Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
01 - 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 2023 (now extended from April 2022 including existing FTVs), 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. If you us,ed an FTV to pay for this now cancelled service then you can have a refund back to the FTV's original booking.
Online forms: manual process which may take many weeks
link to webform to claim a refund (UK) or link to webform to claim a refund (US)
Paid Seating Refund:
link to webform to claim a refund (UK)
02 - If your flight is not cancelled but you no longer wish to travel
Commercial booking: If you are eligible for Buy with Confidence, you can have an FTV valid until 31 August 2022 (this has been extended several times). Rebooking may lead to a fare recalculation but no change fee. Travel must be fully completed by this date.
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 30 April 2022, 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: https://ba.com/confidence
Bookings made using Lloyds Upgrade Voucher
You should expect to receive:
A full refund of Avios and money paid plus 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
03 - How to find out the status of your voucher and the amount it contains
Use the Qantas website and look back to your original PNR. Step by step guide by corporate-wage-slave
04 - Future Travel Vouchers versus eVouchers
FTVs cannot be used online (and are not really vouchers), whereas eVouchers, issued for simple bookings, can be used online.
BA are now issuing eVouchers directly in simple cases, and also proactively replacing existing FTVs with new eVouchers. These are usable online. Complex cases still get FTVs, which require a phone call to book. In both cases, you need to apply online through the Cancellation Options in MMB, and both will generate an email typically within a few minutes. This is how to tell the difference
1) eVouchers will get an email entitled "Your British Airways eVoucher"
This will then have a line like this and the online ability is mentioned in the email text:
Your eVoucher details
125-1234567890 / GBP48.87 / WAGE-SLAVE /
2) FTVs will get an email entitled "Your British Airways Future Travel Voucher"
The relevant line then shows:
Voucher code(s)
125-1234567890
It doesn't take much, by FT standards, to turn a booking too complicated for the automated eVoucher. POUGs, flight changes, TCP, seat payment, pay payment with Avios, UuA. 48 and 72 hour Hold bookings all stop it. But if you made a simple single or return booking, point to point, on BA.com and didn't change it, then you should get an eVoucher.
If you obtain an FTV, deploy it on a new booking which BA then cancels, then you can get a refund of the cash from the first booking that led to the FTV. Or an Avios refund without redeposit fees if it was a redemption.
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 2023 (now extended from April 2022 including existing FTVs), 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. If you us,ed an FTV to pay for this now cancelled service then you can have a refund back to the FTV's original booking.
Online forms: manual process which may take many weeks
link to webform to claim a refund (UK) or link to webform to claim a refund (US)
Paid Seating Refund:
link to webform to claim a refund (UK)
02 - If your flight is not cancelled but you no longer wish to travel
Commercial booking: If you are eligible for Buy with Confidence, you can have an FTV valid until 31 August 2022 (this has been extended several times). Rebooking may lead to a fare recalculation but no change fee. Travel must be fully completed by this date.
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 30 April 2022, 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: https://ba.com/confidence
Bookings made using Lloyds Upgrade Voucher
You should expect to receive:
A full refund of Avios and money paid plus 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.
03 - How to find out the status of your voucher and the amount it contains
Use the Qantas website and look back to your original PNR. Step by step guide by corporate-wage-slave
04 - Future Travel Vouchers versus eVouchers
FTVs cannot be used online (and are not really vouchers), whereas eVouchers, issued for simple bookings, can be used online.
BA are now issuing eVouchers directly in simple cases, and also proactively replacing existing FTVs with new eVouchers. These are usable online. Complex cases still get FTVs, which require a phone call to book. In both cases, you need to apply online through the Cancellation Options in MMB, and both will generate an email typically within a few minutes. This is how to tell the difference
1) eVouchers will get an email entitled "Your British Airways eVoucher"
This will then have a line like this and the online ability is mentioned in the email text:
Your eVoucher details
125-1234567890 / GBP48.87 / WAGE-SLAVE /
2) FTVs will get an email entitled "Your British Airways Future Travel Voucher"
The relevant line then shows:
Voucher code(s)
125-1234567890
It doesn't take much, by FT standards, to turn a booking too complicated for the automated eVoucher. POUGs, flight changes, TCP, seat payment, pay payment with Avios, UuA. 48 and 72 hour Hold bookings all stop it. But if you made a simple single or return booking, point to point, on BA.com and didn't change it, then you should get an eVoucher.
