BA Cancellation 241…rebooking…plus adding a baby

[beardysuhz]

I had a 241 booking LHR to HND scheduled for July 2022. BA has cancelled this flight. 241 has expired so I don’t want a refund as I don’t have a new 241 and don’t think I will be able to reach the spend for a new 241 anytime soon.

I have spoken to BA via Twitter and they have stated the usual blabber around 12 months validity from date of booking.

BA Agent: So I have double checked the options we have and we can rebook your outbound flight any date before 24 December 2022 and the direct Haneda route begins back up in November. Do you have any date in mind?

Response: My ticket validity was until 5 July 2023 (as per booking confirmation). I feel it is in line with EC261 regulations to be able to rebook as a minimum up until the ticket validity which clearly states 5 July 2023. As you can appreciate when booking a holiday I had fo factor in many things and had chosen specific dates for specific reasons. In order to rebook i will need to plan in advance and consider factors such as permission to take annual leave from my employer and also for my wife. I will not be able to travel anytime before 24 December 2022.

BA Agent: I understand why this has caused confusion on your e-ticket, Suhail. This would have been your ticket validity, if you flew out on 05 July 22 as your inbound validity would extend 12 months from the outbound date. However, as these flights aren’t operating, your outbound flight must be before 24 December as per your ticket validity from making this change. You would then have a further 12 months from then to return. I appreciate this is frustrating and I’m sorry we can’t offer more flexibility.

I am waiting for a few days as it is my intention to travel on specific dates (April 2023 and return May 2023) and waiting for the return date flights to become available. I will phone up and try to get through to a BA Agent and see if I can get my desired outcome. Hoping to resolve this without needing to go through any legal/CEDR/MCOL options.

The reason I cannot travel before 24 December 2022 is because Mrs Beardysuhz is expecting and due October 2022.

Question 1: If I manage to get the original flights rebooked..how can I add an infant to the booking on a 241 avios booking? Do I inform them at time of rebooking (guess said baby doesn’t exist at this time). Will it be easy to add a baby later on and how will they calculate pricing?

Question 2: Is it reasonable to ask to rebook for April 2023..should it be a relatively straightforward CEDR decision should it be required?

Question 3: what is the correct order to try and get BA to reconsider rebooking if I am denied by BA phone Agent? A. Letter before action, B. CEDR, C. MCOL

[NorthernLass]

You ring up and add the baby when it’s born and has a name. Good luck with the rest!