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

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• Simon Robinson says:

  14 Mar14 March 14:30

  I’m currently in Peru and I have a one way ticket home with Iberia paid for with Avios + Cash. The flight is to come back to England via Madrid on Tuesday. Everything is moving quickly and there is a high probability that the flight will be cancelled as Peru step up their virus measures targeting flights to and from Europe. I am unclear what happens if my flight is cancelled, so I would appreciate any insights you guys may have, specifically…

  – Are Iberia likely to offer me alternative ways to get home e.g. via other countries that don’t have travel restrictions?

  – Would Iberia offer me a cash equivalent to the avios to enable me to source my own flights back via other countries?

  – If I end up being stranded in Peru, am I likely to be able to make any sort of claim for living expenses via my travel insurance which is with the Curve Metal card? I have called them and they do not know, saying first that it’s Iberia’s responsibility and second that it is the government’s.

  Any insights would be very welcome….

  • Anna says:

    14 Mar14 March 14:37

    Your issue may be that there will be no flights going in and out of Madrid as Spain is now in lockdown. Try again with your insurance provider as the first response sounded utterly lame, unless it’s a terrible policy! Also consider contacting the British Embassy in Peru for advice if you really end up stranded, I would hope they will have contingency plans for this kind of thing. Buena suerte!

  • meta says:

    14 Mar14 March 14:50

    Best advice I learned here and on Flyertalk and this applies even when there is no pandemic is to research your options before calling. So look at all possibilities to fly back from Peru to UK (via US, other South American airlines, direct with BA, etc.) Then monitor situation 2-3 times a day.

    • meta says:

      14 Mar14 March 14:51

      I meant before calling Iberia.

      • Simon Robinson says:

        14 Mar14 March 15:04

        That’s good advice – but my problem is that I can’t get through to Iberia to find out if the flight(s) are cancelled or not. The call drops after various automated messages. The BBC mundo website says that all flights into Peru from Europe will stop on Monday, the day before my flight back. I guess there is a chance that a flight out of Peru could still go ahead the following day, although I suspect that is unlikely. I have of course, also heard the news about UK flights be cancelled to Spain so again, I just want to know if my Iberia flight from MAD to LHR is cancelled also.

        I guess I will end up just going to the airport and finding out on the day, but would much rather get a plan sorted out before hand. I will take your advice and plan an alternative route back via the US which will hopefully still be an option on Tuesday.

        • marcw says:

          14 Mar14 March 15:51

          I think you need to speak with you travel insurance. IB is forced to cancel their flights, so they can´t do anything really… They will claim that they can´t offer you anything “comparable” and you seek alternatives yourself.

        • Lady London says:

          14 Mar14 March 18:27

          IME even getting through to IB without an epidemic I found them systematically useless. They do have some really good nice agents but IME they may be forbidden to help you.

          If you can, I would line up another way out/hom e that is flexible / able to be cancelled if IB leaves you in the lurch. You will then at minimum be able to claim refund off IB and quite likely duty of care until either your alternative or IB can get you out/home.

        • Lady London says:

          14 Mar14 March 18:42

          So book with BA, say, or TAM? to a place from where you can get a flight with, ideally, BA (as if you do get through on the phone to them, Iberia might, just might be able to take over that booking and put it on your ticket), then AA. Delta might be worth looking at but you wouldn’t be able to get your OneWorld ticket used for a Delta flight unless…guessing… a desk at the airport did it on the day of your flight (airport desks have greater powers they can use on the day of your flight).

          If you do get through to Iberia personally I’d ask them to bring you home early on themselves or (more likely as not needing to be via MAD) any other airline.

      • Lady London says:

        14 Mar14 March 18:46

        PS are you anywhere near an airport with an Iberia desk? You could visit and try even though they might tell you they can’t help before the day of your flight… Hence if you have the cashflow I strongly suggest you try what I suggested above.

• Ravu says:

  14 Mar14 March 14:57

  I have a flight on may 18th to Italy, but i want a full refund, do you think BA will cancel the flight?

