Cancelled flight to Cape Town and red list reversal

[MarkM]

Hi,

Would be interested in your thoughts. As I doubt even BA know what they are going to do about this.

We booked flights to Cape Town for this December using our companion voucher back in January (rebooked after it being cancelled last year).

We had the flight on 27th December cancelled by BA once SA was put on the red list, however the flight back on 16th January is still showing as valid.
Will they reinstate our booking or will it be a bun fight to get rebooked?

Cheers,
Mark

[Lady London]

EU261 gave you the right to any choice of rebooking “rerouting” dates for your whole booking as soon as any flight within your booking was cancelled.

I doubt BA will know yet when they will add more flights back to South Africa again. I’d be surprised if it would be so soon as to bring back your flight on 27th December that they cancelled.

Why don’t you think about what dates you’d like to rebook to, and call them? If you do still want to travel on 27th then EU261 says they have to book you on another airline if they’re not flying. But BA may well try not to do this (illegally). Which means you’d have to rebook yourself paying out then suing them online to reclaim – which you’d win and get the lowish costs paid back on, too.

If they can put you on a flight on a slightly later date then they’d owe you any extra hotel costs and meals this caused you during your wait.

You don’t have to resolve this by the date of your cancelled outgoing. But I’d advise you to call them soon and find out what they can offer.

A word of warning – do not accept any refund as then you completely lose your existing right to move your whole booking to whichever dates work for you at absolutely no cost to you.

[MarkM]

Thats really helpful, thank you!