Hi,
I would appreciate any thoughts on this problem we are having with BA.
Last October 2006 we booked flights with BA from Heathrow to Larnaca for 7 members of our family for September 2007. In early September 1 person decided that they had a lot on, and would possibly not go.
My husband telephoned BA to ask what our options were with this ticket. He was told that the name on the ticket could not be changed ,so we could not take someone else, but that the date could be changed up to a year if we paid the amendment fee and any difference in fare. Our other options were for the person to travel or cancel the 1 ticket and lose the money.
We duly considered the options, and decided to change the date on 1 ticket to next June 2008 so that she could go with a friend then. We telephoned BA again, and said what we had decided. The operator did the change, issued a reference number and charged £50 for this.
We had our flights and a super holiday, and the other person was looking forward to her holiday next year.
This morning we had a phone call from BA telling us that the 1 flight we had postponed would expire tomorrow, and that it wasn't valid after this date.
My argument is that we weren't told this at the time we changed the flight.
It appears that we were misinformed when we phoned up, but I don't understand how, when they have all the information in front of them, and their computer system let them change the booking and give us a reference- how?
Had we been told the truth, the person may well have decided to come after all.
We are going to write to customer relations, although the person we spoke to didn't seem to even give us much hope of getting the £50 back.
Reading the small print on the booking we realise that they are right in that the ticket is only valid for a year from booking, but why did they not tell us this when we changed the ticket? We wouldn't then have paid £50 for nothing.
I suppose the moral of this story is to always read the smallprint, but in reality how many of us do?
Linda
I am sure that some of our very clever members will be able to give you some helpful advice. It seems to me that they have taken the extra money under false pretenses. They even gave you a booking reference 
I wonder what would have come up if you had entered that ref no in under the manage my bookings section of their website. Would it have come up for 2008! Also why phone to tell you it ran out the next day. What did they expect you to do about it. Why not tell you a few months ago when you had a chance to still use it.
Even if you had read the small print, the fact that they had let you book for 2008 would have led you to believe that they had in fact allowed you to waiver this rule. Why should you pay for their error.
This does not seem fair as you were given the wrong infomation.
I wonder what would have come up if you had entered that ref no in under the manage my bookings section of their website. Would it have come up for 2008! Also why phone to tell you it ran out the next day. What did they expect you to do about it. Why not tell you a few months ago when you had a chance to still use it.
Even if you had read the small print, the fact that they had let you book for 2008 would have led you to believe that they had in fact allowed you to waiver this rule. Why should you pay for their error.
This does not seem fair as you were given the wrong infomation.
Thanks for your reply wendwu,
We did put the reference number in the manage my booking section after they gave it to us, it came out as normal with all the flight details for the June 2008 flight. We didn't bother to print it out at this time as we didn't foresee any problems - another mistake we made!
Also I've just remembered that they said we would get the taxes back if she cancelled , that would have been another £34.50.
Linda
We did put the reference number in the manage my booking section after they gave it to us, it came out as normal with all the flight details for the June 2008 flight. We didn't bother to print it out at this time as we didn't foresee any problems - another mistake we made!
Also I've just remembered that they said we would get the taxes back if she cancelled , that would have been another £34.50.
Linda
Well you certainly want your £50 back and also the taxes. What have they said about the £50? as they must see that the booking is there and you couldn't do that on your own.
If you feel as though you're going round in circles with them say you are going to ring Ros Fernihough on 01922 61114 for advice.
If you feel as though you're going round in circles with them say you are going to ring Ros Fernihough on 01922 61114 for advice.
I would get in touch with Ros and i think that my aim would be to get them to honor the flight for 08. After all what if you had booked hotels and car hire for that date because you had a confirmed flight.
They must know the name of the person made the booking and why did the computer system let them book this flight.
My husband works for BA at Gatwick and if he wanted to book holiday off for christmas day on the staff website it would not let him. Any thing you are not allowed to do as an employee the computer will not permit. It wont let you book stand by tickets if you are off sick for example, you could not book leave for over a year in advance. So this error seems strange. I still think the fact that they phoned you proves they knew they had made a BIG mistake.
You should ask for written confirmation from them that they have cancelled your 08 flight.
Good Luck and dont let them get away with this.
They must know the name of the person made the booking and why did the computer system let them book this flight.
My husband works for BA at Gatwick and if he wanted to book holiday off for christmas day on the staff website it would not let him. Any thing you are not allowed to do as an employee the computer will not permit. It wont let you book stand by tickets if you are off sick for example, you could not book leave for over a year in advance. So this error seems strange. I still think the fact that they phoned you proves they knew they had made a BIG mistake.
You should ask for written confirmation from them that they have cancelled your 08 flight.
Good Luck and dont let them get away with this.
