Cancelled flight may, moved automatically to late flight

[mecrash]

I know if my flight is cancelled I can get a full refund and I don’t need to accept the move to a later flight.
However a comment the other day made it sound like that even though the flight is in May I can ask to be rerouted with another carrier
Is this right ?

[ChrisC]

If BA have offered you another flight then they have met their UK261 obligations so no they won’t put you on another carrier.

Other carriers is only an option when BA have ceased to fly the route or for an on the day cancellation.

[Lady London]

This is not the full story.

BA does not just have to offer you “another flight”.
If you still need to travel at your original time, and BA doesn’t get to judge your reasons, you do have the right to be transported on a flight as reasonably close as possible to the original flight you booked.
If this means another airline’s flight is needed to do this, then you do have a right to bw rerouted on another airline’s flight as reasonably close as possible to your original travel timing.

BA has been reported here to have tried to force passengers to take their own flight much later, even days later, when there are even, more than 1 other airline, flying at practically the same time (like 10 mins or 1 hour after BA’s cancelled flight timing) as the original BA flight that was cancelled. And in one case BA even tried to deny duty of care (hotel and meals while the person was stranded) for the 3 days they wanted the passenger to wait. BA was wrong on both counts and would be liable for all costs if the passenger took the Emirates flight 10 mins later in that circumstance and in quite a few cases where the gap to BA’s proposed replacement flight waa shorter than that..

If there’s more than one flight or airline fulfilling your need to travel near the original time, you don’t get to choose which other airline. The operating airline that cancelled your original flight can choose which flight to put you on, and is supposed to provide the reroute. If they fail to do so then they are still responsible. But practically speaking if they refuse, you get to choose which airline but you will then need to follow up to recover the costs of this from them. Obvs if both other airlines’ flights are similar timing you’d be expected to have chosen the much cheaper one if there is a big difference in pricing.

BA’s view might be that other carriers are only an option if they themselves ceased to fly the route or whatever. Regardless of whether you chose a later date to fly, or needed to fly as reasonably close as poss to original timing on same day : if BA can’t provide this timing or date then yes you have a right to be rerouted (or route yourself and claim back from BA) on another carrier.

@ChrisC I wonder why you only represented BA’s point of view (which is often denying passengers legal rights) in your answer? What have I missed?

[ChrisC]

I’m presenting MY interpretation of the regulation and no one elses.

I’d ask why you always present BA in the most negative way.

• This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .

[Lady London]

@ChrisC I appreciate the insight you very often give as to how things work inside BA, how some aviation things work generally and what the options might be to get things done especially with BA.

Do you, or did you work for BA? I’ve always guessed so.

If BA didn’t systematically refuse to provide passengers’ rights would be great.

[mecrash]

Many thanks for your responses.

Our issue is a connecting flight with Turkish we wouldn’t make.

When BA answer the phones I’ll try calling them and ask to move to a turkish airlines flight,
Their business class far superior.
Had flights moved before, however always within 14 days.

[NorthernLass]

The 14 day rule ONLY applies to compensation, your re-routing rights are the same regardless of when your flight is cancelled.

[myarnall]

Lady London, you seem to be the expert on UK261 obligations, if BA have booked me on a later flight, can I change my flight to later in the year or am I only able to ask to be booked as close to my original flight as possible? I am trying not to lose a companion voucher tied up in a FTV to japan, as Japan are still not letting tourist in at the moment.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Michael C]

myarnall wrote:

Lady London, you seem to be the expert on UK261 obligations, if BA have booked me on a later flight, can I change my flight to later in the year or am I only able to ask to be booked as close to my original flight as possible? I am trying not to lose a companion voucher tied up in a FTV to japan, as Japan are still not letting tourist in at the moment.

Thanks in advance for your help!

My SIN flight was recently moved by an hour, which was great for me as I didn’t want it any more (full refund). However, they offered me any flight within a year of issue date and with avios availability (didn’t argue about whether this was right or wrong! Have to remember that their alternative offer was very “reasonable”, so I was happy with refund at no expense).

[Lady London]

myarnall wrote:

Lady London, you seem to be the expert on UK261 obligations, if BA have booked me on a later flight, can I change my flight to later in the year or am I only able to ask to be booked as close to my original flight as possible? I am trying not to lose a companion voucher tied up in a FTV to japan, as Japan are still not letting tourist in at the moment.

Thanks in advance for your help!

You can choose later flight, even date much after, if they cancelled your booked flight. This includes your companion seat. As by then it’s a seat not a voucher. Even if the voucher would have expired on the date you choose as your reroute date under EU UK261.

