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.

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British Airways BA Amex American Express card

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British Airways American Express Premium Plus

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

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Category

British Airways and Avios

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

Tom says:

17 Mar17 March 15:32

This is VERY good advise, thank you.

As I was reading it I received an email from BA cancelling my holiday with a full refund.
Hem says:

17 Mar17 March 15:52

With the new FCO advice, Do you think it’s likely that my NRT flight will be cancelled? I’m due to travel on Thursday but hope it gets cancelled so that I receive a refund rather than I having to request a voucher.
Scott says:

17 Mar17 March 16:51

Further datapoint – just received an email explaining my ZRH-LCY flight over Easter was cancelled and I’m entitled to a refund. But the “Cancel and rebook flight(s)” button on that page links to their voucher (Future Travel Voucher Application) option – to get a refund I apparently have to call. Because obviously neither I nor call centre staff have anything better to do.

I appreciate business is tough but am not sure this sort of behaviour helps, however many people they manage to trick into taking their voucher rather than a refund.
- CapeCam says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 18:59
  
  Exactly the same happened to me on WAW to LHR no option online to refund – just travel voucher . This is no accident – they want to keep your cash
- Anna says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 19:16
  
  Yes BA has done this with loads of bookings. I managed to cancel my award seats to MIA by calling You First but I still need to call again to cancel bookings for other cabins. The CSA wasn’t aware and agreed it would just make more people ring the call centres!
  - meta says:
    
    17 Mar17 March 19:45
    
    Same experience as you Anna. Called You First, surprised how quickly they picked up (2 min). It was around 4pm today. I am not yet cancelling my end of May flights. Advisory is only in place for 30 days, so I am waiting. I also have a trip to Portugal/Cape Verde in the second half of June. That one will be interesting if I need to cancel.
    - Anna says:
      
      17 Mar17 March 20:49
      
      So you blinked as well?!
      - meta says:
        
        17 Mar17 March 22:19
        
        I did it in a way I think I minimised the costs only to that £70. Managed to get all things refunded, including a restaurant pre-booking. Only waiting for refund for my flight from Japan to Singapore. But that was due at the end of the trip, so I just sent them a message. Hoping that Amex Plat insurance will cover it. They’ve been good to me in the past.
        
        It was nerve wrecking and really needed to get over this. Just too much stress worrying about everything. Helping my mum with her business going online for at least two weeks and my dad going on unwanted leave (he works in Sheraton). My partner won’t be celebrating his 40th in Park Hyatt Kyoto, but hey ho, he will be 40 for another 12 months, so we can celebrate with nice trips in the second half of the year as we now have 14 working days of holidays left! Onwards and upwards.
      - Anna says:
        
        18 Mar18 March 06:39
        
        Was your cancellation option greyed out altogether or just directing you to a voucher? Mine was the former so I’m wondering if that was the reason the CSA said it had to be done manually, including the Avios and voucher. I’m now wondering what will happen with my GCM flights as apparently that route may keep operating so we can send medicines and medical staff (we’re not allowed to visit but we can send UK tax payer funded support!)
      - meta says:
        
        18 Mar18 March 07:25
        
        @Anna When you first mentioned it, it was greyed out. But before I called, I checked again and it was directing me to the voucher.
- Jimmy the builder says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 23:22
  
  Same for me too – LHR-MUC on Friday, click to refund, and instead all you get is a voucher application form.
Omar says:

17 Mar17 March 17:38

After having gift cards for Mothercare not being honoured even when the company was still trading has left a very sour taste in my mouth with regards to gift cards and vouchers. I would like my refund. Got a flight to AUH in 5 days time, been offerend the voucher but waiting for the cancellation to come through. At the moment there are only 10% of seats reserved…
- Danksy says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 17:47
  
  Don’t hold your breath – my flights to Las Vegas on Sunday have been cancelled – when I go through the cancellation process it doesn’t give an option to receive a cash refund – is directs you to receive a voucher!
  - Omar says:
    
    17 Mar17 March 17:51
    
    Rubbish, I guess I will call them T-72 hours and try my luck.
- Lady London says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 20:31
  
  Ditto. I lost an albeit small gift voucher when Evans Cycles went bust. They are now back trading but they won’t honour the voucher.
  - Shoestring says:
    
    17 Mar17 March 20:49
    
    presumably they would say it’s a different company with the same name (but without the old liabilities)
    
    Virgin Reborn when the prepack arrives?
    - Lady London says:
      
      17 Mar17 March 21:57
      
      Exactly.
Nadeshka says:

17 Mar17 March 19:05

I’ve finally given up on our trip to Japan next month (which included the hotel booking with our Virgin Red prize voucher unfortunately, no idea on the Ts and C’s of that…shall find out soon enough!)

