Is it common for BA to cancel flights 6 months out? (BA2277, LGW-LAS, 1 Apr 20)
Oct 17, 2019, 12:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 62
Is it common for BA to cancel flights 6 months out? (BA2277, LGW-LAS, 1 Apr 20)
BA have booked us automatically onto the same flight the next say, 2nd April, but I was just wondering if anyone knows what would cause a cancellation this far out?
Cheers.
Cheers.
Oct 17, 2019, 12:13 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,579
It's not an abnormal occurrence by any means - especially on the cusp of a new season as you are (summer season officially commences 28MAR) as they hone the operation for the season 6-8 months out. Is there an alternative LHR departure on your original date of travel that you could take instead? BA would usually be happy to oblige if it makes better sense for you.
Oct 17, 2019, 12:16 pm
#3
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No idea ‘why’, but it happens! We have ‘recently’ had a May cancellation (and inconvenient rebooking) for our recent CE trip in Oct.
I could, however, guess that BA’s current shortage of crew and aircraft may be factors, in addition to ‘seasonal adjustments’.
I could, however, guess that BA’s current shortage of crew and aircraft may be factors, in addition to ‘seasonal adjustments’.
Oct 17, 2019, 12:26 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 62
It's not an abnormal occurrence by any means - especially on the cusp of a new season as you are (summer season officially commences 28MAR) as they hone the operation for the season 6-8 months out. Is there an alternative LHR departure on your original date of travel that you could take instead? BA would usually be happy to oblige if it makes better sense for you.
The bigger issue is we booked a hotel with the stay and and BA don't appear to have moved the entire holiday forward one day, which has reduced our trip by one day... which I'm not happy with. I'm going to give BA a few days to rectify the itinerary and I'll give them a shout. I guess this wouldn't be an issue?
Oct 17, 2019, 12:31 pm
#5
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There is a pattern, if you look at the timetable. There is no Wednesday departure on 1, 8, 15 or 22 April (which is as far as I've gone) - so if these all existed before, then it looks like planning for that season has reduced the frequency from 7 to 6.
Oct 17, 2019, 12:32 pm
#6
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With our shifted Malta, I was on the phone straight away as that had clipped a day off an already short trip. We were shifted at no charge to a week earlier for the full stay.
Not sure how that will work with your team, though. If it’s BA Holidays (flight + hotel) try calling them ... they’re always extremely helpful.
Not sure how that will work with your team, though. If it’s BA Holidays (flight + hotel) try calling them ... they’re always extremely helpful.
Oct 17, 2019, 12:33 pm
#7
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Is this a BA holiday? In which case you need to call them not BA flights.
If this is a separate hotel booking then best contact the hotel or agent you booked with and see what they can do.
If this is a separate hotel booking then best contact the hotel or agent you booked with and see what they can do.
Oct 17, 2019, 12:34 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, A3 *Gold
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There is the usual BA 744 service from LHR (which is easier for me), but I'm travelling with a bunch of mates who like the early departure from LGW.
The bigger issue is we booked a hotel with the stay and and BA don't appear to have moved the entire holiday forward one day, which has reduced our trip by one day... which I'm not happy with. I'm going to give BA a few days to rectify the itinerary and I'll give them a shout. I guess this wouldn't be an issue?
The bigger issue is we booked a hotel with the stay and and BA don't appear to have moved the entire holiday forward one day, which has reduced our trip by one day... which I'm not happy with. I'm going to give BA a few days to rectify the itinerary and I'll give them a shout. I guess this wouldn't be an issue?
Oct 17, 2019, 1:10 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Posts: 883
Talk to your mates to discuss options then call BA ASAP.
If you want to arrive in Vegas early, travelling on the original day, then your options are one stop via ORD or PHX with American. The ORD flight leaves at 07:45 and the PHX flight at 09:15.
If you want to arrive in Vegas early, travelling on the original day, then your options are one stop via ORD or PHX with American. The ORD flight leaves at 07:45 and the PHX flight at 09:15.
Oct 17, 2019, 1:59 pm
#11
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Yes, I would call this fairly frequent. In recent years, BA has become ruthless when it comes to taking out occasional frequencies if it feels that it doesn't have the numbers to make all flights sufficiently profitable. One MIA rotation is taken off for the winter despite this being a very popular destination at that time of the year, virtually all European destinations have a "Swiss cheese" schedule with the odd rotation cancelled sometimes as a one off or at times more regularly. Doing it early, the cost for BA is minimal and that helps them improve yield significantly.
Oct 17, 2019, 2:39 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,059
It’s also a function of maintenance/improvement requirements. Club Suite installation takes one 777 at a time out for a while, and the 787 issues just won’t go away, meaning there’s a bit of a shuffle required. Given this, it’s only sensible to pull the rotations that are least likely to be profitable.
Oct 17, 2019, 3:18 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 62
With our shifted Malta, I was on the phone straight away as that had clipped a day off an already short trip. We were shifted at no charge to a week earlier for the full stay.
Not sure how that will work with your team, though. If it’s BA Holidays (flight + hotel) try calling them ... they’re always extremely helpful.
Not sure how that will work with your team, though. If it’s BA Holidays (flight + hotel) try calling them ... they’re always extremely helpful.
Given the e-mail they sent me said they'd automatically booked me onto the next day fight, and that I did not need to do anything regarding any hotels/car hire/etc, I just figured that meant either they'd refund me 1 night at the hotel, or shunt the trip forward one day.
Either way, thanks for the advice, and I'll give them a bell tomorrow.
Oct 18, 2019, 1:26 am
#15
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If it makes you feel any better they are, again, killing off the LGW-JFK route entirely as of Jan 2020. Of course that hasn't stopped them throwing millions at the regulator to try and bag the Thomas Cook slots despite not being able to utilise all the Monarch one's they snagged. ( yes i'm aware that crew/ aircraft shortages and profitability of X route are very different things).