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Hi all,
had a LGW – FAO avios booking changed by 1 hour 45 minutes earlier. Unfortunately this now means I won’t be able to make the flight as I can’t make it to Gatwick in time (travelling by train from the North)
the change message says if you need to amend the flight as a result please call us (no online options offered)
but as it’s less than 2 hours what will they offer me? I’m aware there is/was a 2 hour policy for changes… I wouldn’t want much just a simple change to a later LHR – FAO flight that day or even a refund without a cancellation fee, would they do that?
seems poor if not given the change has genuinely affected me and i’d just want a simple re-accommodation to allow me to travel
I have silver status if it means anything but doubt it would in this instance?
thanks for any advice
Per BA’s conditions of carriage it states the following:
9a) Schedules9a1) The flight times shown in our timetables may change between the date of publication and the date you actually travel. We do not guarantee these flight times to you and they do not form part of your contract of carriage with us.
9a2) Before we accept your booking, we or our authorised agents will tell you the scheduled departure time of your flight and it will be shown on your ticket or itinerary and receipt. We may need to change the scheduled departure time of your flight after your ticket has been sent to you or to change the scheduled departure terminal for your flight. If you give us or our authorised agents contact information, we or they will try to let you know about any changes.
9a3) If, after you buy your ticket:
– we make a significant change to the scheduled departure time of your flight;
– you find this change unacceptable; and
– we or our authorised agents cannot book you on another flight which you are prepared to accept;
we will give you an involuntary fare refund.As you say BA tends to consider a significant change as 2 hours but I’d consider 1hr45m significant. I can only suggest calling BA and asking if they will allow you to change to a different flight. They may not agree though.
Your rights improve if the flight number has changed or the time change notification is less than 7 days before the flight.
How long before the original flight time were you planning to arrive at LGW? Given the state of the rail system in the north, this sounds like it was always going to be a massive risk!
I do think BA will consider 1 hour 45 mins as a significant change, but you have the option of cancelling for £35pp and rebooking, if you can find other award seats. Or can you change your train ticket and travel down to LGW the night before (this is what I would be doing regardless!)?
First thing probably is to call BA and see what they can offer though.
@alexm – BA considers over two hours to be a significant change that allows rebooking and over four hours additionally offers a refund and both of these are concessions by BA rather than any statutory requirement.
There is a (theoretically binding) CJEU decision that says a flight brought forward by one hour is tantamount to a cancellation so giving rise to rerouting rights, but BA doesn’t seem to think it applies to them but you can try!
How long before the original flight time were you planning to arrive at LGW? Given the state of the rail system in the north, this sounds like it was always going to be a massive risk!
I do think BA will consider 1 hour 45 mins as a significant change, but you have the option of cancelling for £35pp and rebooking, if you can find other award seats. Or can you change your train ticket and travel down to LGW the night before (this is what I would be doing regardless!)?
First thing probably is to call BA and see what they can offer though.
You’re rather making the assumption there that @alexm has an avios booking. There is no mention of it being so in the post.
If it’s a cash booking then there is no cancelling for £ 35!
But even if this is an avios booking why should Alex be £35 the poorer?
The the rail system in the “north” isn’t as bad as you make it out to be. The north covers many routes and just because there are issues where you are it doesn’t mean there are eleswhere!
My advice is Alex should call and simply ask to be put onto the LHR flight amd see how that goes. “My Gatwick flight has a schedule change which doesn’t suit but there is an LHT flight does can you put me in that please?”
And certainly no mentioning test they are aware of the schedule change policy!
Best to ask BA, and check your travel insurance.
@Flyer/Stayer, the first thing OP says is that it’s an avios booking!
How bad the rail system in the north is varies wildly from one service to the next. I wouldn’t do that journey the same day, I’ve had too many trains delayed and cancelled to risk it.
And my advice was actually to call BA and discuss the options.
Did you even read my post or just get out of bed in a contrary mood 🤷♀️😂
I hadn’t noticed that Alexm has an Avios flight. If there is Avios availability on another flight at a more suitable time then it should be possible to pay the £35 change fee and move the flight. It would definitely be worth calling BA. Alternatively if more than 24 hours before the outbound it should be possible to cancel the entire reservation and just buy a cash flight on EasyJet or Ryanair assuming the cash price is acceptable.
Hi all,
Thanks for the responses, currently out in Brazil so will give BA a call on my return but just wanted to see any advice in advance. It is an avios booking but there is me and my wife so as such a £70 cancellation fee is a pretty sour feeling given they have changed the flight substantially in this circumstance for me (whether they class it as that or not). Again thanks for the responses and i’ll update with what BA offer me (or the negative side of me already believes what they won’t offer me)
Thanks for the advice everyone, as promised here is the result: Initially was quoted the 2 hour policy however after explaining the issues and that I was only looking for a minimal change, I managed to get on an alternative flight that had avios availability and the £35 was waived. Good on the agent, a small gesture went along way to me as the customer
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