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
Apr 29, 2022, 3:53 am
#3526
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: 63,803
OK, so yes that makes a difference to my answer. For Avios, BA will typically rebook you, particularly on BA services, but you will only get alternatives away from BA if there is redemption ability on those flights. So there may well be no alternatives.
Apr 29, 2022, 8:45 am
#3527
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 921
I only asked for confirmation that they wouldn’t change their decision and they’ve sent a considerably longer reply than I expected. I guess it doesn’t matter though and serves the same purpose. CEDR time
—-Thanks for contacting us about your claim for EU compensation. We’re very sorry it was necessary to cancel your flight to Zagreb.
Your claim's been refused because flight BA0840 on 25th April was cancelled as a direct result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19.
At the time your flight was scheduled to operate, many of our crew had tested positive for COVID-19 or were having to isolate in line with restrictions imposed by the UK Government. This caused a general shortage of crew.
We took all reasonable measures to avoid cancelling the flight by arranging for standby crew to operate your flight.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an external factor, which is beyond the control of the airline and is an “extraordinary circumstance”. It is not inherent in the normal activity of the airline and could not have been anticipated.
Since the delay to the flight was caused by restrictions imposed as a result of a global pandemic, in accordance with the provisions of EC Regulation 261/2004, I'm afraid this means you are not entitled to receive EU compensation on this occasion.
Thanks for contacting us. If I can help with anything else, please contact me directly using the blue link below.
Best regards
British Airways Customer Relations
—-Thanks for contacting us about your claim for EU compensation. We’re very sorry it was necessary to cancel your flight to Zagreb.
Your claim's been refused because flight BA0840 on 25th April was cancelled as a direct result of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19.
At the time your flight was scheduled to operate, many of our crew had tested positive for COVID-19 or were having to isolate in line with restrictions imposed by the UK Government. This caused a general shortage of crew.
We took all reasonable measures to avoid cancelling the flight by arranging for standby crew to operate your flight.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an external factor, which is beyond the control of the airline and is an “extraordinary circumstance”. It is not inherent in the normal activity of the airline and could not have been anticipated.
Since the delay to the flight was caused by restrictions imposed as a result of a global pandemic, in accordance with the provisions of EC Regulation 261/2004, I'm afraid this means you are not entitled to receive EU compensation on this occasion.
Thanks for contacting us. If I can help with anything else, please contact me directly using the blue link below.
Best regards
British Airways Customer Relations
Apr 29, 2022, 11:01 am
#3528
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Helvetia
Programs: AS; BA Silver; UA; HH Gold; Sprüngli Connaisseur
Posts: 2,912
I've an upcoming trip back to ZRH from here in SEA. Still two weeks off from yesterday. BA cancelled the LHR-ZRH. There is another flight not showing up on ba.com later in the day, which looks like a possible way home. Worst case, I figured BA will sort that out at checkin of the SEA-LHR leg, and we might get moved off to an LX flight even. I've still got a couple of United Club passes in that case, as the LH lounge is dire. But, I figure regardless on whether or not BA manages to get back to me, we're still good on that SEA flight (until they cancel that as well 
).
But, to add insult to injury, our 78X got swapped out to a 789, and we got seat changes. I'd like to move the seats if possible, but none of ba.com, finnair.com, qantas.com, nor rj.com seem to let me do it, though I did find out about the equipment switch from one of those. Any suggestions on how to change seats when one of the legs is cancelled?
).But, to add insult to injury, our 78X got swapped out to a 789, and we got seat changes. I'd like to move the seats if possible, but none of ba.com, finnair.com, qantas.com, nor rj.com seem to let me do it, though I did find out about the equipment switch from one of those. Any suggestions on how to change seats when one of the legs is cancelled?
Apr 29, 2022, 11:48 am
#3529
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: 63,803
CEDR may be a bit picky on this since it doesn't confirm their answer will not change - as noted in the EC261 thread, BA tends to readily state those words, since they appreciate that a percentage of their customers will go to CEDR. There again the wording of that reply makes it to my mind impossible to wriggle out of EC261 since they almost blankly admit to taking your money knowing they don't have enough staff. Now I don't know if you want to go back to BA on the "answer will not change" or check and see if CEDR accepts that a second refusal = a final refusal. You could actually do both since you can always add to the document queue.
Apr 29, 2022, 12:12 pm
#3530
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: 63,803
But, to add insult to injury, our 78X got swapped out to a 789, and we got seat changes. I'd like to move the seats if possible, but none of ba.com, finnair.com, qantas.com, nor rj.com seem to let me do it, though I did find out about the equipment switch from one of those. Any suggestions on how to change seats when one of the legs is cancelled?
Apr 29, 2022, 2:07 pm
#3532
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Helvetia
Programs: AS; BA Silver; UA; HH Gold; Sprüngli Connaisseur
Posts: 2,912
No alternative flights are being offered. But I sent my wishes over Twitter, so hopefully that works.
