British Airways will refund ALL flights to 31st May for a voucher – but should you say no?

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Finally ….. British Airways has seen the light and is now allowing you to cancel ALL flights up to 31st May, in return for a travel voucher.

However …. I am not convinced you should accept.

Let me explain.

Here is the British Airways ‘Book With Confidence’ website.

British Airways BA 777X 777 9X

These are the new rules:

If you are travelling between 14th March and 31st May, you can refund your flight for a British Airways e-voucher irrespective of when you booked. No refunds are on offer for flights beyond 31st May.

If you are travelling between 1st June and 31st December 2020, you can refund your flight for a British Airways e-voucher if you booked between 3rd March and 31st May

The voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of your original flight

The voucher can be used on any route, not necessarily the one you originally booked

This applies to both British Airways marketed flights and BA Holidays bookings, although Comair and SUN-AIR are exempt

You cannot claim if you have already started your journey

Flight cancellations can be made until the close of check-in, whilst BA Holidays bookings must be cancelled within 48 hours of departure

Anyone who has already cancelled their booking and lost money cannot retrospectively request a voucher

You can also change your flight dates without any change fees, although you have to pay the fare difference.

The small print on how the voucher works is on the ‘Book With Confidence’ website.

But … but … but … perhaps you should wait?

I know this sounds contrarian. Many of you have been on tenterhooks waiting for a decision like this to allow you to cancel your trip.

And yet ….

The EU has agreed the terms of a deal to allow airlines to cancel flights without losing their slots.

Next week, British Airways is likely cut anything from 25% to 100% of its scheduled flights – probably around 50% given what Lufthansa is doing. If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund IN CASH. No messing around with e-vouchers.

By taking the refund now, you are also giving up your right to potential EC261 compensation if you were due to travel within 14 days of the cancellation being made.

Unless you are travelling in the next 4-5 days, you might want to think about waiting in case you end up missing out on a full cash refund.

Of course, there is also a risk that British Airways withdraws this offer and you can no longer refund your ticket at all.

It’s up to you.

How to earn Avios points from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways BA Amex American Express card

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios? Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)

Category

British Airways and Avios

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Danksy says:

16 Mar16 March 11:38

I’m supposed to be flying to Las Vegas on Sunday – with a cash ticket

Currently shiowing the flight will fly as normal – I suspect they will be making a trade off between the risk of incurring EU261 compensation for cancelling the flights Vs running an empty plane there and back!

Wondering how long I can bare to wait before accepting the 12mnth voucher – although clearly I will recourse to travel insurance if I can’t get the voucher. But TBH given the scale of the financial risk to BA I’m very wary of taking vouchers which cant be cashed!!
- stevenhp1987 says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 12:04
  
  There will be no EU261 compensation. Extraordinary circumstances.
  
  If the flight is cancelled, which is extremely likely. You’ll get a refund.
- John Graham says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 15:44
  
  The CAA has made pretty clear that they see the cancellations due to Coronavirus as fitting “exceptional circumstances”, but that you would still be free to try a claim. This means the voucher is a pretty good option, depending on insurance, if your confident you were going to spend the money with BA in the next year anyway.
Anna says:

16 Mar16 March 12:01

Possibly important! BA has started removing the facility from Avios bookings to cancel online. Looks people being are going to be forced to call anyway if they want to change/cancel.
- Zac says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 14:48
  
  Still working for me, Anna
Peter Taysum says:

16 Mar16 March 12:18

Any advice on insurance via:-

1. Booking via credit card
2. Cover from travel insurance from Curve metal
3. Cover from Travel Insurance co-op bank

Pretty much all companies immediately have offered refund/voucher/rebook even for advance bookings. I’m happy for credit notes TBH I have a vested interest in travelling in the future. It’s May to July but I think that will all be cancelled.
- Jon says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 13:13
  
  Comes down to the fine print on your policy. Most comprehensive policies should have a clause that covers FCO advice against non-essential travel (e.g. Amex Plat, HSBC Premier, my firm’s AXA group policy). Haven’t seen the insurance policy from Curve Metal or Co-op, Curve is AXA so assuming it should cover. I would do a text search for ‘FCO’ or ‘non-essential’ on the policy, or examine the cancellations section of your policy.
  
  Cancellations on bookings with >14 on outbound date are not EU261 covered.
  
