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British Airways will refund ALL flights to 31st May for a voucher – but should you say no?

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Finally ….. British Airways has seen the light and is now allowing you to cancel ALL flights up to 31st May, in return for a travel voucher.

However …. I am not convinced you should accept.

Let me explain.

Here is the British Airways ‘Book With Confidence’ website.

British Airways BA 777X 777 9X

These are the new rules:

If you are travelling between 14th March and 31st May, you can refund your flight for a British Airways e-voucher irrespective of when you booked.  No refunds are on offer for flights beyond 31st May.

If you are travelling between 1st June and 31st December 2020, you can refund your flight for a British Airways e-voucher if you booked between 3rd March and 31st May

The voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of your original flight

The voucher can be used on any route, not necessarily the one you originally booked

This applies to both British Airways marketed flights and BA Holidays bookings, although Comair and SUN-AIR are exempt

You cannot claim if you have already started your journey

Flight cancellations can be made until the close of check-in, whilst BA Holidays bookings must be cancelled within 48 hours of departure

Anyone who has already cancelled their booking and lost money cannot retrospectively request a voucher

You can also change your flight dates without any change fees, although you have to pay the fare difference.

The small print on how the voucher works is on the ‘Book With Confidence’ website.

British Airways Book With Confidence

But …. but …. but …. perhaps you should wait?

I know this sounds contrarian.  Many of you have been on tenterhooks waiting for a decision like this to allow you to cancel your trip.

And yet ….

The EU has agreed the terms of a deal to allow airlines to cancel flights without losing their slots.

Next week, British Airways is likely cut anything from 25% to 100% of its scheduled flights – probably around 50% given what Lufthansa is doing.   If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund IN CASH.  No messing around with e-vouchers.

By taking the refund now, you are also giving up your right to potential EC261 compensation if you were due to travel within 14 days of the cancellation being made.

Unless you are travelling in the next 4-5 days, you might want to think about waiting in case you end up missing out on a full cash refund.

Of course, there is also a risk that British Airways withdraws this offer and you can no longer refund your ticket at all.

It’s up to you.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (857)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • James G says:
    14 Mar14 March 11:54

    Sorry if this is already covered but BA seem unclear and the phone line as we know is a nightmare.

    If BA cancel your flight on a BA holiday hotel and flight booking will you also get the hotel refunded regardless if the room is a non-refundable one (it was booked as a package not an add on).

    Thanks

    • AJA says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:04

      No. Point 3 of t&cs on BA holiday bookings specifically states hotel and experiences are non refundable and will be forfeited.

      You will get a voucher to the value of your flights. That’s it.

      I posted the full t&cs here in my postings yesterday.

      • Lady London says:
        14 Mar14 March 12:13

        Depends if it’s you cancelling or BA holidays unable to provide. If you booked a holiday should be covered by ATOL and if you really get stuck there is s.75 if you paid by credit card.

      • AJA says:
        14 Mar14 March 12:23

        My apologies I misread James’s post. If BA cancels then ATOL protection kicks in.

        My post was about you cancelling a BA Holidays booking in exchange for a voucher.

    • Lady London says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:09

      Holiday type bookings are covered by ATOL so if the provider can’t provide then iIRC you get all back. When you book an official BA holiday package the hotel contract is between BA and the hotel.BA then provides you a package including hotel and flights and that is whoyour contract is with.

      Check your docs which should indicate ATOL. Then Google ATOL to see how it works. ATOL has certain things like allowing your flight time to vary by quite a wide margin, however

  • Paul Marchant says:
    14 Mar14 March 11:55

    Is the voucher apply to avios flights that also include the BA companion voucher.

  • Peter Taysum says:
    14 Mar14 March 11:55

    Just got through to BA. Was flying CE NCL to ZRH today but via holiday. Need 48 hours notice for voucher (for flights) which unable to do. BA duty office said I will get flights money as a voucher.

    Happy with that. I’ve cancelled 12 flights online for voucher in the “refund period”. Money versus voucher totally understand significance; I support BA and want them to stay in business and works for me. I understand for others voucher won’t help them. Is it transferable? Could people arbitrage?

    For EU compers for Covid 19; I guess mortality rates of 3% have passed them by? I cannot write what I think of such ****************************

    • Roger says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:00

      Key question – Can multiple vouchers be applied to one future booking – based on flight price?
      Or does T&C dictate that only one voucher per new flight booking with remaining amount to be paid in future cash.

