British Airways will refund ALL flights to 31st May for a voucher – but should you say no?

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• Hem says:

  17 Mar17 March 15:52

  With the new FCO advice, Do you think it’s likely that my NRT flight will be cancelled? I’m due to travel on Thursday but hope it gets cancelled so that I receive a refund rather than I having to request a voucher.

• Scott says:

  17 Mar17 March 16:51

  Further datapoint – just received an email explaining my ZRH-LCY flight over Easter was cancelled and I’m entitled to a refund. But the “Cancel and rebook flight(s)” button on that page links to their voucher (Future Travel Voucher Application) option – to get a refund I apparently have to call. Because obviously neither I nor call centre staff have anything better to do.

  I appreciate business is tough but am not sure this sort of behaviour helps, however many people they manage to trick into taking their voucher rather than a refund.

  • CapeCam says:

    17 Mar17 March 18:59

    Exactly the same happened to me on WAW to LHR no option online to refund – just travel voucher . This is no accident – they want to keep your cash

  • Anna says:

    17 Mar17 March 19:16

    Yes BA has done this with loads of bookings. I managed to cancel my award seats to MIA by calling You First but I still need to call again to cancel bookings for other cabins. The CSA wasn’t aware and agreed it would just make more people ring the call centres!

    • meta says:

      17 Mar17 March 19:45

      Same experience as you Anna. Called You First, surprised how quickly they picked up (2 min). It was around 4pm today. I am not yet cancelling my end of May flights. Advisory is only in place for 30 days, so I am waiting. I also have a trip to Portugal/Cape Verde in the second half of June. That one will be interesting if I need to cancel.

      • Anna says:

        17 Mar17 March 20:49

        So you blinked as well?!

        • meta says:

          17 Mar17 March 22:19

          I did it in a way I think I minimised the costs only to that £70. Managed to get all things refunded, including a restaurant pre-booking. Only waiting for refund for my flight from Japan to Singapore. But that was due at the end of the trip, so I just sent them a message. Hoping that Amex Plat insurance will cover it. They’ve been good to me in the past.

          It was nerve wrecking and really needed to get over this. Just too much stress worrying about everything. Helping my mum with her business going online for at least two weeks and my dad going on unwanted leave (he works in Sheraton). My partner won’t be celebrating his 40th in Park Hyatt Kyoto, but hey ho, he will be 40 for another 12 months, so we can celebrate with nice trips in the second half of the year as we now have 14 working days of holidays left! Onwards and upwards.

        • Anna says:

          18 Mar18 March 06:39

          Was your cancellation option greyed out altogether or just directing you to a voucher? Mine was the former so I’m wondering if that was the reason the CSA said it had to be done manually, including the Avios and voucher. I’m now wondering what will happen with my GCM flights as apparently that route may keep operating so we can send medicines and medical staff (we’re not allowed to visit but we can send UK tax payer funded support!)

        • meta says:

          18 Mar18 March 07:25

          @Anna When you first mentioned it, it was greyed out. But before I called, I checked again and it was directing me to the voucher.

  • Jimmy the builder says:

    17 Mar17 March 23:22

    Same for me too – LHR-MUC on Friday, click to refund, and instead all you get is a voucher application form.

• Omar says:

  17 Mar17 March 17:38

  After having gift cards for Mothercare not being honoured even when the company was still trading has left a very sour taste in my mouth with regards to gift cards and vouchers. I would like my refund. Got a flight to AUH in 5 days time, been offerend the voucher but waiting for the cancellation to come through. At the moment there are only 10% of seats reserved…

  • Danksy says:

    17 Mar17 March 17:47

    Don’t hold your breath – my flights to Las Vegas on Sunday have been cancelled – when I go through the cancellation process it doesn’t give an option to receive a cash refund – is directs you to receive a voucher!

    • Omar says:

      17 Mar17 March 17:51

      Rubbish, I guess I will call them T-72 hours and try my luck.

  • Lady London says:

    17 Mar17 March 20:31

    Ditto. I lost an albeit small gift voucher when Evans Cycles went bust. They are now back trading but they won’t honour the voucher.

    • Shoestring says:

      17 Mar17 March 20:49

      presumably they would say it’s a different company with the same name (but without the old liabilities)

      Virgin Reborn when the prepack arrives?

      • Lady London says:

        17 Mar17 March 21:57

        Exactly.

• Nadeshka says:

  17 Mar17 March 19:05

  I’ve finally given up on our trip to Japan next month (which included the hotel booking with our Virgin Red prize voucher unfortunately, no idea on the Ts and C’s of that…shall find out soon enough!)

  Will probably get a refund for our avios tickets, but does anyone know what the terms are for rebooking if we went the voucher route?
  Would we still need redemption availability to use it? Only advantage I could see over getting our cash, avios & 241 back.

  • Anna says:

    17 Mar17 March 19:18

    I think one of the articles stated that there needs to be award availability, so check back over the last couple of days. If so it’s a big risk.

