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
Jan 30, 2021, 2:25 pm
#511
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1,167
Yes, the OP can insist on rerouting on the next BA flight. I mis-spoke earlier BA have BA marketed flights from the end of March onwards on Qatar and a bit later on Cathay, so the OP could be moved to those flights, at least in theory. In terms of what the OP can insist, it will either be the next BA marketed flight or the next BA operated flight. BA may choose to offer more options, it usually does so.
Jan 30, 2021, 5:20 pm
#512
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
Jan 31, 2021, 1:47 am
#513
formerly Sleepy_Sentry
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 614
I have a BA-booked flight departing 5 February and would like to claim a voucher under the Book with Confidence policy, but would like to wait as long as possible in case the flight is cancelled. BA is very mute about the latest you can claim a voucher. My understanding is I have until departure? I'd like like to wait until T-1 if possible.
Jan 31, 2021, 1:50 am
#514
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,258
Yes, you can convert to FTV right up to later in the day of departure. Maybe don’t check in online, but even if you do that’s not a problem just takes a few moments longer. Sunday before Xmas we went into tier four and I cancelled a domestic to FTV couple of hours before departure
Jan 31, 2021, 2:56 am
#515
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
Well, after checking with CS (Twitter) twice what kind of voucher I would get if I requested a voucher for two current bookings, that were part paid with multiple FTVs and being told I get an evoucher (much to my surprise), I've just received an email containing my new FTV.
I'll now be pushing for them to convert this to an evoucher as FTVs are horribly restrictive compared to the evoucher. Whilst I initially expected an Evoucher is checked twice and was told on both occasions it would be an evoucher, so that's what they now should provide.
I'll now be pushing for them to convert this to an evoucher as FTVs are horribly restrictive compared to the evoucher. Whilst I initially expected an Evoucher is checked twice and was told on both occasions it would be an evoucher, so that's what they now should provide.
Jan 31, 2021, 2:58 am
#516
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
The only thing to add to that is that the usual cancel point is 2 weeks before departure, but things like government travel restrictions can lead to late cancellations. If you get within 24 hours of departure then it would be rare, even now, for flights to be cancelled. Do some screenshots if you do it close to departure time, usually an email arrives in 10 minutes or so, but if you are running down the clock then you best have some cover.
Jan 31, 2021, 3:01 am
#517
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,959
Well, after checking with CS (Twitter) twice what kind of voucher I would get if I requested a voucher for two current bookings, that were part paid with multiple FTVs and being told I get an evoucher (much to my surprise), I've just received an email containing my new FTV.
I'll now be pushing for them to convert this to an evoucher as FTVs are horribly restrictive compared to the evoucher. Whilst I initially expected an Evoucher is checked twice and was told on both occasions it would be an evoucher, so that's what they now should provide.
I'll now be pushing for them to convert this to an evoucher as FTVs are horribly restrictive compared to the evoucher. Whilst I initially expected an Evoucher is checked twice and was told on both occasions it would be an evoucher, so that's what they now should provide.
Tbh I would just take it and use it. It really isn’t that much hassle to use, and I have used a few so far. The restriction is really that you have to call to use it. There aren’t any others I can think of.
I don’t think they can convert it to an online evoucher anyway. There was some conversion early on, but it was of the bookings which are now issued as evouchers anyway - so simple cash bookings which have never been changed or had a ticket reissue. I am afraid yours would not fall in to that category.
Last edited by KARFA; Jan 31, 2021 at 3:13 am
Jan 31, 2021, 3:33 am
#518
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
i can understand the confusion, but there is no chance you would get an online evoucher for a booking made using one or more FTVs - I think I answered a similar query on here about this only a day ago. Actually I am surprised you didn’t ask here? We are quicker and better than the Twitter team
Tbh I would just take it and use it. It really isn’t that much hassle to use, and I have used a few so far. The restriction is really that you have to call to use it. There aren’t any others I can think of.
I don’t think they can convert it to an online evoucher anyway. There was some conversion early on, but it was of the bookings which are now issued as evouchers anyway - so simple cash bookings which have never been changed or had a ticket reissue. I am afraid yours would not fall in to that category.
Tbh I would just take it and use it. It really isn’t that much hassle to use, and I have used a few so far. The restriction is really that you have to call to use it. There aren’t any others I can think of.
I don’t think they can convert it to an online evoucher anyway. There was some conversion early on, but it was of the bookings which are now issued as evouchers anyway - so simple cash bookings which have never been changed or had a ticket reissue. I am afraid yours would not fall in to that category.
I guess my gripe is they should be giving the correct info especially when asked twice, it's a shame as on balance the twitter team have always been amazing - this doesn't really sent my view of them overall. I also can't believe that they cannot, albeit manually, have someone work out the value, cancel the bookings and FTVs and issue an evoucher....not sustainable for millions of bookings but to fix a mistake in info provided it should be possible.
It's also a shame the email with the FTV doesn't have the value, the booking used 3 FTV plus cash so I now have to go away and figure it so I can cross reference into the figure the twitter team come up.
Anyway, I'll push it a little bit but am not going to make a huge issue out of it and, looking at the positives i used 5 FTVs on the 2 bookings and now seem to have 2 FTVs instead, which of course I can use.onna single booking so at least it's consolidated them down - a plus in my case looking for a big TP run.
