British Airways Flights Cancellation Policy 2023

How to cancel a British Airways flight

We all know flight cancellations and refunds are quite expensive, especially when there is a lack of clarity. However, British Airways cancellation policy allows you to cancel a flight and receive full refunds under certain conditions. If your plans have changed, you can modify them or cancel the entire itinerary within 24 hours of booking for free.

 If you’ve booked a flight on British Airways’ official website and want to cancel beyond the 24 hours charge-free policy, you must pay a service fee and cancellation fee, as per your fare type.

Read below to find out how the British Airways cancellation refund process works.

British Airways Cancellation Policy

British airways allow passengers to cancel their flight anytime they want. But, passengers who book flights on the day of departure, cannot cancel the reservations. Similarly, there are many other rules of British airlines.The terms and conditions are related to your flight cancellations. The passengers should go through British airways cancellation policy before cancelling their flight bookings. Have a look at the points below to learn more:

• British airlines allow all the passengers to cancel flights up to 3 hours before departure.
• Passengers who cancel flights around 2-1 hours of departure do not qualify for any refund.
• You can cancel domestic, international, round trip, one way, and multi city flights.
• One cannot cancel last minute flight bookings. As British airways do not allow passengers with same day flight booking and departure to cancel flights.
• Only flights that are booked directly from British airway’s official source are eligible for cancellations. No third party flight bookings qualify for flight cancellations by British airways.
• There is no penalty/cancellation fee on flight cancellations within 24 hours of bookings.
• When you cancel a flight after 24 hours of purchase, you will have to pay a penalty fee.
• The penalty charges completely depend on the type of ticket you hold. So, if you have British airways basic economy fare, you will be charged more than other fare classes.
• Also, if your ticket is refundable, you will get the complete or partial refund depending on the timing of your flight cancellation request.
• There is no refund for non refundable fare holders. But, in some situations, the airlines may provide a travel voucher for future flight.
• You can only cancel completely booked/purchased flight tickets.
• When British airlines cancel your flight, you will get either a complete refund or rebooking on the same day as an alternative flight.

There are exceptional cases, when the airlines don’t charge any penalty for flight cancellations. It is mostly because of some emergency like death of a family member, travel companion or the passenger. But, make sure to provide the airlines with ample proof of your emergency. 

British Airways Covid-19 Cancellation Policy

The BA cancellation policy allows passengers with COVID-affected flights to cancel their bookings and get a voucher having a validity of 12 months. They can preserve the value of their ticket and use it for future flights.

• Bookings made before June 7, 2022, are eligible for COVID relief cancellation.
• Passengers can complete their trip by September 30, 2022.
• The airline will cancel the existing booking.
• A cancellation fee won’t apply, but travelers must pay the fare difference.
• Travelers can use the British airways cancellation policy vouchers partially/ fully.
• You will automatically receive the voucher if your ticket is eligible for it.

For ticket purchases through travel agents, kindly contact them directly for COVID-related assistance.

British Airways Cancellation Due To Illness/ Death:

British air cancellation policy for deaths and severe illness applies to passengers or their close relatives having BA flight tickets.

• Passengers won’t have to pay cancellation/ service fees for cancellations due to bereavement or severe illness of a passenger or close relative.
• However, the traveler must submit documentary proof to support illness or death.
• Lastly, they must submit the documents within 45 days of canceling the ticket to receive a refund in the original form of payment.

How Do I Cancel My British Airways Flight Online?

The easy way to cancel flight bookings is using the official sources of British airways. There are many ways you can cancel your flight bookings online. You can:

• Login to the British Airways website, select the flight that needs to be cancelled and submit the request. After that you can place a refund request and wait for the airline’s response on your registered email address.
• Download British airways mobile app and login into your account. Then you will be able to see all your flight bookings. You can select the flight you want to cancel and click on ‘Cancel’ or a similar option. Your flight will get cancelled.
• Use Live chat option or airline’s social media to seek help regarding the flight cancellation process. The representative will help you online with step by step guidance to cancel the flight.

In case you don’t have your British account login details, you can use your reservation details to search your flight. You can then select that particular flight and cancel. Also, if you cancel a flight and are not eligible for refund, you will have to pay cancellation charges. 

NOTE: The more flexible your fare class is, less will be the chance of paying any extra charges.

How Do I Cancel a British Airways Flight Via Phone?

Travellers can also ask the BA reservations department to cancel their flight reservations. This is a good option when you have some internet problems and are unable to call off your flight bookings. So, you can check your email to get the contact details of British airlines and dial the number. After placing the call, put the phone on speaker and give the instructions to the IVR that you want to cancel your flight. You will be required to provide your flight details and your flight will get cancelled.

If you don’t want to make calls, British airways offer the facility of texting. You can SMS your message and ask the airline to cancel your flight bookings. If you qualify for a refund, you can apply for it later when you get a stable internet connection. 

Do I Get a Refund If I Cancel My British Airways Flight?

When you cancel your flight within 24 hours of booking the ticket, the British Airways cancellation policy awards you a 100% refund in your original form of payment. You have the right to cancel within 24 hours for free through the BA customer service. Also, Avios bookings holders can use this facility via the official website to claim their refund.

British Airways Cancellation Flight Fees

British Airways Cancellation fee policy charges cancellation and service fees on every canceled ticket, per the fare conditions. BA offers three types of tickets:

• The most flexible fare: One which allows changes free of charge
• Moderate flexible: One which will enable changes but with a charge
• Non-refundable: One which doesn’t allow changes

Passengers must pay €15- €40 as a cancellation service fee. The service fee for canceling your BA flight is as follows:

The charges mentioned above are applicable as per British airways cancellation policy UK. Also, these are only the service fee, and you must pay the cancellation fee separately. Kindly visit the website to learn more about the cost of canceling a flight in your country.

Read more Blogs:

Spirit Airlines Cancellation Policy
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Frequently Asked Questions

Are British Airways giving refunds for Cancelled flights?

You can ask for British Airways Compensation Policy for Delayed and Cancelled Flights if your flight is delayed or canceled involuntarily. Kindly visit the Manage my bookings page and look for suitable options. Call the travel agent for third-party bookings to claim your refund.

Can I cancel my BA flight due to Covid?

With BA covid cancellation policy, you can cancel a ticket due for travel by 30 September 2022 and receive a voucher against its original value. The 100% amount is valid for 1 year from the issued voucher date. However, your ticket must be booked on or before 7 June 2022.

What is British airways cancellation policy for booked with points?

Avios award flights leaving in less than 24 hours can’t be canceled. Otherwise, the airlines will charge you 35 British pounds for canceling an award ticket and refund the remaining amount as points back into your account. If a flight is less than 35 British pounds, the cancellation fee would be the entire booking amount with the service fee.