-
As per @shub on another topic, no matter what price you paid for an Avios booking, BA is pricing up cancellations at 50 pence per pop.
So if you’ve been waiting for a schedule change on a redemption you don’t want, it might be worth looking at cancelling it today!
Can anyone elaborate on this?
I have a 241 cancellation to make but as it involves a domestic connection I need to call BA.
As per @shub on another topic, no matter what price you paid for an Avios booking, BA is pricing up cancellations at 50 pence per pop.
I haven’t seen the post you reference, but I cancelled flights yesterday and the cancellation charges were as normal and not 50p. Did this 50p-refund thing just start today?
This was the post yesterday at 1.30pm from shub…..
“As a data point, I recently cancelled my economy flight from Gatwick to Dalaman booked using Avios using £35 cash option (return trip). When cancelling it showed the refund amount of £34 per ticket, and the same has been refunded to the bank. So just charging £1 cancellation fee. Not sure if it’s BA IT that worked in my favor or there has bee some change in the policy.”
It also worked for me yesterday evening cancelled online.
Something weird is happening, anyway. I had booked outbound flights LGW to Innsbruck (INN) for Christmas ’23. Decided to change resort, and cancel / re-book for Geneva instead.
Refunded all miles and cost £0.50p per passenger. I had paid £105 and 31500 miles (RFS) for 6 economy outbound tickets.
I can go into managing my bookings, and can cancel both the outbound and return (separate tickets as return is CW, wonder if this is related?) LGW-GVA / GVA-LGW for £0.50p per person. Right now. Have a screenshot if interested.
HOWEVER my Costa Rica (LGW-SJO) CW 2×241 reward outbound only flights, when I look at cancelling them, is charging me the standard £35 per person change fee.
Can provide any further info / data points to try and build up picture of why this is the case for these flights – just let me know – but so far, for v cheap 50p refund / change fee:
– EU RFS flights at multiple mixes of avios/£
– No 241 used
– one way only
– Both ET and CW class
– Multiple destinations (GVA, LGW, INN)We can cancel avios bookings online again????
When did that happen?I v recently cancelled two bookings (one with 241 and one without) and couldn’t do it online, had to do it via Twitter DM or calling.
I think this behaviour has been the case since the short-haul RFS is revamped to add 50p options (but only when cancelled online). There were a few articles at HfP years ago mentioning this behaviour, and it only applies to short-haul RFS – other flight types/airlines/combinations should still show up to £35 cancellation fee even if the cancellation can be done online.
Phone cancellation should still charge £35 (or full tax/fee if lower) in any case from the articles I read earlier.
I think this behaviour has been the case since the short-haul RFS is revamped to add 50p options (but only when cancelled online). There were a few articles at HfP years ago mentioning this behaviour, and it only applies to short-haul RFS – other flight types/airlines/combinations should still show up to £35 cancellation fee even if the cancellation can be done online.
Phone cancellation should still charge £35 (or full tax/fee if lower) in any case from the articles I read earlier.
Yes, I tried with a long haul Avios booking and standard £35 cancellation fee applies. I also think it’s only applicable for short haul RFS booking.
Marco is right of course – we should simply have searched HfP!
https://www.headforpoints.com/2019/09/06/what-are-the-cancellation-fees-on-an-avios-booking/
This has been the case for 4 years now….Just shows how well I plan my redemptions I guess 😉
Very strange though that I wasn’t able to cancel my LON-BDS Avios economy one way booking online – and had to do it via phone just earlier this week…
It does appear they’ve re-tweaked something. As per the below article people were certainly getting charged in October indeed Club Europe seemed to be getting hit at £50 per pax.
For reference I cancelled a pair of LHR-MRS Club Europe tickets last night which had cost 5,250 Avios plus £67.50 each and was only charged 50 pence per ticket.
So most likely only short haul flights without an Amex 241 on them.
Another DP, cancelled a short haul booking using Amex 2-4-1 booking using £35 cash option. £2 deducted as cancellation charges as the booking was for 2 person.
Cancelled same short haul booking using Barclay voucher which was booked using default £1 option. Even £1 refunded, so no cancellation charges at all.Something going on for sure. Was prepared to call BA to cancel a Barclays voucher flight booking with domestic connection. Tried online and received the expected message ‘ need to call’. Somehow, not sure how, when revisited MMB and cancellation now allowed and confirmed a full Avios and cash (no charge) refund. Voucher and Avios back in account. Screen grab showing full no charge for cancellation refund due in case not refunded as expected to payment card. Happy days!
