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That is BA’s standard response of any seat within 14 days ie it does not require reward seat availability.
You can ask instead to be re-routed to your final destination at a later date of your convenience. This, however, is subject to there being availability in the same booking class as your original ticket. The Regulation does not specify a deadline by which the flight has to be taken. It is reasonable to assume that you can book any flight currently open to reservation (i.e. normally 330 days ahead) subject to availability in the relevant booking class.
So as you used a 2-4-1 your problem is finding reward seats later in the year.
Sorry to tag onto this thread and wish the OP the best.
My AMS-MAD-SJU flight had a connection of 45 mins between AMS to MAD and due to long passport queues I missed the flight. I was:
-re-routed to my destination MAD-MIA-SJU next day, as there was no more direct flights
-provided overnight accomodation
-lunch, dinner, breakfastits fine if not, just querying in the off chance if I am due any comp?
You might be entitled to compensation but it depends upon whether there is a minimum connection time in MAD (which is where I assume you had the issue with passport queues). Also did the AMS-MAD flight arrive on time or was there a delay. Also was it also on the same airline (assume Iberia IB?) If there was no delay and it was entirely down to failure to get through passport control at MAD then I think you’re not likely to get anything.
The other issue is that if it was Iberia then you might have a battle as they’re not tge best at paying compensation at the best of times
There DO NOT need to be reward seats available, regardless of the eventual re-routing dates. The entitlement is to travel “under comparable conditions”, i.e. in the same cabin, and the booking class doesn’t come into it. This has been demonstrated several times by HFP readers, so I’m not sure where you’ve got this from, @AJA!
That’s BA’s idea of what they would like, to suit themselves.
How they can imagine that someone so cruelly disappointed and messed around at the last minutes due to their own issues or their own commercial purposes, probably employed with work, family and other commitments whose purpose in the trip makes only some seasons/event dates/times of the year the time to do the trip…how BA dares to bully customers that they should rebook within 14 days when they’ve royally messed up a whole trip and lost them money due to other arrangements they made now being lost… is beyond me. All this definitely the more so, on a planned longhaul trip that now needs replanning with all the dependencies, possible need to replan according to other people’s needs too, rebook tours, cars… of course BA has to rebook you when you’ve had a chance to think about your options and replan.
Look here in the Flight Cancellations category, you’ll see plenty of examples. Your booking remains in an “irropped” status till you take your one time only chance to choose refund or reroute(rebook) to a date of *your convenience*.
Any policy that BA tries to implement, even if they put it into their contract ie their terms and conditions, is overridden by the UK equivalent of EU261 (sorry I keep forgetting the UK name it’s somewhere above I think in @AJA’s posts), is illegal. Tnough read carefully to see what process you may end up having to go through to get these rights.
Just leave it till you’ve had time to think, work out, communicate with whoever you need to communicate with to make new arrangements, plan set of new arrangements, check what flights there are available on whatever date is convenient to you, then go back to them.
Be aware that if BA doesn’t have their own flight, or at least a OneWorld flight available on the date you’re able to rearrange to, they will illegally resist so you might have to do the full LBA MCOL or CEDR thing you will find in the threads on here. Though BA might put you through that anyway.
Flyertalk is another excellent resource that will give you confidence.
@AJA I think it’s a little dangerous to assume “at the passenger’s convenience” means at any time within the current booking window. It might be the case, but it equally might not. BA is most unlikely to agree with that interpretation of the phrase such that it will be up to a judge or arbitrator to interpret the meaning, in the specific circumstances of the passenger. The risk is that a third party decision maker determines that it’s not a rebooking, but a new trip. Circumstances have also changed from mass covid cancellations and country closures when there was more flexibility in interpretation, but that will most likely now revert to a more normal interpretation. People should think carefully how to play this.
PS Nothing stops you from submitting your separate claim *now*, for the £520 compensation for cancellation you are now due under EU261/UK equivalent.
BA said the reason for cancellation is technical issues and technical issues are definitely not issues that an airline can use as a reason not to have to pay compensation. Technical issues are not exceptional, and not outside the airline’s control so no exception – they owe you the statutory compensation above.
I’d put my claim in for compensation now and would probably include a line that you are considering your options as to rerouting or refund and will let them know however here is your claim for statutory compensation for the flight cancellation meanwhile? Your rerouting is a separate additional right that you have so might as well get on with compensation claim now
In case BA tries to lie and change their story later, ***can anyone on here take a look at Expertflyer or other source and screenshot the reason for cancellation? apparently this is easier within 48hrs
Flight number???..***or ask nicely on flyertalk if someone can check.There DO NOT need to be reward seats available, regardless of the eventual re-routing dates. The entitlement is to travel “under comparable conditions”, i.e. in the same cabin, and the booking class doesn’t come into it. This has been demonstrated several times by HFP readers, so I’m not sure where you’ve got this from, @AJA!
The regulation covering this is Article 8
Specifically
(c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger’s convenience, subject to availability of seatsIt is the bolded phrase that is problematic.
We can argue whether that means any seat in First Class or whether that means reward seat availability. BA takes the view it is the latter.
I am not saying OP should cave in. I am just pointing out why BA offered any seat within the next 14 days and not just any seat at any later date.
I would first look to see if there is any reward seat availability at a future date that suits and then respond to BA as that would make BA less likely to disagree.
If there are no reward seats then it becomes more difficult and depends upon OPs attitude to risk and whether they are willing to shell out for first class tickets and claim the cost back from BA.
That is BA’s standard response of any seat within 14 days ie it does not require reward seat availability.
