BA cancelled Sat SOU PMI flight rebooked LGW PMI but charge to change return
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yesterday email from BA cancelled SOU PMI Sat 7 Sep 23 flight . Now no direct flts on Saturday so rebooked from LGW via call centre LGW PMI . However seems return flight PMI SOU is still operating so if we want to book PMI LGW they will apply change fees.
We have 2 pnr’s – they agreed no fee on one so all rebooked LGWPMILGW no fee. But in second PNR they insist on £35 pp change fee (avios booking). Any thoughts?I think the problem here is that it’s 2 separate bookings so the fact that one leg has been cancelled doesn’t give you any rights in respect of the other one. There are pros and cons to separate bookings and this is one of the downsides. It is a bit mean of BA to expect you to fly out of LGW and back into SOU but they are technically right in respect of the Ts and Cs.
To clarify there are 2 bookings one for I pax and the other for 2pax. Both bookings were originally Sou Pmi Sou .
It seems that you have already accepted a re-routing.
Once accepted any future changes are billing as per your ticketing conditions, e.g. change fees etc.
Unfortunately, you should have questioned this before accepting a re-route. £35pp isn’t too bad considering.
Technically BA may just about be able to get away with this.
You could try asking if they’d allow it as within 300 miles and you wouldn’t be doing it except due to their unwanted changes.
If that fails they are of course liable for your costs of transport from SOU to LGW due to their change. Which could maybe cost them more especially if any of your party is unable to take regular public transport and might need a cab/minicab booking (or I’d be charging them per mile for extra miles in car at same rate HMRC lets me claim taxfree as that is an official rate based on govt cost estimation for motoring – istr it’s at least 50p per mile). You’d be claiming this separately for each of the two reservations naturally assuming there was someone on each reservation that needed this. Or you could point out car parking will also now cost you more at Gatwick so you are not being unreasonable.
The other thing you have the right to do is to still insist on SOU PMI that you booked, on another carrier even by an indirect route – check if there is one. You have this right to reroute at no cost and no change cost no matter how far ahead they cancel your flight. Perhaps mentioning this and any flight routing you’ve found on another airline might help them see sense.
Don’t pay them under any circumstances as it’s all 1 ticket for each passenger and they are causing this mess not you
EDIT seen Stephenhp1987’s post made meanwhile and he is correct you’ve blown it by accepting a change on one leg without getting the whole ticket changed in your 1 go – all you can do now is try the 300 mile concession they offer sometimes whilst pointing out costs of each reservation’s journey to Gatwick etc
In future this reminds us you need to take as long as you need to understand the whole impact for you before you accept even a partial change by them as you only get 1 go. You may get lucky and get another go if they change something else.
I still wouldn’t pay them though on principle. It feels like being bullied so I’d look into how much it can turn out to need to cost them if they carry on.
Unfortunately @Lady London is correct, they only have to provide an alternative for the cancelled flight. They used to be more consistently flexible about this but now they’re not always. Presumably you want to fly together so I think you’ll have to swallow the £35pp – at least there is availability!
If you’re taking a taxi or public transport to LGW on the Saturday then make claims for these when you return. BA won’t pay mileage or car parking IME though worth a try
Apologies, I read it as 1 PNR for the outbound and another one for the inbound. But yes, never accept any changes without a good deal of consideration!
Tganks so much for all the great teplies
Gets worse on pnr 1 (1pax) they agreed to change the booking to PMI LgW on the return as well no fee. However when we called to change PNr. 2 ( 2 pax) they refused to change without fee. I have called 3 times to no avail and they just say that the person who changed PNR 1 shoukdn’t have 😱 Total cluster ! I now have 1 person routed LFW PMI LGw and the other 2 LGW PMI / PMI SOU. Bookings were seperate as one was using BCARd avios uograde and the other 2 using avios (ni 2 for 1) . Tgere us even avios availability on the return PMI LGw.Either you call in and change PNR 1 to PMI SOU or PNR 2 to PMI LGW – either is going to attract a fee. Depends how you’re getting to the airport and if different departure/arrival is going to be a big deal. Southampton to Gatwick isn’t difficult by rail and you could send the tickets to BA to pay so that could be an option if you wanted to land back to SOU
I don’t see BA budging on this and you’ve got no rights in the matter to force them to. Better would have been to discuss both bookings at the same time and only make a change once aligned as you do only get 1 shot FOC
Update: so called BA again (Avios option) to change return to LGW and prepared to suck up £70 fee. Agent put me on hold and then said there would be no fee to change return as was a result of their cancellation of outbound . Go figure , Happy Days !
Great! That is the logical outcome of course. To be fair to BA they are consistently inconsistent 🤪
Great! That is the logical outcome of course. To be fair to BA they are consistently inconsistent 🤪
🤣👍
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