Companion voucher flight to Tokyo cancelled

[cc]

My flight to Tokyo in October has just been cancelled. Clicked on the ‘manage my booking’ link in the email and it says above the itinerary of the cancelled flight “You can find a different flight.”

Are BA basically saying get yourself there and under EU/UK261 they will reimburse the costs? From what I have read they are not at all helpful with this so just wondered if anyone else with a cancelled flight have seen this message? I would obviously like to get confirmation from them before I start spending 7k on a JAL flight which is the only direct option on that day.

Thanks

[George K]

You’ll need to call and get a reroute, possibly via JAL. BA has suspended Haneda for the rest of the summer 2022 season.

[FFoxSake]

cc wrote:

My flight to Tokyo in October has just been cancelled. Clicked on the ‘manage my booking’ link in the email and it says above the itinerary of the cancelled flight “You can find a different flight.”

Same here – companion voucher in Club both ways – out end Sep, Back mid Oct.
Worked so hard to get these Reward seats in the first place, now looks like another even bigger battle ahead to get BA to move us on to JAL.

[cc]

Ok thanks, will give them another go, they cut me off earlier.

[SamG]

Try calling the US number via skype later tonight – I got through in 10mins last night. BA has a JV with JAL so there should be no hesitation in transferring you across

You’re looking at “Option 3” for BA cancelled flights here –

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/traveltrade/bookings-policies/policies/standard-customer-guidelines

Option 3 – Rebook AJB/SJB Joint Business
Disrupted Siberian Joint Business routing: rebook JL or AY operated services
Routing Same point of origin and destination via a Joint Business routing
Period Within 3 days before or up to 14 days after the original departure date (ticket validity may be extended)
Allowance Rebook into the same class as original or if not available the lowest class available in the same cabin

This means that if there is no redemption class (X / P / U ) they can put you in the lowest available class in the same cabin. So no issue getting Avios bookins rebooked

[SamG]

Also try via chat – if you just keep copy and paste “speak to an agent” eventually it’ll put you in the queue. I had some cancelled flights moved to Iberia this way

[cc]

Thanks Sam, was trying live chat then it vanished after I left the page. Will give the US a try later, although currently on hold and not been cut off this time, so left phone on speaker while I get on with doing other things.

[FFoxSake]

SamG wrote:

Also try via chat – if you just keep copy and paste “speak to an agent” eventually it’ll put you in the queue. I had some cancelled flights moved to Iberia this way

Thanks for the tips SamG.

There are 4 of us going via 3 separate bookings (hopefully for the F1, so our dates are pretty fixed). I’m expecting some bumps in the road getting this sorted but your advice is really appreciated.

[ChrisC]

If they have literally just been cancelled today then give it a day or two to see what the bots propose to rebook you on.

One mistake a lot of people make is to try and rebook immediately which often results in fewer or worse options being available and once you’ve been rebooked you can’t go back and change your mind.

In the meantime do some research on alternative routings. You’re more than likely to get rebooked on One World flights than out of alliance operators.

Whatever you do don’t just go out and buy flights off your own bat. That’s not what the message means.

[FFoxSake]

ChrisC wrote:

In the meantime do some research on alternative routings. You’re more than likely to get rebooked on One World flights than out of alliance operators.

Thanks. Looks like JAL have twice-daily direct flights on the same days, so one of those will likely be favourite.

[cc]

Got through and have got rebooked on JAL on same day albeit different time so that will do me. No doubt there will be further schedule changes to come what with it being months away.

Thanks for all advice.

[Nadeshka]

We’re in the same boat, 4 plus an infant booked to go out in September. I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve rebooked this (enduring the call centre each time) but this feels last chance time as one of the 2 companion vouchers we are using expires in October.

Question for those in the know on rebooking – if we request and are granted a rebooking onto JAL do we retain the flexibility of the Avios tickets still? I.e. if Japan doesn’t open borders and we need to cancel again, would I get the avios and the vouchers (albeit with original expiry) back, or loose everything?

Wondering if arguing for a postponement to next year might be better for us, and possibly more likely given BA have entirely pulled the route.

[cc]

FFoxSake wrote:

ChrisC wrote:

In the meantime do some research on alternative routings. You’re more than likely to get rebooked on One World flights than out of alliance operators.

Thanks. Looks like JAL have twice-daily direct flights on the same days, so one of those will likely be favourite.

I chose the JL042 787-8 for the better product. At least it seems better than the 777-3 from the rapid google search I did while the I was on the phone to them. Something I advise researching before phoning!

[SamG]

Nadeshka wrote:

We’re in the same boat, 4 plus an infant booked to go out in September. I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve rebooked this (enduring the call centre each time) but this feels last chance time as one of the 2 companion vouchers we are using expires in October.

Question for those in the know on rebooking – if we request and are granted a rebooking onto JAL do we retain the flexibility of the Avios tickets still? I.e. if Japan doesn’t open borders and we need to cancel again, would I get the avios and the vouchers (albeit with original expiry) back, or loose everything?

Wondering if arguing for a postponement to next year might be better for us, and possibly more likely given BA have entirely pulled the route.

It’ll still have the usual flexibility

In theory now it’s cancelled you’ve got the right to reroute at a date of your convenience. However you’ll run up against ticket validity trying to get BA to do this for you and another poster on here failed to get this enforced via CEDR so you’d have to take it to MCOL

[Nadeshka]

I mean I have taken BA to MCOL and won before 😀 but that was before I had a baby and toddler to deal with and I didn’t have to outlay £10k upfront as part of the gamble. So I think I’ll rule out that option tbh.

Like most we booked these almost 355 days in advance though only ticketed literally last week, as they’d lost the payment card details for additional taxes. Does that mean I might have till March 2023 validity I wonder? Or is the one year from the reservation?

