Workaround found. How to trigger an online British Airways flight refund using Google Chrome

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• John H says:

  6 Apr6 April 12:24

  This still works.
  I just cancelled avios trips to Glasgow and avios trip to Philadelphia (2 people using an Amex 2-4-1). I used the instructions above in the Chrome browser.
  All avios + 2-4-1 voucher have been returned to my account.
  I’ll check the Amex CC account in a couple of days to make sure the refund is there too.

• BlueHorizonuk says:

  6 Apr6 April 13:24

  So it didn’t work for me on my desktop no matter which browser I used.

  I got it to work on my iPad using Safari. Go to the refund page and then go to settings on your iPad and Safari and turn off Javascript. Go back to Safari and click continue. When refund page opens up, go back to settings to turn on javascript. Back to safari and refund was done. Points back immediately and cash back in 2 days.

• Jay H says:

  6 Apr6 April 15:36

  BA cancelled one of the flights of a return booking so I used the method above to claim a refund. Today they sent me a refund for the half amount paid. What’s the next step I should take please?

• meta says:

  6 Apr6 April 18:53

  I had an Avios flight on 25th May from Lyon that was just cancelled. The Manage My Booking page is completely different from anything I’ve seen before, just a white page and saying you can apply for voucher or cancel. I tried the workaround before clicking and it’s not working. Looks like it’s dead for cancelled Avios bookings.

  • Steve says:

    6 Apr6 April 21:48

    Exactly the same here. Definitely doesn’t work for cancelled flights on Avios bookings.

    • Ben says:

      7 Apr7 April 10:02

      Same here too – there’s a new splash page for disruptions and JavaScript disabling does not help anymore unfortunately. For flights that are not yet cancelled, it still works though. What a great way to make people call their CS even more! -_-

  • Jonathan Blake says:

    7 Apr7 April 11:42

    Agree. This no longer works for cancelled Avios bookings. The only way to get a refund of Avios and Taxes is to call BA, but when I’ve tried. I don’t even get into the queue. Does anyone know what the Travel voucher is for an Avios booking? Is it a cash value or an Avios value?

  • Grant H says:

    7 Apr7 April 11:53

    Agreed, BA have sneakily stopped this from working by removing the consent page entirely once your booking has been confirmed as cancelled. I managed to do it last week using the method above but not for a booking that was cancelled today.

    • Ariff R says:

      7 Apr7 April 13:02

      So I guess we just got to accept the vouchers? How does it work? I will get Avios returned plus the tax as a cash voucher? Does ringing up the call centre get me anything?

      • Rhys says:

        7 Apr7 April 13:06

        No, call BA and get a proper refund, although I tried just now and the lines appear to be busy.

        • Ariff R says:

          7 Apr7 April 14:53

          Ok – ‭0800 727800‬ seems to be the consolidated phone number they’re working on, unless there’s another I’m missing…

        • Rhys says:

          7 Apr7 April 15:19

          Yep that’s the one – don’t select any of the options, just wait. You should (unless the lines are very backed up) hear the usual BA hold music after all the options are given.

    • Hugh says:

      7 Apr7 April 18:52

      I posted last night that I could get as far as the refund page, although its not obvious you are on the refund page at first as most of the form is hidden, and the trick is to press enter, not use the mouse. I have just tried again and its still working!

      But I have not submitted the form as mine is an Avios booking and I am confused by the last line in the Ts and Cs which states…. If these items were booked with Avios and you are an Executive Club member, follow the ‘View my bookings’ link from your account home page.

      This suggests to me that I have ended up on a form which should not be used for Avios bookings!

• Peter S says:

  6 Apr6 April 19:45

  After receiving BA’s cancellation notice on March 25 for both of my one way reward flights, I immediately tried this work around on the same day. My flight was scheduled to leave on Apr 3 and I received the refund for one of my one way flights after the scheduled departure time. Hopefully my other one way gets refunded on the same day too. Many thanks!!!

  • Peter S says:

    7 Apr7 April 15:33

    Refunded posted yesterday on my cc! Thanks again

• Simon says:

  7 Apr7 April 10:24

  I got 5 emails about cancelled flights yesterday, 4 I’d already cancelled. The 5th was an Avios booking and still showed as operating in Manage My Booking, I cancelled it straight away using the workaround, given the 50p cancellation fee that seemed a much more preferable route to go down.

• joe says:

  7 Apr7 April 15:38

  just worked for me!

  • Richard Relief says:

    7 Apr7 April 19:08

    yep most of the people saying it doesn’t work any more are just user error people

    well, all of them, actually

    of course it still works, just read the thread through start to finish properly and follow instructions carefully

    • Waribai says:

      7 Apr7 April 22:08

      I can envisage this working for bookings that are not yet cancelled but are you saying that this still also works for bookings that BA have already cancelled? Those seem to go to a new landing page after you click MMB……..

    • Steve says:

      7 Apr7 April 23:16

      That’s an incorrect statement. Numerous people have mentioned that it does not work for avios bookings on cancelled flights.

• Ian W says:

  7 Apr7 April 21:00

  Maybe I’ve missed this somewhere but…
  I have a 2-4-1 booking in First to SJC, flying 22nd May 2020. If a take the cash and Avios refund my 2-4-1 will be extended to Feb 2021. If I take the voucher I get the option to rebook upto 12 months from original flight so 22nd May 2021.
  My questions
  Is the voucher an option on 2-4-1 booking?
  If so what do I get? Is it the equivalent cash value of the two return flights?

  Apologies if someone else has asked/answered this before.

  • Steve O'Harat says:

    8 Apr8 April 13:17

    Ian I had exactly the same query. It almost makes sense to take the voucher in this situation as it would appear we would have longer to use it compared to using a 241 refunded voucher.
    The replies I got said that it’s a legal right to request to have exactly the same flights rebooked for you at any point in the future – thereby having nothing to do with vouchers or refunds at all.
    The danger of accepting the odd voucher from BA was that we’ve no idea what format it takes, whether it will be a massive load of avios that we can use on a reward flight within the next 12 months (would need to be worth double the avios we actually booked with seeing as we used a 241!) and a cash element to it which will cover the taxes and charges we paid when booking? Further concern would be if BA decide to change how many avios it costs to redeem for reward seats. This concern will be valid no matter what way you get refunded though, other than getting BA to rebook you as mentioned at the beginning.

    • Ian says:

      8 Apr8 April 16:16

      Steve
      Did you manage to get an official response from BA?
      I have tweeted them to see if I get a definitive answer, but I don’t expect a quick response.
      My thinking is that a 12 month voucher would be better than the 6 month extension, as we would like to replan our trip at the same time of the year.
      It was a 30th wedding anniversary trip, with the plan to be away on our anniversary.

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