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
Mar 24, 2022, 4:18 pm
#3331
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: 63,760
Just found out my BA flight from LHR to LIS at around 1300 is cancelled.
I’ve been offered the 0730 flight, which is stupid early for me. Can I book an airport hotel and claim it back + taxi to the airport evening before?
I don’t know what the cause of the cancellation was. Do I have right to any compensation? It’s cancelled 72 hours out.
I’ve been offered the 0730 flight, which is stupid early for me. Can I book an airport hotel and claim it back + taxi to the airport evening before?
I don’t know what the cause of the cancellation was. Do I have right to any compensation? It’s cancelled 72 hours out.
Mar 24, 2022, 4:29 pm
#3332
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BOU
Posts: 110
There is a pattern emerging, which makes me strongly suspect they don't have enough staff to run the services as scheduled. If so, then that's EC261 territory, yes. That's just a guess on my part, but I suspect I will be proven correct. If you accept the earlier service I doubt you can claim additional Right to Care in this area unless you can prove there was no alternative. E.g. if you were starting from somewhere impractical or it's a short break. In which case leaving the next day may be chargeable under Right to Care, depending on the precise details.
Mar 24, 2022, 4:46 pm
#3333
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: near Heathrow
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL (OWE), SA LifePlat (*G), BD Gold to the end, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,910
My only question is the current surge in Covid infections. Our organisation is experiencing infection levels higher than some periods in the pandemic.
If BA are experiencing the same issue, and crew levels are down as a result, is that a valid defence for compensation from cancellations?
If BA are experiencing the same issue, and crew levels are down as a result, is that a valid defence for compensation from cancellations?
Mar 24, 2022, 4:56 pm
#3334
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: 63,760
My only question is the current surge in Covid infections. Our organisation is experiencing infection levels higher than some periods in the pandemic.
If BA are experiencing the same issue, and crew levels are down as a result, is that a valid defence for compensation from cancellations?
If BA are experiencing the same issue, and crew levels are down as a result, is that a valid defence for compensation from cancellations?
Mar 25, 2022, 12:26 pm
#3335
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: BA GGL/GfL; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Ambassador; IHG Diamond;
Posts: 263
Rebooking following BA cancellation: can only change affected flight, not others?
Hi All, I'd appreciate any insights into a novel situation I've just encountered with BA.
Existing 4 leg long-haul itinerary (this summer). Second leg was cancelled and rebooked by BA to later flight which didn't work for me.
I called ggl line and had the agent change my outbound legs 1 and 2 to a day earlier, and also changed 3rd leg to a new date three days later. My understanding, and experience, has always been that both the standard guidelines (as well as the covid guidelines) allow passenger to change all legs of the disrupted booking without charge. Both old and new dates met the minimum stay requirements. I know in some cases the "up to -3 days / +14 days" rule for new dates applies, and my new dates also complied with this rule.
The agent sent this off to ticketing, who apparently then rejected it saying because I was changing the third leg as well the ticket would now need to be repriced at current fares and the difference payable. There was a lot of back and forth and the explanation offered was that I am "not allowed to extend the length of my stay at the destination" without a fare recalculation, and that I can only change both outbound and inbound if the length of stay remains the same. Alternatively, I can only change the dates of the affected flight (outbound in my case). Does this sound right?
The agent (who I am certain was a knowledgeable and experienced member of the team, rather than one of the new recruits) was extremely helpful and apologetic, but he himself seemed to be stuck between a rock and a hard place with the fares desk pushing back on this.
Existing 4 leg long-haul itinerary (this summer). Second leg was cancelled and rebooked by BA to later flight which didn't work for me.
I called ggl line and had the agent change my outbound legs 1 and 2 to a day earlier, and also changed 3rd leg to a new date three days later. My understanding, and experience, has always been that both the standard guidelines (as well as the covid guidelines) allow passenger to change all legs of the disrupted booking without charge. Both old and new dates met the minimum stay requirements. I know in some cases the "up to -3 days / +14 days" rule for new dates applies, and my new dates also complied with this rule.
