EXCLUSIVE: British Airways cancels return to Kuala Lumpur with four weeks notice

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• Stephen says:

  13 Oct13 October 14:24

  I tweeted BA asking when the rebooking policy would be available for the KUL flights and noting that the call centre had been making assertions contrary to BA’s legal obligations.

  The response was:

  “We understand your frustration, Stephen. We haven’t been give a timescale for the policy to be released, but it should be very shortly. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Chris”

  • Mark says:

    13 Oct13 October 16:36

    Did you DM them, subsequent their followup and, if so, did that yield anything more useful?

    • Stephen says:

      13 Oct13 October 17:20

      Yes…they asked me to DM my details but nothing substantive has come of that yet.

• Paul says:

  13 Oct13 October 14:25

  Just spoke with BA re a March LHR – KL booking Bus Class. They said no Bus Class Avios seats available that same day to KL or Sing (I would take the latter, as KL was only a transit point for me to reach Vietnam). They offered Qatar to SIngapore, however I don’t want a 4 hour layover at 4am in Doha… So, I held off and may try again in a few days to see if any other options available…

  • Qrfan says:

    13 Oct13 October 19:55

    Doesn’t matter what Avios availability there is. They cancelled your flight. You get to choose from cash availability on any fare class.

    • Talay says:

      14 Oct14 October 05:21

      Yeah, that’s the theory but I promise you, it is not what actually happens and as it is them pushing the buttons and not you, you’ll need leverage and facts not internet hearsay on your side.

      They tried this on us during covid.

      • Qrfan says:

        14 Oct14 October 08:58

        I’ve had numerous rewards seats cancelled over the years and never had this issue rebooking. Maybe gold line don’t play these games.

  • Anna L says:

    13 Oct13 October 22:37

    You should ask if they can reroute you to Vietnam (via Doha) if that’s an option for you.

• Alex G says:

  13 Oct13 October 18:38

  Surely the real story here, demonstrated by the comments above, is that BA are trying to con people out of their legal rights.

  BA is obliged to get you to KL in the class you have booked in, regardless of whether you have paid in cash or with Avios.

  The silence from Rob is deafening.

  • Shanghaiguizi says:

    13 Oct13 October 19:27

    Oof, shot fired 🍿

  • Lady London says:

    13 Oct13 October 20:23

    ??? hfp is more of a democracy or even a caucus, than a monarchy.

    The role of jounalism is sometimes just to create a discussion which may enlighten bit action still upon the audience to consider and decide. Rob’s quite good at that actually.

    • meta says:

      13 Oct13 October 21:01

      It’s also the weekend. If you have been long enough here, you will know they have the weekend mostly off. Unlike for most of us here, the site is their work. They are allowed to switch off.

      • NorthernLass says:

        13 Oct13 October 21:08

        Also, there are massive long threads in the forum on everything to do with delays and cancellations – people need to have a bit more initiative!

    • Rob says:

      13 Oct13 October 21:37

      I’ve been playing golf in Yorkshire all weekend, just got back in 30 minutes ago 🙂

• PhilM says:

  13 Oct13 October 18:42

  We were booked KUL-LHR at the end if March 2025. We booked Premium Economy as my wife has very long legs, making standard Economy uncomfortable.
  Once BA get this sorted, presumably they will offer MH – but they don’t do PE
  On that basis, can I request to reroute via SIN, and if so, will BA have to pay for the KUL-SIN part?
  We also may take advantage of the disruption to move our departure back by a couple of days (from the Friday to the Sunday – we didn’t book this originally as Friday was cheaper). I obviously don’t expect BA to push the extra hotel costs, but would that otherwise be reasonable (especially if we route via SIN)?

  • Lady London says:

    13 Oct13 October 20:19

    Try Cathay via Hong Kong as their PY seems OK

    • PhilM says:

      13 Oct13 October 20:44

      Can’t imagine BA being happy to reroute via HK when SIN is so much closer. And why would they put me on Cathay if they fly out of SIN themselves?

      • meta says:

        13 Oct13 October 21:04

        Please read the comments in the previous pages. This has been answered.

      • BJ says:

        13 Oct13 October 21:09

        Because sooner or later they’ll hopefully come to their senses and remember that the goodwill and costs associated with getting their passengers safely, comfortably and conveniently to/from KUL etc costs less than the the mess of claims they’ll otherwise end up with. It’s a big ask, but hopefully they’ll fet there. That they’re so keen to get peopke on tbeur own SIN flights suggests demand and yields for SIN remains sluggish I guess.