Last edited by tuonopepper; Jan 31, 2021 at 3:45 am
Jan 31, 2021, 4:58 am
#519
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,061
The main issue here is social media agents making assumptions about something they don’t know about and giving customers incorrect information. We’ve seen it in many areas, and it’s not a problem limited to BA by any means. No one wants to say they don’t know something (and often that can antagonise some customers even more), but if you’re a generalist by nature (as social media teams are and have to be) you won’t be close enough to every policy always to know the finer details. Clever people will have a way of wording it that introduces enough doubt that there can’t be any recourse (e.g. ‘many bookings are issued e-vouchers now but we can’t guarantee in every case’).
At the end of the day though, companies aren’t liable to follow through on incorrect information given by well-meaning members of staff. If a cabin crew member said ‘of course we’ll upgrade you on your connecting flight’, you’d have no recourse if it then didn’t happen. It does become a training issue though, and if you raised it to CR, the team that told you the wrong thing would be sent a reminder to check policy and practice in future.
Jan 31, 2021, 7:48 am
#520
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
Clearly you have no idea how either Amadeus or IATA ticketing standards and accountable documents work. Some cases just can’t be issued e-vouchers at all, and you can bet CR doesn’t have a goodwill budget right now to use to offset this kind of thing.
The main issue here is social media agents making assumptions about something they don’t know about and giving customers incorrect information. We’ve seen it in many areas, and it’s not a problem limited to BA by any means. No one wants to say they don’t know something (and often that can antagonise some customers even more), but if you’re a generalist by nature (as social media teams are and have to be) you won’t be close enough to every policy always to know the finer details. Clever people will have a way of wording it that introduces enough doubt that there can’t be any recourse (e.g. ‘many bookings are issued e-vouchers now but we can’t guarantee in every case’).
At the end of the day though, companies aren’t liable to follow through on incorrect information given by well-meaning members of staff. If a cabin crew member said ‘of course we’ll upgrade you on your connecting flight’, you’d have no recourse if it then didn’t happen. It does become a training issue though, and if you raised it to CR, the team that told you the wrong thing would be sent a reminder to check policy and practice in future.
The main issue here is social media agents making assumptions about something they don’t know about and giving customers incorrect information. We’ve seen it in many areas, and it’s not a problem limited to BA by any means. No one wants to say they don’t know something (and often that can antagonise some customers even more), but if you’re a generalist by nature (as social media teams are and have to be) you won’t be close enough to every policy always to know the finer details. Clever people will have a way of wording it that introduces enough doubt that there can’t be any recourse (e.g. ‘many bookings are issued e-vouchers now but we can’t guarantee in every case’).
At the end of the day though, companies aren’t liable to follow through on incorrect information given by well-meaning members of staff. If a cabin crew member said ‘of course we’ll upgrade you on your connecting flight’, you’d have no recourse if it then didn’t happen. It does become a training issue though, and if you raised it to CR, the team that told you the wrong thing would be sent a reminder to check policy and practice in future.
As for agents making assumptions, that's no excuse particularly when I specifically referenced the booking contained prior FTVs and specifically asked if it would be an evoucher of more FTVs.....if they don't know they should go and check with someone who does end of story.
As I said I won't push it and, while a pain in the arse, on this particular occasion it's an inconvenience for me not a disaster. I also retain a very high regard for the twitter team, however the fact still remains, neither of this things, as a paying customer, should be my problem.
Jan 31, 2021, 8:59 am
#521
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Are you any worse off as a result of things having been done the way that you should have been told they would be done? (And, for that matter, things having been done the way that we would have told you they would be done?) Would you have done anything differently if you had been given accurate information about what would happen?
Jan 31, 2021, 11:25 am
#522
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
Are you any worse off as a result of things having been done the way that you should have been told they would be done? (And, for that matter, things having been done the way that we would have told you they would be done?) Would you have done anything differently if you had been given accurate information about what would happen?
It's more inconvenient to use an FTV, they require more manual intervention and a longer time period to process than on online evoucher and are less flexible in their nature.
Done anything differently - possibly, even probably not, but we'll never know.
None of which changes the fact the right information should have been given if the first place. I've already said I'm not pushing it and will just suck it up, that doesn't excuse BA from getting the basics right, even in what are complex and confusing circumstances, checking if your not sure costs nothing.
Jan 31, 2021, 12:10 pm
#523
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
It's more inconvenient to use an FTV, they require more manual intervention and a longer time period to process than on online evoucher and are less flexible in their nature.
Seeing as you would never have got an eVoucher, are you any worse off as a result of having been given an FTV? Aren't you in exactly the same position as if the agent had said to you "You're going to get an FTV not an eVoucher"?
The only thing that might make a difference is if you wouldn't have cancelled your booking at all. You were never going to get an eVoucher.If I had a pound for every occasion on which a BA agent made a mistake (particularly when they're struggling to keep up with the minutiae of a flood of really technical changes because of a situation like a pandemic) when giving out information, when FT could within minutes have given the correct answer (with a 99.9% probability of it being correct) ...
Feb 1, 2021, 3:52 am
#525
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,061