Jun 10, 2022, 3:03 am
31 May 2022 : British Airways operated by Comair (South Africa) flights suspended
May 31, 2022, 3:01 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: LCY / LHR / ZRH / JNB
Programs: BA
Posts: 120
31 May 2022 : British Airways operated by Comair (South Africa) flights suspended
Second suspension this year… this time looks like for financial reasons: https://www.news24.com/fin24/compani...ights-20220531
May 31, 2022, 3:03 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,916
Second suspension this year… this time looks like for financial reasons: https://www.news24.com/fin24/compani...ights-20220531
May 31, 2022, 5:19 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 99
Thanks for the heads up on this. Not looking great for comair is it! I had flights booked later this year and wondering what BA will do with them now they are off sale. South African Airlines allow you to hold flights for a few days so have locked In my dates just in case. Which is probably looking like the more likely outcome now!
Jun 1, 2022, 2:16 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 99
Just to note if anyone is affected and has a bunch of virgin miles, 30k virgin miles for return flights from JNB to CPT in Business and about £110 in taxes. Need to call virgin to get them to check and book availability but it was a pretty simple call for me this morning.
Jun 1, 2022, 2:32 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,346
I literally just went to book some JNB-CPT flights with Comair for December and thought it was strange that nothing was showing up, then read the news. Anyone got a crystal ball and thinks they'll be back up and running, or is it better to just book with someone else?
Jun 1, 2022, 2:52 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 99
They seem to believe they can get financing again and get up and running. Given their size I would guess thats possible but this isnt the first rescue and with what happened with their safety grounding a little while back I am starting to wonder how long they will last. Surely BA has some weight in this but who knows. Its not looking great for them thats for sure!
Jun 1, 2022, 4:04 am
#10
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: 63,791
Rebooking guidelines issued today Wednesday 1 June 2022, update 2.
This applies to BA issued tickets starting 125, longhaul travel, bought up to and including 31 May 2022, with travel in June or July.
- allow refund, even if the flight is not shown as cancelled.
- alternatively allow rebooking on BA direct services (so typically LHR-CPT-JNB becomes LHR-JNB)
- alternative rebook into Airlink, preserving Business / Economy cabin, however downgrade from Business to Economy is allowed (e.g. on Economy only routes).
Select carefully, you are only allowed one change.
Shorthaul / internal BA ZA bookings: Buy With Confidence still applies, so refunds for cancellations, rebooking to a later date, FTV for voluntary changes. Their contact centre can be emailed on
[email protected].
This applies to BA issued tickets starting 125, longhaul travel, bought up to and including 31 May 2022, with travel in June or July.
- allow refund, even if the flight is not shown as cancelled.
- alternatively allow rebooking on BA direct services (so typically LHR-CPT-JNB becomes LHR-JNB)
- alternative rebook into Airlink, preserving Business / Economy cabin, however downgrade from Business to Economy is allowed (e.g. on Economy only routes).
Select carefully, you are only allowed one change.
Shorthaul / internal BA ZA bookings: Buy With Confidence still applies, so refunds for cancellations, rebooking to a later date, FTV for voluntary changes. Their contact centre can be emailed on
[email protected].
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Jun 1, 2022 at 4:45 am
Jun 1, 2022, 4:20 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Programs: MUCCI; BAEC Lifetime Gold; Marriott Bonvoy Emeritus Titanium; Hertz#1, Avis President’s Club
Posts: 3,214
I'm a fan of Comair. The old style Club Europe cabins with the extra legroom and the SLOW lounges are great. Much better than mainstream BA, but maybe that's part of the problem. I have just returned from RSA and during my stay there I did 4 sectors with Comair, I hope they aren't going to turn out to be my last.
Jun 1, 2022, 7:02 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, HHonours, SPG, AVIS
Posts: 526
I think this will be an issue for BA if it goes on for too long. There is a limited service to JNB at the moment with only 1-flight/day on an A350/B787 instead of the 1xA380 & 1xB747, which were always full.
Flew back from CPT last week and the 777 was completely full
Flew back from CPT last week and the 777 was completely full
Jun 1, 2022, 7:36 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 1,266
Travelling JNB - PLZ today. Checked in last night with no sign of a problem. Boarding passes on phone. During the night, i had 5 messages from TripCase advising flight cancelled then reinstated. Last cancellation according to TripCase was at 8:50 this morning advising cancellation again. Flight due to depart at 16:25. Although booked on BA.com, we have still had no notification from BA about anything. No answer from BA Gold line on 2 x 45 minute calls and absolutely zero presence from BA or Comair at the airport. Manage my booking offers no options available on any day for they next week. There isn’t even a notice on the shutters at the Comair counter. Left to our own devices, we have rebooked with Airlink ourselves, in economy, at a not insignificant sum of £800 for two returning next week. This is more than the business class Comair flights cost.
So for anyone travelling, expect no help at the airport. Don’t even expect BA to contact you. You are on your own. In this day and age, an unsurprisingly poor effort from the BA brand. Mr and Mrs Harry now drinking the Bidvest lounge dry through sheer frustration at the non existent customer service from BA. Just how much longer can they carry on being so inept at their customers expense?
So for anyone travelling, expect no help at the airport. Don’t even expect BA to contact you. You are on your own. In this day and age, an unsurprisingly poor effort from the BA brand. Mr and Mrs Harry now drinking the Bidvest lounge dry through sheer frustration at the non existent customer service from BA. Just how much longer can they carry on being so inept at their customers expense?
Jun 1, 2022, 7:41 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: South Africa
Programs: BA GFL GGL/CCR, VS Lifetime Gold
Posts: 54
I happen to have PLZ-JNB to SEA in a few weeks. All in club.
Airlink only economy on the PLZ route. So I need to arrange the rebook but will end up being downgraded in the process. Will you get the difference between economy and business refunded? The issue that HH68 points out is that at late notice the economy flights are expensive!
Airlink only economy on the PLZ route. So I need to arrange the rebook but will end up being downgraded in the process. Will you get the difference between economy and business refunded? The issue that HH68 points out is that at late notice the economy flights are expensive!