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Hi
My seat map in Club world is full for my flight on Friday and expert flyer reports only one blocked seat.
I know things may change but it’s looking like a very over booked flight.
If I am downgraded at check in or the gate, what am I asking for?
ANU-LGW in Club on Avios BA Amex 241 voucher.
Thanks
I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s likely that BA have already pre allocated all seats for the flight.
You will know for sure when OLCI opens on Thursday.
Thanks Alex. I’m a lowly Bronze and was trying to choose my seats 7 days before but couldn’t. No seat number showing in MMB. There’s a few other people at my hotel on same flight and they have seat numbers but one of them is GGL.
Did you post about this on flyertalk ? I would say it is oversold as they’d only be “shadow” allocating seats 3 days in advance. It’s also pretty unlikely for changes on an inbound at this stage.
Saturday is full too as is Virgin so I suspect if there is a downgrade situation you or whoever is unlucky is going to have to accept it. You’ll be entitled to 75% of the fare paid (Avios for both of you) + 75% of the fees (not taxes)
Be careful accepting anything at check in / gate and you’ll need to take this up with BA when you get home. There will likely be a bit of a fight e..g BA saying the voucher had no Avios value but stick with it and you’ll get it in the end maybe via CEDR or MCOL
Thanks Sam. Yes that was me. Is there anything I can do before the flight to try and dodge being the downgraded couple? Get to airport early? Refuse? I booked these flights on 27/12/22 – but I am assuming I am being targeted as I was too tight to pay for seats?
And when you say 75% – is that 75% of the 180000 Avios it cost with the voucher, or is it the 360000 it would have cost without the voucher?
I paid £900 but unsure how to get breakdown of what is fees and what is tax?
Despite all the posts about downgrades airlines are pretty good at getting the numbers right so in the scheme of things they are very small in number.
That’s not to minimise the inconvenience to the individual.
Friday is still a long way off and there could be cancellations by other passengers that will reduce any possible over booking.
BA don’t appear to be selling any club seats on Fridays flight so that tells me they have already taken measures to reduce demand.
Worst case scenario, you might be flying home in Economy.
If that happens, you can claim 75% of the cost of the flight (the return segment only).
You should value the Avios at what you would pay if you had to buy them. 90000 Avios would cost £1595.55.
If you look at the email that contained your eticket at the time you booked, it should tell you the breakdown of the £900. I’ve just looked at my last redemption to the US, which says;
“Fare Details – GBP700.00 + Tax/Fee/Charge GBP0.00 = GBP 700.00
Fare breakdown – The price of your ticket includes a carrier imposed charge or fuel surcharge, where applicable, per sector levied by the carrier. For Reward Flight Saver bookings all taxes, fees and charges are paid by British Airways.”My reading of that is you should get back 75% of half of the £900 as well. So a further £337.50. Total £1930.
Personally, I would think I had hit the jackpot if I got a refund from BA of nearly £2k, but expect to have to fight for it.
Because of how much it will cost BA to downgrade you, they might be open to putting you on the next available flight with J availability. If they do that, they are liable for hotel costs and meals until they fly you home.
Do let us know what happens. There will be people on here who can advise you how to pursue BA on an EC261 claim if you are downgraded.
I believe BA or CEDR will give you back Avios but it should be 75% of the cost for 2 (as voucher is form of payment) so 75%
Thanks Sam. Yes that was me. Is there anything I can do before the flight to try and dodge being the downgraded couple? Get to airport early? Refuse? I booked these flights on 27/12/22 – but I am assuming I am being targeted as I was too tight to pay for seats?
And when you say 75% – is that 75% of the 180000 Avios it cost with the voucher, or is it the 360000 it would have cost without the voucher?
I paid £900 but unsure how to get breakdown of what is fees and what is tax?
Agree with the others – things can and do change, I’d be less optimistic about inbound from the Caribbean personally but you just don’t know whereas the BA algos do and very often get it right!
From what I understand nothing you can do will help, they’ll be told by HQ who to downgrade and what to do with them. BA outstations in the main have very little authority.