  • Lady London says:

    17 Mar17 March 20:48

    If you really want to travel ask for a reroute if they’re cancelling your flight. Reason is there does not have to be award availability for them to reroute you. I’d sort out the hotel another way even paying my own. But if I know when else I’m travelling then perhaps a call to Virgin or the hotel might get you some flexibility?

    • meta says:

      18 Mar18 March 00:20

      You can’t travel now anyway to Japan unless you want to do 14-day self-quarantine. Just read on Japanese news. Your insurance now might help.

      • Benilyn says:

        18 Mar18 March 09:08

        Do you have a link to this?

      • Lady London says:

        18 Mar18 March 18:20

        I’d be asking for a reroute much further out to protect me from either being gouged for cash or lack of avios seats – a reroute soon is going to be still questionable as to usability for a while. So if I could negotiate being rebooked much later if I still want to do the trip, I would try for that. Otherwise take refund not voucher to protect against the above 2 risks.

        • Nadeshka says:

          18 Mar18 March 20:19

          Thanks, just checked and we have officially been cancelled BA19 to Osaka on 15th April.
          So at least even if I do nothing (or rather can’t get through to anyone which sounds likely) we should get a refund. But will research dates and see if we can get rebooked next year.
          Going to be tight as we need to do it before the little one turns 2 and costs us a chunk more avios.
          Cancellation policy for Virgin holidays was 50% if more than 36 days away, but by the time they get back to me it won’t be! Hoping they might be more generous given circumstances, maybe a travel voucher. Travel insurance is not covering anything since pandemic was declared.
          Other bookings were Hilton and Hyatt and their response has been great, makes me more loyal for sure.

• Patricia says:

  17 Mar17 March 19:37

  If your booking is with Avios are they giving you a refund? and if so in avio points? can you get a voucher for the booking made with Avios?

  • Shoestring says:

    17 Mar17 March 19:42

    please read the threads/ comments – thanks

    • Mr(s) Entitled says:

      17 Mar17 March 20:54

      There are 650+ and the comments, as you well know, are not easy to navigate. If you know the answer, would it have taken much longer to type a helpful response? Let’s all operate with kindness in what are trying times for many.

      • james says:

        17 Mar17 March 21:06

        +1

        It would have taken the same effort to answer

        • Mr(s) Entitled says:

          18 Mar18 March 07:25

          You assume I know the answer. Don’t assume.

      • Shoestring says:

        17 Mar17 March 21:11

        OK – I usually do precisely that

        • Mr(s) Entitled says:

          17 Mar17 March 21:40

          Fair point and duly noted.

      • Lady London says:

        17 Mar17 March 23:10

        TBH kindness is getting overstretched when there are multiple posts with questions that are common with the question actually having been answered yet again 3 – 5 posts up!

• Peter Taysum says:

  17 Mar17 March 19:41

  BA cancelled part of my holiday; I’d already agreed to a “voucher” but today they said “we’ve cancelled part so you’re entitled to a refund”.

  • Shoestring says:

    17 Mar17 March 19:44

    good result

    I’m hanging on for cancellations as well (28th)

    my wife had a ticket to see her mum in hospital this coming weekend – Ryanair just sent an email saying she can’t fly, press this button for a refund or that button to re-ticket

    all done in 30 seconds

    • Lady London says:

      17 Mar17 March 20:41

      Is she able to change to other flights still operating? Read Ryanair has cancelled loads.

    • Peter Taysum says:

      18 Mar18 March 11:25

      But, no email confirming cancellation. I think there’s IT systems are over-stretched and wonder if anything that involves refund is going “centrally” to be looked at…

  • Lady London says:

    17 Mar17 March 22:00

    Guessing that’s because actually that’s what ATOL requires them to do.

• Cllr says:

  17 Mar17 March 20:33

  What’s the current policy on paid seat reservations? I’ve got a couple of long haul avios redemptions with paid seats in CW to SIN. If I cancel the flights are BA refunding the seat reservations as well or will I loose the money? If so I guess it’s worth holding on for a cancellation.

  • Rob says:

    17 Mar17 March 21:22

    You lose it if you cancel.

• Martin C says:

  17 Mar17 March 21:06

  Hello
  I have two first class seats Lon to Nairobi booked with Avios and a 241 voucher to travel in early May. I am trying to find info relating to what the conditions would be if I took the refund voucher option on these flights. Does the refund provide the cash equivalent for example or will it be avios and a 241 to re use? Any advice would be great thank you

  • meta says:

    17 Mar17 March 22:25

    Your flight is in May. FCO advisory is only for 30 days, so until 17 April (it can be extended of course).

    Please do not call BA or do anything to your booking until at least 25th April. This way you can make a more informed decision.

  • roberto says:

    18 Mar18 March 08:08

    If you cancel an award you get the money back less £35 per ticket as well as your avios redeposited into your account.

    If they cancel it will be the same but you also get the £35 back if you dont fly or you are also able to ask for a reroute if you want to fly ( assuming the situation allows ).

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