Re-routing options (MCO-LHR next year)

[Iona]

We had confirmation yesterday that our summer schedule (May 2023) flight from MCO-LHR has been cancelled. It’s booked with a 241 Avios voucher but I don’t think that makes any difference.

The suggested replacement is MCO-LGW on the same day. Which is ok, apart from the fact that if I’d wanted to land at Gatwick that’s the one I’d have booked in the first place! (It was available at the time and I intentionally chose to land back into Heathrow as it’ll be easier for us).

We’ve had cancelled flights before but it’s always been fairly easy to work out what is and isn’t allowed (picking a different time to the one they suggested but still on the same route, flying to/from Munich instead of Salzburg when they decided not to run the Salzburg route last summer, etc). Therefore I was hoping someone might let me know which if any of the following might be allowed before I phone BA (I think it’s the fact that I can still fly MCO-LON that’s throwing me).

1) Flying MCO-LHR on the same day with a connection at MIA.
2) Flying MIA-LHR (getting to MIA at our own expense) a couple of days later.
3) Flying MCO-LHR via somewhere that offers a day flight (so New York or Boston) with an overnight connection (paying for an airport hotel at our own expense).

Any thoughts would be gratefully received!

[JDB]

Article 8.3 provides for this eventuality:-

“When, in the case where a town, city or region is served by several airports, an operating air carrier offers a passenger a flight to an airport alternative to that for which the booking was made, the operating air carrier shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger from that alternative airport either to that for which the booking was made, or to another close-by destination agreed with the passenger.”

So BA is only required to pay for travel between Gatwick and Heathrow. However, if you call they may agree to one of your listed choices, but that’s essentially a matter of goodwill.

[Lady London]

The airline’s obligation is to get you from your origin airport to your destination airport. You can choose to ask them for an alternative which maintains your start and end points, which will allow you to still travel at as near to ypur booked timings as reasonably possible. They have the option to choose different routings between origin and destination, within reason (such as you can refuse a routing which would involve connections taking much longer than your original journey). So you can nudge them.

You don’t have to agree to land at Gatwick if you booked Heathrow. Plus I suspect Gatwick more likely to have a worse aircraft.

So you can ask them to keep your destination to Heatrow.

If they can’t offer MCO LHR at a suitable time for you then they are technically resposible for your travel costs and meals during any extra time travelling, say, from MCO to MIA because ex-MIA or another different starting point is all they can offer you.

On the other hand if it’s you not them asking to depart from MIA etc then this is voluntary they have to agree as this would be a concession not something they are statutorily required to do. It’s a fine distinction. BA has said they are generally willing to make a change within 300 miles. You are then responsible for all extra costs.

I’d actually see if via NY would work as better planes, more choice if connections miss etc. My absolute preference would be to depart from Tampa or Raleigh or even Sarasota!(done that one) or via Charleston which are easier airports than MIA MCO but that would put you departing on a non EU261 UK261 eligible airline.

Also we have 2 more season changes therefore timetable changes before you fly so you could wait a bit. Very likely you could see further changes even to what you might select now. Remember you omly get one shot per time they cancel your flight so you need to make sure you choose the right option

[SamG]

My experience suggests 1 and 2 will be fine. 3 likely fine especially if the internal flight has a BA code you can give them. Be aware that if you go for 3) inevitably the AA flight will be amended and the BA code will get cancelled. If this happens and you can’t immediately see an alternative then you’ll need to wait a while for the BA codes to be reestablished (manual process it seems)

If you fly to Gatwick they’ll pay your expenses back to Heathrow after the fact (even though they’ll tell you in advance they won’t!)

[JDB]

@Lady London in respect of UK261, just getting you back to a London airport covers their legal obligations; they just need to cover the transportation cost between the two airports. Anything else is a matter of goodwill.

[Lady London]

Can still refuse, JDB.
For one thing it is likely to add several hours to the journey so can be refused on that basis alone. Especially as on this journey there are a number of alternative ways of still landing at Heathrow at an acceptable time to the passenger. The passenger chooses to reroute as near as poss reasonably to existing time back to LHR snd that’s a wide window for this route with several choices.

Also as you yourself have kindly pointed out elsewhere there is no way the passenger can claim for extra car parking costs, kennel fees etc.for extra time needed to get back to the booked airport after landing somewhere else.

If BA really wants to bully this passenger into a flight back to Gatwick for their own commercial convenience when she booked Heathrow, and have her schlep luggage and **d knows what on some horrible public transport journey after a longhaul flight, because remember BA denies taxis unless you’ve got a very good reason to argue it with them, and have her pay more for car parking at Heathrow plus expose herself to the risk of problems with public transport as well…then the passenger that accepts a move to Gatwick that they don’t have to, has only themselves to blame later.

I would also urge the passenger if they possibly can, not to accept any significantly earlier departure than tbey currently have. Why should they lose part of their trip and potentially have higher costs to reach the airport earlier, to help out BA who cancelled them? BA is also safeguarding against delay compensation opportunities opening up by offering much earlier flights to fill undesirably timed flights as well, when we’ve seen report of refusals to reroute on
much closer, but later fllghts that do have seats

[Iona]

Thanks all – lots to think about there. We’ll give it a little while for schedules to settle down, have a chat about what we would/would not be happy with and then give them a call and see what they’re prepared to do.

[Michael C]

I’m in a similar position but the other way round: LHR-MCO changed to LGW-MCO, also on a 2-4-1.
Am I correct in thinking I don’t have to listen to any “There has to be Avios availability” argument from BA?!

[Matt]

Michael C wrote:

I’m in a similar position but the other way round: LHR-MCO changed to LGW-MCO, also on a 2-4-1.
Am I correct in thinking I don’t have to listen to any “There has to be Avios availability” argument from BA?!

If your flight has been cancelled then you do not need avios availability if you are keeping the same start and end points (and LGW would almost certainly count as the same as LHR for these purposes)

[Lady London]

Michael C wrote:

I’m in a similar position but the other way round: LHR-MCO changed to LGW-MCO, also on a 2-4-1.
Am I correct in thinking I don’t have to listen to any “There has to be Avios availability” argument from BA?!

Correct, if BA cancelled a flight on your booking