BA time to call me back but at the moment they are looking at quite the bill either way.

KARFA Nov 6, 2020 5:19 am

Thanks. I am sure you know, but just to emphasise duty of care applies regardless of how much advanced notice was given or the reason for the cancellation. Extraordinary circumstances is only relevant for compensation. When it comes to their obligations for rebooking and for duty of care these will apply and BA cannot get out of those.

Good luck!

Larad84 Nov 6, 2020 5:24 am

It was me from the other thread who had the exact same problem! First agent we spoke to was so rude and unhelpful, I quoted off their site and CAA website regarding their obligations to get us home, he got very flustered at me, put me on hold for ages and then came back to say they were having to review the policy with BA because at the moment we can’t go mle-doh! After getting off the phone and posting on here and researching and contacting some more people with more knowledge than me I was certain our rights were to be re routed with QR. Rang again, got through to a super helpful guy who without even much conversation knew what needed doing and booked us onto QR flights for the same day as cancelled booking and apologised and said newer staff don’t understand how to override codes etc to help so just say it can’t be done! Weather you are cash or Avios booking makes zero different to your rights as I’ve found out since. Ring back and demand to be put onto QR flight, your can quote off their own website if you look up cancellation rights/right to re routing and quote EC261/2004 which states BA are responsible to route you on another carrier or pay your hotel/food expenses until they get you home.
I’ve had really helpful advice over on the other November lockdown thread if you look there too! Good luck!

SteveF Nov 6, 2020 5:25 am


Originally Posted by annihilation (Post 32799775)
Some excellent points here. Thank you very much. I have no reason to rush back and am happy to stick it to BA and hold out. They were even trying to wriggle around the duty of care, etc.

My in laws are with us and are a little more eager to get back.

I’ll give BA time to call me back but at the moment they are looking at quite the bill either way.

We were stuck in the Maldives on a BA 241 during the Icelandic volcano event. They offered us the option of staying at our remote island resort (seaplane flight) and claiming a daily allowance, which was significantly less than the $1000 or so per day it would cost us to stay there, or moving to a resort island (power boat ride) closer to the airport and they would pay full board and laundry plus 50% of our bar bill. We were there for a week and the bar bill was substantial...

Confus Nov 6, 2020 5:51 am

When are you supposed to be flying back? If it’s not in the next day or two it might be worth being a bit patient. BA will know who’s there and will be formulating a plan to get them home. This will involve contacting other airlines to ask for help and planning repatriation flights when required, and I imagine they’ll have an update soon enough. They can’t be expected to have this ready immediately for every single route.

HarryHolden68 Nov 6, 2020 6:18 am


Originally Posted by SteveF (Post 32799787)
We were stuck in the Maldives on a BA 241 during the Icelandic volcano event. They offered us the option of staying at our remote island resort (seaplane flight) and claiming a daily allowance, which was significantly less than the $1000 or so per day it would cost us to stay there, or moving to a resort island (power boat ride) closer to the airport and they would pay full board and laundry plus 50% of our bar bill. We were there for a week and the bar bill was substantial...

Why do things like this never happen to me?
The best I've had is 2 nights in a snowbound Holiday Inn in Edinburgh during the snow of 2010.


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