DFWsakp

I had booked a BA flight from Dallas to Mumbai (Dallas - London Mumbai) for 25th Aug. BA cancelled the the London - Mumbai flight (the one arriving in the morning in Mumbai) and automatically put me in the next available flight which now puts me at a 23 hour connect (earlier connection was 9 hours). This also means I have to now spend a night in London etc. I tried going to the BA website to choose a new flight on any other day (between 30th Aug and 4th Sept), but BA keeps saying that there are no flights available. When I check Google flights, I do see a flight available with AA - BA (i.e. AA from Dallas to London and then BA from London to Mumbai) available, but it does not show up. I have tried multiple days and have the same problem for all. This is a cash ticket.
What are my options? If I call BA, will they be able to put me on AA/BA or perhaps Qatar Airways to Mumbai? There are no issues on the return and it's just the Dallas - Mumbai flight where I am having trouble.

SK AAR

For flights 25 July 2022 I would leave it as it is for now. There will be many schedule changes for your flights before July next year so most likely you will be rebooked again later/better connections will become available later. As long as you don't accept the new itinerary you will be able to rebook later.

Andriyko

Have you posted the correct dates? BA are not selling tickets yet for the dates between 24/08 through 4/09 of next year. If the original itinerary was for 25/08 of the current year then, yes, you can call and get rebooked onto the BA*AA codeshare flight from DFW.

DFWsakp

My apologies.. I meant 25th Aug. The flight is next week.

DFWsakp

Will BA let me fly on Qatar? I am still hesitant to call them as I have not finalized the new dates and should do it in a day or two.

Andriyko

I am afraid BA will not. But rebooking onto the AA operated flight is definitely an option.

DFWsakp

Any reason why BA won't put me on Qatar if they have a codeshare agreement with them?

Andriyko

If you meant putting you on QR from LON to BOM - LHR - BOM is not a BA/QR Joint Business routing where rebooking onto QR is allowed, if I am reading the customer guidelines correctly. Moreover, your routing is DFW-LHR-BOM, so why would BA create another connection if they can deliver you to the destination using the same routing but a different DFW-LHR flight?

If you meant putting you on QR from DFW to BOM via DOH - it is a non-starter, unless it were the only option to get you to BOM.

By all means, call and enquire about a QR option, but given that there is an option to stick to the original routing there is not need for BA to involve QR.

Cymro

They don't have a codeshare on DFW-DOH-BOM, though. AA does have a codeshare DFW-DOH, but not, apparently, DOH-BOM.

BA does codeshare domestically from DFW, so you could fly DFW-JFK-LHR-BOM if that were more convenient than the AA-operated direct routing (BA1505), or if they insisted on the long haul being on BA metal, for instance (unlikely but maybe worth having as a backup).

DFWsakp

I meant DFW - DOH - BOM. Currently, there is only 1 flight on BA metal from DFW to LHR which arrives after all the connection to India have left and hence the 23 hour connection.
They could potentially put me on the AA flight leaving at 3:20 p.m., and that option shows up only until 29th Aug after which this option does not show up at all nor do I see any 2 stop flights (The BA website simply says nothing available)

If they don't give Qatar, then I will simply take the AA direct (which is currently not available on the BA website)

Andriyko

Was not the original flight on the 25th? There is an AA service that day from DFW to LHR that BA would be happy to rebook you onto.

Cymro

The flight is still being sold as BA 1505, and I see availability in all classes for new bookings on BA.com, so I suspect it's just not finding it as a suggested rebooking. Assuming you're still Gold, I'd call and ask them specifically for that option.

DFWsakp

There is, but now I am thinking of changing my travel dates.
Does anyone know if there is any restrictions around when I can travel?
I was thinking of traveling in Dec 2021 and returning in Jan 2022. Will that be allowed and will I be able to make the switch without paying anything? OR will I be charged the fare difference?
The online website won't let me choose any other date for travel except until 30th Aug 2021 for outbound travel. For return, it is allowing me to choose any dates (even Jan 2022).

Andriyko

You can change to any date within the ticket's validity, but travelling in December/January will require the original booking class availability. That's BA's rules. The EU Regulation seems to disagree, and I think you should be able to change to Dec/Jan with the AA/BA combination.

DFWsakp

Thanks!
I ended up calling them and asking to change the Outbound flight to a future date. The Agent agreed to change that date for free, but would not change my inbound date without a fee (as that flight was still on time). Thus, I would still need to travel before my return (which was scheduled for 19th Sep). I told her that I can change my inbound online for free to a Jan 2022 date and whether she would change my outbound to Dec 2021 if I was able to do it online. She checked with her Team Lead and agreed. I then changed the inbound online to Jan 2022 and asked her to do her magic. But, her system said that I had already made one change and accepted the alternate flight that BA had provided. She had to again go to her Manager to get approval and she did that and now I have flights in Dec returning in Jan and did not have to pay any change fees or fare difference.