If you obtain an FTV, deploy it on a new booking which BA then cancels, then you can get a refund of the cash from the first booking that led to the FTV. Or an Avios refund without redeposit fees if it was a redemption.
BA Covid-19 Flight cancellations, rebooking, and refunds | Help and advice thread
#2116
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: LON, between FAB and EGTD
Programs: OWS - AA Lifetime Platinum, BA nobody (blue)
Posts: 867
Some more details here British Airways offering Avios as a refund option ?
I don't think it was ever offered online and was only available when you called? I think you have to call to take this option - but worth considering if it is good value anyway.
I don't think it was ever offered online and was only available when you called? I think you have to call to take this option - but worth considering if it is good value anyway.
Last time I found it good value, much cheaper than buying avios. It was about £8/1000 avios, about what I value the miles for W to J UUAs.
#2118
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,197
Not happy.
#2119
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Washington,DC
Posts: 1,822
I'm Flying one way J from LHR to AUS using Avios
BA Cancelled my flight
I still want to travel LHR-XXX-AUS on the same day
I read BA will rebook if J is open, but what happens about the AA flight as it would have to be LHR - DFW - AUS.
Does the AA flight have to have saver award availability?
BA Cancelled my flight
I still want to travel LHR-XXX-AUS on the same day
I read BA will rebook if J is open, but what happens about the AA flight as it would have to be LHR - DFW - AUS.
Does the AA flight have to have saver award availability?
#2120
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: aal
Programs: Finnair plat
Posts: 110
Aircraft change - no seat left in F
I have a flight in october to SFO which have been switch from 777 with 14 seats in F to 777 with 8 seats
No seat left for me
My question is: can I use the new ticket validity to change the dates of the flight to summer 2022?
It has already been move from july to october!
The same date (8. july) that the new validity was taken place - unknown to me or the staff I spoked to - tried to move the flight to april 2022
Ticket from january 2021
I have a flight in october to SFO which have been switch from 777 with 14 seats in F to 777 with 8 seats
No seat left for me
My question is: can I use the new ticket validity to change the dates of the flight to summer 2022?
It has already been move from july to october!
The same date (8. july) that the new validity was taken place - unknown to me or the staff I spoked to - tried to move the flight to april 2022
Ticket from january 2021
#2121
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 14
Hi Community, any help/advise appreciated.
BA have cancelled our Denver flights. 241, originally in F but downgrade to J . Out bound is domestic to LHR, LHR- DEN on 6/7 Sept and inbound ORD-LHR, LHR-domestc for 27/28 Sept.. Phoned up the You First line ( very quickly answered).
I would like the trip re booked for Sept 2022 and a return from Denver instead of Chicago. Agent adamant its a refund or FTV with avios availability and must be in system range of T-355. So I either take a FTV and have to faff around for avios availability for next sept when seats released, or book to go in out in July / and back in August which is currently available. I am thinking this is rubbish! I thought BA's new policy ( 8 July)allowed us to to fly o/b by 6 sept 2022 and return by 27 Sept 2023. Or have I got this totally wrong!
Also the 241 'runs out' later this year, so tells me the voucher is invalid for use next year, but is happy to book us for july/August.
How come I read about folk who can delay their trip for a whole calendar year and BA can 'book' more than a year ahead?
Thoughts anyone?
BA have cancelled our Denver flights. 241, originally in F but downgrade to J . Out bound is domestic to LHR, LHR- DEN on 6/7 Sept and inbound ORD-LHR, LHR-domestc for 27/28 Sept.. Phoned up the You First line ( very quickly answered).
I would like the trip re booked for Sept 2022 and a return from Denver instead of Chicago. Agent adamant its a refund or FTV with avios availability and must be in system range of T-355. So I either take a FTV and have to faff around for avios availability for next sept when seats released, or book to go in out in July / and back in August which is currently available. I am thinking this is rubbish! I thought BA's new policy ( 8 July)allowed us to to fly o/b by 6 sept 2022 and return by 27 Sept 2023. Or have I got this totally wrong!
Also the 241 'runs out' later this year, so tells me the voucher is invalid for use next year, but is happy to book us for july/August.
How come I read about folk who can delay their trip for a whole calendar year and BA can 'book' more than a year ahead?
Thoughts anyone?
