BA flight cancellation Summer 2025

[DJJ]

We are due to fly back from Istanbul (Sabiha Gokcen Airport) to London Heathrow in July 2025. I received an email last week from BA saying the flight has been cancelled and they have rebooked us into a flight for the following day.

What options do I have as I have already booked our hotel for Istanbul, so now will have to stay one additional night I had not planned on? Would it be best to go via Amex Travel Insurance to see if they will cover the cost of a different flight home on the original dates, or indeed one extra night hotel cost in Istanbul? I would have thought I am covered under travel disruption…

[AJA]

Are you ok with staying an extra night? If so BA should pay for the extra night’s hotel. No need to claim on insurance just book the extra night in the same hotel and claim the cost back from BA after the event.

Alternatively if you need to get home on the same day as originally scheduled you can call BA and discuss what other ways you can get back. Search for other routes home including flying back on BA from the main IST airport.

But you don’t need to do anything immediately so take your time as you only get once chance to reroute for free.

[freckles]

I had same for a trip in April – phoned and got similar times flight from IST instead and as its a BAH they are picking up the transfer. If you’ve booked your own accommodation etc and chose SAW for ease of self transfer you’d have additional costs (but if BA are gonna pick up an extra night accommodation they’ll probably pay for transfer cost instead)

[DJJ]

Thanks for you replies.

Just to add to this, I have now received an email from BA saying the timing of my outbound flight from LGW to Antalya has also been changed from early morning to afternoon, so I will now be arriving in Antalya around 9pm (rather than 1pm when I originally booked), therefore effectively losing out on my first day.

Would BA be bound to move us to a morning flight as per our original booking?

Is it unusual for so many issues to be occurring with my flights so far in advance? I am worried there may be further changes closer to the time too…

[Mr. AC]

Yes, in my experience they change the timings of flights to holiday destinations a lot if you book far in advance, happened maybe 50% of the time over 15 or so flights we’ve had over the years. Can work out in your favor though since if the change is 2+ hours you can typically rebook to any other available flight for free online with no hassle (I think up to 3 days before or 14 days later), or even switch airports.