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
Jan 25, 2022, 1:29 pm
#3181
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
If you're happy with what you have and willing to take the refund I suggest you do nothing until after the flight and then apply for the refund (which you will get in full)....
Jan 25, 2022, 5:28 pm
#3182
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 138
If Reaccom rebooks you then the system - rightly or wrongly - sees that as a continuation of the prior arrangements. Clearly if it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck then you can argue your case in court. But it is the case even now that if BA moves your flight by 5 hours you don't necessarily get a refund, at least in BA's eyes. There is something in the conditions of carriage which gives the passenger the ability to argue it is significant, so it's not the end of the matter.
Jan 26, 2022, 3:04 am
#3184
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,968
out of interest what type was the original booking?
Jan 26, 2022, 5:37 am
#3185
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 48
Hi all
I know this gets asked loads of times, but there can’t be many people with the 50% avios tickets about.
I booked First to Nashville originally in Oct 20 for 23rd June 21, these were cancelled, then booked for 7th July indirect. These were cancelled and I rebooked to 27th April this year. The return is now booked for 2nd May. The return flight was cancelled but there are a few options to still get there on the 27th.
I now want to move the flights to June. I’ve been told by You First that it can’t be done because it’s past the year validity. But I was already moved to beyond the validity. Was that just a mistake or a favour for me?
I haven’t really got the appetite to go down the EU261 route, but would it be worth it in this case? Is there a step by step guide of what I should do if I do decide to do it. Would I be likely to win it in this case?
Thanks
Ben
I know this gets asked loads of times, but there can’t be many people with the 50% avios tickets about.
I booked First to Nashville originally in Oct 20 for 23rd June 21, these were cancelled, then booked for 7th July indirect. These were cancelled and I rebooked to 27th April this year. The return is now booked for 2nd May. The return flight was cancelled but there are a few options to still get there on the 27th.
I now want to move the flights to June. I’ve been told by You First that it can’t be done because it’s past the year validity. But I was already moved to beyond the validity. Was that just a mistake or a favour for me?
I haven’t really got the appetite to go down the EU261 route, but would it be worth it in this case? Is there a step by step guide of what I should do if I do decide to do it. Would I be likely to win it in this case?
Thanks
Ben
Jan 26, 2022, 8:02 am
#3186
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL, A3 Gold, M&M SEN, FlyingBlue Gold, AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Amb
Posts: 902
I’m getting pushback when rebooking under the “BA onto Lufthansa” policy, because one sector is “a codeshare” operated by Helvetic Airlines. Helvetic is a full subsidiary of Swiss and don’t operate flights under their own numbers and they are using LX primes (much like BA CityFlyer don’t operate under non-BA numbers). I’ve had Helvetic booked in the past and it’s never been explicitly excluded from the policy (unlike LH CityLine). Thoughts?
Jan 26, 2022, 8:45 am
#3187
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
The rebooking allowance within ticket validity comes from the cancellation, and ticket validity is to the October date, so I would assume a booking agent would allow that. Since you don't currently hold a valid booking then you are in scope for the Coronavirus guidelines. By all means ask the agent simply to reissue the tickets for December as the first line of approach, but it's outside the policy.
Interestingly, I'd called multiple times when only the original one return leg flight was cancelled, and each time the agent said only the return flights could be adjusted, and only plus/minus 14 days.
I'm pleased that my flights were moved from February to December. The only downside is that as that's past the end of the policy, any further changes requires a change fee as well as fare difference (previously, MMB allowed completely free changes as long as the original booking inventory was available). As December is a long way away, I hope BA extends the policy. I'm not intending any further changes, but you never know.
Jan 26, 2022, 10:03 am
#3188
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 635
Apologies in advance if there is another thread for holidays (BAH) bookings...
Does anyone know whether we can contact Avis directly to get a change to a car hire booked as part of BAH? As in could I call them and get them to add days/time to the hire and potentially pay the difference if its not too big, or can only BA change the reservation? Would that change feed through to the voucher on BA's MMB?
BA cancelled our flights on 16 December 2021 and we managed to get through to BA by 31 December and change to satisfactory flights, but the agent couldn't get the car hire to change to meet the new flight times. They said they would leave a message with the right department, but unsurprisingly 4 weeks later nothing has changed. I can't get through to BAH (calling BAH 0344* number just cuts off after selecting 1,2 for change to booking with car hire). We emailed the BAH email address but got an automated response that implied car bookings wouldn't be dealt with by email, only hotels. Not had a response after ~10 days. Twitter DM seems to be a bot that doesn't register a question being asked. If I call BA Silver line and select 1,2,2 (change a booking, with car hire, paid in cash) I seem to be in a hold for Sales. I don't want to hold for an hour to find they can't do anything. I would prefer the piece of mind that the booking is changed before we leave for the airport even if I have to pay for an extra day's car hire directly to Avis, although of course I would prefer BA to sort it out. So I thought I would call Avis directly. Any other ideas?
Does anyone know whether we can contact Avis directly to get a change to a car hire booked as part of BAH? As in could I call them and get them to add days/time to the hire and potentially pay the difference if its not too big, or can only BA change the reservation? Would that change feed through to the voucher on BA's MMB?
