CarefreeBA

I've had a flight from SFO-LHR cancelled for February, and MMB is offering me free rebooking for both the outbound and inbound legs. Is it possible to add a stopover on both/either of these legs. For example (original itinerary: LHR-SFO; SFO-LHR)

- LHR-SFO; SFO-JFK-LHR with 2 days in JFK (adding a stopover only on the inbound)
- LHR-JFK-SFO; SFO-ORD-LHR with 2 days in JFK and ORD each way
- LHR-SFO; SFO-ORD-LHR-AMS with 2 days in JFK, combined with 300 mile rule

orbitmic

Not strictly, no. BA's obligations are officially limited to the same routing on the same day or any other date of your choice. If you choose the same day (or one close to your departure date), you can get any seat in the same class of travel and you can also get a chance of departure or arrival within 300 miles. Beyond two weeks it would have to be in the same bucket as the one you booked. You can also get a full refund. However, getting a different itinerary (different departure or arrival point beyond the 300 miles, different routing for example to add stopovers, etc) is not part of BA's obligations and will normally incur repricing unless there is really no alternative (e.g your route is discontinued so you can only actually reach your initial destination with a change of routing etc).

corporate-wage-slave

Yes the critical aspect to this is that rebooking guidelines won't normally allow you to add stopovers, stops over 24 hours. They do generally allow layovers, transit stops under 24 hours, so long as you aren't too many extra miles added as a result. Adding NYC and/or ORD would be OK there. So adding new stopovers into your trip would normally result in a re-fare. You may be able to argue for a stopover as an allowed "going outside policy" if for example there are only 3 flights a week or some such restriction, or flights are totally full, which won't apply here. However, many BA fares do allow unlimited stopovers, or charge low fees for a stopover, so you may be able to get an agent to rebook you to the new trip via NYC, with layovers, and then ask for a re-fare quote for adding the extra time in NYC. It could be fairly modest, and zero if you ask this after flying the outbound sector on two-way journeys. I would not expect the last option, AMS, to be allowed since it involves going through LHR rather than as an alternative to LHR.

SK AAR

Take a full refund and book the new itinerary on your own.

Andriyko

You want to change the routing which BA will only allow if there are no alternative direct flights.

In general, BA would rebook with a stopover but only according to your original routing. In the past, I would rebook LAX-JFK-LHR to create a stop at NYC following a cancelation of the LAX-JFK flight (AA is known for their cancelations). But what you want to do is something different.

Magnus77

My ATL- LHR flight for May has been downgraded. I didnt accept the downgrade from F to J, have been re routed now ATL - LAX - JFK - LHR with a stopover in LAX for a night. I simply called the goldline and it was sorted no questions asked.

corporate-wage-slave

Stopover or layover?

Magnus77

Mine would probably be classed as a layover tbf. I arrive into LAX at 1854. Leave at 11am the next morning. I asked for a night stop as I didnt fancy a LAX/LHR as my 4th flight that day so was happy to overnight in LAX

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, that's a layover and thus different to a stopover from a ticketing perspective.

Merlin5

Would a stop over be allowed if the routing was the same? I have a return leg which was originally LAX>CLT>BOS>LHR but the LAX>CLT leg has been cancelled and the offered routing is now LAX>BOS>LHR in July. I would like to stopover in Boston for 4 nights as friends of ours have rented a cabin up on a lake in New Hampshire so a nice opportunity to see them and have a few more days away. Have I got any chance of getting BA to agree to this as a stopover as its the same routing as currently proposed?

NWIFlyer

I believe that would fall under the same policy that differentiates between stopovers and layovers, so expect a re-price. I did have exactly your circumstance last year - I was originally on a fairly short connection at JFK, and it took a bit of a fight just to get the flights changed to the redeye out of the west coast followed by the JFK-LHR in the evening to give me 12 hours or so in New York.

There are arguments to say BA's policy contravenes the EC261 rules on cancellation options, but that's more around requiring the same fare bucket beyond two weeks, not creating an itinerary that would price on a completely different basis which is stretching "comparable" too far.

orbitmic

I'd say the scenario in post 10 is one of the cases where "you can always ask" and expect a no but have a glimmer of hope it might be approved. Whilst changing routing and adding a stopover is definitely too big a stretch, adding a short stopover by moving flight when the routing is kept the same might just work sometimes. If you just wanted to make this one day, I would have thought the chances would be good (e.g. you initially arrives at 1pm on day 1 and leaving at noon on day 2, that second flight is cancelled and you ask if you can leave at 7pm that same day), with 4 nights, I suspect that the chances will be low, but I wouldn't say that they are 0 either.

Merlin5

Thats was my plan, a quick call to the GGL line later today and see if I get lucky. I will let you all know how I get on.

Tafflyer

I have in the past been given a stopover, but only due to IRROPS during the journey. It's a long time ago but the flight in question was AMS-LCY/LHR-SFO where I booked and ticketed with 23 hours between the flights, so a layover and not a stopover but after flying the first sector the LHR-SFO was cancelled. Next day was available, which would already have been a stopover, but managed to swing an extra 2 days in London. The ticket was reissued INVOL and all was cool.

Your case is trying to book this change in advance and frankly I don't think it would work. You may want to price up the whole new itinerary including the stopover. You might be pleasantly surprised and can either change it or refund the original ticket and book again.

Merlin5

Well I'm pleased to say it was a successful call. I got the 5 day stopover in Boston and all changes I asked for were given with no additional cost.