BA changed name on booking!

notjustamum · 27 January 2020 at 4:04PM

I’m taking my son and his girlfriend to California in May. Long story short - girlfriend got a new job and couldn’t get the two weeks off so son emails BA to enquire whether they would allow him to take a friend instead of his girlfriend and if so, how much would it cost and how much notice would we have to give, just in case his girlfriend could wangle the time off.

Got an email today from BA confirming the change of name on the booking - just as the girlfriend phoned to say her new boss is allowing her the time off! We only wanted to know if it was a possibility in case the girlfriend couldn’t make it but they’ve changed it. I’ve emailed them back and said we were making enquiries just in case and the girlfriend can now actually come so don’t want to make any changes. They’ve come back that we will have to pay the cost of the ticket to change it back.

Any advice?

pennylane99 · 27 January 2020 at 4:15PM

If it was just an enquiry, why would you give BA the friends name?

bradders1983 · 27 January 2020 at 4:21PM

Ask for the recording of the call. But as per above, why even give the name if it was an initial enquiry?

Pollycat · 27 January 2020 at 4:31PM

It's simple.
As your son emailed BA and was very clear that it was just an enquiry and not a request, you can prove that BA are in the wrong by changing the passenger's name and they should therefore reinstate the original booking free of charge.

bradders1983 · 27 January 2020 at 4:39PM

Oh I misread that bit, thought it was a phone call. I still question why the name was included in the email though.

Or perhaps your son has ballsed up here and hasnt told you the full story. Ask for the initial email off him.

Pollycat · 27 January 2020 at 5:27PM

bradders1983 wrote: »

Oh I misread that bit, thought it was a phone call. I still question why the name was included in the email though.

Or perhaps your son has ballsed up here and hasnt told you the full story. Ask for the initial email off him.

Yes indeed.
Rather odd.
One would hope that the OP's son's email was very clear in its content to facilitate a fee-free and satisfactory result to put the booking back to how it was.

I'm actually quite surprised by BA's response given the enquiry was made by email and can easily be referred back to by BA. And produced by the OPs son as proof.

Pretty clear cut to me that BA have acted incorrectly by making a change to a booking when a customer was only making an enquiry.
If what the OP says is accurate.

Caz3121 · 27 January 2020 at 6:52PM

was this booked as a BA Holiday?
- BA do not allow name changes on flight-only bookings
agree with others, assuming the email is very clear that is was not a request but an enquiry, they should be able to sort this out

TELLIT01 · 27 January 2020 at 7:09PM

Pollycat wrote: »

Yes indeed.
Rather odd.
One would hope that the OP's son's email was very clear in its content to facilitate a fee-free and satisfactory result to put the booking back to how it was.

I'm actually quite surprised by BA's response given the enquiry was made by email and can easily be referred back to by BA. And produced by the OPs son as proof.

Pretty clear cut to me that BA have acted incorrectly by making a change to a booking when a customer was only making an enquiry.
If what the OP says is accurate.

"If what the OP says is accurate" is the critical question here. The OP didn't send the e-mail, the son did, and presumably the OP only has the son's word for the content of the e-mail.

If it was worded "Is it possible to change on of the names on booking ref xxx, and if so what would the cost be" then it is clearly a request for information only, plus there is nothing in the e-mail to enable a change to be made.

If however the wording was more of "Can I change the name from Jill Jones to Fred Smith" then it would not unreasonable for that action to be taken.

bagand96 · 27 January 2020 at 7:46PM

I'm surprised they'd allow a name change anyway, even more so just off the back of one email. I'm further surprised they'd action this from one email without confirming they are dealing with the Lead Passenger, or someone who has the authority to make changes to the booking.

Luckily you say it was by email, so you will have proof your son was only making an enquiry and be able to get this sorted with BA.

Ganga · 27 January 2020 at 7:48PM

Well they must have given the other name for BA to have changed it,they are not mind readers are they?

malkie76 · 27 January 2020 at 8:08PM

I’m reasonably sure BA won’t make any changes to a booking via email. Something not right here.

BA changed name on booking!

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