BA cancelled flight, rebooking alternative 8h earlier, what are my options?
Discuss today's stories:
-
We’re flying early June from Pisa to LHR. BA have cancelled the 20:00 flight and offered to rebook us on the 12:00 flight.
This is a significant inconvenience for us, as it’s hard for us to get to the airport so much earlier with our current plans, and also means we basically lose a whole day of holiday.
Since it’s so far in advance, my understanding is that we are not due any compensation. We are however due a refund or suitable rebooking. The closest flight is a 18:15 Ryanair to Stansted. Can I get BA to rebook us onto this and cover the cost of our taxi home, since Stansted is not LHR?
They’ve told me on chat I can either accept the 12:00 reschedule, or take the refund. But as I understand the UK law 261 it seems as if I accept the refund then I won’t then be able to make a claim?
Anyone have any advice on how to get BA to be more reasonable here, or any rights I have which I should push more strongly for?
Thanks!@flightsforpoints – BA can’t and won’t book you onto the Ryanair flight as Ryanair isn’t plumbed into traditional airline systems. In principle though, you can book the Ryanair flights and claim from BA after you have flown. It’s best to tell BA that’s what you intend to do and ask for that to be noted in your booking. If the FR flights are cheaper or not a meaningful amount more, then you can ask for a refund from BA and not be out of pocket until June or later. Again, after this is noted on your booking, you could ask for a refund and just claim the difference thereby reducing the claim/amount you are out of pocket. As you have identified no compensation is due as you have been notified more than 14 days in advance.
You could take a BA flight the next day (assuming there is one, I’ve not checked the schedules). BA will let you move a few days either side without a fuss normally when a flight is cancelled.
You’re unlikely to get anywhere with a Ryanair re-booking, given that BA have offered you a flight the same day. It’s annoying, but just the way it is. It would be worth checking whether you would be better off getting a refund and booking the Ryanair flight yourself, but no chance of BA paying the taxi fare.
@flightsforpoints – BA can’t and won’t book you onto the Ryanair flight as Ryanair isn’t plumbed into traditional airline systems. In principle though, you can book the Ryanair flights and claim from BA after you have flown. It’s best to tell BA that’s what you intend to do and ask for that to be noted in your booking. If the FR flights are cheaper or not a meaningful amount more, then you can ask for a refund from BA and not be out of pocket until June or later. Again, after this is noted on your booking, you could ask for a refund and just claim the difference thereby reducing the claim/amount you are out of pocket. As you have identified no compensation is due as you have been notified more than 14 days in advance.
PS as @Matt has said, BA won’t pay your taxi home from Stansted although the regulations require them to provide transport from Stansted to Heathrow which could be useful if eg your car were parked there.
BA have done the same to me for an avios booking in September to Istanbul. The flight times offered are not workable due to childcare issues.
Turkish Airlines have a range of flights which would work. If I call and request moving to one of those, are they likely to cause a fuss? Anything I can do to help myself here?
BA have done the same to me for an avios booking in September to Istanbul. The flight times offered are not workable due to childcare issues.
Turkish Airlines have a range of flights which would work. If I call and request moving to one of those, are they likely to cause a fuss? Anything I can do to help myself here?
Yes, I fear BA will make a fuss about rebooking on TK but they might agree to reroute you indirectly with via one of the LH group carriers.
Thanks JDB. Okay I’ll do some research and then call in and see what they say.
BTW there are BA flights from Florence and Bologna airports. Both airports are easy to get to from the main railway stations.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