What happens if you look in the manage my booking section now? Is it still there, or at least confirming the 2008 flight had been booked and is now cancelled??
I have just entered the reference in manage my booking, and to my surprise it is still showing as a confirmed flight both ways , from the new terminal 5. I have now printed this out, as tomorrow it may have changed!
Linda
Linda
I agree with Wendy. BA must have realised their error. this is a classic case for you to give Ba an opportunity to hand out some decent customer service 
after all they are supposed to be good at it, so I would definatly push for them to to honour that booking.
lyn
after all they are supposed to be good at it, so I would definatly push for them to to honour that booking.lyn
Great that you have been able to print out the details of the flight. So they have not cancelled it yet! Perhaps they are testing the water, phoning you to see if you will except them saying you have lost the flight.
Get in touch with Ros.
Get in touch with Ros.
I wonder whether they will change it. The reason I asked whether it was still there was that it occured to me that this was confusion at BA, did the person who phoned to say the unused flight would expire know about the 2008 flight before you told him?
The twelve month rule isn't a legal requirement, it's just something BA made up (which is fair enough) to put in their T&Cs which formed your contract.
But when the BA employee offered to change the flight beyond 12 months the company has effectively waived it's own rule to your mutal agreement (at that time) at a cost of £50 to you, the payment of which created a new contract based on these amended terms. That may have been a "mistake" by the employee but I'd say they would now be on very shaky ground if they try to break the contract. You would want back more than the £50 and taxes, you want the whole fare and possibly any other non recoverables you had already spent, like hotel deposits.
The £50 charge sounds like a rip off at the time but I think it works in your favour because by charging you a substantial amount for the service they must have created a new contract. Contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 to check this, if I'm correct you should be OK.
Is this an e-ticket or are they supposed to be issuing a proper ticket closer to departure? I'd say nothing more for a while and let the dust settle. In the new year phone them up with some "innocent" query about the booking, eg check in times at T5, and see what they say.
The twelve month rule isn't a legal requirement, it's just something BA made up (which is fair enough) to put in their T&Cs which formed your contract.
But when the BA employee offered to change the flight beyond 12 months the company has effectively waived it's own rule to your mutal agreement (at that time) at a cost of £50 to you, the payment of which created a new contract based on these amended terms. That may have been a "mistake" by the employee but I'd say they would now be on very shaky ground if they try to break the contract. You would want back more than the £50 and taxes, you want the whole fare and possibly any other non recoverables you had already spent, like hotel deposits.
The £50 charge sounds like a rip off at the time but I think it works in your favour because by charging you a substantial amount for the service they must have created a new contract. Contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 to check this, if I'm correct you should be OK.
Is this an e-ticket or are they supposed to be issuing a proper ticket closer to departure? I'd say nothing more for a while and let the dust settle. In the new year phone them up with some "innocent" query about the booking, eg check in times at T5, and see what they say.
Hi,
Thank you for all the replies, they have given us some good points to make. We have decided to write to BA first off, and see if we can get them to honour the flight. At least we will have their response in writing then, before we take the matter any further.
I don't think that we can do nothing, even though the flight is still showing as confirmed on manage my booking. It is my daughter's flight and I don't want her turning up at Heathrow and not being let on the plane and then have no holiday.
When we have a response from them I will let you all know, and thanks once again for your help.
Linda
Thank you for all the replies, they have given us some good points to make. We have decided to write to BA first off, and see if we can get them to honour the flight. At least we will have their response in writing then, before we take the matter any further.
I don't think that we can do nothing, even though the flight is still showing as confirmed on manage my booking. It is my daughter's flight and I don't want her turning up at Heathrow and not being let on the plane and then have no holiday.
When we have a response from them I will let you all know, and thanks once again for your help.
Linda
Just an update on our progress. We wrote to BA and had a reply last week telling us to phone customer support. We spoke to a very helpful young man who told us that the flight would be honoured, as we were misinformed by them. They are sending us an email confirmation of this, so hopefully this will be the end of the problem and the flight will go ahead OK next year. Thanks to all on HT who gave advice, and to BA for good customer service.
Linda
Linda
and thanks to you Linda for letting us know the outcome 
Well done Linda its nice when the little guy gets the justice they deserve. Now go for an upgrade (only joking) 
Post a Reply
Please sign in or register an account to reply to this post.
Similar Topics
-
British Airways LGW-SSH
Posted by tonyb10 in Tour Operators and Travel Agents
-
British Airways or BMI?
Posted by KAZZZZA in Flight Only / Airline and Airports
-
US Airways or British Airways?
Posted by jillywally in Flight Only / Airline and Airports
-
British Airways "SALE"
Posted by tandy1967 in General Chat
-
BRITISH AIRWAYS (BA)
Posted by carolynn in Flight Only / Airline and Airports