-
Yes you can definitely cancel for free within 24 hours – and even outside that it’s £35pp so not as bad as if you were to lose all the cash and avios.
So was your call last night a practice run?
I called to try booking the outbound flights (wanting all 4 CW seats but on two separate bookings) but it didn’t work, so booked via the website. As it turned out, efficiency and practice and two laptops and ultra fast broadband and making sure that our browser had all our details stored meant we got through all the pages in perfect synchronicity. It’s easy 😉 (Thanks only to all the helpful tips on these forums).
I’m going to call the US office tonight to try to book my inbound seats from either KUL or SIN. When I tried a dummy call a few nights ago I was told they don’t book for UK customers but I will try. Can I just check I have everything that I need to do/say in order please?
1. Call number about 12.45ish 1-800-452-1201
2. Ask to book an inbound leg using my 241 voucher
3. Have all flight details ready
4. If unsuccessful try the UK number at 6am to try and get through to the change lineThank you
Sorry if I’ve missed this but is there a reason you don’t want to try Japan/Australia like other readers?
@northernlass Japan doesn’t open until 1am so no reason not to try either Aus or USA first. Call either one at 12.45 and if by 1am you either been cut off or told they won’t handle the request move onto the Japan line. USA has the advantage of being free on Skype. Aus office opening hours are better for the 1am call.
Are Japan and Australia open at weekends?
@kelliea1 both aus and japan are closed on sat & sun, but if you’re calling tonight (tomorow am) then it will be Monday so offices will be open
Just realised with time difference they will be open. I’ll try Australia first then Japan if no luck then.
For Australia I have (+61) 1300 767 177 and Japan 03-3298-5209
Well, did it work 🤷♀️😱 ? Don’t leave us hanging!
Morning,
I phoned the Australia number and after 10 minutes got through and was told they weren’t trained to do Avios bookings! I queried this and he asked his supervisor who also said they could not help! By now it was 12.58 so too late for US line. I then called the Japan line and got through by 1.08am. The agent was really helpful but I could see the KUL and SIN flights disappear before my eyes! He managed to book HKG Business.
It’s not ideal and this morning I’m doubting whether I should have gone for Premium Economy but we don’t get to fly Business that often and never been to HKG so will add a 1 day trip on to end of the holiday. Thanks for all your help.Sounds like a reasonable result. These Avios booking typically require some degree of flexibility either dates or airports etc. unfortunately Japan line will never beat someone booking online. As they’ll have booked before you pass security.
Well – while it’s a result, it’s an interesting one.
So Australia can’t / won’t help, US can’t / won’t help, Japan is too late, UK numbers are potentially too late for many “exotic” destinations that are high value.
Where does this leave someone? I was under the impression people said Australia helps. Was it a case of a bad agent? But then a supervisor said the same..
It’s a shame the Australia line couldn’t help as would have snapped them up! My OH now thinking should we go PE from KUL and have 1 day more in Bali?
The Australia agent did seem to want to help but wasn’t trained on avios bookings and did ask a supervisor to help who then suggested the US line. I agree there’s not many options left if you do not have the avios to book online and are quick enough.
The Australia agent did seem to want to help but wasn’t trained on avios bookings and did ask a supervisor to help who then suggested the US line. I agree there’s not many options left if you do not have the avios to book online and are quick enough.
Yeah, it’s quite a frustrating system in the fact that the UK where the card is aimed at struggles in using it the most.. a sort of irony.
It’s a shame the Australia line couldn’t help as would have snapped them up! My OH now thinking should we go PE from KUL and have 1 day more in Bali?
I’d personally hang fire for now. Could well be that J comes available again.. Why not wait and then grab a seat if SIN / KUL become available. Maybe fine with a voucher.
@simey uk line is no good at all. USA line probably remains the best bet if you have to call. A handful of reports some time back of them not helping, but subsequent reports that they are. I think it’s the only viable choice if you’re calling at 00:45 on a Saturday/ Sunday.
