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 20, 2022, 1:08 pm
#3916
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFl, HH Diamond, BW Diamond, Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extra, Blue Peter Badge Holder
Posts: 3,937
BA have cancelled my wife's flight BCN - LHR on 30th July (booked through BAH as it includes a hotel).
The auto rebooking is a Vueling flight BCN - LGW. There is no direct availability showing on BA metal on that day.
Will BAH consider a rebooking onto a BCN - MAD - LHR routing instead? There appears availability to do this.
If it remains as a Vueling flight would this qualify for Original Route Credit?
The BA flight booked through BA has checked luggage and BA cabin baggage allowance. The rebooking email is silent on baggage. Do I correctly assume it'll default to Vueling cabin luggage rules? Will the checked luggage allowance carry across to Vueling (minus BAEC benefits I assume?)
My wife is BAEC silver if that makes any difference to the answer.
The auto rebooking is a Vueling flight BCN - LGW. There is no direct availability showing on BA metal on that day.
Will BAH consider a rebooking onto a BCN - MAD - LHR routing instead? There appears availability to do this.
If it remains as a Vueling flight would this qualify for Original Route Credit?
The BA flight booked through BA has checked luggage and BA cabin baggage allowance. The rebooking email is silent on baggage. Do I correctly assume it'll default to Vueling cabin luggage rules? Will the checked luggage allowance carry across to Vueling (minus BAEC benefits I assume?)
My wife is BAEC silver if that makes any difference to the answer.
yes on ORC, I’ve certainly got it in similar circumstances when the flight you’ve been moved to is involuntary, although obviously as with anything it is at the airline’s discretion. If you can get the re-route you’ll earn moret in any case. In any case, it is likely to be on BA codes so you’ll get BA TPs/Avios so shouldn’t be any loss.
the luggage allowance when you booked applies, if vueling charge you, you can put in a claim to get it back again (appreciate that is not ideal and likelihood is Vueling will just accept it- is it booked with BA codes?). if you are calling BA for rerouting, it’s worth asking this question so you get it on a call recording to BA (or if the agent isn’t sure might help pursuant them for a indirect route with more TPs).
Last edited by navylad; Jul 20, 2022 at 2:52 pm
Jul 20, 2022, 1:11 pm
#3917
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,972
Yes, BCN-MAD-LHR should be possible as a rebooking option.
Regardless of what you do I don't see that ORC would apply. ORC is more about on the day issues and rebooking, rather than changes several days or weeks ahead.
Regardless of what you do I don't see that ORC would apply. ORC is more about on the day issues and rebooking, rather than changes several days or weeks ahead.
Jul 20, 2022, 9:00 pm
#3919
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
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?
I had a cash booking and a FTV booking. I could cancel the FTV booking online, but not the cash booking. I suspect that applying an AA SWU to the LAX-JFK leg on a BA code share snookered that option, so I called in to cancel both. It’s now been 2 weeks now and neither refund has hit either of the cards that I used. MMB says that the reservations have been cancelled and that a refund is being processed, but a MMB also shows that same message for a flight from March 10 this year and that was refunded months ago.
Any recent experience as to how long refunds are taking?
Just to further compound my misery, my newly minted US passport showed up the day before my first flight! 🤬 And as my first outbound was July 10 and first nested flight was July 13, I actually could have deferred both trips until later in the year and done a whistle stop TP run to retain gold. Still, would not have been as much fun that way, without the company of the DO#1 travelers. 😪
Jul 21, 2022, 2:46 am
#3920
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/Gold, Flying Blue Silver, All Accor Gold, Hilton Honours Diamond,
Posts: 528
BA have cancelled my wife's flight BCN - LHR on 30th July (booked through BAH as it includes a hotel).
The auto rebooking is a Vueling flight BCN - LGW. There is no direct availability showing on BA metal on that day.
Will BAH consider a rebooking onto a BCN - MAD - LHR routing instead? There appears availability to do this.
The auto rebooking is a Vueling flight BCN - LGW. There is no direct availability showing on BA metal on that day.
Will BAH consider a rebooking onto a BCN - MAD - LHR routing instead? There appears availability to do this.
Jul 22, 2022, 6:12 am
#3921
Join Date: Feb 2020
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 1,772
I would be grateful for some quick advice.
I have a BA Holiday booked in August 2022 with flights DUB-LHR-LAX-LHR-DUB and a single night at an airport hotel in Dublin. The LHR-DUB has been cancelled and I want to change this to LHR-NCL under the 300 mile gateway rule. I appreciate I need to call BA Holidays to sort this out, but do I need to call the UK number or the Ireland number (1 800 626 747)? Or should I just call the UK Gold Line and ask to be put through? Thank you.
