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
#2761
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,657
My understanding is that this should now give you flexibility to change both outbound and return - within ticket validity. KARFA pointed me to a post much higher up where he had posted the rebooking policy. I have encountered a number of call centre versions of what I can do with both a simple shorthaul and a longer connecting itinerary like yours. None of them match the policy.
#2762
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 312
#2763
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 802
Hello all
Just checking a couple of things.
1. I have a flight only FTV that was changed to e-vouchers by BA. I am looking to make a booking with BA Holidays. Can I use two e-vouchers online or do I have to ring BAH to apply it?
2. I have a redemption 2-4-1 long haul flight coming up but we can't travel. So looking at getting an FTV and extend the validity of the voucher to September 2023 rather than Feb 2022 expiry. Is this still easy to do it online or do I have to ring BA since I have had FTV for flight only bookings very easily online?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Just checking a couple of things.
1. I have a flight only FTV that was changed to e-vouchers by BA. I am looking to make a booking with BA Holidays. Can I use two e-vouchers online or do I have to ring BAH to apply it?
2. I have a redemption 2-4-1 long haul flight coming up but we can't travel. So looking at getting an FTV and extend the validity of the voucher to September 2023 rather than Feb 2022 expiry. Is this still easy to do it online or do I have to ring BA since I have had FTV for flight only bookings very easily online?
Any help greatly appreciated.
1. Can't book online. Done relatively easily with a 45 minute phone call to BA.
2. Got an FTV for the booking online. Took 5 minutes to arrive by email. No mention of the amount of Avios or cash value of the"taxes". Will have to ring to book a redemption with it but at least it is extended till 2023!
#2764
Join Date: Nov 2021
Programs: BA Avios
Posts: 4
Query re rebooking with FTV...
Given you can only use the FTV by calling the call centre, it seems like it'll be pretty hard to get in-demand seats like Mauritius for which i think the reward seats tend to go very very quickly after release online. (and the call centre isn't open when the seats are released around midnight) Is this right?
Any tips to ways around this? Might I be able to book the reward flight online using more Avios and another Companion Voucher, and then call the call centre to then swap it over to use the FTV instead?
(sorry i suspect this has already been covered in this thread but I couldnt find it!)
Given you can only use the FTV by calling the call centre, it seems like it'll be pretty hard to get in-demand seats like Mauritius for which i think the reward seats tend to go very very quickly after release online. (and the call centre isn't open when the seats are released around midnight) Is this right?
Any tips to ways around this? Might I be able to book the reward flight online using more Avios and another Companion Voucher, and then call the call centre to then swap it over to use the FTV instead?
(sorry i suspect this has already been covered in this thread but I couldnt find it!)
#2765
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,891
I haven't seen any reports of being able to do this, and tbh I suspect it isn't possible.
There non-UK call centres open at midnight UK time so you should be able to speak to someone at the point the seats are released. More details of which ones in the 241 guide thread.
There non-UK call centres open at midnight UK time so you should be able to speak to someone at the point the seats are released. More details of which ones in the 241 guide thread.
#2766
Join Date: Nov 2021
Programs: BA Avios
Posts: 4
Thanks for the advice - I didnt realise the non-UK centres were back open, thanks! Makes it a lot easier I guess... (and presumably you're just as likely to grab the seats using the call centre as via online, assuming you manage to get the call operator to move quickly?!)
#2767
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: FB Silver, Hhonours Diamond
Posts: 51
Need some help please on (Economy) flight cancellations LHR-ISB that have come through over the past few days.
No rebooking is being offered. There are flights on other days +/-3 days but they all showing in Premium Economy, so BA are not allowing us to rebook into this class. The BA agents have searched for QR options (LHR-DOH-ISB) but BA say there is no availability.
There is Economy class availability showing on Virgin, for the same day and is the other direct airline flying LHR-ISB, but frustratingly BA will not rebook on to these flights. Are there any tips or advice on getting BA to rebook us on to the VS flight?
- BA261 LHR-ISB : 16 December 2021
- BA260 ISB-LHR : 02 January 2022
No rebooking is being offered. There are flights on other days +/-3 days but they all showing in Premium Economy, so BA are not allowing us to rebook into this class. The BA agents have searched for QR options (LHR-DOH-ISB) but BA say there is no availability.
There is Economy class availability showing on Virgin, for the same day and is the other direct airline flying LHR-ISB, but frustratingly BA will not rebook on to these flights. Are there any tips or advice on getting BA to rebook us on to the VS flight?
#2768
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: london
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 266
Quick question which I hoped had been answered elsewhere but couldn't find it.
I saw that any existing e vouchers were now being extended to April 2023.
Does this also apply to future vouchers and if so is it an automatic process or do you have to call up?
I saw that any existing e vouchers were now being extended to April 2023.
Does this also apply to future vouchers and if so is it an automatic process or do you have to call up?