BA cancelled our flights on 16 December 2021 and we managed to get through to BA by 31 December and change to satisfactory flights, but the agent couldn't get the car hire to change to meet the new flight times. They said they would leave a message with the right department, but unsurprisingly 4 weeks later nothing has changed. I can't get through to BAH (calling BAH 0344* number just cuts off after selecting 1,2 for change to booking with car hire). We emailed the BAH email address but got an automated response that implied car bookings wouldn't be dealt with by email, only hotels. Not had a response after ~10 days. Twitter DM seems to be a bot that doesn't register a question being asked. If I call BA Silver line and select 1,2,2 (change a booking, with car hire, paid in cash) I seem to be in a hold for Sales. I don't want to hold for an hour to find they can't do anything. I would prefer the piece of mind that the booking is changed before we leave for the airport even if I have to pay for an extra day's car hire directly to Avis, although of course I would prefer BA to sort it out. So I thought I would call Avis directly. Any other ideas?
Jan 26, 2022, 12:53 pm
#3189
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: 63,821
I booked First to Nashville originally in Oct 20 for 23rd June 21, these were cancelled, then booked for 7th July indirect. These were cancelled and I rebooked to 27th April this year. The return is now booked for 2nd May. The return flight was cancelled but there are a few options to still get there on the 27th.
Ticket validity.
I know it's water under the bridge, and I've said this a few times over already, but just in case there is anyone else in this area. It really is best not to rebook trips unless you are near certain to travel on the new dates, since you remove one core argument: BA have to offer a rebooking on cancellation. Making "maybe" rebookings means that BA can say "ah yes, we have rebooked you, and now you have run out of validity", whereas if you had simply left it and BA had never offered the rebooking then they are clearly in breach of EC261. As it happens they are still in breach of EC261 for the more recent cancellation too, but I suspect you will now struggle to get BA internally to agree, short of getting an agent who just lets it slide. I personally think you would have an argument under CEDR or MCOL, more details in the main EC261 thread via the BA Forum Dashboard, my feeling is that MCOL would be a better bet. But it's not going to be an easy process, and BA have very little incentive to make it easy either.
Jan 26, 2022, 12:58 pm
#3190
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: 63,821
I’m getting pushback when rebooking under the “BA onto Lufthansa” policy, because one sector is “a codeshare” operated by Helvetic Airlines. Helvetic is a full subsidiary of Swiss and don’t operate flights under their own numbers and they are using LX primes (much like BA CityFlyer don’t operate under non-BA numbers). I’ve had Helvetic booked in the past and it’s never been explicitly excluded from the policy (unlike LH CityLine). Thoughts?
Jan 26, 2022, 1:01 pm
#3191
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: 63,821
Apologies in advance if there is another thread for holidays (BAH) bookings...
Does anyone know whether we can contact Avis directly to get a change to a car hire booked as part of BAH? As in could I call them and get them to add days/time to the hire and potentially pay the difference if its not too big, or can only BA change the reservation? Would that change feed through to the voucher on BA's MMB?
Does anyone know whether we can contact Avis directly to get a change to a car hire booked as part of BAH? As in could I call them and get them to add days/time to the hire and potentially pay the difference if its not too big, or can only BA change the reservation? Would that change feed through to the voucher on BA's MMB?
Jan 26, 2022, 3:16 pm
#3192
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 443
Jan 26, 2022, 3:33 pm
#3193
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,968
If it was this one https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn this is just to request a FTV which you already have.
If you have a offline FTV then you can still use it, but you need to call to make the new booking.
Jan 27, 2022, 1:31 pm
#3194
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 48
It's probably best I refer you to this thread which has a number of 50% Avios tales in it
Ticket validity.
I know it's water under the bridge, and I've said this a few times over already, but just in case there is anyone else in this area. It really is best not to rebook trips unless you are near certain to travel on the new dates, since you remove one core argument: BA have to offer a rebooking on cancellation. Making "maybe" rebookings means that BA can say "ah yes, we have rebooked you, and now you have run out of validity", whereas if you had simply left it and BA had never offered the rebooking then they are clearly in breach of EC261. As it happens they are still in breach of EC261 for the more recent cancellation too, but I suspect you will now struggle to get BA internally to agree, short of getting an agent who just lets it slide. I personally think you would have an argument under CEDR or MCOL, more details in the main EC261 thread via the BA Forum Dashboard, my feeling is that MCOL would be a better bet. But it's not going to be an easy process, and BA have very little incentive to make it easy either.
Ticket validity.
I know it's water under the bridge, and I've said this a few times over already, but just in case there is anyone else in this area. It really is best not to rebook trips unless you are near certain to travel on the new dates, since you remove one core argument: BA have to offer a rebooking on cancellation. Making "maybe" rebookings means that BA can say "ah yes, we have rebooked you, and now you have run out of validity", whereas if you had simply left it and BA had never offered the rebooking then they are clearly in breach of EC261. As it happens they are still in breach of EC261 for the more recent cancellation too, but I suspect you will now struggle to get BA internally to agree, short of getting an agent who just lets it slide. I personally think you would have an argument under CEDR or MCOL, more details in the main EC261 thread via the BA Forum Dashboard, my feeling is that MCOL would be a better bet. But it's not going to be an easy process, and BA have very little incentive to make it easy either.
Not sure if this would be worth arguing with BA, but the flights they are happy to book me on, on my original dates, are double the price of the new date I would like to travel! Is that worth mentioning?
Jan 27, 2022, 2:05 pm
#3195
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: 63,821
Not sure if this would be worth arguing with BA, but the flights they are happy to book me on, on my original dates, are double the price of the new date I would like to travel! Is that worth mentioning?