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Original poster

To ask WWYD - flight home cancelled

258 replies

Twoshoesnewshoes · 03/03/2026 12:01

Posting for traffic - we are in Sri Lanka and due to fly home on Friday 13th with Qatar airlines, via Doha, to London Heathrow.
we booked through BA -
both BA and Qatar are saying that flights up to 8th March can get a refund.
we think we can fly to Singapore then direct to London- there are not many flights available, and it would cost around £1400 each (double our original flight).

WWYD - should we wait and see if airspace clears over Middle East?
or book another flight while they’re available and hope our original flight remains cancelled?
we can afford it but that will be savings cleared out.
please help
YABU - hold tight, air space may clear
YANBU - book another flight now!

OP posts:
ActoBelle · 03/03/2026 22:39

An emirates plane has just taken off from Dubai airport heading for Sydney which I was a bit surprised to see on flight radar.

Ilovecheeseyah · 03/03/2026 20:30

Augarden · 03/03/2026 12:43

Good luck OP, I would be booking the Singapore flights if still available, this could go on for ages.

Totally agree. All the seasoned politcal coverage seems aghast how quickly this is spiraling. Get ye home!!!!

sonjadog · 03/03/2026 19:47

On flightradar there are already some flights going in and out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi this evening. If I were you, I would wait and see.

Charliede1182 · 03/03/2026 18:59

I would personally rather spend the extra and be safe than fly anywhere near a warzone.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 03/03/2026 18:36

I'd ring my insurer.

AtlasAscendant · 03/03/2026 18:31

LakieLady · 03/03/2026 17:30

I may have been on one of the very last Monarch flights. We flew back from Crete and arrived at Gatwick very early in the morning. When we got indoors, my then BF put the radio on while I made a cuppa.

The first news bulletin we heard included the news that Monarch had gone bust and loads of people were stranded overseas, and we were very glad we hadn't gone for a fortnight.

Show quote history

We flew out late on the Saturday evening and they were liquidated at 2am on a Sunday morning (had to wait until there were no planes in the sky).

I was quite disappointed the government did such a good job tbh, I would have happily had an extra week or two.

Echlefecker · 03/03/2026 18:22

My son is in thailand in the same situation. Due back via Dubai on the 16th. I can't decide whether to book him another flight or wait. Everyone is saying wait..

Talkinpeace · 03/03/2026 18:09

watching with interest

Sensiblesal · 03/03/2026 18:02

SewingButterfly · 03/03/2026 12:39

Contact travel insurance, just to see what they say. Its worth a phone call.

If you booked via BA, then contact them. They might be willing to change your route home via Singapore/somewhere else without any extra charges.

the airlines are all saying don’t contact them, they will contact you.

this is so flights & help can be given to people in the right order rather than ‘he who shouts the loudest’

Fluffypuppy1 · 03/03/2026 17:55

Franpie · 03/03/2026 15:23

Good source of advice and info here…

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/iran-uk-travel-rights-simon-calder-flights-refund-rights-stranded-b2930832.html#

This.

I would keep an eye on advice from Simon Calder.

Also, bear in mind that some flights you can see selling out quickly may be getting booked by Qatar/Emirates/Etihad to get their passengers home. Even for a single flight cancellation, airlines typically try to book alternative seats before informing passengers about the cancellation.

KatieA12B3C · 03/03/2026 17:39

@ProfessorTeapot

Thank you I will tell them about that. Any help is appreciated.

KatieA12B3C · 03/03/2026 17:37

Twoshoesnewshoes · 03/03/2026 15:15

Im
so sorry, that sounds so stressful
we can’t get through to anyone on the phone, just online chat, but that’s awful if their flight is cancelled and no one has been in contact

Show quote history

Thank you, yes it is as both need to go back to work, especially her partner as he is self employed. Their dog is at the kennels too. Car parked at Heathrow, lots of things to sort out. You are fortunate to be able to talk to someone online, they haven't been able to do that either. A nightmare.

LakieLady · 03/03/2026 17:30

Automagical · 03/03/2026 15:28

The monarch repatriation was the biggest ever peacetime repatriation and involved returning 110,000 people to the UK. It was a fairly large scale thing.

I may have been on one of the very last Monarch flights. We flew back from Crete and arrived at Gatwick very early in the morning. When we got indoors, my then BF put the radio on while I made a cuppa.

The first news bulletin we heard included the news that Monarch had gone bust and loads of people were stranded overseas, and we were very glad we hadn't gone for a fortnight.

Waterbaby41 · 03/03/2026 17:27

Trump is talking about a four week offensive operation.

TeamGeriatric · 03/03/2026 17:20

I would wait, surely BA are obliged to get you home at their cost not at yours. That is the whole purpose of booking a package, rather than flight only. If you were flight only I would be cancelling and looking at flight alternatives that avoids the Middle East.

ReprogramNeeded · 03/03/2026 17:10

I would honestly just try to enjoy your holiday for a few days without looking at any news. I wouldn't clean out my savings when you don't yet know whether your original flight is running. I expect the situation to look very different in a week.

Original poster
Twoshoesnewshoes · 03/03/2026 16:32

@Tryingtokeepgoing thank you x

OP posts:
Original poster
Twoshoesnewshoes · 03/03/2026 16:31

@BrendaSmall
im not particularly worried
however, if you read the news there are people in the Middle East who have had their flights cancelled and have had no update from the airlines.
flights in other routes are selling out fast or available at hugely inflated prices, or only business class seats left.
so I’m not worried but I am aware that there may be a long delay getting home if offered a reroute- see pp being offered flight in three weeks after the original flight.

OP posts:
Tryingtokeepgoing · 03/03/2026 16:30

As a (fairly) positive recent refence point, back in autumn last year I was flying back from Seoul to Rome via Hong Kong on Cathay, when Hong Kong closed because of super typhoon whatever it was called. Cathay cancelled the flight out of HKG 2 days before they cancelled the inbound flight from Seoul. I was initially annoyed, but in no rush so just sat it out.

I was then rerouted direct to Rome on Korean Air (a first for me!), and actually got back about 4 hours earlier (despite a very similar departure time) than I would have done if I'd flown the original routing. It took a day or two for that to happen, but it seems entirely logical that the airline (Cathay in my case, but BA in the OPs) would work through the closest departures / cancellations first. So I am sure it'll all work out just fine :)

BrendaSmall · 03/03/2026 16:23

Why are you worrying about what’s going on happen in 10 days time?
Sit back enjoy your holiday and deal with it nearer the time!

PrincessofWells · 03/03/2026 16:14

BA will reroute the flight, you just need to wait.

Verarubinrules · 03/03/2026 16:11

Trump has said til at least the end of March .. so although unpredictable I wouldn’t expect the airspace in the ME to open up before then.

christabellax · 03/03/2026 16:00

I’d book alternative flights but pay slightly more so they are fully refundable . Then if by some miracle all is back to normal and your original flights go you can cancel the alternative. If original flights do not go - you should get a refund anyway ( I think )

Automagical · 03/03/2026 15:51

Also, i once had a flight cancelled and initially i was told they couldn't get me home for another 14 days and in the end it was just 24 hours later. Things tend to change often.

ThePoshUns · 03/03/2026 15:47

I’d wait for BA to cancel your flight then it’s down to them to sort you an alternative.