Will probably get a refund for our avios tickets, but does anyone know what the terms are for rebooking if we went the voucher route?
Would we still need redemption availability to use it? Only advantage I could see over getting our cash, avios & 241 back.
- Anna says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 19:18
  
  I think one of the articles stated that there needs to be award availability, so check back over the last couple of days. If so it’s a big risk.
- Lady London says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 20:48
  
  If you really want to travel ask for a reroute if they’re cancelling your flight. Reason is there does not have to be award availability for them to reroute you. I’d sort out the hotel another way even paying my own. But if I know when else I’m travelling then perhaps a call to Virgin or the hotel might get you some flexibility?
  - meta says:
    
    18 Mar18 March 00:20
    
    You can’t travel now anyway to Japan unless you want to do 14-day self-quarantine. Just read on Japanese news. Your insurance now might help.
    - Benilyn says:
      
      18 Mar18 March 09:08
      
      Do you have a link to this?
      - meta says:
        
        18 Mar18 March 13:14
        
        The info in English is very scarce. Here’s the Japanese news.
        http://news.tbs.co.jp/sp/newseye/tbs_newseye3932759.htm
        
        And this is what I found in English. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/03/5687be163c6b-update1-japan-to-ask-14-day-self-quarantine-for-travelers-from-europe.html
        
        However, the Japanese news item is more detailed. I tried finding official information. If you know anything about Japanese government websites, they are not the most easy to navigate.
    - Lady London says:
      
      18 Mar18 March 18:20
      
      I’d be asking for a reroute much further out to protect me from either being gouged for cash or lack of avios seats – a reroute soon is going to be still questionable as to usability for a while. So if I could negotiate being rebooked much later if I still want to do the trip, I would try for that. Otherwise take refund not voucher to protect against the above 2 risks.
      - Nadeshka says:
        
        18 Mar18 March 20:19
        
        Thanks, just checked and we have officially been cancelled BA19 to Osaka on 15th April.
        So at least even if I do nothing (or rather can’t get through to anyone which sounds likely) we should get a refund. But will research dates and see if we can get rebooked next year.
        Going to be tight as we need to do it before the little one turns 2 and costs us a chunk more avios.
        Cancellation policy for Virgin holidays was 50% if more than 36 days away, but by the time they get back to me it won’t be! Hoping they might be more generous given circumstances, maybe a travel voucher. Travel insurance is not covering anything since pandemic was declared.
        Other bookings were Hilton and Hyatt and their response has been great, makes me more loyal for sure.
Patricia says:

17 Mar17 March 19:37

If your booking is with Avios are they giving you a refund? and if so in avio points? can you get a voucher for the booking made with Avios?
- Shoestring says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 19:42
  
  please read the threads/ comments – thanks
  - Mr(s) Entitled says:
    
    17 Mar17 March 20:54
    
    There are 650+ and the comments, as you well know, are not easy to navigate. If you know the answer, would it have taken much longer to type a helpful response? Let’s all operate with kindness in what are trying times for many.
    - james says:
      
      17 Mar17 March 21:06
      
      +1
      
      It would have taken the same effort to answer
      - Mr(s) Entitled says:
        
        18 Mar18 March 07:25
        
        You assume I know the answer. Don’t assume.
    - Shoestring says:
      
      17 Mar17 March 21:11
      
      OK – I usually do precisely that
      - Mr(s) Entitled says:
        
        17 Mar17 March 21:40
        
        Fair point and duly noted.
    - Lady London says:
      
      17 Mar17 March 23:10
      
      TBH kindness is getting overstretched when there are multiple posts with questions that are common with the question actually having been answered yet again 3 – 5 posts up!
Peter Taysum says:

17 Mar17 March 19:41

BA cancelled part of my holiday; I’d already agreed to a “voucher” but today they said “we’ve cancelled part so you’re entitled to a refund”.
- Shoestring says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 19:44
  
  good result
  
  I’m hanging on for cancellations as well (28th)
  
  my wife had a ticket to see her mum in hospital this coming weekend – Ryanair just sent an email saying she can’t fly, press this button for a refund or that button to re-ticket
  
  all done in 30 seconds
  - Lady London says:
    
    17 Mar17 March 20:41
    
    Is she able to change to other flights still operating? Read Ryanair has cancelled loads.
  - Peter Taysum says:
    
    18 Mar18 March 11:25
    
    But, no email confirming cancellation. I think there’s IT systems are over-stretched and wonder if anything that involves refund is going “centrally” to be looked at…
- Lady London says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 22:00
  
  Guessing that’s because actually that’s what ATOL requires them to do.
Cllr says:

17 Mar17 March 20:33

What’s the current policy on paid seat reservations? I’ve got a couple of long haul avios redemptions with paid seats in CW to SIN. If I cancel the flights are BA refunding the seat reservations as well or will I loose the money? If so I guess it’s worth holding on for a cancellation.
- Rob says:
  
  17 Mar17 March 21:22
  
  You lose it if you cancel.