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
Jul 11, 2022, 8:50 am
#3856
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BA GGL, GfL, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, AllAccor Diamond, Marriott Ambassador Elite
Posts: 1,042
Apologies if this has been covered before but…….
I have a FTV issued to me after I cancelled an ex EU flight via LHR to JFK. It was a J class cash booking but I used a space release (that was about to expire unused) and Avios to upgrade the transatlantic sectors to F.
The voucher’s cash value is approx EUR 3500 and the are about 38000 Avios attached to it which I used for the upgrade.
I now want to use the voucher to part pay a cash booking in F out of London.
I have been told I can’t just use the cash element of the FTV and that I must use the Avios that are part of the voucher at the same time. That is not possible.
Is there any way I can convert the voucher into a simple cash evoucher? I don’t care about losing the Avios or the space release…….I have plenty of both to spare right now.
I have a FTV issued to me after I cancelled an ex EU flight via LHR to JFK. It was a J class cash booking but I used a space release (that was about to expire unused) and Avios to upgrade the transatlantic sectors to F.
The voucher’s cash value is approx EUR 3500 and the are about 38000 Avios attached to it which I used for the upgrade.
I now want to use the voucher to part pay a cash booking in F out of London.
I have been told I can’t just use the cash element of the FTV and that I must use the Avios that are part of the voucher at the same time. That is not possible.
Is there any way I can convert the voucher into a simple cash evoucher? I don’t care about losing the Avios or the space release…….I have plenty of both to spare right now.
Last edited by HFHFFlyer; Jul 11, 2022 at 9:02 am
Jul 11, 2022, 9:08 am
#3857
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Canary Wharf, London
Programs: MyWaitrose, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond & BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,685
I have an AA flight JFK-LHR that has been retimed. It was booked via BA. Is there a minimum amount of time difference needed before I can ask BA to move me to an earlier flight?
Jul 11, 2022, 9:13 am
#3858
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,965
Yes it’s 2 hours now before yay get free change. Used to be any time change would allow you to do that but it changed recently.
Jul 11, 2022, 9:21 am
#3860
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,259
Jul 11, 2022, 10:13 am
#3861
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Canary Wharf, London
Programs: MyWaitrose, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond & BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,685
It's flight only, it's just the later it gets, the less chance I'll get home easily that evening, though maybe Crossrail will be direct by that point.
Jul 11, 2022, 10:19 am
#3862
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,993
A question. Have a cash flight BSL-LHR cancelled in September and have been auto rebooked from 12pm to 7am, which doesn't work as I will be on another flight from IST. There is no other BA flight that day.
I'm aware I can rebook from ZRH or somewhere else within 300 miles but where would I stand (in principle, I know it might not be sensible) requesting a reroute using.. is it Lufthansa I think they have an agreement with? Is it within the guidelines or no?
I'm aware I can rebook from ZRH or somewhere else within 300 miles but where would I stand (in principle, I know it might not be sensible) requesting a reroute using.. is it Lufthansa I think they have an agreement with? Is it within the guidelines or no?
Jul 11, 2022, 11:54 am
#3863
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North of Carlisle
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,538
i received an email last Wednesday to notify me that Iberia would be covering the BA LHR to Barcelona flight mid September. I received another email today advising that the flight is now cancelled. In answer to your question, it looks like they’re working on mid September flights at the moment.
Jul 12, 2022, 3:13 am
#3864
Join Date: Feb 2020
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 1,771
I have a quick question about an upcoming BA holiday in mid August, which I need to pay the balance of soon. I booked this holiday when book with confidence applied - the holiday consists of flights and a single overnight stay at an airport hotel in DUB. My partner and I are travelling and we are both BA Gold and the flights are all in Club.
I am concerned that the gap between our DUB-LHR and LHR-LAX flights is too small, given the current issues with LHR connections and BA being tardy and unreliable with baggage. The DUB-LHR flight is timed 9.10-10.40 and the LHR-LAX departs at 11.40. Would I be subject to a reprice if I asked BA Holidays to change our flight times to provide a longer connection time? I am frankly a bit concerned either we will be delayed from DUB and miss the LHR-LAX flight; or miss the LHR-LAX due to queues in flight connections (fast track not open at the moment); or we make the connection but our baggage doesn’t.
I am concerned that the gap between our DUB-LHR and LHR-LAX flights is too small, given the current issues with LHR connections and BA being tardy and unreliable with baggage. The DUB-LHR flight is timed 9.10-10.40 and the LHR-LAX departs at 11.40. Would I be subject to a reprice if I asked BA Holidays to change our flight times to provide a longer connection time? I am frankly a bit concerned either we will be delayed from DUB and miss the LHR-LAX flight; or miss the LHR-LAX due to queues in flight connections (fast track not open at the moment); or we make the connection but our baggage doesn’t.
