imverge

I understand where you are coming from.

I'm travelling in late Feb. I booked hotel using points so I can cancel without penalty two days prior to check-in.

I need to coordinate a positioning flight from YYZ to LHR. Will do that on points as well.

nk15

I agree with the others, in a week or so it would be more clear. BA may make a statement and also more people may have flown this and this could provide additional re-assurance.

I also agree, book something refundable now (you can use the 16-20% discount from cheaptickets.com) or even better refundable that you pay at the hotel. In 1-2 weeks and as things become more clear, you can book nonrefundable. Also, in either case use a credit card that has travel insurance, so if BA refuses to pay the hotel costs, the travel insurance would cover you. However, it is still better to wait a week or so, because if BA cancels a week later you have a stronger case to claim the hotel costs from the credit card's travel insurance.

BLazarus22

I find myself to be a nervous wreck when it comes to planning and this is my first time doing something like this, but to say you are being held hostage by BA? I mean you booked the flight thanks to a post on this site which clearly suggests some level of risk. That being said I agree with others - book refundable and save yourself the panic. Or perhaps call BA and ask them? I haven't called so I don't know if this is a thing but I don't know why they wouldn't be able to answer that question at this point. Others can tell me if I'm wrong on that.

FWIW I am also three months out. I haven't looked at lodging in LON or GYE and have only parsed through pricing for positioning.

Your approach of speculating in the forum in hopes of getting someone else to confirm isn't the best method. I'd take the wheel if it was such a concern, and I mean no disrespect in saying so but your presence on this thread is IMO the only one more antsy than mine.

imverge

He used a poor choice of a word - hostage.

Clearly, he feeling a bit ansy like most of us. Checking and double, triple checking the booking confirmation to ensure it is still intact but this is part of the "ride".

Coathanger

I've been refreshing my booking on the BA App every waking hour for the last two days so am as anxious as the next FTer, but given none of us know for certain what will happen next I've diverted my attentions to reading up on the country I might be visiting rather than fret over something I have no control over.

danam

I guess that you are looking at one of the Premier Inn hotels, they are usually £29.50 for the non refundable and (from memory) about £20 more for the flexible.

As I mentioned a few pages back, my personal preference is to book refundable hotels. Then, when I am confident that I am going to fly, I rebook if available. But this is always going to be a personal choice. Are you happier to lose the £29.50 if BA pulls the ticket or "lose" the extra that you spent for the refundable room that you ended up using when the cheaper option was gone? As for WHEN to change the hotel booking, if I was flying in early 2018 I would certainly leave it a month or two. I definitely wouldn't book non refundable hotels right now.

For many people it's more of a problem with positioning flights. On this one I will probably book mine next week. If BA bin my ticket then I will visit London or possibly book another destination from LHR. Again, it's entirely a personal choice with a lot of variables.

peacefultraveller

That is when you can really enjoy an Error fare, when you know the real retail price is like 10 times what you paid

Edgerfly

Fair. I think it’s good we all share what our intentions are going to be to help people like me and others out there that I suspect are confused. Understandably this is my first time finding something like this, and executing it.

After some thought I think I shall wait a week and then go ahead and feel it is safe. A week is a large enough time to go and feel confident the ticket will be honored imho.

danam

Some people still think your mad for paying that much for an airline ticket (not me obviously).

IAN-UK

I don't think you are equipped for this sort of thing!

The history of the KUL fare will tell you nothing about the future of your current reservation. Nothing at all.

For Lord's sake book the refundable rate at the hotel, and be done with it. Refundable means you can cancel and get your money back if the ticket goes down the drain: or if it doesn't, you can cancel and rebook a better rate. End of!

You've got a ridiculously cheap first-class fare. A period of uncertainty is the quid pro quo for that bargain. Suck it up, as they say. Complaining about being hostage to British Airways over a £29.50 hotel isn't classy.

Edgerfly

Yes I do believe I’m being held hostage because I made a ticket purchase from the airline fair and square, know my dates, and would like to start making hotel arrangements. But since they may pull the rug out from under me, I have no idea if they will honor their end of a business transaction. Hence why I used the term being held “hostage.” You can disagree, but that’s the way I feel about it.

My intentions are NOT to speculate in the forum in hopes someone else will put my fears to rest and give me some “feel good” emotions. As I stated above, I am simply trying to gauge what others plans are who are in the same position as I am (we are). We’re all in this together and as such, I think we should be communicating with each other about our intentions.

jeffeverde

+1

If the loss of a deposit or a cancellation fee would cause you a financial hardship, then this isn't the game for you

peacefultraveller

2 days have passed so fingers crossed and reservation is still active on ba.com. Im hoping the charge will go from pending section of credit card soon. I was lucky to get Qatar Vietnam deal a month or so ago. I had Alitalia Tickets late last year and they cancelled them and that was a night mare. I feel that we have a much better chance of BA honouring the tickets as time goes on.
I was looking for cheap hotel (to book refundable) when trivago directed me to Amoma hotels Best Western Quito says it was 5 stars. It looked so cheap, was $35 per night other websites saying over $100 per night so I booked it for 4 nights. Maybe that was a mistake as well not sure.
I hope this fare is honoured mainly because I have never flown in first before.
I flew with BA loads a few months ago and they have changed and in my opinion gone downhill. They used to be my favourite airline.
Here is hoping that they have done so much cost cutting that they have cut costs in the department that would usually deal with error fares and the staff are like........cancel all the tickets and call the customers...........nah stuff it we got to much work to do....haha
Fingers crossed for everyone the longer they don't cancel I think the safer it is for us

Edgerfly

Just for the record it’s not simply 29.50£. I booked 3 of these tickets. It’s 29.50£ five nights+ 11 nights in Guayaquil. This sum of money could be over $1,000 and if I could know when to book it could potentionally equal hundreds of dollars in savings.

As I said above, I would just like to communicate, and be a community about our situation and know what others plan to do. That’s all.

rossmacd

Clearly.

Give it a rest, would you? You've been given all the best advice already.