Plane swap with no F cabin

[PB2]

I’m due to fly to IAD in F in a couple of days on the A380. Booked with a 241 50% avios discount. Just had an email to say they’ve substituted the plane and the new one has no F cabin…I have 2 friends coming on the trip in economy. Thoughts on how to proceed? I made an effort to fly out of LHR to fly F and spend some time in the CCR, otherwise I’d just have gone with IB from Madrid. They may let me move but guess my friends will be stuck on the original flight time. If I accept the downgrade is the level of compensation (cash and or avios) fixed/guaranteed?

[Richie]

Is there any F availability on the flight to BWI on the same day?

[PB2]

No – one option is F to JFK and then a 2h connection for flight down to DC. Is 2h connection achievable with immigration?

Anyone know what the post flight compensation would be if I accepted club? I imagine it’s a mess with F not having RFS and my return being in F (for now!).

[e14]

Take the flight via NYC you have time to make the connection might even get a drink in the Chelsea if you are lucky

Work out the Comp later

Your aircraft swap and the following day cancellation are tactical due to lack of A380 airframes

[e14]

BWI from my long long memory has never had F – god it used to get the 767s

[Richie]

@e14 btw today’s BA229 LHR-BWI flight is operated by G-ZBKH B789.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

PB2 wrote:

No – one option is F to JFK and then a 2h connection for flight down to DC. Is 2h connection achievable with immigration?

Anyone know what the post flight compensation would be if I accepted club? I imagine it’s a mess with F not having RFS and my return being in F (for now!).

75% of the cost of the downgraded sector if you fly in the downgraded cabin – see one of the numerous threads alreadu covering that aspect

As to your friends in economy BA won’t move them onto another flight as their bookings hasn’t been affected.

[annabh]

PB2 wrote:

I’m due to fly to IAD in F in a couple of days on the A380. Booked with a 241 50% avios discount. Just had an email to say they’ve substituted the plane and the new one has no F cabin…I have 2 friends coming on the trip in economy. Thoughts on how to proceed? I made an effort to fly out of LHR to fly F and spend some time in the CCR, otherwise I’d just have gone with IB from Madrid. They may let me move but guess my friends will be stuck on the original flight time. If I accept the downgrade is the level of compensation (cash and or avios) fixed/guaranteed?

Is the JFK flight to IAD or DCA. If it’s DCA and you’re staying in DC I would do that. If you’re in F you’ll be off the flight first to get through immigration, you can also download the immigration app if you’re on a returning ESTA which should speed it up.

[aq.1988]

I had a similar situation recently, my F booking to AUH was downgraded to CW due to a plane swap. I called YouFirst, and they agreed to move me to DXB (even though there was no avios availability). So, you might not need there to be avios availability for them to agree to move you to another flight with an F cabin within 300 miles (I think that’s their rule).

I put a speculative claim for the taxi from DXB to my hotel in Abu Dhabi, not expecting them to agree given the change was notified more than 2 months before the flight, but they have confirmed they have sent payment today. In my claim, I did say that by re-routing to DXB, I saved them having to pay the 75% downgrade reimbursement, so the cab fare would be less.

[Garethgerry]

Stick to same plane , get the 75% avios, but ring you first up saying how you were looking foward CCR , say it would be a great gesture of goodwill if you could use CCR. If they say n ,ask about other carriers.

[PB2]

Thank you all for the input. Sorry my phone died after I got off the phone with You First, having just landed in Madrid!

The lady was very helpful. Indeed she said my friends couldn’t change anything without paying, as on a separate ticket. For myself, there was space on a direct BA F flight but 5 hours earlier which I declined – I suggested the routing via JFK and she quickly came back with a reasonable routing with similar departure times to the original (1h earlier). There was no suggestion that Avios availability was required.

So I should now fly BA 777 F to JFK and 2h15 later an American Airlines flight in business to DCA (according to the BA app it’s a 757). I’d seen some talk of BA having reliability issues with the 380 – these things happen I guess. Let’s see how the return is in a week!

Not sure if I’ll be due any compensation based on the above outcome? It is clearly a pain though – with the risk of missing the connection and being stuck in JFK for the night. Instead of arriving together at 2030 in IAD, I’ll be at DCA at 2303 if on time…

For the F return I paid 74k avios and £850.09. I think the outbound is peak, return off peak. If it’s just 75% of the Avios returned (no cash) you’d be talking around 30k Avios I think – so worth around £300? If that’s correct, I don’t think it’s particularly generous compensation given the downgrade.

First world problems eh.

