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 23, 2021, 6:46 am
#2222
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
The option to get a refund online was brought back a while back. That only works for involuntary cancellations, for voluntary ones you'd still need to call in.
I used it last week on a cancelled redemption, I got the Avios instantly and money back on the credit card in less than 2 days.
I used it last week on a cancelled redemption, I got the Avios instantly and money back on the credit card in less than 2 days.
My account is a Household Account with spouse being the member. I gather the system would auto-refund the Avios accordingly just as when it took the avios out from each account even only for myself being the only passenger and was booked when logged in my own account.
Last time when I had to call to cancel, it took the rep a while to do one account first, then another account. manually - it was an AA metal booked for my husband out from his own account logged in - the system still took proportional number of Avios out from both mine and his account. The phone rep did the refund one by one to each account, quite a process. But he was a great rep, very patient and very helpful, cheerful all the time versus some grumpy reps!
You can of course also rebook for a date up to 12 months from original flight date or if a BAEC member cancel for a refund in Avios at approx double the rate which can be excellent depending on your circumstances, whether you have a spare 241 etc and are willing to risk BAs continuing solvency.
Aug 23, 2021, 7:16 am
#2223
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Sussex, UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 489
Mine are for DXB too. I have ticket numbers so I'm not too worried at this point, but yes - confirmed booking in F on a flight that categorically* doesn't have an F cabin is very interesting.
YouFirst agent I spoke to suggested leaving it all as is, and not accepting or refusing anything online until closer to the time.
MMB, on a desktop, for my outbound is showing a single flight (BA107) with a confirmed booking in F.
MMB, on the app, for my outbound is showing two flights (both LHR-DXB);
One with the original booking in F on the BA105 but with no ticket number.
One in CW on the BA107 with a ticket number.
MMB on a desktop, for the inbound is showing two flights (both DXB-LHR) on the BA104 on two consecutive days;
One in F (confirmed) on the BA104, text is in red.
One in CW (confirmed) on the next day's BA104, text is in red.
MMB, on the app, for my outbound is showing three flights (all LHR-DXB);
One in CW on the BA104, no ticket number
One in F on the BA104, no ticket number but a seat allocation that is in CW.
One in CW on the next day's BA104, with a ticket number.
I don't fly very often, and am not familiar with how BA reticket these things but none of it seems to make sense to me.
*based on ba.com not selling tickets, and EF not showing a seat plan for F
YouFirst agent I spoke to suggested leaving it all as is, and not accepting or refusing anything online until closer to the time.
MMB, on a desktop, for my outbound is showing a single flight (BA107) with a confirmed booking in F.
MMB, on the app, for my outbound is showing two flights (both LHR-DXB);
One with the original booking in F on the BA105 but with no ticket number.
One in CW on the BA107 with a ticket number.
MMB on a desktop, for the inbound is showing two flights (both DXB-LHR) on the BA104 on two consecutive days;
One in F (confirmed) on the BA104, text is in red.
One in CW (confirmed) on the next day's BA104, text is in red.
MMB, on the app, for my outbound is showing three flights (all LHR-DXB);
One in CW on the BA104, no ticket number
One in F on the BA104, no ticket number but a seat allocation that is in CW.
One in CW on the next day's BA104, with a ticket number.
I don't fly very often, and am not familiar with how BA reticket these things but none of it seems to make sense to me.
*based on ba.com not selling tickets, and EF not showing a seat plan for F
A couple of days i had the redeposit / redemption of avios in my account (to give a refund for the downgrade), but the above is still showing in MMB.
Might call again to check. Annoying not being able to choose seats.
Aug 23, 2021, 7:57 am
#2224
Join Date: Aug 2021
Programs: BA, AA, UA, VS, DL, EI, Hilton, Marriot
Posts: 67
Exactly the same as me then. I called YouFirst and the agent was very confused but was sending it to be re-ticketed correctly.
A couple of days i had the redeposit / redemption of avios in my account (to give a refund for the downgrade), but the above is still showing in MMB.
Might call again to check. Annoying not being able to choose seats.
A couple of days i had the redeposit / redemption of avios in my account (to give a refund for the downgrade), but the above is still showing in MMB.
Might call again to check. Annoying not being able to choose seats.
Go to Finnair manage booking page and access your PNR on there. You can then email your ticket receipt although not the ticket history. Strange you have to go to another airline to find out what's happening on BA!
Aug 23, 2021, 8:43 am
#2225
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Sussex, UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 489
MMB via app and browser are different. All part of BA rubbish IT. You will not see the e-ticket number (which is arguably the most important piece of information) in a browser but will in the app for example. You will see the PNR history including all/most flights that have been cancelled/changed and e-tickets detached in the app but not the browser. Nowhere can I find a way to see e-ticket history showing revalidations, re-issues etc. You don't always get an e-ticket receipt after a revalidation or re-issue but may get a confirmation of changes email. Trying to view/print e-ticket receipt from browser may say Error can't print for this form of payment or similar. This can mean the itinerary isn't properly ticketed or a ticket was issued in exchange for another earlier ticket. If you can do seat selection it is a good indicator it's ticketed.
Go to Finnair manage booking page and access your PNR on there. You can then email your ticket receipt although not the ticket history. Strange you have to go to another airline to find out what's happening on BA!
Go to Finnair manage booking page and access your PNR on there. You can then email your ticket receipt although not the ticket history. Strange you have to go to another airline to find out what's happening on BA!