You can ask instead to be re-routed to your final destination at a later date of your convenience. This, however, is subject to there being availability in the same booking class as your original ticket. The Regulation does not specify a deadline by which the flight has to be taken. It is reasonable to assume that you can book any flight currently open to reservation (i.e. normally 330 days ahead) subject to availability in the relevant booking class.
So as you used a 2-4-1 your problem is finding reward seats later in the year.
AJA availability of seat for reroute does *not* have to be in same booking class. There only has to be any seat available (eg if you can see it on the internet being offered for sale) in the same **cabin class** not booking class.
Booking class is a subset of cabin class. Cabin class is First, Business, Premium Economy or Economy. There are several booking classes under each of these. All you need is a seat in same cabin and don’t let BA tell you any different.
Avios seats within each cabin class have their own booking class that identifies them and passenger being rerouted has the right to be rerouted in a seat of any booking class in that cabin whether an avios booking class or any of several revenue seat booking classes. This is actually written into EU261 so presumably came into the UK version when it was kept.
As NorthernLass said above the airline is not allowed to let you only reroute on a date there are avios seats available if they cancelled your original flight. If there’s a seat being sold in your cabin on a date to travel that is convenient to you for your reroute you have a right to it.
PS Don’t forget the cancellation compensation claim is for each seat ie £520 for each seat. Doesn’t matter that one was a 241 seat.
@LadyLondon I’m not disagreeing. See my response to @NorthernLass, BA takes a more restricted view of the regulations. That does not mean they are right.
As For @JDB’s reply to me I agree that it is also a risk assuming you can book up to 330 days out. But my reasoning is that it becomes more difficult to try to get BA to agree to reroute you later than their own booking window. However the regulation does not stipulate how far out you can move your seat (it just says at a later date at the passenger’s convenience) so practically if you can see seats available for sale you should be in a stronger position than if trying to request a seat for 18 months later (even so that is up to you to decide not BA).
Absolutely shameful that BA should seek to not deliver the passenger rights of a passenger they’ve royally messed around in this way.
And JDB as you yourself have said in the past, the statutes that give a passenger these rights are deliberately written so as to favour the passenger given airline tendency to abuse where they can. Which is why the legislation gives the passenger the right to choose refund or immediate reroute or later date of reroute *”convenient to **the passenger**”*.
You know it, I know it. The passenger’s own circumstances determine reasonableness and I have given only a few examples of aspects of circumstances and factors of the trip which will lead to a particular timing being what is convenient to the passenger.
Let’s not forget that particularly with this cancellation practically at the aircraft’s door this has been particularly devaststing to the passenger’s plans. Depending on circumstances surrounding him and the reasons for his trip it’s perfectly reasonable not to be able to rebook promptly. And then travel may only be possible in a relatively short window in a very long time from now.
PS Nothing stops you from submitting your separate claim *now*, for the £520 compensation for cancellation you are now due under EU261/UK equivalent.
BA said the reason for cancellation is technical issues and technical issues are definitely not issues that an airline can use as a reason not to have to pay compensation. Technical issues are not exceptional, and not outside the airline’s control so no exception – they owe you the statutory compensation above.
I’d put my claim in for compensation now and would probably include a line that you are considering your options as to rerouting or refund and will let them know however here is your claim for statutory compensation for the flight cancellation meanwhile? Your rerouting is a separate additional right that you have so might as well get on with compensation claim now
In case BA tries to lie and change their story later, ***can anyone on here take a look at Expertflyer or other source and screenshot the reason for cancellation? apparently this is easier within 48hrs
Flight number???..***or ask nicely on flyertalk if someone can check.BA243 yesterday?
EF has:
Comments:
DOBA243/22APR
* OPERATIONAL FLIGHT INFO * BA 243 -1 SA 22APR23
CITY INFO HOUR (LOCAL)FLIGHT CANCELLED 0519
FLT CANX
LHR ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL 1937 MEX
*1A PLANNED FLIGHT INFO* BA 243 -1 SA 22APR23
APT ARR DY DEP DY CLASS/MEAL EQP GRND EFT TTL
LHR 1520 SA FAJCDRIWETY/M 789 11:25
BHKMLVSNQOG/M
MEX 1945 SA 11:25
COMMENTS-
1.LHR MEX – MEMBER OF ONEWORLD
2.LHR MEX – DEPARTS TERMINAL 5
3.LHR MEX – ARRIVES TERMINAL 1
4.LHR MEX – 9/ NON-SMOKING
5.LHR MEX – SECURED FLIGHT
6.LHR MEX – ET/ ELECTRONIC TKT CANDIDATE
7.LHR MEX – CO2/PAX* 451.89 KG ECO, 903.78 KG PRE
(*):SOURCE:ICAO CARBON EMISSIONS CALCULATOR
CONFIGURATION-
789 F 8 J 42 W 39 M 127
>On FT, user Sigwx (on the “why was my flight cancelled?” thread) often has more info on the detailed cause that BA _used_ to put on the platform that EF accesses…
@AJA – yes I agree if you can get BA to rebook right away, even if it’s a long way out, you are in a stronger position but if they say no, you need to do MCOL or CEDR.
On @LadyLondon’s original suggestion that it’s “reasonable” to book one year later and maybe longer, I’m afraid I think that is reckless advice.
It is possible, but nothing you can rely upon. It will depend on the specific circumstances and different judges/arbitrators will render different decisions as it is totally subjective. Also, the advice some gave during covid to leave your booking indefinitely until you are ready to rebook is bonkers. You need to decide what you want to do and pursue it.
Further to @Tocsin’s post the relevant thread over on FT is
I asked regarding the OP’s flight. Will update here if anyone responds.
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