Flight cancelled whilst I was abroad - do BA have to re-route me?

wilko789

I've just spent the morning on the phone with BA. I am out in HRE in the middle of a LHR - HRE return on BA (via JNB without stopover, all one ticket), with the outbound taken in February. For the return in November, BA have cancelled their HRE- JNB segment of my return. They are refusing to reroute me (as there are no oneworld flights available, and any other flights are not policy). BA Customer Relations are saying there is nothing more they can do because of computer/policy restrictions. They are pushing heavily to refund me.

Am I entitled to re-routing? As I can't see a way of getting it out of BA, what would be the best way of doing this if so? Booking the cheapest like-for-like flight and claiming it back from them later? Or can BA just leave me without any route home without spending £££  on another ticket?!?

The ticket was originally a dirt cheap WTP ticket that I upgraded with avios to CW. Getting a refund would get me around £200, around half of the cost of a new economy ticket, without the added excess baggage charges on top... Ideally any replacement would be in business both from a baggage and social distancing point of view.

Thanks

bagand96

EC261/2014 says:

Right to reimbursement or re-routing

1. Where reference is made to this Article, passengers shall be offered the choice between:

(a) - reimbursement within seven days, by the means provided for in Article 7(3), of the full cost of the ticket at the price at which it was bought, for the part or parts of the journey not made, and for the part or parts already made if the flight is no longer serving any purpose in relation to the passenger's original travel plan, together with, when relevant,

- a return flight to the first point of departure, at the earliest opportunity;

(b) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity; or

(c) re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at a later date at the passenger's convenience, subject to availability of seats.

It says "choice between".  I am sure that means passenger's choice and not the airline's.  I'm also pretty certain that past court rulings have found it's not just on the original airline or their partners - it's any flight.

You may have to front up for a return flight and then fight it out with BA when you're back.  They might try the "Covid-19 is extraordinary circumstances so EC261 doesn't apply".  That's a fob off, it's only the compensation aspect that is exempted by extraordinary circumstances - the rest of it still applies.

Practically, it might be best to see if BA can keep the JNB-LHR segment for you, then you find your own HRE-JNB flight and claim that cost from BA when you get back.

wilko789

bagand96 said:

Practically, it might be best to see if BA can keep the JNB-LHR segment for you, then you find your own HRE-JNB flight and claim that cost from BA when you get back.

Thanks. I wouldn't be able to through check bags, would have to pay for and get a visa on arrival in JNB, and recheck bags. I'd therefore have to pay excess baggage on the HRE - JNB flight.

But I suppose all of that might be cheaper than buying a whole new flight!

bagand96

wilko789 said:

bagand96 said:

Practically, it might be best to see if BA can keep the JNB-LHR segment for you, then you find your own HRE-JNB flight and claim that cost from BA when you get back.

Thanks. I wouldn't be able to through check bags, would have to pay for and get a visa on arrival in JNB, and recheck bags. I'd therefore have to pay excess baggage on the HRE - JNB flight.

But I suppose all of that might be cheaper than buying a whole new flight!

Fair enough, it was just an idea, without knowing the entry restrictions etc.  Self connecting is a pain at the best of times without visa considerations. 

Get back on to BA, tell them you want re-routing as per your rights under EC261, and not stranding in Zimbabwe!