      • Mark says:

        13 Oct13 October 21:16

        You can ask, but you’re probably right. BA can get you there via Singapore on a flight that leaves later and with a connection via MH that gets you in sooner than is possible with Cathay via Hong Kong. It’s unlikely to be in their interests to offer it and the only possible justification for insisting on it is that they will (presumably) otherwise downgrade you on the 1h connection by default. I wouldn’t be betting on a successful outcome if anyone tried to pursue reimbursement for Cathay flights in court, where BA via Singapore had been offered and refused.

        Pushing it back a couple of days, if that’s what you want to do, should be fine though. UK261 requires that one of the choices you are offered is “re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to (your) final destination at a later date at the passenger’s convenience, subject to availability of seats”.

        And, yes, BA will have to pay for the SIN-KUL part even though several people have so far reported agents refusing to do so.

        We’re also travelling at the end of March so am letting the dust settle for a few days. As you are booked in PE, BA via Singapore is probably your best option. If were in that position I’d probably ask for the MH connection to be booked in business class, for the reason you’ve given above and because you are entitled to a reroute “under comparable conditions” which economy is not and MH short haul business probably isn’t that much more generous. Perhaps not something to die in a ditch over, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get….

        • JDB says:

          14 Oct14 October 00:45

          @Mark – while there is a rerouting “under comparable transport conditions” requirement, an airline is still allowed, if necessary, to book you in a lower class but then has to pay the downgrade reimbursement specified in Article 10. That won’t get you any meaningful refund on the sector SIN > KUL but business class also isn’t “comparable transport conditions”.

• 787driver says:

  13 Oct13 October 20:20

  So we have a 2-4-1 booked in Business to/from KL next Feb!
  I have read all these pages and am waiting a couple more days before I make the call.
  I will not accept and SIN flights,it HAS to be to KL and from KL.
  I also understand that it HAS to be in the class I have booked.

  Is there a good number alternative to call or is the online chat working better?
  Many thanks to all

  • Kai says:

    14 Oct14 October 19:53

    Tried both options and online chat worked for me

• Wis says:

  13 Oct13 October 21:55

  Am also holding on for the policy, for now at least.

  Quick question about the 300 mile rule mentioned previously. Does this mean I could request PEN or LGK as an alternative for rebooking, or only SIN/KL? I’m unclear if PEN/KL are covered in any of BA’s joint business agreements. I may have got the wrong end of the stick entirely about this rule!

  • Mark says:

    13 Oct13 October 22:24

    I’m eyeing up Penang with Qatar as we’re planning to go there anyway and it makes the overall logistics easier to go there first and then onto KL. I believe the 300 miles is a BA policy thing, and KUL-PEN is within that. UK261 only requires a reroute to your original destination though, so if they say no, it will have to be KL as originally planned

  • Mark says:

    13 Oct13 October 22:30

    Suggest you do what I have in the meantime and work through some options in preference order, with all the flight details ready for a conversion.

  • JDB says:

    14 Oct14 October 00:49

    @Wis – the 300 mile policy is within BA’s standard guidelines but they generally don’t apply it when they issue guidance for specific route cancellations. Theoretically therefore you might get this option currently but possibly not when the official policy is put in place which must be imminent.

• Jonathan says:

  13 Oct13 October 22:30

  I’ve read every comment on this thread and no one seems to have been offered Malaysian Airlines yet? Is this not strange as its the only other direct option with similar flight times. I really don’t want Singapore or QR as I’m travelling with a 2 and 1 yr old so direct is my only real option.

  • Mark says:

    13 Oct13 October 22:34

    Someone reported yesterday that they did manage to get on a Malaysia Airlines direct flight. As Rob says in the article it is likely a rebooking deal with MH is being drawn up, so worth hanging on a couple of days if that is what you want.

  • JDB says:

    14 Oct14 October 01:43

    Yes, a number of people have already been offered rerouting on MH.

    • qc says:

      14 Oct14 October 08:43

      Where have you seen that MH is being offered?

      I called at 8 this morning and still no agreement.

      • NL says:

        14 Oct14 October 09:55

        I posted [@12:22 12-Oct] that I’d secured a re-route with MH on Saturday.
        It required some gentle push-back from me at their SIN offer, the agent commented there was no agreement in place, but was able to make the reservation / re-ticket.
        IMHO I think you get more positive outcomes when speaking with BA in NCL

        • tony says:

          14 Oct14 October 11:51

          I don’t even bother speaking to BA in India. On the basis I’m only ever calling up to do something complicated, i’ve learnt from bitter experience that the call centre out there only seem capable of the most basic tasks. Sometimes takes a few goes but HUACA and my experience is you’ll eventually get someone in the UK.

• Julian says:

  14 Oct14 October 06:11

  I have a 241 in January and was offered QR

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