Moonstone1234

I would like to book a Biz Class fare in November to CPT from London. For all sorts of reasons I might need to cancel it nearer the time. Don’t mind taking a hit i.e £400 or so but really trying to avoid paying double for a fully refundable ticket.

Don’t mind a voucher as long as it’s nit a named voucher but the person I am travelling with might not be able to make use of it

Could anyone help please.

ILikePancakes

If you don't mind taking bit of a risk, you could always get an economy ticket if it's cheap, and hope you'll be given an offer to upgrade to biz class for £90 reach way. I'm always being offered that. Not refundable, but maybe you don't mind taking the hit of an economy ticket

Moonstone1234

£90?.? How does that work? I am a Bronze and husband is Silver status

corporate-wage-slave

Getting flexibility via a voucher isn't an option any more, so you can take that off the table. They haven't got away in all markets, but the blanket buy-with-confidence era ia now over.

Otherwise you are going to be needing to check the fare conditions, since these do vary from day to day. You probably can't avoid a conversation with a BA agent going through the fare options, but usually the cheapest fares are simply not refundable but these same fares may be changeable for £300 fee plus any fare difference. But your basic logic is correct, there are options to get a semi-flex ticket, which cost more than the lowest fare but do add at least some flexibility.

There are threads on upgrades (AUPs and POUGs), but to Cape Town they will cost a lot more than £90.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi

You are not going to get an upgrade offer to business to Cape Town ( cpt) for £90

You could get a £90 offer within europe to Club Europe but not to club world

Regards

Tbs

Ps ah beaten to it

Ldnn1

I assume @ILikePancakes misread the OP's destination as CPH rather than CPT

ILikePancakes

Indeed I did. I feel a bit silly now!

mikeyfly

Then book as a BAH and only pay the minimum deposit with balance a few weeks out

Krisz

As said either use BA Holidays (so flight+ 1day car rental/1 day hotel would do) or call BA and ask specifically a refundable ticket. I checked some tools and it is possible to get a refundable ticket in business around USD5200 for a USD120 per ticket cancellation fee. The lowest fare I could get during the same Nov time was around USD4900. So there shouldn't be a huge difference in price, but you will need to call. Now will you get these prices at all or not I don't know, it would depend on many factors. Some travel agencies can also provide you special non public fares as well but you need to talk to them directly what exactly is the condition, not just on the ticket but in your contract with the agency. They might charge you more to cancel a ticket.

Moonstone1234

Just spoke to them. Told me to get travel insurance as opposed to a flexible fare. Said that taxes would be chargeable on any changes but it could be £1 or £1000 in addtion to change fees which I didnt get at all. Bascially I have now booked with Virgin Upper Class. BA Club Suite would be better and both flights are using the new style of seat but I dont like the flexibility. Thank you all for your responses though

bisonrav

You can't use travel insurance to make a ticket flexible. You can insure against some risks of not being able to travel, but not voluntary cancellation. This may be your case, but if not it's very bad advice.

The usual rule is change fee (few hundred) plus fare difference to redate the ticket. On a cancellation you can reclaim taxes, but generally not a non-refundable ticket price.

Moonstone1234

I better explain that husband isnt in the best of health. We have travel insurance of course but things are likely to change in the next 18 months and he might not be able to travel long haul. Dont mind a voucher or credit but not in his name.

Virgin have said that will give a refund less £380 for each ticket so I have done that

bisonrav

Yes, I thought there might be some underlying factor, however being in a somewhat similar situation with my wife I know that her travel insurance is stupendously expensive, so I think the Virgin route works better anyway.

Our view tends to be to book what we want without worrying too much about her health and we'll swallow any losses. So far so good, you can't let these situations live your life for you. Within limits, obviously. I hope your trip works out.

Moonstone1234

Thank you Bis!I just didnt want to say goodbye to over £4k (which would be his ticket). I could go on my own which I dont want to do of course or find someone else to go with (son would jump at it!) but again have to pay £4k for the additonal person so a £8k trip woud end up costing £12K. Of course son could go Economy....

Travel insurance isnt horrendous at present (circa £800 per year for both of us (early 60's)but they want every change to his health documented and if he is waiting for treatment they wont cover him etc.

We have been travelling a lot after his diagnosis 2 years ago and had some fab holidays, Maruitius, Vietnam etc on Emirates and Qatar Biz Class. After all you cannot take it with you. About to come into some inheirtance although we do need to calm down with the spending (according to our financial advisor!). No debit on credit cards or borrowing btw.

SK AAR

Then wait to book until your travel plans are firm. Anyway, no need to book for November 23 now.