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Hi,
My wife and I and 11 month old had a return avios booking Heathrow to Frankfurt BA and then onward to Doha on Qatar business and then Doha to Heathrow first on BA.
They maade a schdule change to my outbound in that the flight arrives 5 mintues earier which is fine. But the return flight is cancelled. I can’t make changes online. So I need to call. My question is this. Will BA need to provide an alternative flight on first even with another carrier? Or just a flight that flies to a similar time/date?
Appreciate any advice before I call.
Legally BA is supposed to get you home under comparable conditions (so F), though they can be awkward about this. Is there another BA (or QR) flight that day which would suit you?
As you have a booking in F, I strongly suggest you call You First (the number is on the internet if you search), with an option you would be happy with, as they are probably the best placed to help you with this. You need to check the hours of operation as they don’t work 24/7.
@stealthy_Singh – there’s another similar post about this that suggests it is the booking that is cancelled rather than the flight and BA has done this as they aren’t offering F on some or all Doha flights. It’s a rather dodgy way of doing things as it could theoretically deprive you of your usual UK261 rights. You may first want to see if you are given any options in MMB but, if not, as suggested above call You First, but don’t do that that until you have ascertained precisely what you do want and that those options have availability.
Thanks guys. I couldn’t do anything in manage my booking. I’m guessing BA have stopped first from Doha as even when I tried to dummy book a cash flight there was no first option. There were first flights on Qatar though. When I called they offered my one of those without prompting from me so that’s good. The only thing is while the flight is showing in my account and app the ticket hasn’t been issued yet. The call handler spoke to other team members but still couldn’t. She said for some reason the front facing team can’t issue it so she will need to pass it to the back office team and it should be fi6ne in 24 hours but might take up to 72. That didn’t make sense to me but I couldn’t really do anything about it. I’ve put a reminder in my diary to call back on Monday to follow up if I don’t get an email. Does this sound like I’ve been promised something but then been fobbed off?
No, I’ve had some things like this before, and all worked out for the good in the end.
You’re right to keep an eye on it and follow up especially if you have access to First Hotline.
Not that unusual on BA especially as you’re doing a slightly complex route. I believe as you’re holding a seat on a partner airline it should be in a seperate queue to get done pretty quickly.
Definitely keep an eye on it and call back if it isn’t done in a couple of days and ASAP if the Qatar flight dissappear from the booking
Whilst a lot of reticketing is automatic (I had one earlier this week and it was immediate but it was a simple cash ticket on BA) and quick some aren’t. Especially with partners.
The aim as the agent said is to do it in 24 hours but 72 isn’t excessive especially when another airline is involved.
Also it’s done in flight date order so if something happens and a lot of tickets need to be reissued very soon then it can delay those in the queue that aren’t urgent for immediate travel.
I’ve had the same problem ie “flight cancelled” but BA You First is refusing to book me on Qatar first as they can see no redemption availability on Qatar first class and they can apparently only book if there is redemption availability. The only option I was offered was to fly the original BA flight in Club and then claim the difference in Avios and taxes, which is nothing (in fact it’s negative something) due to RFS not applying to First bookings and this being a one way with 2for1 applied. They are holding 2 club seats for me just in case and asked me to call later to check it the policy re Qatar has changed. I’ll try calling again next week but can anyone advise what rights I have under 261? If they don’t budge can I outright book Qatar First myself with cash and MCOL them or is it murky given that the actual flight hasn’t been cancelled although the BA email claims it has been?
You don’t claim the fare difference but the 75% reimbursement under UK/EU261- but only after you have flown
You don’t claim the fare difference but the 75% reimbursement under UK/EU261- but only after you have flown
Thanks @BA Flyer IHG Stayer. How would this work with the 2for1 voucher? Would I be able to claim 75% of the Avios I paid x 2 and 75% of the taxes and surcharges or is it only 75% of what was actually paid once the 2for1 was applied? If it is the former then that might make up for slumming it in Club Suites (I kid) even though I was looking forward to trying out Al Safwa in Doha.
However, if I did want to fly First class and BA doesn’t play ball with rerouting on QR, do I have any options/rights? Thanks
Update – got the email today. Although it doesn’t say first. The other 3 flights say Club europe and business but nothing on the return. But I’ve checked the seat and we’re on row 1 so that looks good. But I am going to call You First to get this in wrting on my ticketing email so I’ve got proof as they can change the details in the app on the fly. So I’d rather have something definitive in my possession. As paranoid as that sounds! 😉
You don’t claim the fare difference but the 75% reimbursement under UK/EU261- but only after you have flown
I hope they get that sorted for you!
You don’t claim the fare difference but the 75% reimbursement under UK/EU261- but only after you have flown
It actually doesn’t work like that because of the way BA has cancelled the OP’s booking but not cancelled the flight itself. The pax has, in what is effectively a separate transaction (for 261 purposes) been newly booked on the flight, now in Club. All that is quite deliberate and potentially does not give rise to the Article 10 rights to which you refer, an argument BA is now using at CEDR and probably also at MCOL.
It is therefore important, in making any claim additionally to plead a breach of contract for the downgrade with the fair measure of damages being the sum/calculation in Article 10. Given BA’s new tactics, this also applies when the flight itself is cancelled and you are booked in a lower class on a different flight/airline. BA will say you weren’t downgraded on the new flight, so one needs to argue the above breach of contract, breach of Article 8 “under comparable transport conditions” as well as Article 10 to be on the safe side.
Thanks JDB. Would you recommend MCOL in this case over CEDR? Also would the damages under each claim (breach of contract, breach of Art 8, breach of art 10) be the 75% amount pursuant to Art 10?
In terms of my options, is the best course for me to call up BA again, ask to be rerouted in QR First and if they refuse ask them for options and when they offer Club, have them note on the PNR that this is an involuntary downgrade (and also get a recording of the phone conversation if possible)?
I’m using the Article 10 reimbursement % as a simple and established measure to calculate the damages rather than having some dispute about that aspect as well. I’m suggesting as a way around this new trick of BA’s which really ought to fail but they might persuade CEDR and at MCOL where a strict interpretation should be applied it’s best to cover one’s bases at the outset as you can’t change your case after issuing the claim. Whether to go via CEDR or MCOL is not a straightforward choice! MCOL requires you to pay a fee and to set out your claim in a legal war and pursue the case/procedure very carefully and assiduously. It will force BA to respond with a defence or settlement in 28 days but if they defend it can then take a long time before a hearing. CEDR is much more informal but seems quite slow at the moment – maybe four months but BA can sometimes pull the wool over their eyes.
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