      • Peter Taysum says:
        14 Mar14 March 13:31

        I can’t see anything that would NOT allow that. I’m potentially going to do that to pay off the balance on First to SEA (if I can go!)

    • allison searle says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:39

      HI i have requested a voucher for a flight i am supposed to be on today. I cannot get through to BA have been trying since yesterday morning when. i learnt all hotels in my ski resort have been ordered to close,

      DO I NEED TO CANCEL FLIGHT ? this is my question. I have requested the voucher do BA cancel flight or do i need to do this now on line. my flght leaves in 2 hours.. .currently still running but if i got on flight my little girl and me would have nowhere to stay so would have to try and fly home!

      anyone who can advise? I have sent 2 emails to BA but only get automated responses so far due to this very period time.

      thank you

      • Shoestring says:
        14 Mar14 March 12:49

        yes it would be better – see if you can cancel at the airport

      • Rob says:
        14 Mar14 March 12:51

        Take a screenshot showing that you requested the voucher and then leave it, I would recommend.

  • paul says:
    14 Mar14 March 11:55

    Given how bad things are what are fares not lower?

    • Lady London says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:02

      Because capacity is reducing and any continuing demand for flights is inelastic, as economists would put it.

    • Rob says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:55

      If you can’t give away flights (and you can’t) then better to keep fares high. Didn’t see the couple in the papers paying Delta $20,000 for four one way flights out of Spain?

    • marcw says:
      14 Mar14 March 13:30

      At this time… people either travel or not travel. Every hour more people are on the “not travel” side. That means that it doesn´t matter how low fares are, they won´t be an incentive to travel. Those who travel, they just pay the expected fares.

  • mike says:
    14 Mar14 March 11:59

    Sorry if this has already been answered. I’ve got a holiday to the USA booked for June / July using my last TSB upgrade voucher and avios.
    I’m happy to delay the holiday but don’t want to lose the value of the voucher.

  • tom says:
    14 Mar14 March 12:03

    hi there, Avios are extending the Llyods upgrade vouchers that expire before 30 April by 6 months. just completed an online chat.

    • yorkieflyer says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:10

      not sure that helps when my Lloyds voucher expired last June and was used for a booking this May?

    • Gritts says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:13

      Flying to Canada on Monday using a Lloyds upgrade and avios. When I went to cancel you get the message- L25L2E: This is a trade or travel agent booking

      Trade bookings, or bookings made through a travel agent cannot be processed by British Airways.

      If your booking was made through a travel agent please contact them for all refund enquiries.

      I guess it’s a call to avios and I’ll find out if I can retain the upgrade benefit for booking a new trip later this year.

      • Robert says:
        15 Mar15 March 16:25

        If you get an answer from Avios avout the lloyds voucher I’d be really interested.

        Thanks

        • Gritts says:
          15 Mar15 March 17:22

          Robert, one Lloyds was extended for 6 months as it was in date. My wife’s one was not extended as it expired last September. I did not argue as I wanted to free up live chat for others. It took 1 1/2 hours to get an agent. If you call, you get cut off after waiting exactly one hour.

    • Kath says:
      16 Mar16 March 12:35

      only 30th April? yet BA will be shutting down many flights until October 2020 at least….

      Very unfair.

  • Linda Phillips says:
    14 Mar14 March 12:09

    If we cancel our flights to Vegas next weekend would we get all cash and Avios eventually back into,our account . I think we used a voucher but as it was a year ago is there any way to check.

    We are just taking things day by day , we are staying in an MGM property and they have closed all their buffets and some other eateries, we have got a fully refundable accommodation voucher, so that’s something don’t know about car hire and parking at Heathrow depends how flexible they would be.

    • AJA says:
      14 Mar14 March 12:17

      Linda yes you will as you can cancel up to 24 hours before the outbound flight. If however you’ve used the outbound you can’t get a refund. Same with booked flights, no voucher if you’ve flown outbound segment. But under those circumstances I guess EU261 duty of care kicks in.

    • AJA says:
      14 Mar14 March 13:39

      You can also check if its a redemption flight by looking at MMB to see what tier points and avios you will earn. It’s obvious if it’s a redemption booking as the TP and Avios will be 0.

  • AJA says:
    14 Mar14 March 12:19

    See my detailed reply to Catherine much further up in the comments ‘re 2-4-1. No official policy, phone and ask.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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