[Adding a] domestic connection – fee due?

[Shazza12]

Any help would be much appreciated. I booked last night 2 x one way LHR-USA using upgrade voucher. Called today to add the domestic connection and being told it is £35 per person change fee + £13 each in taxes. Spent an hour explaining it should be free as I was unable to book it online and have done it several times in the past. Is there anything in the T&C I can quote for adding for fee within 24 hours of booking. Eventually hung up but want to have facts before trying to call again. Thankyou

[NorthernLass]

Is the connection within 24 hours of the long haul? If so, I think you’ll just have to HUACA until you find an agent who knows the policy around this. It seems as though more and more agents are quoting incorrectly these days. I don’t think there’s anything in the voucher Ts and Cs because the issue is with BA IT, but it’s generally accepted that BA doesn’t charge extra for anything which can’t be done online. Similar with the “taxes” – if you’ve paid BA’s standard RFS on the long-haul, a domestic connection shouldn’t be charged any extra.

There was an issue recently where someone was charged extra on the return leg, but it seemed that this was because the “taxes” were lower than the RFS rate when booking a one-way flight. I don’t see that this could be applied to an outbound flight from the UK, however.

I get so weary with calling BA (even on the gold line it takes an age to do anything like this!) that when I made a booking with the upgrade voucher last week I just used it for PE so that I could book myself into CE on the domestic connection in the same transaction and just leave it at that!

[freckles]

Note you were booking LHR- USA, so don’t really understand why a domestic connection wouldn’t have been available for booking? Is that why BA are being awkward?

[NorthernLass]

You can’t do this online when using the Barclays upgrade voucher to upgrade to CW, as BA’s IT can’t cope with there being no PE to upgrade from on the domestic leg. It’s been like this from the start and shows no signs of ever being corrected! Hence my weary reply.

[Shazza12]

Thank you for the responses. Eventually got a reply using X. Agent just asked what the details were of the domestic connection I wanted to add. Replied that it was held in my booking, and could I check it’s what I want. All looked good and ticket numbers there. Sent back a thankyou message and a different agent replied with ‘We can see that you made this booking within 24 hours, so we can waive the change penalty of £35 per person under the cooling-off period. However, we will need to charge the difference in taxes, which is £12.50 per person. Please let us know if you’re happy to proceed’. I don’t want to loose the flights for the sake of £25 but don’t understand why it is being charged. The original booking with the upgrade voucher cost 85000 Avios + £375 for 2. When I do a dummy booking right through from BHD-LHR-PHL it is 160000 Avios + £375. I have replied to ask the question and will come back to let others in similar situation know the outcome.

[joecobb22]

I’ve had this same argument with them in the past. You’re right – their terms and conditions confirm it’s free to add the domestic leg. Hold your ground and insist – they will escalate and eventually someone who knows what they’re doing will sort it out!

[shamp00]

@Shazza12 did you get a response yet? I sadly didn’t read this thread before phoning to add a domestic connection to a flight that I booked LHR to BOM with an upgrade voucher, and agreed to pay additional avios + taxes of about £300 (for 2 people) – it all seemed very confused as the person I spoke to kept needing to check things with his supervisor. I have raised a query via the contact us page (which is now showing on the feedback and claims portal) saying I believe it should have been free and asking for a refund of the additional Avois and money – no idea how long that will take / if there is any other way to escalate this, but I’d be interested to know how you got on as it’s now over a month since your last post? Thanks

[Shazza12]

Just to update my experience. After a few back and forth with different agents on X, I did not have to pay.
They said.. ‘you haven’t paid taxes on this booking as it’s a Reward Flight Saver booking so there’s nothing additional to pay and the avios are the same ‘
For anyone with the same issue, use X and ask for it to be refererred to the ticketing/pricing team.

[shamp00]

Thank you for the update @Shazza12 – great to hear your outcome. I’m off to follow your advice now!

[shamp00]

I felt I should just add that I have now got the same outcome. After 3 messages via X I managed to get this response (names redacted!)… “Hi there xxx, we’re sorry for any confusion caused by this, but you are correct, you should not have been charged for adding what we would consider to be a domestic feeder flight to your booking. I have arranged for the Avios charged to be refunded back to your account and for the ticket to be reissued at no charge to you. I hope this helps. xxx”