#2122
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: 63,830
BA can rebook on to an AA service, regardless of redemption availability, for Avios bookings, so long as you stick close to the original dates of travel. The agent may try to persuade you to stick with a BA in the first instance, but due to heavy code-sharing between AA and BA there shouldn't be a problem here.
#2123
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: 63,830
You can only move to a new flight if your service is cancelled, a downgrade doesn't count. But if you wish you can wait until someone cancels since October is quite some way off. If the flight isn't cancelled then it's probably an FTV for you (though I'm guessing it was an Avios redemption).
#2124
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: 63,830
Hi Community, any help/advise appreciated.
BA have cancelled our Denver flights. 241, originally in F but downgrade to J . Out bound is domestic to LHR, LHR- DEN on 6/7 Sept and inbound ORD-LHR, LHR-domestc for 27/28 Sept.. Phoned up the You First line ( very quickly answered).
I would like the trip re booked for Sept 2022 and a return from Denver instead of Chicago. Agent adamant its a refund or FTV with avios availability and must be in system range of T-355. So I either take a FTV and have to faff around for avios availability for next sept when seats released, or book to go in out in July / and back in August which is currently available. I am thinking this is rubbish! I thought BA's new policy ( 8 July)allowed us to to fly o/b by 6 sept 2022 and return by 27 Sept 2023. Or have I got this totally wrong!
BA have cancelled our Denver flights. 241, originally in F but downgrade to J . Out bound is domestic to LHR, LHR- DEN on 6/7 Sept and inbound ORD-LHR, LHR-domestc for 27/28 Sept.. Phoned up the You First line ( very quickly answered).
I would like the trip re booked for Sept 2022 and a return from Denver instead of Chicago. Agent adamant its a refund or FTV with avios availability and must be in system range of T-355. So I either take a FTV and have to faff around for avios availability for next sept when seats released, or book to go in out in July / and back in August which is currently available. I am thinking this is rubbish! I thought BA's new policy ( 8 July)allowed us to to fly o/b by 6 sept 2022 and return by 27 Sept 2023. Or have I got this totally wrong!
#2126
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 14
I've read your post several times but I'm struggling to understand it. Is the flight itself cancelled? Or is the First cabin removed from the service? And when do you actually want to fly? If it's 6 / 7 September, can you go via another route to DEN? Eg via JFK or BOS?
Hope this clarifies
#2127
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: 63,830
not bothered about F. The Denver flight is cancelled by BA. I still want to go to Denver ,but in Sept 2022. Original return was from ORD , but I now wish to return from Denver in Sept 2022 keeping dates I would have used for this year ( 6 Sept - 28 Sept).
Hope this clarifies
Hope this clarifies
#2128
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 14
If the flight itself is cancelled then you can rebook for 1 year from that flight's date. You new departure date has to be on or before 6 September 2022, and your last flight completed by 5 September 2023. I don't believe the policy allows you to change ORD for DEN, so your best bet would be to go for ORD if you just wanted a clean move, and then look later as to what to do about that.
#2129
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: aal
Programs: Finnair plat
Posts: 110
You can only move to a new flight if your service is cancelled, a downgrade doesn't count. But if you wish you can wait until someone cancels since October is quite some way off. If the flight isn't cancelled then it's probably an FTV for you (though I'm guessing it was an Avios redemption).
#2130
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 13
I have an open jaw trip planned for 17-28 September LHR-DEN AUS-LHR in CW using an AmEx companion voucher. The AUS-LHR leg has already been cancelled and I am just waiting for LHR-DEN to follow.
I need to be in Denver on 18 September, so would prefer to rebook with a layover for that leg. I need to get home again in late September, but AUS is not necessary, could be IAH or even a completely different city like ORD or JFK.
MMB is currently giving me no option for the AUS flight other than cancellation.
My question is whether I should bother to phone up and be on hold now when I know that it's extremely likely that I will have to do it again when the outbound leg is cancelled or just hold my nerve.
I need to be in Denver on 18 September, so would prefer to rebook with a layover for that leg. I need to get home again in late September, but AUS is not necessary, could be IAH or even a completely different city like ORD or JFK.
MMB is currently giving me no option for the AUS flight other than cancellation.
My question is whether I should bother to phone up and be on hold now when I know that it's extremely likely that I will have to do it again when the outbound leg is cancelled or just hold my nerve.