#2769
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 802
Should be September 2023. My cash FTV from last year with expiry of April 2022 was automatically converted to an e-voucher by BA and when I rang to use it, the agent confirmed that the validity was till end of September 2023. I didn't have to do anything to extend it.
#2770
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 433
I have 2 vouchers (old type) with 1 of them expiring in June next year.
If I make a cheap booking and then get a FTV can I then combine with the second voucher for 4 passengers when I am ready to book for 2023 or do I need to use them both now and convert to a FTV?
Many Thanks
If I make a cheap booking and then get a FTV can I then combine with the second voucher for 4 passengers when I am ready to book for 2023 or do I need to use them both now and convert to a FTV?
Many Thanks
#2771
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,780
Need some help please on (Economy) flight cancellations LHR-ISB that have come through over the past few days.
No rebooking is being offered. There are flights on other days +/-3 days but they all showing in Premium Economy, so BA are not allowing us to rebook into this class. The BA agents have searched for QR options (LHR-DOH-ISB) but BA say there is no availability.
There is Economy class availability showing on Virgin, for the same day and is the other direct airline flying LHR-ISB, but frustratingly BA will not rebook on to these flights. Are there any tips or advice on getting BA to rebook us on to the VS flight?
- BA261 LHR-ISB : 16 December 2021
- BA260 ISB-LHR : 02 January 2022
No rebooking is being offered. There are flights on other days +/-3 days but they all showing in Premium Economy, so BA are not allowing us to rebook into this class. The BA agents have searched for QR options (LHR-DOH-ISB) but BA say there is no availability.
There is Economy class availability showing on Virgin, for the same day and is the other direct airline flying LHR-ISB, but frustratingly BA will not rebook on to these flights. Are there any tips or advice on getting BA to rebook us on to the VS flight?
#2772
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: london
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 266
Perfect, thank you.
#2774
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/Gold, Flying Blue Silver, All Accor Gold, Hilton Honours Diamond,
Posts: 526
Can I opt to delete one leg with a BA cancelled flight on a multi leg ticket instead of cancelling the whole ticket or accepting the offered rebooking?
Original booking in January 2022 EDI-LHR-DXB-LHR-EDI in business booked back whist the UAE was on the Red list so got a return fare of £1566 which at the time was circa £100 more the LHR-DXB-LHR.
The final LHR-EDI flight has been cancelled by BA and I have been auto rebooked onto the next operating flight but now with a 2hrs 55 connection in place of the original 1hr 30 minute connection.
At present I haven't accepted the change in MMB so preserved my options.
My final destination on return is just north of Berwick so a train journey was planned from Edinburgh to Berwick
In light of the time change I am now considering catching the train from Kings Cross to Berwick in place of the final flight leg with a quick catch up with friends in London on route. I will be travelling hand baggage only so checked through luggage isn't a problem and no heavy cases to carry across London
With the low cost fare I don't want to cancel the itinerary and rebook.
Would BA in light of the cancelled flight agree to amend the booking to delete the final leg? I'm not concerned about any fare refund but don't want to pay more as a result of re-ticketing.
Alternatively do I simply do nothing and just skip the final flight? Are there any potential consequences with skipping the final flight in terms of cost and/or Avios and Tier point earning for the ticket beyond loss of Avios and Tier points for the final flight leg?
Original booking in January 2022 EDI-LHR-DXB-LHR-EDI in business booked back whist the UAE was on the Red list so got a return fare of £1566 which at the time was circa £100 more the LHR-DXB-LHR.
The final LHR-EDI flight has been cancelled by BA and I have been auto rebooked onto the next operating flight but now with a 2hrs 55 connection in place of the original 1hr 30 minute connection.
At present I haven't accepted the change in MMB so preserved my options.
My final destination on return is just north of Berwick so a train journey was planned from Edinburgh to Berwick
In light of the time change I am now considering catching the train from Kings Cross to Berwick in place of the final flight leg with a quick catch up with friends in London on route. I will be travelling hand baggage only so checked through luggage isn't a problem and no heavy cases to carry across London
With the low cost fare I don't want to cancel the itinerary and rebook.
Would BA in light of the cancelled flight agree to amend the booking to delete the final leg? I'm not concerned about any fare refund but don't want to pay more as a result of re-ticketing.
Alternatively do I simply do nothing and just skip the final flight? Are there any potential consequences with skipping the final flight in terms of cost and/or Avios and Tier point earning for the ticket beyond loss of Avios and Tier points for the final flight leg?
#2775
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 79
Hi, we have a booking to syd in January via hkg ( BA & CX). Our outbound flight has been cancelled that for that day. They are suggesting we take the flight the following day. When making a dummy booking enquiry it shows the only option is with QR on our intended day of travel. Does anyone know if we would be able to change the outbound legs to QR due to the cancellation?