Anyone had a return flight cancelled?

[ifonly4]

If you've had a return flight cancelled, how did it work out? Did you manage to get on an earlier flight or the next flight? Did you have to pay extra?

We're due to fly soon, been keeping an eye on cancellations and the last flight has been cancelled three days in a row, about 48 hours before. We're booked on the last flight, so I'm getting a bit concerned, especially as flights have nearly tripled in price since booking. Our hotel is fully booked and the closest one with availability is £244 a night!

Last half term we had our return flight from Geneva cancelled by BA just as we were on our way to the airport.
I think we were lucky as we managed to find a helpful BA person (she may have been Swiss air can’t remember) (unusual) at the desk and she sorted us out with flights (Swiss Air so much better than BA) the following morning and then a hotel. Then we have the painful process of claiming it all back. We had vouchers towards meals.

Thanks. Glad to know someone was there to help.

Our return flights originally cost less than £600, but if you try and book a one way ticket for a return it's more than £1,000. Guess we'd have to suck it up, pay BA (only airline to our return airport) and hopefully claim back form them.

Our flights home from Barcelona at half term were cancelled while we were en route to the airport. We managed to rebook to a flight the next morning via the BA app which I recommend doing if you don't have it.

When we arrived at the airport BA transferred us to a nearby hotel and paid for lunch and dinner and arranged transfer to airport the next morning. Was a pain but they handled it pretty well.

You wouldn't have to pay the difference as it's a rebook because they've cancelled. We didn't pay out a penny and are entitled to €250 pp due to the disruption.

You are massively overthinking this. If you’re on holiday and the return is cancelled BA normally rebook you and send you the details. You can choose to accept this flight, ask for a different one or get a refund. Or you can go online or call and rebook. You don’t need to buy anything flight wise, if you need to pay for an extra night at a hotel get a receipt then submit a claim.

As I understand it, according to the CAA, if your flight is cancelled the airline has to offer you either a refund or an alternative flight (your choice of which). If you opt for an alternative, you can chose whether to take a flight as soon as possible, even if it is with a different airline (or a different form of transport), or at a later date which suits you.

If you opt for the next available alternative flight they must provide you with food and drink, a means of communication (eg free phone calls, Wifi) and, if you have to wait overnight, accommodation and transport to it and back to the airport for your flight.

You are also entitled to compensation.

NB. UK law applies to flights departing UK on any airline or arriving UK on a UK or EU airline or arriving EU on a UK airline.

You should check for yourself in case I've misunderstood something.

@CeeceeBloomingdale

You are massively overthinking this. If you’re on holiday and the return is cancelled BA normally rebook you and send you the details. You can choose to accept this flight, ask for a different one or get a refund. Or you can go online or call and rebook. You don’t need to buy anything flight wise, if you need to pay for an extra night at a hotel get a receipt then submit a claim.

In my experience they dont. In practice you have to do it yourself or wait 4 days for BA to get around to it (said as a GCC who flies club)

If it happens get straight on flyertalk BA thread for advice or Headforpoint BA board (not as good). They will help you.

When it is cancelled if you go into your booking and then there may be rebook options, if they dont work then try and call but unless gold its hard to get through at the moment. You can try the USA or Japan number depending on the time of day-if the Uk office is closed use Skype.

They occasionally rebook you but if a whole flight is taken out they prioritise their loyalty customers. But keep checking as more flights do come up

Probably had over 150 BA flight cancelled over the years.

If you are delayed more than 3 hours you can also do an eu 261 claim and you get fixed compensation which is in addition to any rebooking or hotel/food costs. (there are some things such as weather which dont count but I have always been successful even in weather arguing BA chose to cancel that flight rather than another for example when fog at LHR)

BA have a duty of care to look after you- they may need reminding of that! Plus travel insurance kicks in.

We had a flight cancelled back from Chicago a few years ago. they offered us an alternative route or a night in a hotel - at their expense including food - and flew us back business class the following day, It is the airlines responsibility to book you on an other flight even if they have to pay another airline and they have to pay for hotels/ meals.