RichieMc

I was due to fly back from PMI to LHR on BA 450 last night but I’m currently stuck in Palma. Mine was cancelled very late in the day so any decent rebooking options were gone by that time. Currently rebooked on Brussels Airlines on Tuesday.

Weirdly, last night I noticed it was possible to purchase tickets on BA 2881 to LGW. I didn’t buy it but called GGL line and he said although it was listed as cancelled on his end, he could book me on it. It’s currently in past bookings on MMB and flight listed as cancelled. But other sources like Flight Radar have it as severely delayed and leaving today at 12.10. There’s even an aircraft (G-GATJ) assigned for the incoming BA 2880 as well as my 2881. And the 2880 is currently listed on Gatwick website as departing LGW-PMI at 7:55.

Any chance this actually operates today??

vectismanpaul

The flight does appear to be operating as the gate is now open at Gatwick.

LondonCapeTownAnyday

My friend�s flight home from Palma to London was cancelled yesterday (Sunday 27 Aug)

Being the end of the holidays, the next available flight with seats (and just 2 at that) was Thursday 31 Aug. No seats on other airlines either so no option to book elsewhere and claim back.

My friend accepted the flight on 31st in MMB in order to get something secured before that date too was sold out.

If something sooner now becomes available, are they able to request BA change them onto it? My understanding was you can have 1 free of charge change in response to a cancellation, however common sense in this scenario would suggest that BA should allow the customer to come home closer to their original flight date if space opens up.

Wondering if anyone has any experience of this?

NWIFlyer

I'm afraid your friend is almost certainly going to be out of luck. The one shot at a change is exactly that, hence why you should never take it if there's a chance of something better coming along.

If BA had reserved a seat on 31st that was secured, so your friend should just have waited - you only need to grab something if you've found a routing BA hasn't offered and you need them to secure it. If nothing comes up, fly on whats offered. If something better emerges, ring BA and grab it.

You should make sure your friend is aware that BA is still responsible for covering hotel and meals until they fly him/her home.

LondonCapeTownAnyday

Thanks for this.

Unfortunately MMB did not proactively offer a flight on a new date (in which case I agree about not accepting it and waiting as the seat is secured), it required us to manually search for flights on the next available date which turned out to be Thursday. The risk of not choosing Thursday was that they would then have to travel even later and they have to be back for work.

My comment regarding the common sense of the policy allowing the customer to come home sooner if space becomes available was that it also reduces BA�s liability for eg hotel costs

KARFA

I wonder what would happen if you called BA and they refused to move you on to the earlier flight if it became available, then you booked it yourself and claimed it back from BA on the basis they were refusing to route you back at the earliest reasonable opportunity?

LondonCapeTownAnyday

This is a position I would gladly take up with BA and is what I would be prepared to do, however my friend sadly cannot afford to put circa �500 on the line (as any seats opening up are full Y) and/or risk a subsequent reimbursement taking a while

NWIFlyer

Ah, yes, that's a tougher call. I had misinterpreted when you said "my friend accepted the flight on 31st in MMB" as being BA's automated offer. I would probably have rung BA and asked them to provisionally reserve me a seat on the flight on 31st but not re-ticket it, which would mean there were notes on the PNR in the event other options became available. Presumably now it just looks like a standard, completed and accepted re-booking. If they refused and would only ticket it (i.e. take it or leave it) there would be a much better chance of getting an exception or taking your own action later.

Without those PNR notes, I'm not sure I'd be entirely confident of arguing that one in court!

corporate-wage-slave

For those unaware, Palma has had truly unusually terrible weather in the last few days, right in the holiday season. It's caused a lot of disruption, and not just to aviation, with trees down and ships cast from moorings.

Yes, I'm one of those who says that if you have the option of leaving a little later then don't rush, wait to see what happens since it's going to be a fast changing situation. From a contact centre perspective, you can very much see the point of "one go only" at changes, and further more making repeated calls to make small time changes is unhelpful at a time of pressure. So it's best to research offline (or use this forum if you aren't good at that) and then ring up with a clear request. PMI unusually is served by 3 airports and there is a problem there that the Disruption menu online may not give all the options that are available.

KARFA

I don�t know, i feel that there would be a fair chance. Also I suspect BA might just settle the claim. But yes it does depend on your risk and willingness to lose, so not get back the money for the new booking.

What I would do tho if availability opens up is call BA, emphasise you felt obliged to take the flight in a few days because there was nothing else at the time, and point out every extra day is costing BA �xxx in duty of care. They would have to get a supervisor to approve, but I think again there is a chance they would see sense.

cameramaker

Let�s not blame this on the weather. BA have ravaged the PMI schedule at short notice for at least the past 10 days.

Meanwhile they have a fleet of aircraft sat in Madrid that they intend to get rid of and a staff reward package still severely degraded from pre-Covid. This is a mess 100% of BAs making.

EJetter

PMI is carnage this morning, huge crowds and queues everywhere including a massive snaking one outside the terminal for Jet2 check in. People sitting and laying on the floor and in luggage cages!

steve170461

WE went through LHR on the 6th August and I noticed the lunchtime PMI was cancelled. We also have friends whose flight back to LHR was cancelled last Saturday and they were re-booked to come out of there on Tuesday. Even as early as May, BA cancelled a SOU-PMI flight that friends were travelling on at very short notice. Some pax were re-booked on the evening LGW service, but they had to get themselves to LGW and claim the taxi back.

sammyg901

Lots of TUI and Jet2 morning flights yesterday ended up diverted across Spain and some did not make it back to the UK yesterday so running today instead. BA LHR was diverted via Barcelona and EDI ended up stuck in Mahon looks like

jmd

There is plenty that can be laid at BA�s door, but not this one - you clearly have no idea what the weather has been like in the Balearics in recent days� Every airline has cancelled multiple flights.