[PB2]

She was also quite clear that no F ticket or GGL status = no CCR entry – although perhaps exceptions can be made, who knows. If they want to encourage people to accept a downgrade they should really put the cash/avios compensation figure in the email pre-flight. I was told it would have to be “calculated” by another dept and only post travel.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

The downgrade reimbursement % is set down in the regulations so 75% for a flight of this distance

Because you used. 2-4-1 so paid half the avios so then 75% of 50% ( because you’ve only been downgraded on one leg) of 74k is going to be a relatively low number.

But that moot as you asked for and were granted a rebooking to stay in F.

As the flight wasn’t cancelled and you voluntarily changed schedule there is no additional compensation for the later arrival.

[PB2]

Thank you – yes I don’t think you can fault the swift resolution having declined the direct flight 5h earlier.

[TGLoyalty]

For anyone else reading this in a similar position should clarify its 75% of the original 1 leg cost surely so 74k*75%=55.5k the voucher was used in exchange for 74k points and wasn’t worthless plus 75% of the carrier imposed charges so excluding the actual taxes might have got another £75 or so for the one way.

But ofcourse all moot as still flying F and taken a voluntary rerouting so no compensation for delay / schedule change.

Enjoy the flight and perhaps even the JFK first lounge

[PB2]

That’s interesting for future reference. My initial worry was they would price up the new mixed return of CW and F, and compare to what was paid – and as we know, at the moment the mixed return can cost more than F each way given the impact of RFS on CW but not in F.

Thanks – hope so, I enjoyed Soho in Feb, so a quick drink in Chelsea would be great!

[NorthernLass]

Did BA put the re-route all on one ticket, just out of interest?

[e14]

Richie wrote:

@e14 btw today’s BA229 LHR-BWI flight is operated by G-ZBKH B789.

So, they weren’t operating an F service or selling F/A class on it ?

That would have been the ultimate BA twist of fate, we’ve downgraded you to J, here is seat 1A, yes it’s an F seat but there is no F service today. Had that happen a couple of times during the catering strike.

[e14]

NorthernLass wrote:

Did BA put the re-route all on one ticket, just out of interest?

Could you elaborate ? It will the same PNR, with a new ticket numbers issued for the updated coupons, there will also be a sub PNR for the leg on AA

[PB2]

Yes all on the same ticket. BA app shows my seat, which I was able to move on the AA site.

Despite BA website saying a 757, the AA website using the AA locator shows it’s an American Eagle E175, which makes more sense – wasn’t planning to check in my cabin bag with the wardrobe on 380 F, and especially not with a connection, but it’s too big for AA so will have to check it through. Another point for anyone else with a similar experience.

[Garethgerry]

Using a 241 for one person, where you pay half avios makes the compensation for downgrade in Avios a quarter of what you’d get if you had used it for 2 people.

Thus if only one person it’s best to try to get a first reroute. For two is a more even choice

[e14]

PB2 wrote:

Yes all on the same ticket. BA app shows my seat, which I was able to move on the AA site.

Despite BA website saying a 757, the AA website using the AA locator shows it’s an American Eagle E175, which makes more sense – wasn’t planning to check in my cabin bag with the wardrobe on 380 F, and especially not with a connection, but it’s too big for AA so will have to check it through. Another point for anyone else with a similar experience.

There is no such thing as check through when entering the US, unless you are flying on internationally.
I’m not sure what wardrobe you are referring to on the A380, but if it’s the one by your seat then the RHS overheads on the E175 are a lot bigger, take it onboard, worst that can happen is AA will gatecheck it.

[PB2]

Oh ok – I’m just taking a cabin size (55x40x23cm) which I read fits in the 380F cupboard, and of course a 777 overhead bin too. But the AA limit per their website is 56x36x23cm (whereas the BA/IB limit is 56x45x25cm/56x40x25cm). If I show at the gate in JFK with an oversize bag will I not be charged?

Does JFK have a connections route or will I have to go landside after immigration and then check in my case before going back through security for the domestic leg?

[e14]

PB2 wrote:

Oh ok – I’m just taking a cabin size (55x40x23cm) which I read fits in the 380F cupboard, and of course a 777 overhead bin too. But the AA limit per their website is 56x36x23cm (whereas the BA/IB limit is 56x45x25cm/56x40x25cm). If I show at the gate in JFK with an oversize bag will I not be charged?

On AA domestic F it’s more of a guide … you won’t be charged

PB2 wrote:

Does JFK have a connections route or will I have to go landside after immigration and then check in my case before going back through security for the domestic leg?

No connections route, bag drop after customs, then land side and back upstairs.

[PB2]

Thank you!