I had LHR-BCN-LHR booked in Economy reward flight saver for 2 adults (£70)
I wanted to amend the date of the outbound which it wouldn’t let me do online as there were only Business seats available. I therefore made a separate business class booking (£50) for the outbound and called BAEC to cancel the outbound.
I have been charged £35pp (total £70) change fee for doing so. So I got a £35 refund of the original outbound charge but essentially have ended up paying £35 more for the privilege as it’s classed as an amendment rather than a cancelation to cancel one sector.
I read online that I shouldn’t end up paying more if the taxes are less than £35 which they clearly were. Have I been over-charged?
I had LHR-BCN-LHR booked in Economy reward flight saver for 2 adults (£70)
I wanted to amend the date of the outbound which it wouldn’t let me do online as there were only Business seats available. I therefore made a separate business class booking (£50) for the outbound and called BAEC to cancel the outbound.
I have been charged £35pp (total £70) change fee for doing so. So I got a £35 refund of the original outbound charge but essentially have ended up paying £35 more for the privilege as it’s classed as an amendment rather than a cancelation to cancel one sector.
I read online that I shouldn’t end up paying more if the taxes are less than £35 which they clearly were. Have I been over-charged?
You pay £35 for cancelling an Avios flight. This is taken from what you already paid so:
– If you paid £100 and avios: you get the avios back and £100 – £35 = £65 back
– If you paid £10 and avios: you get the avios back and £10 – £35 = £0 back
– If you paid £0 and avios: you get the avios back and £0 – £35 = £0 backWhat BA has done here:
– You paid avios and £70 for a return ticket in Y
– You then paid avios and £50 for a new ticket in J
– BA cancelled one of the Y legs and charged you £35 so refunded £70-£5 = £35 (and the avios)This is correct, you cannot “amend” a ticket, it needs to be cancelled and rebooked.
The amount you paid, while called “taxes & fees” is simply a £ amount made up by BA.
Can anyone confirm the cancellation fee is still zero with short haul reward flight saver bookings please? Thanks in advance
Can anyone confirm the cancellation fee is still zero with short haul reward flight saver bookings please? Thanks in advance
I cancelled an Avios booking on Thursday for full Avios refund and £68 (therefore losing £2). Avios were refunded immediately, just waiting for the cash back. Took screenshots of the confirmation as I cancelled
Want to book some flights if someone can confirm the fees are only losing cash component if booked using maximum Avios and then cancel if unable to fly.
Can anyone confirm the cancellation fee is still zero with short haul reward flight saver bookings please? Thanks in advance
I cancelled an Avios booking on Thursday for full Avios refund and £68 (therefore losing £2). Avios were refunded immediately, just waiting for the cash back. Took screenshots of the confirmation as I cancelled
Ah thanks. So perhaps only losing £1 per person in terms of cash element despite booking with more cash and less Avios on short haul RFS. 🙏
Want to book some flights if someone can confirm the fees are only losing cash component if booked using maximum Avios and then cancel if unable to fly.
Correct
Can anyone confirm the cancellation fee is still zero with short haul reward flight saver bookings please? Thanks in advance
I cancelled an Avios booking on Thursday for full Avios refund and £68 (therefore losing £2). Avios were refunded immediately, just waiting for the cash back. Took screenshots of the confirmation as I cancelled
Ah thanks. So perhaps only losing £1 per person in terms of cash element despite booking with more cash and less Avios on short haul RFS. 🙏
Yes, it’s not the way it’s supposed to work but it’s the way it’s working atm…
Can anyone confirm the cancellation fee is still zero with short haul reward flight saver bookings please? Thanks in advance
I cancelled an Avios booking on Thursday for full Avios refund and £68 (therefore losing £2). Avios were refunded immediately, just waiting for the cash back. Took screenshots of the confirmation as I cancelled
Ah thanks. So perhaps only losing £1 per person in terms of cash element despite booking with more cash and less Avios on short haul RFS. 🙏
Yes, it’s not the way it’s supposed to work but it’s the way it’s working atm…
Great thanks so much. Works out better for all of us!
Want to book some flights if someone can confirm the fees are only losing cash component if booked using maximum Avios and then cancel if unable to fly.
Correct
Ready to book some flights but now account is locked out.
Cancelled two SH business flights today over the phone and was charged the full £50 (2×£25 each passenger) that I paid when booking. The avios were instantly recredited to my account.
No option to do this online, no £1 cancellation fee.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
