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I also received the much expected email last night.
The person I spoke with was actually quite helpful and very sympathetic to the issue and he admitted that they knew this issue was coming (as we all did) and had been taking calls about it for 3 months now.
He said at this stage there were no alternative flights loaded onto the system yet, (which again he agreed was nonsense as they knew this coming) but he strongly advised against cancelling and advised me to call back next week to check again as he expects alternate flights to appear.My flights are business and booked with a companion voucher and avios but he stated that didn’t matter and, if available , I would be put on alternative flights under the same ticket agreement.
So I guess it’s still a waiting game.
Don’t cancel and take a refund. You’ve got an UK261 right to reroute There doesn’t seem to be a official rebooking policy in place yet so just sit on it a while if you’re getting pushback to get rebooked to QR at the moment
Hi Shilly – did you manage to get rerouted via Qatar Airways?
Yes no problem being rerouted with Qatar with great timings as well, no long waits at Doha thank goodness, well at least for now.
For clarity, those who reported rebooking on Qatar or Finnair last winter, or in the near future were able to do so because a rebooking policy was in place with these airlines. The current policy ends towards the end of October, 29th I think. Unless a new policy is agreed for this winter then BA has limited ability
(or willingness) to reroute. They will do so on One World partners based on avios availability in conjuncrion with BA metal regardless of avios availability. I used this to get rebooked already. I have my doubts BA will be able to reach a new agreement with Finnair and Qatar that covers November to mid January due to World Cup and retail value of seats this winter. Thus, I believe best option is to snap up any available routings now while a small number of options are available rather than risk waiting on a new policy. I am surprised and disappointed BA did not attempt to resolve this problem with a wet lease. Developing an attitude with CSAs is not helpful, for the most part I have found them extremely helpful throughout the pandemic and the guy who helped me this morning was absolutely brilliant. I might be taking the scenic route to BKK but so far so good, for the moment I’m going 🙂I am surprised and disappointed BA did not attempt to resolve this problem with a wet lease.🙂
From my conversation earlier, this is being worked on as we speak.
@nick1988, I think sensible option would have been AY, I believe they get a350s back from Eurowings end of October.
For clarity, those who reported rebooking on Qatar or Finnair last winter, or in the near future were able to do so because a rebooking policy was in place with these airlines. The current policy ends towards the end of October, 29th I think. Unless a new policy is agreed for this winter then BA has limited ability
(or willingness) to reroute. They will do so on One World partners based on avios availability in conjuncrion with BA metal regardless of avios availability. I used this to get rebooked already. I have my doubts BA will be able to reach a new agreement with Finnair and Qatar that covers November to mid January due to World Cup and retail value of seats this winter. Thus, I believe best option is to snap up any available routings now while a small number of options are available rather than risk waiting on a new policy. I am surprised and disappointed BA did not attempt to resolve this problem with a wet lease. Developing an attitude with CSAs is not helpful, for the most part I have found them extremely helpful throughout the pandemic and the guy who helped me this morning was absolutely brilliant. I might be taking the scenic route to BKK but so far so good, for the moment I’m going 🙂My reroute was the beginning of January and BA were fine about it so not necessarily true.
@nick1988, I think sensible option would have been AY, I believe they get a350s back from Eurowings end of October.
Yes – you’d think this would be a very sensible proposition for Finnair / BA – I’d personally have no doubt that London-Bangkok and even London-Phuket could work on a “cover your fixed cost hope for some profit” basis for a fleet and crew that would otherwise be idle, maybe fly it out of Gatwick for lower airport charges
When I spoke to BAEC, all they’ve been dealing with had been flight cancellations to BKK. Both people I spoke to were super helpful, due to the amount of pushback they’ve had they said they were working on a replacement service as a matter of urgency (mentioned Thai/Singapore Airways) as a wet lease. And in the meantime they confirmed they’ll waive the 350 mile restriction. Still couldn’t get them to rebook me on QR for the same day though.
I have now received email from BA advising my Flight from BKK is cancelled. I got through to BA on the phone surprisingly quickly and had in mind which Qatar flights I wanted them to book me on. However the flight shown on the Qatar web site (BKK to LHR Via Doha) is not shown on the BA web site so they would not book me on my preferred flight. I said to leave it for time being and would get back to them.
