Jan 1, 2021, 8:29 am
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
Aug 15, 2021, 7:13 am
#2131
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
When you are about 2 weeks from departure it's unlikely BA will make any further changes. I would call at that point. Flights are not full and won't be full unless travel restrictions ease. And if that did happen then flights could get re-instated. Constantly mothering flights a long way off makes no sense at all.
Aug 15, 2021, 8:53 am
#2132
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 33
Further to my post a few days ago, my LHR-ZRH flight booked with avios was cancelled and I was rerouted on IB LHR-MAD-ZRH by an agent on live chat. I was sent an email confirmation with an e-ticket number. Was able to select seats on the Iberia app.
2 days ago the booking was showing on Iberia.com and BA.com as cancelled on both sectors. Called BA and was told IB flights were not cancelled and she just needed to do something to fix the booking. All seemed fine, I lost my seat assignments but was able to select them again on the IB app.
Today, same thing happened again. I used live chat and was told "The flight was cancelled, as the membership was not added on the booking" and then "The flight was reserved, but the Iberia was unable to validate the membership number. I have reserved the flights and added the membership as well. "
Now the booking is showing again on IB app as ok and I've selected seats again. On the BA app and checkmytrip, there is no e-ticket number.
Has anyone experienced this before and am I likely to have problems at checkin. I don't want to have to call BA yet again if I should be ok.
2 days ago the booking was showing on Iberia.com and BA.com as cancelled on both sectors. Called BA and was told IB flights were not cancelled and she just needed to do something to fix the booking. All seemed fine, I lost my seat assignments but was able to select them again on the IB app.
Today, same thing happened again. I used live chat and was told "The flight was cancelled, as the membership was not added on the booking" and then "The flight was reserved, but the Iberia was unable to validate the membership number. I have reserved the flights and added the membership as well. "
Now the booking is showing again on IB app as ok and I've selected seats again. On the BA app and checkmytrip, there is no e-ticket number.
Has anyone experienced this before and am I likely to have problems at checkin. I don't want to have to call BA yet again if I should be ok.
Aug 15, 2021, 11:09 am
#2133
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Programs: Bonvoy Gold, AA Plat, Volare Premier, VS Silver, National Emerald Elite, Hertz President Circle
Posts: 2,526
Need some advice here. BA has cancelled a on business flight for me. They offered no alternative. I tried ringing them but could not get through.
I ended up buying an alternative flight. The costs are modest.
1. I would like to pursue BA or the insurance for the incurred costs. I'd start with BA.
Do they have a page for this or is it just via customer services?
2. What should I do with the BA booking now cancelled? I have not refunded it yet believing it may invalidate any possible claim.
Any advice on this?
Thank you.
I ended up buying an alternative flight. The costs are modest.
1. I would like to pursue BA or the insurance for the incurred costs. I'd start with BA.
Do they have a page for this or is it just via customer services?
2. What should I do with the BA booking now cancelled? I have not refunded it yet believing it may invalidate any possible claim.
Any advice on this?
Thank you.
Aug 15, 2021, 11:14 am
#2134
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,977
I don't see you have any options other than the normal ones for rebook or refund of your existing BA itinerary. I appreciate they didn't offer you an alternative online, but I think you should have spoken to BA on the phone. Had they refused to rebook you may have some claim to recover the cost of your new booking as they failed to meet their obligations under EC261, but as you went ahead and booked anyway I don't see you can argue that.
Your insurance may be another option if this is covered by your policy.
If you have now booked separately to cover the travel I would have thought that a refund is the obvious option. What would you leave the booking untouched for?
Your insurance may be another option if this is covered by your policy.
If you have now booked separately to cover the travel I would have thought that a refund is the obvious option. What would you leave the booking untouched for?
Aug 15, 2021, 4:19 pm
#2135
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
Now the booking is showing again on IB app as ok and I've selected seats again. On the BA app and checkmytrip, there is no e-ticket number.