I have a BA Holiday booked in August 2022 with flights DUB-LHR-LAX-LHR-DUB and a single night at an airport hotel in Dublin. The LHR-DUB has been cancelled and I want to change this to LHR-NCL under the 300 mile gateway rule. I appreciate I need to call BA Holidays to sort this out, but do I need to call the UK number or the Ireland number (1 800 626 747)? Or should I just call the UK Gold Line and ask to be put through? Thank you.
Jul 22, 2022, 6:27 am
#3922
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Aadvantage platinum; IHG Spire
Posts: 546
My partner is currently stuck in Mumbai, his flight at 13:10 today has been delayed until Sunday! No email, and they can't book him a hotel because apparently no hotels in Mumbai will deal with BA due to the high numbers of cancellations.
He has found his own hotel and will keep receipts to claim back.
They have now moved him to the saturday flight, so a 24 hour delay rather 48 hour. Other than costs incurred, is he entitled to anything else? They haven't technically cancelled the flight, it shows as delayed still.
He has found his own hotel and will keep receipts to claim back.
They have now moved him to the saturday flight, so a 24 hour delay rather 48 hour. Other than costs incurred, is he entitled to anything else? They haven't technically cancelled the flight, it shows as delayed still.
Jul 22, 2022, 7:29 am
#3923
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: 63,827
We would need to know the cause of the delay, the flight deck would normally give a full description just before or just after doors closing up for departure. But under Right to Care there is hotels, meals, transport to/from hotel, and communications. For the latter a wifi package is ok for this.
Jul 22, 2022, 7:30 am
#3924
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: 63,827
I would be grateful for some quick advice.
I have a BA Holiday booked in August 2022 with flights DUB-LHR-LAX-LHR-DUB and a single night at an airport hotel in Dublin. The LHR-DUB has been cancelled and I want to change this to LHR-NCL under the 300 mile gateway rule. I appreciate I need to call BA Holidays to sort this out, but do I need to call the UK number or the Ireland number (1 800 626 747)? Or should I just call the UK Gold Line and ask to be put through? Thank you.
I have a BA Holiday booked in August 2022 with flights DUB-LHR-LAX-LHR-DUB and a single night at an airport hotel in Dublin. The LHR-DUB has been cancelled and I want to change this to LHR-NCL under the 300 mile gateway rule. I appreciate I need to call BA Holidays to sort this out, but do I need to call the UK number or the Ireland number (1 800 626 747)? Or should I just call the UK Gold Line and ask to be put through? Thank you.
Jul 22, 2022, 10:06 am
#3926
Join Date: Feb 2020
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 1,772
Thanks, I went via the Gold Line and the team I got through changed my flight from LHR-DUB to LHR-NCL. Unfortunately, they somehow booked the wrong flight for me, despite reading out the correct flight and confirming it with me… I had to ring back and ask them to rectify this, at which point they said there were no seats on the earlier flight I had asked for. Luckily, this seemed to change after they refreshed the screen. The correct LHR-NCL is showing in MMB at long last, although I haven’t received the confirmation email yet and I can’t select seats, or see e-ticket numbers. I suspect I’m being a bit jumpy now, but I haven’t exactly been filled with confidence! Thanks again for your advice.
Jul 22, 2022, 11:10 am
#3927
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
Some feedback... I received a refund for 1 of the trips this morning, so about 16 days in total from the cancellation date. That trip was booked using a FTV. No sign of the 2nd trip being refunded yet and that was a cash booking. That cash trip was booked using the BA Chase card whereas the original source of funds for the FTV was a different card, so may not be BAs fault, but rather the financial institution.
Jul 22, 2022, 5:38 pm
#3928
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 186
Hi - just read the Wiki. Is the bold line below applicable for flights cancelled but leaving in December 2022... or is this no longer the case? Thee seem to be so many changes left, right and centre...
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.
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.
Jul 22, 2022, 5:44 pm
#3929
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,972
Hi - just read the Wiki. Is the bold line below applicable for flights cancelled but leaving in December 2022... or is this no longer the case? Thee seem to be so many changes left, right and centre...
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.
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.
Jul 23, 2022, 4:30 am
#3930
Join Date: May 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 320
Is someone able to clarify the current flexible booking policy for people travelling out of Heathrow: "If you're due to fly from Heathrow on or before 7 August 2022, find more details about our flexible booking policy and further information"
Is this one change only, or if I choose a new flight, say the next day, and it still falls in the window of pre-7 August, does the flexibility remain? Could I change again if I wanted to - or does it lock the reservation with no more changes allowed?
Is this one change only, or if I choose a new flight, say the next day, and it still falls in the window of pre-7 August, does the flexibility remain? Could I change again if I wanted to - or does it lock the reservation with no more changes allowed?