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 17, 2022, 2:21 pm
#3886
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 116
Hi all,
Apologies for the possibly stupid incoming questions but I’ve largely avoided travel during the pandemic so I’m a touch rusty.
I booked the muffin family to go to ANU this sept back in April 22 so covered by BWC, my first cash booking in a while as mainly reward flights of late. Booked WTP as J prices bonkers.
we’re now planning another trip to ANU in summer 2023 and are going to book some reward flights. I’ve seen I can get 3x flights in J for nearly Ł1k cheaper than our WTP flights this year, so we’re considering whether just to cancel this years trip given the cost and it’s been a while since we’ve been in the cheap seats, and with Mrs Muffin Man expecting there’s some comfort concerns.
my question is, if we cancelled, is FTV the only option on a cash booking? Or is there a way to get cash back.
and if we booked the J redemptions for summer 2023 using the FTV, there would likely still be a balance, how is this treated? Does this come back as cash or another voucher.
Sorry for the long question and thanks for your help as always,
TMM
Apologies for the possibly stupid incoming questions but I’ve largely avoided travel during the pandemic so I’m a touch rusty.
I booked the muffin family to go to ANU this sept back in April 22 so covered by BWC, my first cash booking in a while as mainly reward flights of late. Booked WTP as J prices bonkers.
we’re now planning another trip to ANU in summer 2023 and are going to book some reward flights. I’ve seen I can get 3x flights in J for nearly Ł1k cheaper than our WTP flights this year, so we’re considering whether just to cancel this years trip given the cost and it’s been a while since we’ve been in the cheap seats, and with Mrs Muffin Man expecting there’s some comfort concerns.
my question is, if we cancelled, is FTV the only option on a cash booking? Or is there a way to get cash back.
and if we booked the J redemptions for summer 2023 using the FTV, there would likely still be a balance, how is this treated? Does this come back as cash or another voucher.
Sorry for the long question and thanks for your help as always,
TMM
Jul 18, 2022, 5:44 am
#3888
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: 63,689
my question is, if we cancelled, is FTV the only option on a cash booking? Or is there a way to get cash back.
and if we booked the J redemptions for summer 2023 using the FTV, there would likely still be a balance, how is this treated? Does this come back as cash or another voucher.
and if we booked the J redemptions for summer 2023 using the FTV, there would likely still be a balance, how is this treated? Does this come back as cash or another voucher.
Jul 18, 2022, 8:51 am
#3889
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: BA Gold Hilton Diamond
Posts: 289
BA cancelled one of my flights and I opted to get a cash refund. I did this on MMB and after a week, it is still showing "refund being processed", any idea how long these type of cancellations are taking to get your money back? BTW, will it complicate matters the fact my flight was paid via a chain of several eVouchers?
Jul 18, 2022, 10:14 am
#3890
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 250
I have a revenue booking in September from OSL to LHR and back in business booked on BA.com on the same booking reference. BA has now cancelled the return flight and put me on a flight back to OSL 6h earlier. Unfortunately, I cannot make the early flight that day and I have checked an alternative with Finnair leaving in the evening same day around the same time as the original BA flight. I will then have a night in HEL( which I pay myself) and then the flight to OSL. I talked to BA on the chat just now and explained the situation and gave them the flight numbers. They came back saying they can only rebook me on other BA flights and not AY. I just wanted to check if anyone have other experiences related to this? And if yes, what should I tell BA? The chat agent also checked with a supervisor and came back with the same reply (BA only)
I just checked BA website again and it says "BA marketed routes" I saw BA has a BA number also on the AY flights, would this be an option?
I just checked BA website again and it says "BA marketed routes" I saw BA has a BA number also on the AY flights, would this be an option?
Last edited by TravelManBiz; Jul 18, 2022 at 10:25 am
Jul 18, 2022, 11:01 am
#3891
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: 63,689
I think you have been given the correct answer. There is a remedy for being rebooked on AY but in this scenario it's only for cancellations within 24 hours. Moreover they have offered a same day alternative, albeit not a good one for you. So your best bet is to get a full or partial refund and use that towards the AY service. A codeshare is not sufficient here, it has to be BA operated. However you can be rebooked via FRA/MUC/VIE/ZRH instead, on Lufthansa / Swiss / Austrian.
Jul 18, 2022, 11:37 am
#3892
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 6
Rerouting cancelled flight within 300 miles?
Hi. Hoping someone can help with an answer to this question before I waste my and or BA call centre time if it’s a non starter!
Booked a reward flight with 2-4-1 LHR-MIA rtn while BWC was running. Originally booked on BA207 which was subsequently cancelled by BA. They automatically rebooked me on the later BA209 which isn’t ideal but I could live with it.
Q: Could I request rebooking LHR-MCO (outbound only) instead?
I’m sure I read somewhere here it would count as a rerouting rather than a cancellation/new booking and therefore not require reward availability on the MCO flight as it’s less than 300 miles between MCO-MIA.
Any advice appreciated…
Booked a reward flight with 2-4-1 LHR-MIA rtn while BWC was running. Originally booked on BA207 which was subsequently cancelled by BA. They automatically rebooked me on the later BA209 which isn’t ideal but I could live with it.