The agent sent this off to ticketing, who apparently then rejected it saying because I was changing the third leg as well the ticket would now need to be repriced at current fares and the difference payable. There was a lot of back and forth and the explanation offered was that I am "not allowed to extend the length of my stay at the destination" without a fare recalculation, and that I can only change both outbound and inbound if the length of stay remains the same. Alternatively, I can only change the dates of the affected flight (outbound in my case). Does this sound right?
The agent (who I am certain was a knowledgeable and experienced member of the team, rather than one of the new recruits) was extremely helpful and apologetic, but he himself seemed to be stuck between a rock and a hard place with the fares desk pushing back on this.
Last edited by flyingnomad; Mar 25, 2022 at 12:33 pm Reason: note flights are this summer
Mar 26, 2022, 2:31 am
#3336
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: 63,760
The agent sent this off to ticketing, who apparently then rejected it saying because I was changing the third leg as well the ticket would now need to be repriced at current fares and the difference payable. There was a lot of back and forth and the explanation offered was that I am "not allowed to extend the length of my stay at the destination" without a fare recalculation, and that I can only change both outbound and inbound if the length of stay remains the same. Alternatively, I can only change the dates of the affected flight (outbound in my case). Does this sound right?
Mar 26, 2022, 3:30 am
#3337
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: BA GGL/GfL; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Ambassador; IHG Diamond;
Posts: 263
Hence my surprise, further compounded by the fact that neither the standard guidelines nor the CoC have any language describing limitations on length of stay when rebooking following cancellations.
They have now agreed to make the changes without a refare, so I'll wait and watch until the reissued ticket comes through.
Last edited by flyingnomad; Mar 26, 2022 at 3:31 am Reason: typo
Mar 26, 2022, 4:18 am
#3338
Join Date: Aug 2019
Programs: BA Exec Gold
Posts: 369
I imagine it can argued both ways, and I've no doubt that BA will be thinking along these lines too. But there will be a clear argument against it, nanely that staff sickness is an inherent issue which BA needs to be able to plan around. Plus the "all reasonable measures" bit.
Mar 28, 2022, 9:50 am
#3339
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Heathrow
Posts: 218
Question for everyone - If your flight is cancelled (cancelled, not re-timed) and replaced with one of a different flight number five minutes later, does this trigger a right to rebook the trip?
BA recently insisted that since a flight of mine had been re-timed (ie same flight number) by over five hours it was not a cancellation and therefore I couldn't. Now the shoe is on the other foot and I'm looking to use this insignificant cancellation to my advantage this time around to move a trip to suit me if possible. I would ask on the phone but BA are "taking an unusually high number of calls and won't be able to put me through to the team right now" for over a week.
BA recently insisted that since a flight of mine had been re-timed (ie same flight number) by over five hours it was not a cancellation and therefore I couldn't. Now the shoe is on the other foot and I'm looking to use this insignificant cancellation to my advantage this time around to move a trip to suit me if possible. I would ask on the phone but BA are "taking an unusually high number of calls and won't be able to put me through to the team right now" for over a week.
Mar 29, 2022, 2:40 am
#3340
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,707
Question for everyone - If your flight is cancelled (cancelled, not re-timed) and replaced with one of a different flight number five minutes later, does this trigger a right to rebook the trip?
BA recently insisted that since a flight of mine had been re-timed (ie same flight number) by over five hours it was not a cancellation and therefore I couldn't. Now the shoe is on the other foot and I'm looking to use this insignificant cancellation to my advantage this time around to move a trip to suit me if possible. I would ask on the phone but BA are "taking an unusually high number of calls and won't be able to put me through to the team right now" for over a week.
BA recently insisted that since a flight of mine had been re-timed (ie same flight number) by over five hours it was not a cancellation and therefore I couldn't. Now the shoe is on the other foot and I'm looking to use this insignificant cancellation to my advantage this time around to move a trip to suit me if possible. I would ask on the phone but BA are "taking an unusually high number of calls and won't be able to put me through to the team right now" for over a week.