You should ask for 75% of both lots of Avios (as the voucher was paid in lieu). BA or CEDR would give you back the Avios. If you go to MCOL you should ask for the cash value at the price BA sells for as your claim amount
I think the cash would be worked out as half the amount you paid minus any unavoidable taxe and fees. You could request your eticket from Finnair MMB and see what values there look like they related to flying out of Antigua (airport fees etc). But come back and someone can check your numbers for sure
As you’ll see it’s potentially quite rewarding to be downgraded. They don’t have to offer a reroute/delay but could be something to negotiate if the local station is able to (noting that there are no CW seats on Saturday either) but you’d lose any right to the downgrade repayment
That’s really helpful Alex thank you. Would probably prefer to come home on that flight and pursue the claim than spend more time here.
My e-ticket says;
“GBP900.00 + Tax/Fee/Charge GBP0.00 = GBP 900.00”
So I think your example maths are correct.
Let’s see what happens and now I know the options I can get on with the rest of my holiday and not stress about it.
I really appreciate everyone’s help thank you.
If SamG is right about basing your claim on 360000 Avios, then even better.
Although re routing is often an option, you probably don’t want to be re-routed via the USA. You would need an ESTA and need to clear Customs and Immigration before your connecting flight. And most flights from the US would get you back to LHR instead of LGW.
You might want to see if there is any option to return on Friday via another Caribbean airport, but personally I would just enjoy the rest of my holiday and see what happens on Friday.
@Geoggy as you say, best not to worry as there’s little you can do, but hopefully you may be alright. If there is any issue, some of the comments aren’t quite right and make the prospect of downgrading more attractive than the reality.
Downgrade reimbursement is on a per sector basis, so you should be refunded 67,500 Avios per person, plus 75% of the TFC not paid away, so approx £225 – £60 x 75% = c. £124 per person. It’s the same whether you are downgraded one class or two classes. You have no entitlement to ask BA for that at the cash purchase price of Avios initially, but can do that at CEDR or MCOL if BA doesn’t pay up and instead offers you the difference in classes (which would only be 42,500 Avios pp for a downgrade to WTP).
Downgrading doesn’t give any rights to rerouting or oblige BA to pay for a hotel/food if you choose to fly on another day with club seats rather than take the downgrade, but BA will often cover the hotel on a goodwill basis, so you need to get that explicitly agreed. You also don’t get the downgrade reimbursement in the same way as you get to keep cancellation/delay compensation if you ask to travel later.
BA are under no obligation to reroute you following a downgrade.
They may but if they do it’s my understanding any extra costs you incur won’t be reimbursed as it would be seen as a voluntary change.
Well they release the seat with the cot.
Nothing else. OLCI opens later today….
Well they released the seat with the cot.
Nothing else. OLCI opens later today….
🤞
“Weƒ?Tre sorry, we cannot complete online check-in for your flight on this occasion. Please proceed to the airport with your required documentation (including any vaccination and Covid test certificates that are necessary) to check-in and collect your boarding pass.”
Downgrade it is?
Downgrade it is?
Not necessarily. That message often appears when travelling from outstations.
Ok – thank you
I had this returning from GCM in August. OH and son on same booking had no issues with OLCI. Check in staff at the airport couldn’t explain it. Go figure!
What happened? Did you get your Club World seats?
Reading the thread over on FlyerTalk one passenger was downgraded to WTP. I am hoping this doesn’t happen to me with my flights to and from Singapore next year.
Do we have any data points for only one passenger on a 241 being downgraded?
Data points would be good as BA have only offered me £300 compensation so it looks like I am taking them to CEDR
Data points would be good as BA have only offered me £300 compensation so it looks like I am taking them to CEDR
Has BA offered any explication as to how the £300 is calculated and whether that is the total sum they are proposing by way of reimbursement/compensation?
Hi
So they just offered £300 with no explanation.
I replied quoting EC261 stuff and asking for 75% of Avios and fees for that leg and I got this reply back……
“ We understand your concerns, but downgrade compensation is calculated according to UK guidelines, and distance does not determine it. It’s determined by the cabin you were downgraded into. And can send your booking to our Avios team for a fare difference refund as well.”
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