Has anyone experienced this before and am I likely to have problems at checkin. I don't want to have to call BA yet again if I should be ok.
Has anyone experienced this before and am I likely to have problems at checkin. I don't want to have to call BA yet again if I should be ok.
Aug 16, 2021, 3:14 am
#2136
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Programs: Aer Lingus AerClub Concierge, BA Silver
Posts: 409
Is there any 'quick' way to apply for a refund? BA Holidays have cancelled a flight and rebooked me to a flight that doesn't suit. I'd like a refund and MMB tells me to call for one, but of course when I call I get the automated 'we cannot answer your call goodbye' message. Very annoying!! Is there an online form or something to fill in that will trigger a refund?
Aug 16, 2021, 3:16 am
#2137
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,977
Is there any 'quick' way to apply for a refund? BA Holidays have cancelled a flight and rebooked me to a flight that doesn't suit. I'd like a refund and MMB tells me to call for one, but of course when I call I get the automated 'we cannot answer your call goodbye' message. Very annoying!! Is there an online form or something to fill in that will trigger a refund?
Aug 16, 2021, 3:30 am
#2138
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: London
Posts: 180
Hi. I’ve just had both outbound and return flights to Lisbon cancelled and there’s no change flight option on the app/website. I now need to call, which is a bit of a pain. Last week, when only my outbound flight was cancelled, I could do everything online (but was holding out to see what was going to happen to return flight). Is this a temporary blip (and change flight option will reappear) or is this normal state of play when both flights are cancelled? Many many thanks, Julian.
Aug 16, 2021, 3:36 am
#2139
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,977
Hi. I’ve just had both outbound and return flights to Lisbon cancelled and there’s no change flight option on the app/website. I now need to call, which is a bit of a pain. Last week, when only my outbound flight was cancelled, I could do everything online (but was holding out to see what was going to happen to return flight). Is this a temporary blip (and change flight option will reappear) or is this normal state of play when both flights are cancelled? Many many thanks, Julian.
Aug 16, 2021, 8:31 am
#2140
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Programs: Bonvoy Gold, AA Plat, Volare Premier, VS Silver, National Emerald Elite, Hertz President Circle
Posts: 2,526
I don't see you have any options other than the normal ones for rebook or refund of your existing BA itinerary. I appreciate they didn't offer you an alternative online, but I think you should have spoken to BA on the phone. Had they refused to rebook you may have some claim to recover the cost of your new booking as they failed to meet their obligations under EC261, but as you went ahead and booked anyway I don't see you can argue that.
Your insurance may be another option if this is covered by your policy.
If you have now booked separately to cover the travel I would have thought that a refund is the obvious option. What would you leave the booking untouched for?
Your insurance may be another option if this is covered by your policy.
If you have now booked separately to cover the travel I would have thought that a refund is the obvious option. What would you leave the booking untouched for?
My travel insurance might cover it and it's a small sum anyway, but on a point of principle, I would be interested in a small claims court on this and hearing them claim that they actually do comply with EU261 but do not provide the statutory options in the email notice, make no mention that rerouting with a different carrier is available if they are called, and anyway they do not answer the phone in a reasonable manner. I've flown BA for 30 odd years but this is new lows frankly (not that I am surprised one bit).
Aug 16, 2021, 10:30 am
#2141
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Herts, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH Diamond.
Posts: 3,178
just called to move a flight back to May next year , line just says they are busy and cuts off.
The outbound is still operating and due to depart next wednesday, Return flight has been cancelled.
Is there a good time of day that I shoudl callat
If i dont hear from (or get through) to BA before next wednesday will i go down as a no-show for the still operating 1st leg?
Thanks
The outbound is still operating and due to depart next wednesday, Return flight has been cancelled.
Is there a good time of day that I shoudl callat
If i dont hear from (or get through) to BA before next wednesday will i go down as a no-show for the still operating 1st leg?
