To ask WWYD - flight home cancelled

[Twoshoesnewshoes]

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!

So will you be eligible for a refund?

Personally id wait and use it as an excuse for a longer holiday!

Have you spoken to your insurers?

What does your insurance policy say?.

I would do this if you could afford it, would extra accommodation and spending wipe out savings too? Do you have a credit card?

Hold tight and wait.

Assuming you have travel insurance, getting in touch with your insurers to see what support they can offer would be the first thing to do.

Wait until BA cancel your flights.

If they don’t and airspace reopens - take them.

If they are cancelled, your insurance should cover the new ones?

I don’t think we are covered as it is technically war - just checking now
i eould love to stay in Sri Lanka! Need to get back for work unfortunately, also there’s no indication how long the missile attacks could go on.

Personally I'd just wait & hopefully get refunded for the flight. They're cancelling to the 8th now, it'll probably only be a couple of days before they extend it to the 13th.

if it's not refunded I'd take the financial hit & rebook via Singapore. To me it would be a small price to pay not to fly in that airspace.

ive previously flown to NZ transitting in Doha, but it's been a few years since I was comfortable doing that & I certainly won't be again. Shame as it was a nice airport, & easy transfer. I won't go via the states either. At this rate I'm going to have to hope teleporting is sorted soon!

Here’s our insurance exclusion
Any consequence whatsoever which is the direct or indirect result of any of
the following, or anything connected with any of the following, whether or not
contributed to by any other cause or event:
•
war, invasion, act of a foreign enemy, hostilities or warlike operation or
operations (whether war has been declared or not), civil war, revolution,
rebellion or insurrection, civil commotion which is of such severity or
magnitude that it can amount to or be likened to an uprising, military power
(even if properly authorised by the duly elected government), usurped power,

bugger

checking flights, we can go via Singapore or Bangkok, most flights for the 13th/14th are about 70% full so should be okay to wait?

What date do you need to be back for work?

It might be a pain and will take longer but you could also go via the USA maybe?

Most insurers do not insure wars

Hold off, if the flight goes ahead you won't be entitled to a refund - if they cancel then you will get a refund and/or an alternative flight.
I would hope your work would understand given it's war and not you wanting extra time.

So if you book the new flights and the old ones aren’t cancelled, does that mean you are paying for two flights?

I’d wait for them to be cancelled personally. Things can change rapidly and you might find your original airline offers you an alternate route in which case you won’t be eligible for a refund.

If they have jobs then it's not as easy

I'd hold tight. My understanding is that uk-based airlines have a responsibility to get you home.

I am due back at work on Monday 16th
BA and Qatar do not seem to offering any alternative, just a refund or extension.

You either have to be back or you don’t . The airline would like you take the cancellation and re book another way as you are not their problem then.

It’s really a case of can you wait it out or not

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.

Flights from Bangkok to London now fully booked all that weekend and into the next week

Call BA and see if they can rebook on an alternative route. Have options available to speed up the process.

Can you work remotely or do you have to be in the uk?

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