@kelliea1 looks like 2 PE seats from Kul may still be available. You could call Ba and ask them to cancel your HkG flights should be free in 24 hour window and then book onto kul??@simey uk line is no good at all. USA line probably remains the best bet if you have to call. A handful of reports some time back of them not helping, but subsequent reports that they are. I think it’s the only viable choice if you’re calling at 00:45 on a Saturday/ Sunday.
@kelliea1 looks like 2 PE seats from Kul may still be available. You could call Ba and ask them to cancel your HkG flights should be free in 24 hour window and then book onto kul??Hi Ed – yeah, for sure. If I had another 100k Avios I could do it myself and refund – but alas I cannot. Worst case I’ll use it on Iberia and save myself some headaches!
I might try the US line tonight as hopefully will be in 24 hours to cancel and rebook. I don’t have my ticket number yet as the agent said it needed to go to the back office to be ticketed and taxes working out so hopefully that won’t cause a problem?
I’ve looked and seen that Hong Kong Airlines do a morning flight from Bali to HKG so would not lose the last night in Bali and could fly in the same day to catch the flight home.Yeah, it’s quite a frustrating system in the fact that the UK where the card is aimed at struggles in using it the most.. a sort of irony.
The whole process is crap, especially if you are tied to specific date ranges and are destination inflexible.
But I can’t think of a better way of handling reward seats that BA would accept.Yeah, it’s quite a frustrating system in the fact that the UK where the card is aimed at struggles in using it the most.. a sort of irony.
The whole process is crap, especially if you are tied to specific date ranges and are destination inflexible.
But I can’t think of a better way of handling reward seats that BA would accept.True – to be honest I’d consider myself quite flexible both in departure, timings (anytime in Sep / Oct) and other things so I do have high hopes of getting to Japan in some shape or form. Alternatively I’ll see about other destinations, as long as it’s anywhere but the UK I don’t mind! lol. A holiday and a new place is all the same for me, an adventure.
@Aston100 – it’s only crap for those who think it’s necessary to go through all these hoops to book at T-355. What’s remarkable is just how many of these seemingly hard won seats come back into inventory in the ensuing days. We have never booked that far ahead, even when tied to school/university holidays and friends with 241s they have used to places like Tokyo and Sydney at much short notice scoff if I mention T-355.
@Aston100 – it’s only crap for those who think it’s necessary to go through all these hoops to book at T-355. What’s remarkable is just how many of these seemingly hard won seats come back into inventory in the ensuing days. We have never booked that far ahead, even when tied to school/university holidays and friends with 241s they have used to places like Tokyo and Sydney at much short notice scoff if I mention T-355.
Perhaps it was luck – I randomly look at say, Tokyo for a full year’s search and it’s 99% gone. The best I can find currently is T-325 or so, with a few random days. But I don’t want to go for over a month so it’s irrelevant! It comes and goes I suppose.
@Aston100 – it’s only crap for those who think it’s necessary to go through all these hoops to book at T-355. What’s remarkable is just how many of these seemingly hard won seats come back into inventory in the ensuing days. We have never booked that far ahead, even when tied to school/university holidays and friends with 241s they have used to places like Tokyo and Sydney at much short notice scoff if I mention T-355.
Rightly or wrongly many of us are tied down to 355 days for various reasons. It’s only been for the past 3 years BA have guaranteed 4 J seats per flight, so for a family of four travelling, the 355 day thing has only been a real factor in past three years. If you don’t have a destination in mind and have a degree of flexibility with dates, then probably can just wait and see what pops up. If you have a location and dates in mind, then really not sure how you can avoid the 355 day issue.
Perhaps it was luck – I randomly look at say, Tokyo for a full year’s search and it’s 99% gone. The best I can find currently is T-325 or so, with a few random days. But I don’t want to go for over a month so it’s irrelevant! It comes and goes I suppose.
Lots of availability in July and August 2025 if you don’t mind the heat and humidity! 🙂
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