Jul 12, 2022, 4:21 am
#3865
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA
Posts: 105
i received an email last Wednesday to notify me that Iberia would be covering the BA LHR to Barcelona flight mid September. I received another email today advising that the flight is now cancelled. In answer to your question, it looks like they’re working on mid September flights at the moment.
https://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pre...ional-24/14051
Jul 12, 2022, 9:01 am
#3866
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Near Manchester
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 397
I managed to get through to BA Holidays this afternoon, and sorted out some schedule inconveniences resulting from flight cancellations.
I've cancelled the last domestic leg of the booking. The advisor said there's no change to the outstanding balance (due at the end of July). All is good.
Logged into MMB and the balance due is now less than I was expecting, one might say unexpectedly less. If I clear the balance to 0, but there's been a booking glitch would BA get in touch with me and say the has been an error or would they cancel the booking? Never had that happen before!
I've cancelled the last domestic leg of the booking. The advisor said there's no change to the outstanding balance (due at the end of July). All is good.
Logged into MMB and the balance due is now less than I was expecting, one might say unexpectedly less. If I clear the balance to 0, but there's been a booking glitch would BA get in touch with me and say the has been an error or would they cancel the booking? Never had that happen before!
Jul 13, 2022, 7:37 am
#3867
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 60
Hi all, I have a few questions marginally related to flight cancellations, hope I'm not posting in the wrong thread.
I am getting quite confused by the cancellation rules now. I originally booked a cash ticket late Aug/early Sep LHR-ZRH r/t early this year, then my return leg got cancelled and I chose to rebook it into the flight the next morning. However, I want to ask the following questions:
1) if I cancel the whole ticket, will I receive a cash refund or an eVoucher? if it's the latter, I guess I would have to do it online and does anyone know roughly how long it would take please?
2) if I want to change the destination to LHR-STR-LHR, would it be free and must I call the customer service hotline? I tried the silver line for ages to no avail sadly (I can imagine they must be very swamped lately...)
3) on a separate issue, I also booked another Avios redemption ticket early this year for travel before end of Sep. If I cancel it, would I be charged the £35 cancellation fee? Also somehow I cannot find the option to cancel in MMB - has been a few years since I've travelled, I hope this is not too stupid of a question.
Thanks in advance
I am getting quite confused by the cancellation rules now. I originally booked a cash ticket late Aug/early Sep LHR-ZRH r/t early this year, then my return leg got cancelled and I chose to rebook it into the flight the next morning. However, I want to ask the following questions:
1) if I cancel the whole ticket, will I receive a cash refund or an eVoucher? if it's the latter, I guess I would have to do it online and does anyone know roughly how long it would take please?
2) if I want to change the destination to LHR-STR-LHR, would it be free and must I call the customer service hotline? I tried the silver line for ages to no avail sadly (I can imagine they must be very swamped lately...)
3) on a separate issue, I also booked another Avios redemption ticket early this year for travel before end of Sep. If I cancel it, would I be charged the £35 cancellation fee? Also somehow I cannot find the option to cancel in MMB - has been a few years since I've travelled, I hope this is not too stupid of a question.
Thanks in advance
Jul 13, 2022, 8:17 am
#3868
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,965
1) If you booked a trip before 8 June 2022 and it only included travel up to end of September 2022, and you haven't made any voluntary changes since 8 June 2022, then your booking should be covered by BWC. You can voluntarily choose to cancel to get a FTV which may be a online evoucher one. If your booking is not covered by BWC then any voluntary cancellation would be based on fare rules, so if it is a non-refundable fare you would only get back some taxes and fees.
Obviously if any flight on your booking get's cancelled you are entitled to a full refund back to your payment card.
2) If covered by BWC then there is no change fee but you will be liable for any fare difference between what you originally paid and what the new booking costs.
3) If covered by BWC you should request an FTV for a reward booking. Rather than getting a voucher you will just get everything refunded. Just go straight to the FTV page rather than via MMB https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn
Obviously if any flight on your booking get's cancelled you are entitled to a full refund back to your payment card.
2) If covered by BWC then there is no change fee but you will be liable for any fare difference between what you originally paid and what the new booking costs.
3) If covered by BWC you should request an FTV for a reward booking. Rather than getting a voucher you will just get everything refunded. Just go straight to the FTV page rather than via MMB https://www.britishairways.com/trave...1&wfpId=covidn
Jul 13, 2022, 8:21 am
#3869
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 43
Have a flight SFO-LHR Thursday, but got this message from BA via email: "Potential service disruption may affect your journey" allowing free flight changes. Checked MMB and can rebook to other flights/days out of SFO. My Q is whether it's possible via ringing up to change the departure airport as well as the day, so I can fly out of SJC-LHR tonight (Wednesday) - without incurring fees etc?
Jul 13, 2022, 8:23 am
#3870
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,965
Have a flight SFO-LHR Thursday, but got this message from BA via email: "Potential service disruption may affect your journey" allowing free flight changes. Checked MMB and can rebook to other flights/days out of SFO. My Q is whether it's possible via ringing up to change the departure airport as well as the day, so I can fly out of SJC-LHR tonight (Wednesday) - without incurring fees etc?