I have an avois booking with 241 voucher for march 2023.
Should I hold out for the flights I want or go with what is shown on BA.Com ?Just tried again and got through to BAEC Silver and they where much more helpful. She said a New Policy was instigated yesterday and it opened up the Qatar flights for rebooking. We got booked on the flights we wanted.
Yup. straight through this afternoon. Tried to book us on a flight leaving at 9pm, quite happy to change it to an earlier flight. All sorted.
Question for petershez and nick1988 – were these avios bookings or cash? when are your flights? did they need reward seat availability?
I have an avios booking with 241 flying out in March 2023 in CW to BKK, return from SIN.
This afternoon was told by the BA call centre, they only have a policy for flights up until October 2022? They would only ‘rebook’ me on qatar if they revoked the 241 and I paid full avios, and ONLY if there was reward availability.
No that’s not true, mine is a 241 avois and I had my outbound rebooked no problem but no availability for my return. Said to try again next week. Not holdIng out much hope that it will be easy but under uk261 they have to reroute me.
Just as an update to this- I took the matter to CEDR after BA provided a final response letter refusing compensation. Provided detailed evidence of all my correspondence and my reboked flights on EVA that I sourced and paid for myself.
BA agreed and paid me the maximum amount of £10,000 (my total costs of rebooking on EVA were £10,200 but I’m happy to move on).Just as an update to this- I took the matter to CEDR after BA provided a final response letter refusing compensation. Provided detailed evidence of all my correspondence and my reboked flights on EVA that I sourced and paid for myself.
BA agreed and paid me the maximum amount of £10,000 (my total costs of rebooking on EVA were £10,200 but I’m happy to move on).Well done, that’s a great result. Unfortunately BA probably relies on the fact that most people can’t or are reluctant to pony up £10k for a few months while it all gets sorted out.
Just as an update to this- I took the matter to CEDR after BA provided a final response letter refusing compensation. Provided detailed evidence of all my correspondence and my reboked flights on EVA that I sourced and paid for myself.
BA agreed and paid me the maximum amount of £10,000 (my total costs of rebooking on EVA were £10,200 but I’m happy to move on).Well done, that’s a great result. Unfortunately BA probably relies on the fact that most people can’t or are reluctant to pony up £10k for a few months while it all gets sorted out.
Thank you- yes it is a shame that one needs serious cash-flow to enforce our consumer rights. I would not have been able to do so a few years ago.
We were also due to fly with BA to Bangkok.
Firstly, we were changed to Finnair via Helsinki. Then Finnair changed to flight coming back to London so we’ve had to book another night’s stay at a hotel. Lastly, only yesterday, the Intercontinental Bangkok emailed to say they wouldn’t be open in time for our visit at the end of February as their renovations would not be finished by this time…They offered “special rates” at 3 other IHG hotels but they weren’t “special” enough.We were also due to fly with BA to Bangkok.
Firstly, we were changed to Finnair via Helsinki. Then Finnair changed to flight coming back to London so we’ve had to book another night’s stay at a hotel. Lastly, only yesterday, the Intercontinental Bangkok emailed to say they wouldn’t be open in time for our visit at the end of February as their renovations would not be finished by this time…They offered “special rates” at 3 other IHG hotels but they weren’t “special” enough.Sorry to hear that – what a nightmare.
Does anyone have any intel on when BA might be reinstating this route, if ever?
Just an update as I posted on here when our 2 4 1 bus flights were cancelled LHR to BKK as BA were no longer flying that route (we’d booked them 355 days before). I pushed to be moved to Qatar bus which they did and we have just completed the flights and having been on many BA bus class long haul over the years using avios & the companion vouchers Qatar was next level service and seat wise. The Q Suites were great, food excellent and the service was far superior (IMO). The only downside was the transit in Doha as opposed to the direct flight we’d booked however I would take the option again. It also shows that if you persevere with the BA cancellations and insist on an alternative carrier rather than accepting a refund it definitely pays off.
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