Q: Could I request rebooking LHR-MCO (outbound only) instead?
I’m sure I read somewhere here it would count as a rerouting rather than a cancellation/new booking and therefore not require reward availability on the MCO flight as it’s less than 300 miles between MCO-MIA.
Any advice appreciated…
Jul 18, 2022, 11:47 am
#3893
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis PC
Posts: 261
Hi. Hoping someone can help with an answer to this question before I waste my and or BA call centre time if it’s a non starter!
Booked a reward flight with 2-4-1 LHR-MIA rtn while BWC was running. Originally booked on BA207 which was subsequently cancelled by BA. They automatically rebooked me on the later BA209 which isn’t ideal but I could live with it.
Q: Could I request rebooking LHR-MCO (outbound only) instead?
I’m sure I read somewhere here it would count as a rerouting rather than a cancellation/new booking and therefore not require reward availability on the MCO flight as it’s less than 300 miles between MCO-MIA.
Any advice appreciated…
Booked a reward flight with 2-4-1 LHR-MIA rtn while BWC was running. Originally booked on BA207 which was subsequently cancelled by BA. They automatically rebooked me on the later BA209 which isn’t ideal but I could live with it.
Q: Could I request rebooking LHR-MCO (outbound only) instead?
I’m sure I read somewhere here it would count as a rerouting rather than a cancellation/new booking and therefore not require reward availability on the MCO flight as it’s less than 300 miles between MCO-MIA.
Any advice appreciated…
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...#cancellations
Jul 19, 2022, 5:32 am
#3894
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis PC
Posts: 261
I think you have been given the correct answer. There is a remedy for being rebooked on AY but in this scenario it's only for cancellations within 24 hours. Moreover they have offered a same day alternative, albeit not a good one for you. So your best bet is to get a full or partial refund and use that towards the AY service. A codeshare is not sufficient here, it has to be BA operated. However you can be rebooked via FRA/MUC/VIE/ZRH instead, on Lufthansa / Swiss / Austrian.
- I think this has very recently (as in since April) changed, prior to which rebooking onto Oneworld was a remedy for almost any cancellation?
- Does the new Oneworld prime remedy apply to BA operated flights? The wording seems to suggest that the remedy only applies to BA marketed, but other OW operated flights?
Jul 19, 2022, 8:55 am
#3895
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 6
Hi. Hoping someone can help with an answer to this question before I waste my and or BA call centre time if it’s a non starter!
Booked a reward flight with 2-4-1 LHR-MIA rtn while BWC was running. Originally booked on BA207 which was subsequently cancelled by BA. They automatically rebooked me on the later BA209 which isn’t ideal but I could live with it.
Q: Could I request rebooking LHR-MCO (outbound only) instead?
I’m sure I read somewhere here it would count as a rerouting rather than a cancellation/new booking and therefore not require reward availability on the MCO flight as it’s less than 300 miles between MCO-MIA.
Any advice appreciated…
Booked a reward flight with 2-4-1 LHR-MIA rtn while BWC was running. Originally booked on BA207 which was subsequently cancelled by BA. They automatically rebooked me on the later BA209 which isn’t ideal but I could live with it.
Q: Could I request rebooking LHR-MCO (outbound only) instead?
I’m sure I read somewhere here it would count as a rerouting rather than a cancellation/new booking and therefore not require reward availability on the MCO flight as it’s less than 300 miles between MCO-MIA.
Any advice appreciated…
Jul 19, 2022, 9:02 am
#3896
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,868
Thank you, that seemed pretty clear cut to me. However when I phoned BA they said no as I "had accepted the rebooking to the later flight online" so unless there is reward seats available (there aren't) they can't change my flight. Can't see that in the T&Cs anywhere. Worth challenging with another agent or is it a lost cause?
If you have done nothing and BA auto-rebooked you on the later MIA flight then you need to call back and state you have done nothing and are still entitled to a free change. Ask the agent to check how the change was done and how it was accepted.
Jul 19, 2022, 9:09 am
#3897
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis PC
Posts: 261
Thank you, that seemed pretty clear cut to me. However when I phoned BA they said no as I "had accepted the rebooking to the later flight online" so unless there is reward seats available (there aren't) they can't change my flight. Can't see that in the T&Cs anywhere. Worth challenging with another agent or is it a lost cause?
Jul 19, 2022, 9:17 am
#3898
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 6
Jul 19, 2022, 9:19 am
#3899
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: 63,689
Just checking re. the remedy for rebooking onto AY, but only within 24 hours, two questions:
- I think this has very recently (as in since April) changed, prior to which rebooking onto Oneworld was a remedy for almost any cancellation?
- Does the new Oneworld prime remedy apply to BA operated flights? The wording seems to suggest that the remedy only applies to BA marketed, but other OW operated flights?
Jul 19, 2022, 9:32 am
#3900
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis PC
Posts: 261
There is a button when you go to the disruption screen that says something like 'accept' and pressing that 'accept' button is the only way to get into the traditional 'MMB screen' from there.