I would guess in this case OLCI would also fail for the same reason. But I'm hoping that in the worst case, they'd just clear it all up at the airport, we usually end up there before they open the checkin desk as we have to travel up from Olympia.
Apr 30, 2022, 9:39 am
#3533
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ABZ
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 204
Was just checking our upcoming BAH booking and the total price is showing as £500 less than I paid.
Due to flight cancellations, we are now routing direct from LHR-MCO rather than via PHL on AA.
Could this be the reason for the price change?
I did ask the agent if there was a price reduction whether there would be a refund, but the answer was no.
Due to flight cancellations, we are now routing direct from LHR-MCO rather than via PHL on AA.
Could this be the reason for the price change?
I did ask the agent if there was a price reduction whether there would be a refund, but the answer was no.
Apr 30, 2022, 11:50 am
#3534
Join Date: Dec 2019
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 572
Was just checking our upcoming BAH booking and the total price is showing as £500 less than I paid.
Due to flight cancellations, we are now routing direct from LHR-MCO rather than via PHL on AA.
Could this be the reason for the price change?
I did ask the agent if there was a price reduction whether there would be a refund, but the answer was no.
Due to flight cancellations, we are now routing direct from LHR-MCO rather than via PHL on AA.
Could this be the reason for the price change?
I did ask the agent if there was a price reduction whether there would be a refund, but the answer was no.
If it was booked during the "Confidence Pledge" era you could cancel get your deposit back and rebook at the lower price.
Apr 30, 2022, 1:13 pm
#3535
Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 30
I need to cancel a BA booking made through the main website with an e-Voucher (125 - XXX). Going through MMB, I see a line that says, "You are requesting cancellation of a restricted ticket(s) and in accordance with the fare rules you will only receive a refund of taxes paid." So I don't go any further. However, on the BA website I see language that says, "If your journey is due to be completed by 30 September 2022 you can claim a voucher to the value of your booking, valid for travel until 30 September 2023."
My flight meets that criteria. I was only expecting to get back an e-Voucher. What fine print am I missing?
My flight meets that criteria. I was only expecting to get back an e-Voucher. What fine print am I missing?
Apr 30, 2022, 1:20 pm
#3536
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: ABZ
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 204
There was a previous flight change with a small reduction in price, which was refunded.
If this is a genuine price reduction, do I need to request the refund, or will it automatically be dealt with?
Thanks.
Apr 30, 2022, 2:02 pm
#3537
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: 63,803
I need to cancel a BA booking made through the main website with an e-Voucher (125 - XXX). Going through MMB, I see a line that says, "You are requesting cancellation of a restricted ticket(s) and in accordance with the fare rules you will only receive a refund of taxes paid." So I don't go any further. However, on the BA website I see language that says, "If your journey is due to be completed by 30 September 2022 you can claim a voucher to the value of your booking, valid for travel until 30 September 2023."
My flight meets that criteria. I was only expecting to get back an e-Voucher. What fine print am I missing?
My flight meets that criteria. I was only expecting to get back an e-Voucher. What fine print am I missing?
https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn
You haven't mentioned whether this is a voluntary or involuntary cancellation, the above applies if you are a voluntary cancellation, whereas the link you seem to be looking at would apply for an involuntary cancellation, and you would get the cash back that way.
Apr 30, 2022, 2:03 pm
#3538
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,958
I need to cancel a BA booking made through the main website with an e-Voucher (125 - XXX). Going through MMB, I see a line that says, "You are requesting cancellation of a restricted ticket(s) and in accordance with the fare rules you will only receive a refund of taxes paid." So I don't go any further. However, on the BA website I see language that says, "If your journey is due to be completed by 30 September 2022 you can claim a voucher to the value of your booking, valid for travel until 30 September 2023."
My flight meets that criteria. I was only expecting to get back an e-Voucher. What fine print am I missing?
My flight meets that criteria. I was only expecting to get back an e-Voucher. What fine print am I missing?
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...oucher-refunds
May 1, 2022, 12:59 am
#3539
Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 30
Thank you both! Following the link corporate-wage-slave posted, BA sent me a new voucher within 5 minutes.
Though I am curious what would have happened if I followed through with: Manage My Booking > Cancel booking > and gone through the consent page.
If BA actually does keep all but the taxes, that seems like a dark pattern.
Though I am curious what would have happened if I followed through with: Manage My Booking > Cancel booking > and gone through the consent page.
If BA actually does keep all but the taxes, that seems like a dark pattern.
May 1, 2022, 4:22 am
#3540
Join Date: Feb 2020
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 1,771
Asking in advance, in case the worst happens for an upcoming trip. If a passenger on my booking tests positive before travelling to the US, would BA allow us to delay the outbound flights until they test negative? The booking is for first class, if that helps, and we have bronze status with BA.
Edit: I should say that I mean if someone on the booking tests positive on the predeparture test the day before travel to the US.
Edit: I should say that I mean if someone on the booking tests positive on the predeparture test the day before travel to the US.