Changing dates on an Avios booking

[tootsci]

I need to amend the dates of two Avios bookings. Outbound booking for MAD-LIM on IB I made via the BA website on 20th May this year for 5th May 2025, and inbound LIM-MAD-LHR on IB also via BA website I made on 22nd June for a return on 31st May 2025. I want to amend the bookings to outbound 7th June 2025 and inbound 6th July.

I have just tried to amend the outbound in MMB and I get an error message saying “The date you have chosen is more than 365 days from the original date of booking. Please choose an earlier date and try again”.

Does this mean I can’t amend at all and will have to cancel and rebook? Or will a call to BA CS sort it out? (noting the £35 fee for each). Also to add that the outbound was a standard redemption but the inbound was an Avios and money booking as I chose to ‘spend’ less Avios, in case that makes a difference

[JDB]

@tootsci – ‘amending’ a booking is the same as cancelling and rebooking for all practical and change/cancellation purposes and yes, you will most likely need to call BA to make the changes.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

This is indeed a cancel and rebook situation – which you can do online nd of course assumes there is avios availability on your new dates.

It’s not possible for the call centre will be able to change it either due to the ticket validity rules.

[tootsci]

Thanks @JDB and @BAFlyerIHGStayer.

So the ‘over 365 days since booking’ is an issue that BA CS can’t ‘override’? If so, then sounds like I can just cancel and rebook myself online and save the 2x£35.

I thought I was being sensible booking at T-350d but now I’m kicking myself a bit. There’s Avios availability on the new dates, but as the inbound I booked is an Avios and money redemption and not a standard Avios redemption like the outbound, I think I don’t get the cash element refunded on the inbound if I cancel? This is my first redemption so I am still new to this, but I think I have read that somewhere.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

You will still have to pay the cancellation fee even if doing it online. You’d avoid the phone service fee though.

On the inbound as this appears to be an avios + money ticket rather than a cash ticket with the fare reduced by avios the £35 max cancellation fee is all you would pay (but the refund of the balance of the cash element won’t be instantaneous)

[tootsci]

BA Flyer IHG Stayer wrote:

You will still have to pay the cancellation fee even if doing it online. You’d avoid the phone service fee though.

On the inbound as this appears to be an avios + money ticket rather than a cash ticket with the fare reduced by avios the £35 max cancellation fee is all you would pay (but the refund of the balance of the cash element won’t be instantaneous)

Yes that’s it, I’d misremembered, thanks. I’m relieved not to have lost out on the cash then! I’m fine to wait for the refund. I assume the return of the Avios isn’t instant? I have enough Avios to cover the new flights, so the best order would be to book the new and then cancel the old I suppose