Aug 23, 2021, 8:48 am
#2226
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: Mucci Chevalier des Internautes Amables; BAEC
Posts: 971
It really goes back to not making changes immediately something happens. You will end up in a cycle of unnecessary work while you end up mothering the booking, flights are not filling up so it's usually best just to leave it until nearer departure time. And beware maybe bookings. A maybe booking is any flight that you are not 101% going to take.
Aug 23, 2021, 9:02 am
#2227
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,174
Any precedent on getting the destination of a flight impacted by a schedule change (of 3 hours) moved?
BA have cancelled my mid-morning flight to Crete, with no later services, leaving me rebooked onto a super early departure from LHR. I've asked if they could move me onto the Athens service which leaves at the original time - but are saying I'll have to stump up the fare difference. I realise the rebooking usually only applies for cancelled flights, but seems a bit off to not even consider a change in this instance, in particular when the change has only taken place a few weeks before travel.. so the cost of rebooking onto an alternative service has obviously risen..
BA have cancelled my mid-morning flight to Crete, with no later services, leaving me rebooked onto a super early departure from LHR. I've asked if they could move me onto the Athens service which leaves at the original time - but are saying I'll have to stump up the fare difference. I realise the rebooking usually only applies for cancelled flights, but seems a bit off to not even consider a change in this instance, in particular when the change has only taken place a few weeks before travel.. so the cost of rebooking onto an alternative service has obviously risen..
Aug 23, 2021, 9:05 am
#2228
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,964
Well you can keep trying, but change of gateway has never applied for time changes so I suspect you will keep being told no unfortunately.
Aug 23, 2021, 9:07 am
#2229
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,174
Indeed - fear that may be the case, I'm happy to pay them any additional tax (but do object to paying more fare to cover their change)..
Aug 23, 2021, 9:12 am
#2230
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: BAEC, VS Flying Club
Posts: 796
(Edited to add - bit confused here, as the post refers to both a cancellation and a schedule change)
Aug 23, 2021, 9:15 am
#2231
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,174
Wouldn’t the 300 mile rule apply here, given that londonba2014 says their original flight was cancelled?
(Edited to add - bit confused here, as the post refers to both a cancellation and a schedule change)
(Edited to add - bit confused here, as the post refers to both a cancellation and a schedule change)
Aug 23, 2021, 10:02 am
#2232
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,432
I have a booking at the end of November. BA has now cancelled the flights. I plan to reschedule for around the same time next year, using the policy that allows for rebooking up to 1 year on from the original travel dates. However, if I want to book near the one year mark, then I will need to wait until December to make this change.
Am I under any time pressure to make a change to a cancelled booking? In other words, will BA do anything to my cancelled booking (e.g. automatically issue a FTV) if I don't request anything by the time my flights were due to operate? Or will the booking just sit there in cancelled form until I request something?
Am I under any time pressure to make a change to a cancelled booking? In other words, will BA do anything to my cancelled booking (e.g. automatically issue a FTV) if I don't request anything by the time my flights were due to operate? Or will the booking just sit there in cancelled form until I request something?
Aug 23, 2021, 12:32 pm
#2233
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Programs: Bonvoy Gold, AA Plat, Volare Premier, VS Silver, National Emerald Elite, Hertz President Circle
Posts: 2,526
BA have responded to my request to refund the modestly priced, and very inconvenient, indirect one-way flight I had to purchase to replace their cancelled flight (no alternative provided by BA) to return to the UK stating they do not have to pay compensation since the cancellation happened over 14 days from the flight. I did not ask for compensation - instead, I asked for the refund for the alternative ticket I had to purchase following their cancellation. I believe a carrier is obliged to offer a re-reoute to the same destination if a pax wishes to do so even if the cancellation is over 14 days. Can anyone confirm this is the case?
Aug 23, 2021, 12:48 pm
#2234
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,964
BA have responded to my request to refund the modestly priced, and very inconvenient, indirect one-way flight I had to purchase to replace their cancelled flight (no alternative provided by BA) to return to the UK stating they do not have to pay compensation since the cancellation happened over 14 days from the flight. I did not ask for compensation - instead, I asked for the refund for the alternative ticket I had to purchase following their cancellation. I believe a carrier is obliged to offer a re-reoute to the same destination if a pax wishes to do so even if the cancellation is over 14 days. Can anyone confirm this is the case?
Refund and re-route entitlements are not limited to when the notification of cancellation was received.
Aug 23, 2021, 12:59 pm
#2235
Join Date: Aug 2021
Programs: BA, AA, UA, VS, DL, EI, Hilton, Marriot
Posts: 67
Any precedent on getting the destination of a flight impacted by a schedule change (of 3 hours) moved?
BA have cancelled my mid-morning flight to Crete, with no later services, leaving me rebooked onto a super early departure from LHR. I've asked if they could move me onto the Athens service which leaves at the original time - but are saying I'll have to stump up the fare difference. I realise the rebooking usually only applies for cancelled flights, but seems a bit off to not even consider a change in this instance, in particular when the change has only taken place a few weeks before travel.. so the cost of rebooking onto an alternative service has obviously risen..
BA have cancelled my mid-morning flight to Crete, with no later services, leaving me rebooked onto a super early departure from LHR. I've asked if they could move me onto the Athens service which leaves at the original time - but are saying I'll have to stump up the fare difference. I realise the rebooking usually only applies for cancelled flights, but seems a bit off to not even consider a change in this instance, in particular when the change has only taken place a few weeks before travel.. so the cost of rebooking onto an alternative service has obviously risen..
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...mer-guidelines
its a cancellation, not schedule change. You have options. Be persistent and HUACA if necessary. You should not have to pay more.