Cancelled return from Germany in July

[elguiri]

BA have just informed me that our flight back from Germany at the end of July (originally arriving 3.25pm has been cancelled, and have (according to MMB) ‘rebooked’ us on a much later one arriving 8.30pm.
By the time we have picked up bags it’s going to be too late for me to drive back home.
I don’t see any other BA flight coming back to LHR beforehand that day.
So it would mean we would have to stay at a hotel at LHR that night (and extend the parking I’ve pre-booked) and drive back early morning in time for a late start to work on the Monday.
From what I’ve read up so far if I accept the alternative flight in MMB I can’t get anything else covered.
But as it’s more than 14 days out, what other options do I have?

[FFoxSake]

How far is the drive home?

[elguiri]

FFoxSake wrote:

How far is the drive home?

too far for me to do it with a 5yo at that time.

[elguiri]

I suppose the question I not-so-eloquently put, was can I ask BA to pay anything or do I lump the cost of extra hotel and parking?

[JDB]

I’m not sure that BA would be on the hook for your hotel or parking, but you do still have your rerouting rights – I don’t know if maybe it would be possible to fly on an earlier flight vs your original one or from a different city in Germany? Also, theoretically they should rebook you on another airline if there is a flight nearer your original time but that may be a fight.

[elguiri]

JDB wrote:

I’m not sure that BA would be on the hook for your hotel or parking, but you do still have your rerouting rights – I don’t know if maybe it would be possible to fly on an earlier flight vs your original one or from a different city in Germany? Also, theoretically they should rebook you on another airline if there is a flight nearer your original time but that may be a fight.

There are no suitable earlier ones either (7am would mean getting up at stupid o’clock to get there) with BA. However Lufty seem to have regular ones throughout the day including one at near enough the same time as the cancelled one. Might try and get them on the phone…

[elguiri]

/finally got through on the exec line (after being bounced between agents from normal BA line). I told her that I had found a flight at a similar time to original booking as other BA options were not possible for me, on LH. Gave her flight number, she had to check she was allowed to book it for us, then confirmed it and booked us in. Result!

One anomoly is that I can use the BA booking ref on the Lufty website. It shows both journeys too (the BA one outbound too).

[JDB]

elguiri wrote:

/finally got through on the exec line (after being bounced between agents from normal BA line). I told her that I had found a flight at a similar time to original booking as other BA options were not possible for me, on LH. Gave her flight number, she had to check she was allowed to book it for us, then confirmed it and booked us in. Result!

One anomoly is that I can use the BA booking ref on the Lufty website. It shows both journeys too (the BA one outbound too).

Good news, well done. The reason you can see/use the same PNR is that LH uses Amadeus as does BA partly – although there is a second BA PNR for your booking in its proprietary BABS system. BA uses both systems sellotaped together which is one of the reasons IT upgrades are so difficult. LH was a founder airline of Amadeus, BA came along later.

[elguiri]

JDB wrote:

elguiri wrote:

/finally got through on the exec line (after being bounced between agents from normal BA line). I told her that I had found a flight at a similar time to original booking as other BA options were not possible for me, on LH. Gave her flight number, she had to check she was allowed to book it for us, then confirmed it and booked us in. Result!

One anomoly is that I can use the BA booking ref on the Lufty website. It shows both journeys too (the BA one outbound too).

Good news, well done. The reason you can see/use the same PNR is that LH uses Amadeus as does BA partly – although there is a second BA PNR for your booking in its proprietary BABS system. BA uses both systems sellotaped together which is one of the reasons IT upgrades are so difficult. LH was a founder airline of Amadeus, BA came along later.

Interesting, thanks!