What does it cost to cancel an Avios redemption flight?

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What does it cost to cancel an Avios redemption flight? How do you do it? These are the questions I want to look at in this article.

One of the key benefits of bookings flights using Avios points instead of cash is that your flight is cancellable and refundable. You need to follow a couple of rules though.

How do I cancel a flight booked with Avios?

Log in to your British Airways account and go to ‘Manage My Booking’. Bring up your Avios redemption flight details. In the options at the bottom of the page is one for cancellation.

Sometimes this does not work properly for reasons no-one understands. If this happens you need to call British Airways Executive Club.

How late can I cancel a flight booked with Avios?

An Avios redemption flight can be cancelled up to 24 hours before the outbound departure.

Once you have flown the outbound flight, you cannot cancel your return. More precisely, you can cancel it but you won’t get anything back! You can change the date and time of your return Avios flight, however, as long as Avios seats are available and you are willing to pay the £35 change fee.

Are there different rules if I booked on a partner airline instead of BA?

What does it cost to cancel a flight booked with Avios?

The cost is £35 per person OR the taxes and charges, whichever is lowest.

In 95% of cases, you will pay £35. The only occasion when your taxes are likely to be lower than £35 would be if:

you were cancelling a one-way European flight, where the taxes will be just £17.50 in Economy or £25 in Business

you were cancelling a flight on some partner airlines where taxes are very low – domestic flights in Japan on JAL have virtually no taxes, for example

Note that it is ‘per person’, so the cost of cancelling a flight for a family of four will be £140.

If your outbound and return flights were booked separately (ie you have different booking references and separate tickets) then you will need to pay two lots of cancellation fees.

The fee is deducted from the taxes and charges before it is sent back to you. The refund will go to the credit card used for the original payment.

Do I get all of my Avios points back when I cancel a flight?

Yes, you get 100% of the Avios points returned to your British Airways Executive Club account immediately.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works. You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 1.8 million monthly page views. Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios? Click here to read our latest news stories, click here to join our email list and click here to read our ‘Avios Redemption University’ series.)

How to get 20,000 Avios from Amex Gold or 30,000 Avios from Amex Platinum (December 2021 offer)

The sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold converts to 20,000 Avios and the card is free for the first year. You can apply here.

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

You don’t qualify for the Amex Gold bonus if you have a British Airways American Express card. You DO qualify for the bonus on The Platinum Card, which converts into 30,000 Avios. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

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

If you have your own small business, the best way of earning Avios is via the Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa. It has a sign-up bonus which converts to 10,000 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 look at the British Airways Accelerating Business card, because it currently has a limited time offer of 60,000 Avios when you sign up by 14th November. You can apply here.