Tested positive the day of reward flight – refund possible?

[SimonR]

Having felt rough the day before my flight and testing negative in my hotel room, I felt a lot more rough the day of the flight and this time tested positive. I then called BA to cancel my cash + avios flight from Gatwick to Tenerife. The guy on the phone said that they would issue me with a voucher for another flight, but I had to send through the test result. I asked if a photo of my antigen test ok and he said that would be fine. This was at 9:30, 3hrs before the flight was scheduled to depart….

…So I sent the photo of my antigen test along with the time and date stamp screen grab from my phone and I’ve received a reply today (the day after the flight) saying that they can’t accept it as they need a certified copy before the flight took place.

I get that this is their policy and I understand the rationale behind it, but in my situation a certified test wouldn’t have been possible as I only tested postive (via free antigen) 6 hours before the flight. Even if they had explained that I needed a certified test when I called them, I am not sure how I would have achieved that, let alone if I would have been physically capable (I felt rotten).

So my question is, do I have any chance of getting a voucher or refund out of BA?

If the answer to that is no, am I likely to have any luck with AXA insurance (Curve Metal)?

[SamG]

If you’d just requested the voucher yourself online this would have been fine – you can do it up until check in closes for any reason, so this sounds strange.

I’d call in once you are feeling better (try the US line via Skype after 8pm) and chose the options for change Avios flights and see what the status of the ticket is. Hopefully he did cancel you off the flight so you didn’t no show. Then you should be able to use it for a future flight as if it were a voucher

If you did no show then go via customer relations and tell them you were wrongly advised – book with confidence didn’t require proof. Also check with your insurer

[NorthernLass]

That is really odd! I have messages with all my flight bookings saying if we are ill on the day of travel to cancel online for a voucher.

[SimonR]

Many thanks for those replies, it’s great to know that their ts & cs appear to back up my position. I’ll continue to pursue this.

I have another related question…. I have started feeling better and expect I will test negative in the next few days. When that happens, I will want to rebook new redemption flights asap. I expect that will involve flying to Madrid first then Tenerife on Iberia, but having been stuck in a cheap hotel in Croydon feeling terrible for the previous 5 days or so, that additional inconvenience really doesn’t bother me.

I have plenty of avios so don’t need to resolve the previous issue and get a voucher before being able to book the new flights.
My question is, will I have to jump through any extra hoops having recently had the virus?

[NorthernLass]

Spain only requires you to be fully vaxxed – IIRC less than 270 days since 2nd dose/booster but the info should be on the Spanish health declaration, unless you’re a Spanish resident/EU national in which case it’s my understanding that you can enter with a negative test instead.

[Harry T]

The best thing to do in this situation is to either apply for an FTV yourself online (up to online check in) or eat the cost and claim from your travel insurance if it covers this.