BA just cancelled return flight from holiday... What to do about school/work??

[Onlyrainbows]

I don't feel that confident about my return flight now (might get indefinitely cancelled or overbooked). Is it best to address this with work/school before I set off?

TIA

Won't they just recommend you don't go in the first place?

How would you be getting back anyway?

When is the flight?

Why would it be cancelled indefinitely?

They’ve cancelled your original flight. Have they rebooked you on another one? Is it on the same day / same route, or can you come back one day early?

If none of those work, ask for a refund instead and book yourself on another airline or route. When is this flight?

Depends on your work and the outcome you want.

I know whether it would be likely I would be able to manage my workload and if I needed to extend my holiday using free annual leave, so I would tell my work in advance.

If I knew I needed to be back for a particular date and it couldnt be guaranteed I'd look at my holiday insurance.

I wouldnt lie tell them after I left. But that is my workplace where they are generally supportive when possible.

School would depend on the year they are in and if they are likely to miss something important.

Also, if they’ve cancelled the flight with less than 14 days notice and haven’t offered you a suitable alternative, you’ll be entitled to additional compensation so make sure to claim that too if you’re eligible.

We're going to Mexico, but in all of my ex pat groups I've seen that BA has been changing the flights for quite a few number of dates.

I NEED to go (and work doesn't mind if I work from over there) but school might have an issue. I have a friend who took her kid our for three weeks and they were find with that, so it should be ok.

Our original flight back was the 5th of June, I've managed to change it to the 6th, but like I said I have zero confidence it will actually happen.

Have BA not put in a replacement flight?

This has just happened on our TUI flight at the end of month. They've now said it's with a different airline (so the key issue seems to be slight change of time and no extra legroom seats now available)

Are you sure it's actually an issue?

So have BA cancelled YOUR flight yet or not? If they have, have they rebooked you on another one? If not, you need to go on Manage my Booking and look at alternative connections. BA are a partner of American Airlines and Iberia, so there will be various options connecting in the US or Spain, for the same day. Will add a few hours to the trip but it’s not the end of the world.

Ok I see. Then come back one day early if it’s likely to be an issue for work/school. Or ask them to give you options for the 5th although they might not be direct.

Due to staff issues and low passengers on certain routes they have amalgamated flights, we leave 50 minutes later (hardly any change but the later flight leaves 5 hours earlier

You are likely to be fined if you take children out of school for over three days.

Each parent will get fined separately- and for each child. So it can really add up.

School is unlikely to give permission unless there are really exceptional circumstances

Is it the BA242 you’d be flying back on? I’ve just done a quick search and it seems that from June onwards, they won’t be operating it on Wednesday and Sunday. All other days still have flights showing, so I’d feel quite confident about them happening.

Can you not move to the 4th if you’re concerned about being further delayed? I’d rather be one day early than one day late.

@EileenGC that's certainly good news! Given that I see my family very little, and I need to sort out financial and legal stuff (as well as medical treatment) I certainly welcome the extra day. But not the uncertainty of not knowing when I'll be back.

Unless you have a child in an exam year, one day should be OK.

The expat groups are fairly clued up on flight cancelations (DH knew his flight was cancelled before BA told him!).

Alternative routes are a possibility - I guess transiting in the US, or maybe Spain?

Took DH 3 flight bookings before he eventually got home, but all the cancelations were refunded pretty quickly (even tho his last flight was £££, thankfully we could just drop it on a credit card)

I want to avoid connections as much as possible as I have a 2yo with me (and my 12yo).

Taking your kids out is very different to being stranded. Take them, it’s likely the return trip will be reorganised

Need to go? Visiting an elderly relative or friend who cannot travel?

Sympathy though for BA messing you about.

@balalake my DM is having eye surgery and I have a property to sell.

If you go with booked flights that are cancelled, school might grumble, but they'll accept that it was out of your control.

Sympathy OP - not going as far as you but BA cancelled one leg of my flight last week. They didn’t automatically rebook I had to - on a much later flight ( so I now have a problem with the onwards as well!). Also making me nervous they won’t just do it again ( thought their email telling me was particularly unhelpful as well!).

for those saying re book with another airline - often isn’t that easy plus as shorter notice flights are now much more expensive.

Thank you @littlestpogo . It's a bit nerve wracking, but I see the bright side of spending an extra day with my family for free

Apologies for doubting your reasons OP. So many people exaggerate, your reasons are more valid than about 99.99% of people's trips abroad.

I currently have 3 compensation claims in with BA - since Feb. They are awful, constantly cancelling flights and having ‘technical issue’.

They cancelled my connecting flight after an overnight long haul recently. Didn’t tell me and offered no alternative. Had to spend 6 hours at Madrid trying to get on over booked flights. Never again.

Good luck and don’t worry about taking kids out of school for a day or 2.

This entirely depends on the school. Our Head is fairly relaxed about term time holidays as long as permission is sought and people don’t take the piss. We have never taken ours in term time but many of my friends have (for up to 2 weeks) and haven’t been fined.