Avios/BA Problem With Leeds - Barcelona Flight, Any Help Please?

mew

This is my first DIY holiday and first connecting flight

We Originally booked an Avios flight from Leeds - Barcelona, leaving Leeds at 11:35, arriving Heathrow at 12:35pm with an acceptable 2 hour wait before catching my connecting flight (T5) at 3:25pm.

Today we have found out that our Leeds flight has been cancelled and we have been put on to the 9:30am flight, leaving us 5 hours in Heathrow, presumably T5. My return flight has also been delayed by 30 minutes but that's acceptable.

Am I right in assuming that I am stuck at Heathrow for 5 hours and that in T5 I can't even buy a lounge pass (for 2/3 hours) as I am in economy class?

As there are no other financially viable solutions to either traveling direct from Heathrow or indirect from Manchester, could I try to claim any compensation for inconvenience caused from Avios (after all I make a change it would cost me £25 each person)?

richardw

Ask Avios for a discount for the retaurant at T5 you were going to have lunch in anyway. It's a great terminal your extra time will fly by.

littlereddevil

The only lounges in T5 are BA business.

Alan_Bowen

BA are reducing the number of flights from Leeds to only three a day, hence the flight time change. Ask them if they can move you to an earlier flight from Heathrow to Barcelona, BA747 leaves at 1115, it might be possible depending on whether seats are available. As previously mentioned there are no paid for lounges in T5 at all

mew

Is it common for Airlines to cancel/amend flights because Avios don't see it as a problem, they see it as a slight change and won't do anything other than let us fly from Heathrow instead of Leeds.

Fair enough it's only a 2 hour difference but because it's a connecting flight, as well as having to get to the airport early, we have to spend 2 extra hours suck inside an airport.

While I'm sure T5 is nice, there is only so long you can spend having lunch and browsing shops before boredom and frustration sets in.

Doshwaster

If I was to be "stuck" in any terminal anywhere in Europe it would be Heathrow T5. There are plenty of things to do and I find the time just flies by.

I'm not sure if Aviois will give you a restaurant voucher but it can't hurt to ask.

Caz3121

mew wrote: »

Is it common for Airlines to cancel/amend flights because Avios don't see it as a problem, they see it as a slight change and won't do anything other than let us fly from Heathrow instead of Leeds.

Fair enough it's only a 2 hour difference but because it's a connecting flight, as well as having to get to the airport early, we have to spend 2 extra hours suck inside an airport.

While I'm sure T5 is nice, there is only so long you can spend having lunch and browsing shops before boredom and frustration sets in.

Airlines tend to change their schedules twice a year in general but because they release seats a year in advance there is a chance that there will be changes when you book in advance.
If they give you under 14 days notice of a cancelled flight you may be due compensation

You have 3 choices
Travel on the new flights
Cancel and take a full refund
See if you can switch the flights

We have flights with Avios booked from Edinburgh to Faro via London in the Summer, the flights have been changed a couple of times (we booked last year) we have subsequently changed the date for the return as the connection no longer worked and instead of 5 hours at Gatwick on the way out, have opted to fly down the day before, catch up with some family and stay overnight

Thomas_Hardy

richardw wrote: »

Ask Avios for a discount for the retaurant at T5 you were going to have lunch in anyway. It's a great terminal your extra time will fly by.

To the best of my knowledge Avios/ BAEC has no facility to give restaurant vouchers.

Alan_Bowen wrote: »

BA are reducing the number of flights from Leeds to only three a day, hence the flight time change. Ask them if they can move you to an earlier flight from Heathrow to Barcelona, BA747 leaves at 1115, it might be possible depending on whether seats are available. As previously mentioned there are no paid for lounges in T5 at all

The MCT for T5 is sixty minutes, so the OP will not be able to book the earlier flight on the same ticket.

Sorry OP, apart from cancelling I can't see that you have any other options.

mew

Although I'm now curious about the wonderful delights I'll be missing at T5, I pleased to say I have my problem sorted although It has cost me more than it would originaly but offers better value than the options offered by Avios.

Avios would not offer us any discounted or free Lounge access or other such benefits. So I managed to find flights on the day before. We leave Leeds at 3pm, arriving at Barcelona at 8:25pm and with only 1hour 15 to transfer at T5 (hence missing out on checking what all the good reviews on T5 are about).

Originally we could have booked those flights but the Thursday flights we chose suited us better. Left with the choice though of a hotel in Leeds plus a 5 hours wait in T5 or a long and expensive trip to Heathrow, we decided to get an extra night in Spain (possibly at Barcelona Airport).

Now apart from changing my parking and T
transfers which should be flexible and finding a hotel for night, I am worried if 75 minutes will be enough time to transfer at T5 bear (both flights BA and should arrived depart at T5)?

richardw

75mins is only enough if your inbound flight is on time. Is there a later flight to BCN if you miss your current flight?

Alan_Bowen

There is one later flight, providing they have seats on it. The minimum connection time is 60 minutes and there are so few passengers on the flights from Leeds, they are usually on time. When checking in on line 24 hours before departure, get seats as close as possible to the front, although often with 20 or so people on board, the lowest I believe was 3 the week before last, I seem to get 15-30, where you sit may not be quite as important. You can of course check in for your connecting flight at the same time so you will your boarding passes, just follow the purple 'flight connections' signs on arrival.