  Don’t want the voucher

  • Shoestring says:

    14 Mar14 March 15:03

    now you’re into estimates, personally I don’t think Italy will maintain no flights as late as that, after all, that’s 9 weeks away or so

    so IMV no cancellation of the route – but is it a route with several flights a day, for example? because if so, BA won’t fly 3 flights all 30% full, it would cancel 2 and keep the 3rd, in which case yes you often cancel for a full refund if your flight is one of the cancelled ones

    • Rav says:

      16 Mar16 March 10:52

      What would you do, cancel for the voucher?

  • Will says:

    14 Mar14 March 18:08

    If the UK government continues on its course of wanting 40 million people to become infected you’ll probably find that every other country in the world bans anyone who’s been in the U.K. from entry, probably for many months/years.

• Hayley says:

  14 Mar14 March 15:01

  Would this apply to BA flights booked through a different company?

  • Rob says:

    14 Mar14 March 15:45

    If you didn’t book direct you need to contact your travel agent. They should be able to arrange for a voucher.

• Leon says:

  14 Mar14 March 15:16

  I have a flight booked with companion voucher which expires in July with no availability in CW TIL next year has anyone tried getting companion voucher extended or whether new vouchers they are issuing transfers it across? I’m happy to rebook for next Feb when there’s availability on the route but online it won’t let me and I don’t want a voucher for the avios and taxes without companion

  • Sue says:

    14 Mar14 March 15:39

    I’m in the same boat as you Leon. I am due to fly First to San Jose, California on 22/4 on a 2-4-1 companion voucher and Avios. My 2-4-1 expires on 5th May. I don’t know what to do, but can’t think BA will fly then. I would like to think they would extend the 2-4-1 voucher until there is availability but I can’t face the 2 hour phonecall on hold just now! What is your gut feeling that will happen?

    • Leon says:

      14 Mar14 March 15:56

      You’d hope common sense would prevail and they extend it, I’d be ok with 6 months but prefer a year. Wish BA would just issue a statement in FAQs. I’ll have to ring next week as travelling beginning of April and need to make other arrangements

      • Sue says:

        14 Mar14 March 16:06

        I agree – but can’t see them wanting to extend a freebie! It’s just the long wait on the phone that I don’t fancy! Hey ho, got to be done!

• Jill Hilliard says:

  14 Mar14 March 15:45

  I have the same issue with flights to/from Vienna in early May – booked with a companion voucher that would otherwise have expired. If anyone gets through to BA; PLEASE post here on what happens to companion vouchers in the event of taking up the offer. Thanks

• Andrew says:

  14 Mar14 March 15:58

  I was due to fly this weekend to Prague with BA, but due Czechia’s ban on travellers from Great Britain, I can no longer go. I had booked a reward flight on Friday and made a separate booking for the return flight on Monday (as far as I know, you can’t book a reward flight one way and paid flight return on the same booking, but please correct me if I’m wrong!) The return flight was cancelled on the day of the outbound flight so my two question are (for anyone who may have insight to share):
  1. How do I claim for a full refund for the Monday flight? When I follow the refund steps provided by BA (go to Manage Booking > Change/Cancel flights) I only get the offer to be refunded a portion of the taxes but I believe I should be eligible for a full refund.
  2. Can I claim a refund for the Friday reward flight? It was not cancelled but I did not take it as my return flight was cancelled. I could not cancel the booking myself as it was less than 24 hours before the flight was due to depart.
  Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

  • Shoestring says:

    14 Mar14 March 16:08

    2. you needed to cancel it online & now it’s too late so that one’s lost, you could try & ask but I doubt if you’d get anywhere if it flew

    would have cost you the RFS fee but Avios returned

• Roger says:

  14 Mar14 March 16:10

  !Breaking!

  According to Reuters, UK to be included in travel ban to USA.
  Live now on SKY News

• Brenda Rippin says:

  14 Mar14 March 16:32

  I have a return flight booked with BA leaving 21st March to Lanzarote,paid cash plus airmiles ,have looked on BA website and flight cancelled,do I have to claim or will money and airmiles be refunded to my account?

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