[cc]

Nadeshka wrote:

We’re in the same boat, 4 plus an infant booked to go out in September. I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve rebooked this (enduring the call centre each time) but this feels last chance time as one of the 2 companion vouchers we are using expires in October.

Question for those in the know on rebooking – if we request and are granted a rebooking onto JAL do we retain the flexibility of the Avios tickets still? I.e. if Japan doesn’t open borders and we need to cancel again, would I get the avios and the vouchers (albeit with original expiry) back, or loose everything?

Wondering if arguing for a postponement to next year might be better for us, and possibly more likely given BA have entirely pulled the route.

Just checked my booking, JAL flight already added and I can cancel the whole booking for e-voucher with 3oth Sept 2023 expiry.

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

[yorkieflyer]

Same with our October Japan flights, I wonder whether the conversation with Avios as it is the agency arm as we used Lloyds vouchers will prove more challenging?

[SamG]

Nadeshka wrote:

I mean I have taken BA to MCOL and won before 😀 but that was before I had a baby and toddler to deal with and I didn’t have to outlay £10k upfront as part of the gamble. So I think I’ll rule out that option tbh.

Like most we booked these almost 355 days in advance though only ticketed literally last week, as they’d lost the payment card details for additional taxes. Does that mean I might have till March 2023 validity I wonder? Or is the one year from the reservation?

Yes should be then.

They do have a COVID guideline which is more generous

We’re using the following cancellation codes in the booking, COMN, OPEN and COVN. If you see these in a PNR then you can apply the Principal COVID-19 Guideline.

Advice for BA-125 ticketed customers whose BA flight is CANCELLED

Any BA flight cancelled due to Coronavirus restrictions

New travel dates Up to ticket validity

Rebooking Allowance

Rebook onto a British Airways operated service on the same routing into the same class as the original flight or lowest available in the same cabin

However you’d have to ask them about the code – not sure if this is counted as COVID related or some other reason (namely the v long route required to avoid Russia!)

[meta]

Just putting this here, if you’re rebooked onto JAL then you are also not getting any EU/UK261 rights on the return leg. So if only return is cancelled, though luck if you can’t go.

Then your only option is cancel and refund for £35 per person charge and your 241 voucher and Lloyds voucher retain original validity and ticket validity. BA has be refunding reward flights FTVs so that is no longer possible either.

[meta]

@yorkieflyer When I rebooked my Lloyds voucher tickets a few weeks ago, they explicitly said that after 31 October they will no longer be valid. But of course things might change.

[yorkieflyer]

Arguably the expiry of the Lloyds voucher is not an issue as we are talking about rebooking flights cancelled by BA. However our flights are two singles using two different vouchers and hence PNR’s. If rebooked now on JAL then the return would not then be covered on EU261 and additionally in the event of Japan not opening up by then the only option would be a refund and loss of the voucher. In view of this I’m inclined to sit tight for now and wait, before using my change rights. As you say Meta, the Lloyds vouchers weren’t extended for booking date after 31 Oct 21

[Nadeshka]

So I finally got through to rebook ours I’m being told they can’t rebook onto JAL as it’s no longer a codeshare/joint operation.
Offered connecting flights but with 2 young kids and an older relative with limited mobility it doesn’t really appeal. Can I push for the direct flights or are the connecting flights all we’re going to be given and sufficient for them to say they fulfilled my rerouting rights?

I asked them to go away and check whether I could have direct flights and after 40mins of hold I was hung up on. Want to know my arguments before I call back!

[FFoxSake]

Nadeshka wrote:

So I finally got through to rebook ours I’m being told they can’t rebook onto JAL as it’s no longer a codeshare/joint operation.

Try again, maybe via online Chat so you can post the link from SamG above (this post https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/companion-voucher-flight-to-tokyo-cancelled/#post-332956)

As SamG says…
“https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/traveltrade/bookings-policies/policies/standard-customer-guidelines

Option 3 – Rebook AJB/SJB Joint Business
Disrupted Siberian Joint Business routing: rebook JL or AY operated services
Routing Same point of origin and destination via a Joint Business routing
Period Within 3 days before or up to 14 days after the original departure date (ticket validity may be extended)
Allowance Rebook into the same class as original or if not available the lowest class available in the same cabin

This means that if there is no redemption class (X / P / U ) they can put you in the lowest available class in the same cabin. So no issue getting Avios bookins rebooked”

[yonasl]

Nadeshka wrote:

So I finally got through to rebook ours I’m being told they can’t rebook onto JAL as it’s no longer a codeshare/joint operation.
Offered connecting flights but with 2 young kids and an older relative with limited mobility it doesn’t really appeal. Can I push for the direct flights or are the connecting flights all we’re going to be given and sufficient for them to say they fulfilled my rerouting rights?

I asked them to go away and check whether I could have direct flights and after 40mins of hold I was hung up on. Want to know my arguments before I call back!

They don’t codeshare?

Then why am I seeing BA4600 from LHR to HND flying today operated by JAL?

https://www.britishairways.com/travel/flightstatus/execclub/_gf/en_gb/results/loaded?searchMethod=route&date=2022-04-28&isDepartures=true&location0=LHR&location0Name=London%20Heathrow&location0Type=airport&location1=HND&location1Name=Tokyo%20Haneda&location1Type=airport

[Nadeshka]

They said nothing within the 2 weeks of our September dates was available. When I mentioned the direct JAL flights she said it wasn’t appearing on her options to rebook us as not a codeshare.
I pushed for it to be escalated as I mentioned I had seen the policy of booking on JL and indirect flights wouldn’t work for us. Got put on hold and then cut off when I think they were coming back to say yes/no. No call back naturally.