The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 23rd December

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• MB says:

  23 Dec23 December 15:16

  After trawling through much helpful and insightful advice on here… I am still more than a little confused what (if anything) I can claim from the following flights.

  Was booked on BA from Zurich to Dubai return via LHR. BA have cancelled the ZRH LHR leg. I called CS (I recorded the call) and was only offered a refund or rebooking on BA on the 2nd Jan. I told them I needed to be in Dubai by the 29th Dec and there were Swiss or Emirates flights that I would happily be rebooked on. They flatly refused despite me stating I was entitled to rebooking within a reasonable timeframe on any carrier. They basically said we have offered you a rebooking which you have turned down and you don’t want a refund.

  I have now bought economy return tickets direct with Emirates so I can have my holiday. The BA flights were in WTP which Emirates don’t offer. The WTP flights on BA were CHF 1680 and the economy flights on Emirates were CHF 2300.

  Apart from the refund I can claim from BA for their flights, am I entitled to anything else, like the fare difference, or 75% involuntary downgrade as Emirates (and Swiss) don’t offer Premium Economy?

  Apologies for the long message and thank you in advance for any insight…

  • Rhys says:

    23 Dec23 December 15:29

    You should certainly be able to claim back the fare difference and downgrade.

    • Jonathan says:

      23 Dec23 December 16:30

      If you have proactively downgraded yourself by booking on a carrier who don’t offer PE then I’m not sure you’d be able to double dip with EU261 claim. Can definitely claim the cost of replacement flight but make sure you don’t accept or request a refund from BA.

      • MB says:

        24 Dec24 December 08:26

        Thanks, so just to be clear, I don’t need to let BA know I won’t now be travelling on the London Dubai legs? I just have my holiday and then submit the EU261 claim at the end?

  • Maciek says:

    23 Dec23 December 16:53

    If you have booked before 1 December, call again and quote “BA onto Lufthansa guideline” – that covers LH/LX/OS. They will reroute you. Ask for the supervisor if the agent refuses. LH have premium economy but not sure they operate on your dates.

    • Nick says:

      23 Dec23 December 17:24

      Correct answer. There’s something fishy about the story, BA does have rebooking allowances on other airlines, just not Emirates. The EU261 right is to rebooking, not ‘rebook on my chosen/preferred carrier and no one else’. There are plenty of Lufty Group flights they will use.

      • MB says:

        24 Dec24 December 08:15

        Thanks for your replies. The CSA flatly refused to book me on Swiss/Emirates/Turkish and said the only option I had was to take the BA flight on the 2nd Jan, which was a week after the original flight and unacceptable to me. I tried to be as flexible as possible and suggested several options, all of which were refused. The call is recorded. I’m not sure what other option I had but to rebook myself to ensure I get there?

• Dave says:

  23 Dec23 December 15:24

  My flight at 8pm from EDI to LCY on the 30th December has just been cancelled by BA and I’ve rebooked onto the 1.55Pm LHR flight instead.
  I can’t take the flight anyway due to Covid tier restrictions but as my flight was cancelled and it’s quite a big time change can I get a full refund rather than a FTV?

  • Dave says:

    23 Dec23 December 15:30

    Meant to say been rebooked automatically rather than me getting it rebooked

    • Jane says:

      23 Dec23 December 16:00

      you should be able to, worked for me on a flight for the 26th.

  • Harry T says:

    23 Dec23 December 16:36

    Yes, it’s over four hours change.

    • Genghis says:

      23 Dec23 December 19:32

      And to different airport. I cancelled FOC when flight moved flying from LGW to LHR.

    • Mike says:

      23 Dec23 December 21:22

      For a flight cancellation it still needs to be four hours?

      • ChrisC says:

        23 Dec23 December 22:07

        No. Flight cancellation = refund

        Schedule change depends on the time change between old and new flights.

• Anna says:

  23 Dec23 December 15:32

  My OH just asked me if I’ve booked hotels in the new Tier 4 areas by any chance 😏

  • Sean says:

    23 Dec23 December 15:37

    And I don’t remember Harry T mentioning a trip to Norwich?

    • Anna says:

      23 Dec23 December 15:55

      Places Harry goes to then come off the quarantine exemption list, places I have future bookings for go into lockdown shortly before I’m due to stay. But I have no visits to the south of England planned until February so someone else is jinxing it!

      • TGLoyalty says:

        23 Dec23 December 16:00

        Deffo Harry Jinxing it all including South Africa :p

        • Harry T says:

          23 Dec23 December 16:37

          Guilty as charged

• Andrew says:

  23 Dec23 December 15:47

  A different new variant has now popped up in South Africa and been brought to the UK. Further travel restrictions for South Africa now been put in place.

  • Ben says:

    23 Dec23 December 15:49

    There goes by business trip in mid Jan!

  • Captain Blight says:

    23 Dec23 December 15:56

    Hancock’s saying it’s much more concerning than the recent mutation, and anyone who has been to South Africa in the last 2 weeks, or been in contact with anyone who has must quarantine by law.

  • WaynedP says:

    23 Dec23 December 16:02

    Twasn’t me, Guv, promise !

  • Aston100 says:

    23 Dec23 December 16:21

    I had three different attempts at getting to SA cancelled by the airlines this year.
    I’m so glad I gave up after the 3rd cancellation.

• Freddy says:

  23 Dec23 December 15:52

  Has anyone changed their company name on an American express business card. I’ve moved to a trading name as a sole trader to a limited company. Is this possible without a fresh application?

  • Jay says:

    23 Dec23 December 15:57

    From memory under sole trader you are liable for the balance on the account. Under a limited company name you have joint and several liability as a director (acct holder) and the limited company as a legal body.

• Jay says:

  23 Dec23 December 15:58

  IMHO need fresh app.

• Colin MacKinnon says:

  23 Dec23 December 16:29

  Anyone know if where to find Ryanair historic schedules?
  Notice that flights from Fuerteventura to Edinburgh are not scheduled for mid to end Jan, but the restart.
  Wondered if this was new – so I should think of getting home before then in case the stop is extended into Feb, or it was slaw at a scheduled to have a break in timetable.

  • Aston100 says:

    23 Dec23 December 16:54

    I think flightradar24 might help, but not sure if you need a premium subscription to access historical data.

    • Nick says:

      23 Dec23 December 17:27

      OAG is the ultimate source for airline schedules and will have your answer in a few clicks, but it’s not free.

• Colin MacKinnon says:

  23 Dec23 December 16:30

  Should have been: but then restart

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