portion of flight booking cancelled - can you still fly the rest
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 3
portion of flight booking cancelled - can you still fly the rest
I've been dealing with a nightmare flight booking that keeps getting cancelled and rebooked and getting conflicting answers from customer support. I'm hoping somebody here can help me regain my sanity.
I originally had a return flight SFO > BRU via LHR, the LHR to BRU connecting flight got cancelled a week ago. Now today the BRU to LHR return connection is cancelled too, what I have left is an SFO > LHR (via LAX) and direct LHR to SFO return.
The website of the airline (in my case BA) seems to be freaking out and no longer gives me to option to pick any seats and shows a header that it is cancelled. The first agent I talked to insisted because of the LHR <> BRU flights being cancelled it's no longer valid and I should get a voucher for the entire booking and rebook it myself. This didn't sound right to me so called in again and the other agent said the opposite, I still have the flights and was able to tell me the seat numbers I had booked.
When I try to research it myself while manage booking is completely messed up, if I try to check in it still seems to accept my confirmation code and just says I'm too early. What in general is the policy with airlines - if you have a return flight and connection gets cancelled, can you still fly the portion of the flights that are not cancelled?
Thanks for any information on this!
I originally had a return flight SFO > BRU via LHR, the LHR to BRU connecting flight got cancelled a week ago. Now today the BRU to LHR return connection is cancelled too, what I have left is an SFO > LHR (via LAX) and direct LHR to SFO return.
The website of the airline (in my case BA) seems to be freaking out and no longer gives me to option to pick any seats and shows a header that it is cancelled. The first agent I talked to insisted because of the LHR <> BRU flights being cancelled it's no longer valid and I should get a voucher for the entire booking and rebook it myself. This didn't sound right to me so called in again and the other agent said the opposite, I still have the flights and was able to tell me the seat numbers I had booked.
When I try to research it myself while manage booking is completely messed up, if I try to check in it still seems to accept my confirmation code and just says I'm too early. What in general is the policy with airlines - if you have a return flight and connection gets cancelled, can you still fly the portion of the flights that are not cancelled?
Thanks for any information on this!
#2
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
Revenue or award?
Booked with BA or another airline/OTA?
What do you want in the end? Airlines tend to get very flexible when original routings change? If you want to do SFO-LAX-LRH, LHR-SFO ask for it. Tell them you'll take responsibility for other travel.
Booked with BA or another airline/OTA?
What do you want in the end? Airlines tend to get very flexible when original routings change? If you want to do SFO-LAX-LRH, LHR-SFO ask for it. Tell them you'll take responsibility for other travel.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 3
It was partial payment with Avios, booked directly on BA. I actually only wanted a one way but return was cheaper, SFO to BRU (or in this case I have SFO to LHR left and made a separate LHR to BRU booking since BA doesn't fly that route right now) - I'm relocating and planned on cancelling the return.
I think I'm still fine and able to fly this but customer support made me paranoid and was very pushy trying to get me to do a voucher for the entire booking. Is there any way to check my ticket will be honored before it's online check in time?
Since the flight is only four days out and there's not many options going don't want to risk messing around with it.
I think I'm still fine and able to fly this but customer support made me paranoid and was very pushy trying to get me to do a voucher for the entire booking. Is there any way to check my ticket will be honored before it's online check in time?
Since the flight is only four days out and there's not many options going don't want to risk messing around with it.
#4
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
With the UK lockdown rules you might just want to make them give you a full refund, not voucher, as the flights you booked have been canceled. You'd then need to book new tickets. I saw some upcoming 1-ways for about $850. With those you would transit in either EWR, IAD or FRA and fly on to BRU. It may be best in the current climate to fly directly from US-Belgium to avoid any transit complications.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 3
Thanks for the feedback everyone - I made a big enough fuss in a complaint to BA to get an apology and confirmation that my flight from SFO to LHR via LAX is fine and can still take it. In the reply they recommended getting in touch after the flight to LHR to get a voucher or refund for the return.
Interestingly I just read an article that suggests there's a new EU directive that would force airlines to make the cash refund option a lot easier. They're pushing really hard on getting you to accept a voucher and it's only voucher or changing the booking that you can do online. In my case since they don't fly to Brussels right now and seemingly don't have partners they can book me on, the only option was voucher. I'm glad I didn't give in to that pressure.
For further context I am a Belgian national returning home and another reason I was reluctant to give up the booking is with the partial Avios payment had a great deal flying first class.
Interestingly I just read an article that suggests there's a new EU directive that would force airlines to make the cash refund option a lot easier. They're pushing really hard on getting you to accept a voucher and it's only voucher or changing the booking that you can do online. In my case since they don't fly to Brussels right now and seemingly don't have partners they can book me on, the only option was voucher. I'm glad I didn't give in to that pressure.
For further context I am a Belgian national returning home and another reason I was reluctant to give up the booking is with the partial Avios payment had a great deal flying first class.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,984
So a question for the BA forum. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...tive-club-446/
Have asked moderators to move to BA forum
Have asked moderators to move to BA forum
#8
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,872
It was partial payment with Avios, booked directly on BA. I actually only wanted a one way but return was cheaper, SFO to BRU (or in this case I have SFO to LHR left and made a separate LHR to BRU booking since BA doesn't fly that route right now) - I'm relocating and planned on cancelling the return.
I think I'm still fine and able to fly this but customer support made me paranoid and was very pushy trying to get me to do a voucher for the entire booking. Is there any way to check my ticket will be honored before it's online check in time?
Since the flight is only four days out and there's not many options going don't want to risk messing around with it.
I think I'm still fine and able to fly this but customer support made me paranoid and was very pushy trying to get me to do a voucher for the entire booking. Is there any way to check my ticket will be honored before it's online check in time?
Since the flight is only four days out and there's not many options going don't want to risk messing around with it.
You can just cancel and do a full refund if you want and make a new booking with someone else. You would need to call to request a refund, they can't be requested online atm.
Alternatively just rebook it for somewhere else which does have a BA flight, anywhere within 300 miles would do so AMS or CDG for example. Either of those may be useful for getting to Brussels anyway on the train rather than you having to book a separate flight to BRU. Once it is sorted you can just fly the outbound and leave the inbound. In fact once you have flown the outbound you can apply for a future travel voucher for the inbound and at least keep that value for use against a new booking up to April 2022.
With the UK lockdown rules you might just want to make them give you a full refund, not voucher, as the flights you booked have been canceled. You'd then need to book new tickets. I saw some upcoming 1-ways for about $850. With those you would transit in either EWR, IAD or FRA and fly on to BRU. It may be best in the current climate to fly directly from US-Belgium to avoid any transit complications.