Understanding BA rerouting options

[LondonFly]

Ba cancelled my flight in December.
Scheduled LHR-TLV 0700
Replacement flight with different flight number offered at 2015, 13 hours later.
The new time does not suit me at all as I need to arrive that day.
The agent said that BA cannot reroute me on other flights on other airlines as they have offered me a flight on the same day.
Is this correct? or can I insist on a different airline or book and claim back

[yonasl]

The agent is incorrect. Your original flight was cancelled and you have to now be rerouted on a new one convenient to you.

First of all:
– Do NOT accept the new flight or BA can argue you made a choice already
– You can get a refund if you want which I suppose you know

As for your options, you cannot really ask for a flight next year now but BA will usually let you pick another flight 2 weeks from/before the flight you originally had. Theoretically, if one followed the law, you should be able to pick a flight “at a later date at the passenger’s convenience” or “at the earliest opportunity”.

What you are not entitled to is COMPENSATION as this is happening more than 14 days before your flight.

What the law says: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/adopted

Article 5
Cancellation
1.
In case of cancellation of a flight, the passengers concerned shall:
(a)be offered assistance by the operating air carrier in accordance with Article 8; and …

Article 8
Right to reimbursement or re-routing
1.
Where reference is made to this Article, passengers shall be offered the choice between:
(a)- reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger’s original travel plan, together with, when relevant,- a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity;

(b)re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or

(c)re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger’s convenience, subject to availability of seats.

[SamG]

BA will reroute onto Lufthansa/Swiss/Austrian – option 12 of their standard customer guidelines. Call back and request this