**Below guidelines were removed eff. from 30.Apr 2010!**
There was a large volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday 14. April 2010. Due to the weather conditions, a plume of volcanic ash has now spread southwards towards northern Europe and is severely affecting all airlines' flight activity in the area. For safety reasons and on direction from Air Traffic Control a decision has been made to cancel a number of flights.
As such the following guidelines have been issued if a customers flight has been cancelled.
Advice for customers/agents
If a customers flight is cancelled then the following options are available to them:
Rebook onto an available flight to the same destination within a 3-day period before or 21-day period after the scheduled departure time of the original flight. If the same booking class is not available, the next lowest class may be booked within the same cabin. This will be at no additional cost to the customer, and if required, the validity of the ticket may be extended.
or
Rebook onto a flight to the same destination at a later date in the same booking class and cabin. The flight must be re-booked and travel must take place within the validity of the original ticket purchased. This will be at no additional cost to the customer.
or
Rebook to an alternative gateway within a 21 day period after the scheduled departure of the orginal flight in the same country or gateway close by in a neighbouring country. ie) Lyon and Geneva, If the same class is not available then the lowest class in the same cabin may be booked.
Onward travel form the alternative Gateway is at the customers own expense.
or
Refund the ticket purchased to the original form of payment.
Conditions: - The change in booking must take place no later than two weeks after the original flight.
- Travel must be completed within ticket validity or within three months from the original flight, whichever is longer.
- Other flights in the same booking, if applicable, can be rebooked at the same time, and no extra fare is payable.
- Your customer may instead claim a refund for the unflown flights in their booking.
2) Advice for customers whose longhaul flight is currently still operating up to and including 30th April 2010 but do not wish to travel now
**Important – This only applies to NEW journeys due to depart SLU, PVG, JED, HKG, BKK, SYD to London, this is where we still need to get customers home
NB. Rebooking within 7 days after the original scheduled departure date is not permitted
Rebook 8 - 21 days after the scheduled departure of the original flight, to the same destination. If the same booking class is not available, the next lowest class may be booked within the same cabin. This will be at no additional cost to the customer, and if required, the validity of the ticket may be extended.
or
Rebook to a Later date >22 days after the scheduled departure of the original flight, Rebook to the same destination in the same booking class and cabin. The flight must be re-booked and travel must take place within the validity of the original ticket purchased. This will be at no additional cost to the customer.
or
Refund to the original form of payment - only if travelling on a long-haul journey that has not commenced, which originates in SLU, PVG, JED, HKG, BKK or SYD.
For all other long-haul journeys, refunds will only be permitted if fare rules allow. The reason for this is to free up space for repatriations back to the UK.
Customers whose shorthaul flight is currently operating, all changes and refunds only permitted if fare rules allow
Note:
Please ensure all your bookings that you are rebooking or refunding yourself that you input the below into your tickets endorsement box or refund notices. British Airways will not issue any ADMs for any reissues and refunds actioned according to above Commercial Policy.
Bookings affected by the Vulcanic eruption may rebook, reissue (on BA only, rebooking and reissues onto other carriers are not permitted) and refund accordingly. Please ensure the following remarks are inputted into the endorsement box for reissuing of the ticket: INVOL RBKD DUE VULCANIC ERUPTION POLICY APPLD.
For all ticket refunds, please ensure the following remarks are inputted into the ‘Refund Mask’: DUE VULCANIC ERUPTION POLICY APPLD. If your GDS does not permit refund remark, please ensure to update same on your PNR.
Rebooking and Refund options:
The information below covers only customers holding a ticket on a British Airways operated flight and issued on British Airways 125 ticket stock.
If a customer has a segment on British Airways that was issued on another carrier's ticket stock you must contact the issuing carrier.
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