  AFAIK you can only do a chargeback via section 75 if you’ve paid more than £100 on the card, and the vendor is not giving you a refund/vouchers.
  
  Risk of vouchers is that the airline fails – then the vouchers will be worthless. I don’t think we will get to that point but there is always that risk – plus if we do then not travelling will be the least of your concerns.
  - Lady London says:
    
    16 Mar16 March 16:56
    
    s.75 total value of the transaction must be at least £100. But you can pay just £1 on credit card and the rest by another method and you’re covered s.75 for the wohle amount. Source : multiple postings on hfp and MSE
Aliks says:

16 Mar16 March 13:20

A couple of hours before checkin closed, I requested a voucher using the BA online form that appears when you check cancellation options. Its for a return flight to Valencia for 2 people, outbound leg was yesterday ie Sun 15th.
The message on the screen promised a reply in a few days, but there was no confirmation email or anything.
Today my wife got a message from BA with a link to the Book with Confidence page offering a voucher for the return flight.
Does this mean something went wrong and our return flight is still live? or just BA systems struggling to catch up?
- Lady London says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 16:58
  
  Canceled flights are often live , or appear live, even when successfully canceled, in airline systems. Sometimes they change the date to something completely different, sometimes the booking looks to us like it’s still there even some months later. But every time I’ve had a panic, seen one of my cancelled bookings aparently still live, and phoned up, I have been reassured yes it was cancelled when I thought it was.
  
  Check with the airline if you’re not sure but it’s not uncommon at all to tind this.
Joe Hodrien says:

16 Mar16 March 13:47

Has anyone experience how long it takes to get the voucher. We requested one last night. You don’t get a confirmation email – just a page saying we’ll receive the voucher within 5 days. Our flight to Portugal is in 3 days time.
- Fred Hopkins says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 15:00
  
  Suspect if the email says you’ll set the voucher within 5 days you’ll likely receive the voucher within 5 days. That’s pretty clear is it not?
JD says:

16 Mar16 March 17:45

Hi, if you have booked using avios and a companion voucher – what are the best options: 1. where do I stand with the fly with confidence voucher (does it include the companion voucher or not) 2. if BA cancel the flight will they extend/renew my companion voucher ?
- Johnny5a says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 18:30
  
  I’m in the same situation as you, I would like my cash back.
- Gin and Tonic Please says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 18:33
  
  I just got off the phone to BA about this very topic. Was due to fly to Buenos Aires on Fri, but the flight is now cancelled. Booked with Avios and 241 voucher. If I tried to use links in MMB to get the refund, it just took me to the voucher request form (as others have reported) So after a long time on hold, I got the full refund of the fees, Avios and voucher but no extension. Mine is still valid until Sep, though – and the BA advisor said that I could ask to speak to the Accounts team in the future to request an extension if I needed it.
  - Shoestring says:
    
    16 Mar16 March 18:41
    
    so if a flight is cancelled, but you don’t contact CS to get a refund or re-ticket, what happens?
    
    they clearly can’t keep your money and/ or Avios
  - paul says:
    
    16 Mar16 March 18:43
    
    Thanks for that information. I too have an F avios for 3 Apr and its not one of the 13 designated airports. To be honest I think BA would struggle to refuse full cash refunds on Avios bookings as it is clearly part of the T&Cs…for how much longer though?
    
    As for voucher extension. Hopefully this will happen but probably only via American express rather than the telesales agents.
    
    Finally I think BA has just lost a magnificent opportunity to be seen as a world leader by acting as it is with refunds. A vouchers is all well and good so long as the fares are the same in 3,4,5 or 6 months. Just as they are trying to win people over again it could be a big wave of complaints at their tactics.
RL says:

16 Mar16 March 19:02

I received the same email, clicked the link and requested the voucher as I was going to cancel my tickets anyway. The flight has not been cancelled (yet) by BA as it’s for Japan. My question is, does requesting the voucher effectively cancel my tickets, or do I still need to contact them and cancel? Many thanks.
- meta says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 20:40
  
  Yes it does cancel your ticket. When is your flight? This is crucial. If within 72 hours, then it highly likely it won’t be cancelled, so your only option is to take the voucher. If it is later, then there is a possibility that it will be cancelled, you would get everything back (though not extension of the voucher, but who knows if you request it later when everything settles).
  - Shoestring says:
    
    16 Mar16 March 20:47
    
    yep my strategy for our Easter flights (Europe) is to wait a bit [Easter hols now impossible], outward is 28th March so with any luck it’ll be cancelled.
    