Thanks
Aug 16, 2021, 10:55 am
#2142
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 13
I phoned to rebook this morning (11.45 am BST). I used the phone number in the email about the cancellation, which was different from any I saw on the website. I was only on hold for about 15 minutes and then it took the agent about 10 minutes of me being on the line while he sorted it out. Total call length was under 30 mins.
Aug 17, 2021, 4:41 am
#2143
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 182
Apologies if the answers are somewhere obvious but I ran a search and couldn't find them. I am hoping that I may be able to benefit from some increased flexibility due to the Covid policies BA has adopted but I couldn't find any applicable ones on their website. I have two separate cash bookings and both are codeshares operated by other OW airlines but on BA tickets. The flight times have been changed with the flight numbers remaining the same. The flights have not been cancelled.
Trip 1 - First leg originates in mainland Europe, the second flight departs from London and has been brought forward by three hours so it now departs before the first flight lands. Since they changed the rules increasing a significant change to four hours I don't know what my options are. I assume BA's solution will be to put me on the first flight that morning to London but because of where I would potentially have to travel from I would prefer to just start the journey in London. Is that currently within their rules? If that's not an option I'd prefer to travel on different dates entirely with the same itinerary. Again, are they likely to make this change? Alternatively, if I accepted the earlier departure, could I request a change of destination on the third leg of the journey (same country, different airport and within 100 miles) as there would be a far shorter connection time and it would leave the journey time roughly the same as the original itinerary? How likely are any of these options - am I stuck just having to start the day a lot earlier?
Trip 2 - On the return leg of the journey, the departing flight (2am departure) has been brought forward by 5 hours, and is now on the previous day. Is there scope to change the dates of the trip beyond 2 days either side?
Thanks
Bob
Trip 1 - First leg originates in mainland Europe, the second flight departs from London and has been brought forward by three hours so it now departs before the first flight lands. Since they changed the rules increasing a significant change to four hours I don't know what my options are. I assume BA's solution will be to put me on the first flight that morning to London but because of where I would potentially have to travel from I would prefer to just start the journey in London. Is that currently within their rules? If that's not an option I'd prefer to travel on different dates entirely with the same itinerary. Again, are they likely to make this change? Alternatively, if I accepted the earlier departure, could I request a change of destination on the third leg of the journey (same country, different airport and within 100 miles) as there would be a far shorter connection time and it would leave the journey time roughly the same as the original itinerary? How likely are any of these options - am I stuck just having to start the day a lot earlier?
Trip 2 - On the return leg of the journey, the departing flight (2am departure) has been brought forward by 5 hours, and is now on the previous day. Is there scope to change the dates of the trip beyond 2 days either side?
Thanks
Bob
Aug 17, 2021, 4:49 am
#2144
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,977
Trip 1 - First leg originates in mainland Europe, the second flight departs from London and has been brought forward by three hours so it now departs before the first flight lands. Since they changed the rules increasing a significant change to four hours I don't know what my options are. I assume BA's solution will be to put me on the first flight that morning to London but because of where I would potentially have to travel from I would prefer to just start the journey in London. Is that currently within their rules? If that's not an option I'd prefer to travel on different dates entirely with the same itinerary. Again, are they likely to make this change? Alternatively, if I accepted the earlier departure, could I request a change of destination on the third leg of the journey (same country, different airport and within 100 miles) as there would be a far shorter connection time and it would leave the journey time roughly the same as the original itinerary? How likely are any of these options - am I stuck just having to start the day a lot earlier?
If it is just a time change then your options are -2/+2 days only so I am not sure if this meets your request for different dates entirely.
I don't think BA will entertain changes to changes of destination on the third leg of a journey if there is no impact on that leg from any changes that have happened. If rebooking leg 1 and leg 2 make leg 3 impossible then there may be some scope to alter that too of course.
Trip 2 - On the return leg of the journey, the departing flight (2am departure) has been brought forward by 5 hours, and is now on the previous day. Is there scope to change the dates of the trip beyond 2 days either side?
Aug 17, 2021, 8:36 am
#2145
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.