Be aware there does not have to be avios seat available on the new flight you choise. Any seat in same cabin as you booked you have a right to. EU261 UK261 overrides BA’s wish here if there’s a seat being sold it’s yours.

Note the FTV route no longer works to extend a voucher so be sure of your new date as any changes * by you * after that would lose your voucher so far as I can tell if it has expired meanwhile.

You only get one chance to decide what to do with your whole booking (all flights) when BA cancels your flight as you have to do it all at once. No coming back later – unless they cancel sonething else later.

[myarnall]

Lady London wrote:

myarnall wrote:

Lady London, you seem to be the expert on UK261 obligations, if BA have booked me on a later flight, can I change my flight to later in the year or am I only able to ask to be booked as close to my original flight as possible? I am trying not to lose a companion voucher tied up in a FTV to japan, as Japan are still not letting tourist in at the moment.

Thanks in advance for your help!

You can choose later flight, even date much after, if they cancelled your booked flight. This includes your companion seat. As by then it’s a seat not a voucher. Even if the voucher would have expired on the date you choose as your reroute date under EU UK261.

Be aware there does not have to be avios seat available on the new flight you choise. Any seat in same cabin as you booked you have a right to. EU261 UK261 overrides BA’s wish here if there’s a seat being sold it’s yours.

Note the FTV route no longer works to extend a voucher so be sure of your new date as any changes * by you * after that would lose your voucher so far as I can tell if it has expired meanwhile.

You only get one chance to decide what to do with your whole booking (all flights) when BA cancels your flight as you have to do it all at once. No coming back later – unless they cancel sonething else later.

So if I wanted to go this time next year I am stuffed as the seats haven’t opened up yet on BA’s system?

[Lady London]

You have 2 issues with that. Both surmountable.

1. If it’s not showing on the system you can’t book it so you can’t reroute to it. So if they cancelled your outward flight so you need to rebook the whole thing you’d have to wait until seats show up on the date you want to reroute your return leg to as well. As you have to deal with the whole booking in one transaction online, or call. If agent blocks you on anything do not do a partial change.

Note you don’t have to choose your reroute dates by date of the original flight – that can pass, it can take long after for you to replan. Just make sure you don’t accept anything or make any change meanwhile. If what they cancelled wasn’t the outward, tell them You are replanning and won’t be on that flight and will get back to them as stops you looking like a no show.

Normally flights apoear on BA around 355 days or sometines a bit less. Other airlines may not show flights ahead, as quickly. Every airline has its own number of days ahead.

2. Perdectly reasonable for you to want to, or be able to, do a particular trip only at a particular season, date or month of the year. BA will likely resist on ticket validity grounds which are spurious. You may end up having to do mcol or cedr but the law states no limit, overrides anythibg BA says and you are highly likely to win.

Read up on HfP under Flught Cancellation thread it’s well covered how to proceeed.

[myarnall]

Lady London wrote:

You have 2 issues with that. Both surmountable.

1. If it’s not showing on the system you can’t book it so you can’t reroute to it. So if they cancelled your outward flight so you need to rebook the whole thing you’d have to wait until seats show up on the date you want to reroute your return leg to as well. As you have to deal with the whole booking in one transaction online, or call. If agent blocks you on anything do not do a partial change.

Note you don’t have to choose your reroute dates by date of the original flight – that can pass, it can take long after for you to replan. Just make sure you don’t accept anything or make any change meanwhile. If what they cancelled wasn’t the outward, tell them You are replanning and won’t be on that flight and will get back to them as stops you looking like a no show.

Normally flights apoear on BA around 355 days or sometines a bit less. Other airlines may not show flights ahead, as quickly. Every airline has its own number of days ahead.

2. Perdectly reasonable for you to want to, or be able to, do a particular trip only at a particular season, date or month of the year. BA will likely resist on ticket validity grounds which are spurious. You may end up having to do mcol or cedr but the law states no limit, overrides anythibg BA says and you are highly likely to win.

Read up on HfP under Flught Cancellation thread it’s well covered how to proceeed.

Thanks LL your help is very much appreciated! I see in another thread you mentioned the new date of the flight should be reasonable, is waiting a year to take the flight classed as reasonable?

In terms of booking the new flight, I typically call the USA office when the seats become available 355 days in advance, I presume I wouldn’t have to do this and shouldn’t as I need to wait for the return leg to open up and book everything in one go if I have understood you correctly? And I don’t need to worry about reward flight availability as it’s done under re-routing regulations? Thanks!