    Of course I’d rather get a full refund than a voucher with Avios in suspense/ don’t want to cancel myself & take the hit on the fees
    - meta says:
      
      16 Mar16 March 22:04
      
      I actually don’t need another 241. Have 2 already and will generate another one this year. And will probably get another 2 next year, so really no need for extensions as I won’t able to use that many anyway (limited holidays due to work). So my strategy is to get Avios and surcharges back if they cancel or if there is advisory perhaps from insurance. Or maybe I’ll go to Japan and stay there. At least there it’s easier to get provisions.
Helen Shute says:

16 Mar16 March 20:21

BA now won’t give me the option for a refund of my Avios points and cash even though they would 24 hours ago. This is outrageous and surely a breach of the terms and conditions of my booking. I don’t want a voucher, I want my Avios back so that I have enough for an alternative destination. Any advice?
- Shoestring says:
  
  16 Mar16 March 20:25
  
  is it a cancelled flight or is it still flying?
  - Daniel says:
    
    16 Mar16 March 20:36
    
    Online or did you call them?
    
    They’re removing (have removed for me since earlier today) the option to get an automated refund in MMB (e.g. the return of Avios + 241 voucher + cash minus £35 fee). The cancel option redirects you to the page to request a voucher.
    
    Obviously an attempt to avoid refunding people in cash. Apparently call centres won’t refund either currently according to Flyer Talk. Would love an article on this. They need to be shamed into amending their ways.
    - Anna says:
      
      16 Mar16 March 20:42
      
      I posted about this earlier, seems to be for flights that haven’t been cancelled but to destinations where UK visitors won’t be allowed to enter. I didn’t know refunds were being refused by phone as well though, that’s a complete breach of Ts & Cs.
      - Daniel says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 20:52
        
        I haven’t read the every post in the Flyer Talk threads, but it seems as if earlier today calling was successful in getting a normal cash + voucher + miles refund. Later people seem less successful and were only offered a voucher.
        
        A poster who claims to work for BA and has provided useful and accurate info over the past few days also mentioned that Avios and vouchers were being held to be used in the future, voucher style. Didn’t specifically mention cash, but I suspect they’re holding onto that too.
      - Anna says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 22:59
        
        Shoestring, yes many pax inc me now unable to cancel award bookings via MMB, posters on FT saying that when they have called BA to cancel they are told either they have to take a voucher or that their Avios and money will be “held” by BA until they want to change their travel dates!
      - Shoestring says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 23:03
        
        but we come down to the same question: is the flight actually cancelled yet?
      - Shoestring says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 23:08
        
        OK I get it, just did a dummy cancellation and only got the voucher option – it was different yesterday – yep breaking T&Cs – I should just wait for the flight to get cancelled, BA conserving cash (illegally)
    - Shoestring says:
      
      16 Mar16 March 21:24
      
      @Daniel – I can’t see why there’s any ‘shame’ in BA not refunding in cash if the flight is still flying
      
      obvs they are conserving cash as best they can
      
      but if the flight’s not cancelled, there’s no need to give a refund
      
      BA have offered a voucher alternative
      - Shoestring says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 21:29
        
        I’m guessing BA are sucking up the ‘cancel my flight’ fees for a few days before actually going ahead and cancelling the flights themselves
      - Anna says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 21:53
        
        There is when the terms of an award booking are that cash and Avios will be refunded!
      - Shoestring says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 22:03
        
        will be refunded when the flight is cancelled, I presume?
        
        not when you ‘arbitrarily’ cancel off your own bat (because you’re not allowed to travel, even if the plane is still going)
      - Anna says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 22:11
        
        Shoestring, there’s nothing arbitrary about it, it’s the customer’s right to do so when they book an award ticket. You seem to do it all the time!
      - Shoestring says:
        
        16 Mar16 March 22:15
        
        OK crossed wires
        
        1. T&Cs of course you cancel for full refund minus small fee eg RFS £17.50 OW/ £35 return
        2. arbitrary – expecting a full 100% refund when the flight is flying but you’re not allowed to fly – not BA’s fault
        
        but you seem to be suggesting BA stopped (1) as well, directing people to the voucher instead? even though they were willing to forgo the £35 etc?