British Airways changes its ‘Book with Confidence’ policy (again)

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• David C says:

  25 Jan25 January 18:13

  Hey Rob, I totally agree with you with the last section about the voucher deadline, I am not booking some trips because of a worry that even 30 April 2022 is too soon, considering the government say they are thinking everyone will be vaccinated by end of September, that leaves only 7 months to use. Plus other countries may not let us in, considering their vaccination schedule and infection rate.

  • Alex Sm says:

    27 Jan27 January 02:35

    This vaccination deadline will fall very soon given what we hear from the news. You need to be in Israel, China or Russia to get vaccinated any time soon

• Feargus says:

  25 Jan25 January 18:28

  How does the Book with Confidence policy apply to flights booked with Avios. If I decide to cancel, but the flight still goes ahead, do I get the Avios back and the cancellation fee in a voucher (it is a Reward Flight Saver so £35), or does the normal policy apply so I lose the £35? If this is the case then I feel that there is more flexibility with a cash booking, as a BA voucher is likely to be used.

  • memesweeper says:

    25 Jan25 January 19:38

    You get the Avios and the fees into the voucher. No £35 lost

    • Tony says:

      25 Jan25 January 19:53

      I’ve found out first hand however that these avios ftv’s aren’t all that straightforward to redeem given the way they are held on the system. However you do retain the option of taking the ftv’s then deciding at some stage after that to tip back into Avios and pay the maximum £35 per ticket cancellation fee.

• A says:

  25 Jan25 January 18:35

  Thoughts on whether BA is likely to additionally incentivise holiday bookings before the end of their current sale? Prior to 12 Jan they had “extra £100 off”; does anyone have a view on whether or not they’re likely to do so again at any point prior to 2 Feb?

• Josh O says:

  25 Jan25 January 18:39

  I purchased a one way RFS ticket from London to Berlin in the avios sale – in October 2020, I think. The flight was for before Xmas but it was cancelled by BA and I moved the dates to 8th Feb. I won’t be going but it seems likely the flight on 8th Feb will go ahead, as I have later flights to the same destination that have been cancelled.
  Obviously I could move the date initially for free due to BA cancelling.
  Presumably if I try to move it again I will be liable for the additional avios, which will essentially be “the difference in fare”?
  Ideally I’d like to choose another date much further into the future, to avoid the extra avios.
  I understand I can take a FTV but that route will also involve extra avios, when I rebook.
  Is my understanding correct?

  • The real John says:

    25 Jan25 January 18:51

    Reports on FT say that you can rebook for the same price until the end of the original offer which was end of June.

    If one agent disagrees try again later

    • Jonathan says:

      25 Jan25 January 19:01

      This would require Avios availability and/or another cancellation.

  • Jonathan says:

    25 Jan25 January 18:55

    You’ve had your 1 involuntary change I’m afraid so the previous cancellation is irrelevant now.

    It’s either an FTV or date change with fare difference unless BA make further cancellations although agree this is relatively unlikely now.

  • kitten says:

    26 Jan26 January 02:06

    you are correct. It’s now about who blinks first.

    I’d run it up to 12 hrs before the flight before taking an FTV as there’s some chance it still cancels.

• Ruth says:

  25 Jan25 January 18:52

  If I cancel a 241 booking to Canada for July will I get the fees and the voucher back or will I be forced to accept a FTV? If I get the voucher back will it be extended?

  • Jonathan says:

    25 Jan25 January 19:00

    You’ll get fees & Avios back if you pay the £35pp cancellation fee.

    An FTV will avoid the fees but it’s crystal ball territory as to whether these will be extended beyond April 22. I would say there is less impetus for BA to extend these currently vs the Book With Confidence August deadline.

    BA may well cancel your flights though giving you more flexibility so I’d sit tight for now unless you need the Avios & voucher for another booking?

    • Chrisasaurus says:

      25 Jan25 January 19:14

      And if BA cancel a flight booked with a FTV?

      • Alex D says:

        25 Jan25 January 22:18

        If BA cancel you can opt for a full refund, even if it’s booked with a FTV I believe

  • Jill ( Kinkell) says:

    25 Jan25 January 19:11

    Voucher and fees back minus £35 pp.

    • Den says:

      26 Jan26 January 08:20

      Cancelling a reward flight booking and only losing £35 per person is a good deal. I have 2 Bus returns to Antigua booked for Nov that I booked last year before all the vaccine news broke. Losing £75 but getting the rest as a cash refund is a small price to pay! If it gets much worse – will BA go bust!

      • Den says:

        26 Jan26 January 08:21

        Correction losing £70.

• Gavin says:

  25 Jan25 January 19:50

  A word of warning.

  I took a FTV for an Avios booking last year: 30k avios + £50; tried to apply this last week to a new Companion voucher booking but they wouldn’t allow me to without losing the £50 booking fee.

  Both bookings were for me and my partner; Avios taken from our household account. Because I had made the original booking, the FTV was assigned to me; my partner had the 2-4-1 BAPP voucher on her account so had to make the new booking.

  Both operators agreed this wasn’t the intention of the FTV policy but appealed up the chain and got a hard no. In the end I had to cancel my FTV, lose the £50, get the Avios proportionately refunded to each of us and then start from scratch.

  • kitten says:

    26 Jan26 January 02:09

    I would have HUACA’d on that and gone formal complaint if necessary

    • Gavin says:

      26 Jan26 January 07:52

      Actually, did both. No budge.

• Andrew says:

  25 Jan25 January 20:07

  I had a booking which I cancelled for a FTV and booked another flight. If the new flight gets cancelled by BA, do I get a cash refund or just another FTV? As it’s an Avios booking and if I want to cancel and I’m willing to take the £35 hit, can I take the Avios back and cash back even though it spent some time as a FTV?

  • Tony says:

    25 Jan25 January 20:20

    My experience is yes, an avios FTV can be tipped back to avios for a £35 max cancellation fee.

    That was for a flight which was still running but I could no longer take.

  • kitten says:

    26 Jan26 January 02:12

    if ba cancels you get full rights again ie free of charge move to new date of your choice, or refund or (worst choice usually ) FTV.

• Ro says:

  25 Jan25 January 20:21

  Hi,
  Ba cancelled my fligth next month to Turin that I booked with Avios and 2 pounds cash. Will they still charge me 35p to get my avios back? thanks! I´m a bit confused…

  • Andrew says:

    25 Jan25 January 20:31

    You will get all your Avios and your £2 back as they cancelled it. If they hadn’t, and you chose not to fly you would get all your Avios back and just lose the £2.

  • kitten says:

    26 Jan26 January 02:15

    and as ba cancelled your flight you can reroute to another date and you do in fact have this right even if it is would mean ba would be responsible for flying you on another airline.

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