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Hi everyone,
I’m new to the forum and looking for some help please?
We booked 2 return reward flights from Glasgow to Tenerife via London Heathrow, flying next month. We were notified in July of changes and were provided with alternatives. The changes going out don’t have an impact however the return does. The flight from Tenerife to Heathrow remains the same, arriving at 19:40 however the connecting flight to Glasgow has been cancelled and we have been moved to an earlier flight which leaves at 19:15, some 25 minutes BEFORE we land at Heathrow.
Given the impossibility of making the flight, we searched for alternatives, including amending the length of our stay by a day or 2 or flying back to Edinburgh instead of Glasgow. We spoke with BA on more than one occasion and they too have been unsuccessful identifying a solution.
The advice has been to keep checking as the schedule may change again with a later flight re-introduced, this has not happened. We were also advised if the situation remains the same, BA have to provide an alternative i.e. another carried that night, provide overnight accommodation/ expenses and get us back the next day.
This is a new one on us and understandably we don’t want to be left standing for hours (or overnight) waiting for a solution if we can do something about it now.
Has anyone been in similar situation? Hope you can help,
Thanks.
Jan.
Presumably this is all on one booking?
Unless there is a schedule change which suits you, your main option for flying to GLA is to stay overnight at LHR at BA’s expense and fly home to GLA the following day (one of the many downsides of travelling from the regions!) Otherwise, you could probably get a train and claim the fare back. Someone on here did get a taxi reimbursed to Glasgow, but they had a pressing case to claim for that, as they were travelling with a sick child.
If you can make a good case for having to be back home that day, you might be successful in claiming back the cost of alternative flights, but I don’t know if anyone else flies from LHR to GLA, and it may not be feasible to transfer to another London airport.
It’s not clear why BA wouldn’t agree to moving you to an EDI flight though, if there is one which fits in with the timing of your TFS-LHR.
@janmax680, whether you need to be back on your scheduled date will determine your best solution, if you’re able to extend your holiday by a night then enjoy an extra night in Tenerife or Heathrow at BA’s expense.
NorthernLass – thanks for that, so far no other BA flights that night and we don’t need to be back that night so an overnighter (at BA expense) is looking like the best option. Have you experienced this? Do you know if it’s just a case of going to a BA check-in desk for help? Thanks
cabal of rabid baboons – we’ve already tried to add/cut back by a day and 2 days but still can’t get flights to suit. Certainly no mention from
the reps on the call that BA would cover accommodation cost. Thanks.@janmax680, you’re entitled to accommodation, meals & transport to the airport for your additional days, please research regulation UK 261, you’ll have to pay and claim back from BA so not for the fainthearted but BA will take advantage of that.
.. claim back from BA so not for the fainthearted but BA will take advantage of that.
That’s unfaor and you know it.
It’s a simple web form to complete and the most difficult part for some people will be uploading images of receipts etc into the claim.
The vast majority of claims are paid (if slowly) with no issues what so ever.
Flights cancelled so you’re entitled to take a full refund. Any reason not to take it and get a direct revenue flight from GLA or PIK? Surely fares are attractive in November?
@ cabal of rabid baboons – I don’t have a problem paying and claiming back, so will look up the regulations you mentioned in advance to be sure there’s nothing else I can do. Thanks.
This is exactly the scenario for our trip to Madeira next week. The connecting domestic flight LHR-Inv was cancelled. We were then put on the ‘next available flight’ which had us taking off from Heathrow before we had even left Madeira!. There is no other Inverness flight that we can catch that evening and the only way home is the flight next day. Contacted BA and we are now on the following morning flight lhr-Inv with an overnight stay in London. BA are in the hook for duty of care ( Sofitel booked) and so will submit a claim for accommodation and meal once home.
I have screen shots of the cancellation and also of other hotel prices, so I don’t think we are being extravagant. Plus I’m not trekking around Bath road at some ridiculous early hour@BJ – Not sure if I was clear at the start of my post, the flights are Reward flights (Companion Voucher and Avios points). We can cancel with all
Points and Voucher refunded, no issue and have considered this to then buy flights with other carriers. If we can reassure ourselves that if we stay with these BA reward flights, and on arrival at Heathrow we would be able to speak with someone who would put us on a flight the next morning and to claim overnight costs etc., then I’ll take that rather than pay the c.£800 for flights with someone else. Thanks.@janmax680. I phoned BA and the CS agent could plainly see that we can’t get home the same day and rebooked us on the next available flight to Inverness which is the following morning.BA are required to get you to your destination. Doesn’t matter if it’s avios reward flights.
I’d certainly be phoning up and getting CS to book you onto the next flight to GLA and claim duty of care ( overnight and meal) on return. I had to book the hotel… don’t expect BA to do it and keep all receipts@Jill Kinkell – that sounds exactly the same. Can I ask if you were cash flights or Voucher/Avios? (Though I don’t think it matters)
We contacted BA and told both times NOT to change the flight to the next day in advance as any overnight costs would be at our expense. I’ll call them again this week. Thanks.
@Jill Kinkell thanks Jill, really appreciate the information, I’ll give them a call.
Ours are reward companion voucher flights—- and it doesn’t matter whether cash/avios!
In our case, on phoning , the agent rebooked the domestic connection and it appears in MMB. As your connecting flight is cancelled and the next available flight to Glasgow is next day, then you should be booked on it if there are seats.
I’d keep phoning until you get an agent who will re book your domestic leg. As others have said above, you claim duty of care. The downside is you have to book accommodation and are out of pocket until BA cough up.@JillKinkell – thanks again for all that, really appreciate your explanation as it sounds identical to our circumstances. You’ve filled in the blanks as we expected to have to do all this when we landed at Heathrow. Additionally, I think we’ll wait until a little nearer to the date of the flight before we make the change as Sod’s Law they’ll alter the schedule and re-introduce the later flight. We’re flying on a Saturday and bizarrely there’s a later flight on the Sunday. Enjoy Madeira!
Very unlikely you will find anyone to help at Heathrow.
@John – that’s our concern. Sounds like we need to address this in advance. Thanks.
Definitely call BA before you get close to flying. Don’t leave it to do at the airport. All that will happen is that check-in staff will expect you to call BA customer services from your mobile phone.
Two parts
1) the flights. Get this sorted in advance. BA won’t have more options now for next month so lock in the flights you want. Look up the specific flight number you want the next day – no reason to go for the first flight if you prefer a more leisurely schedule etc. Call or chat BA and tell them the flight number for LHR-GLA and they’ll rebook you . Don’t try to do this at the airport – as others say, BA will likely want you to call, they could be full etc
2) the hotel / meals. Don’t bother attempting to discuss this with BA. They’ll tell you they aren’t liable but they are and they will pay. Just book yourself something – the Sofitel if it isn’t too outrageous etc. have dinner / breakfast and keep the receipts and send to BA via the https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/help-and-contacts/complaints-and-claims form. It’ll take a while but you’ll get the cash back eventually.
@AJA – thanks, will definitely do that.
@SamG – Our original flight LHR-GLA was Sat 2100, the same flight is scheduled for the Fri and Sun so we were hoping it would be put on again for the Saturday. Doesn’t look like it so will give BA a call and get something for the Sunday, before we miss out on that too! Fortunately we can go either Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Someone else mentioned the Sofitel, I’ll give it a look and get organised with it now. Thanks for the link and your help, much appreciated.
Big thanks to everyone, the forum has been great.
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