Mar 29, 2022, 3:14 am
#3341
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,917
Question for everyone - If your flight is cancelled (cancelled, not re-timed) and replaced with one of a different flight number five minutes later, does this trigger a right to rebook the trip?
BA recently insisted that since a flight of mine had been re-timed (ie same flight number) by over five hours it was not a cancellation and therefore I couldn't. Now the shoe is on the other foot and I'm looking to use this insignificant cancellation to my advantage this time around to move a trip to suit me if possible. I would ask on the phone but BA are "taking an unusually high number of calls and won't be able to put me through to the team right now" for over a week.
BA recently insisted that since a flight of mine had been re-timed (ie same flight number) by over five hours it was not a cancellation and therefore I couldn't. Now the shoe is on the other foot and I'm looking to use this insignificant cancellation to my advantage this time around to move a trip to suit me if possible. I would ask on the phone but BA are "taking an unusually high number of calls and won't be able to put me through to the team right now" for over a week.
Mar 29, 2022, 8:46 am
#3343
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Mucci: Classe de la Luxe Eternelle
Posts: 816
How late can I choose a new flight when one sector of my return leg is cancelled?
I am due to fly MIA-LHR-AMS tomorrow at 21.10 and my AMS leg is cancelled. I may extend and it allows me online.
Do I need to decide before check in opens or even later?
thank you
I am due to fly MIA-LHR-AMS tomorrow at 21.10 and my AMS leg is cancelled. I may extend and it allows me online.
Do I need to decide before check in opens or even later?
thank you
Mar 29, 2022, 10:14 am
#3344
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 94
Anyone know any tricks to get hold of BA Holidays at the moment?
Am due to fly to Marrakech on a double tier points trip in May, however they've cancelled my return flight and shoved us on one the day before cutting short our holiday and removing our eligibility for the double TPs 🤬 so I need to get hold of them to try and change the dates.
But attempts today on the number that ends 0787 have resulted in me not even managing to get in the queue for a holidays agent.
Am due to fly to Marrakech on a double tier points trip in May, however they've cancelled my return flight and shoved us on one the day before cutting short our holiday and removing our eligibility for the double TPs 🤬 so I need to get hold of them to try and change the dates.
But attempts today on the number that ends 0787 have resulted in me not even managing to get in the queue for a holidays agent.
Mar 29, 2022, 4:16 pm
#3345
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 854
I flew on BA1403 from MAN to LHR Friday (25th March), scheduled to depart at 17:10 and arrive 18:10? Flight was over 3 hours late due to staff shortages (including flight crew on the inbound flight) and arrived 21:25.
I wrote to BA to claim EC/261 compensation for the over three hour delay. BA refused the claim because BA1403 was "delayed because of a number of issues it encountered during its operational flights that day. These reasons were weather, third party airport facilities and crew shortages." I understand weather delays, strikes, extraordinary circumstances, and Airport Traffic Control problems causing delays are not eligible for compensation, however, as far as I am aware none of these factors contributed to the delay. The weather on Friday in Manchester was fine and I understand it was fine in London. The delay as far as I am aware was due to factors under British airways control ie staff shortages and the ground services that British Airways utilise. I do not recall any mention of weather issues when the flight crew provided their apology/explanation? Any thoughts??
I wrote to BA to claim EC/261 compensation for the over three hour delay. BA refused the claim because BA1403 was "delayed because of a number of issues it encountered during its operational flights that day. These reasons were weather, third party airport facilities and crew shortages." I understand weather delays, strikes, extraordinary circumstances, and Airport Traffic Control problems causing delays are not eligible for compensation, however, as far as I am aware none of these factors contributed to the delay. The weather on Friday in Manchester was fine and I understand it was fine in London. The delay as far as I am aware was due to factors under British airways control ie staff shortages and the ground services that British Airways utilise. I do not recall any mention of weather issues when the flight crew provided their apology/explanation? Any thoughts??