How to navigate the BA strikes: rebooking cancelled flights and paying for hotels

Got a question? Our expert, Simon Calder, can help

Seattle your nerves: airlines have to cover accommodation if they change your flight dates (Getty)

Q Our British Airways flight from Heathrow to Seattle on 9 September was cancelled, so we accepted a rebooking for 7 September in order to save our holiday. As we will be arriving in the US two days earlier than originally planned, we have had to pay for an extra two nights’ hotel stay in Seattle. Can the cost of this be charged back to BA?

Also, we had booked an overnight stay with park-and-fly at Heathrow for 8 September. This was non-refundable so it is likely we will have to book another night’s stay with 15 days’ parking for 6 September. Can this also be charged back to BA?

Anna T

A This is puzzling: there are seats on a nonstop Norwegian flight from Gatwick to Seattle on 9 September, which British Airways should have offered you. Alternatively, given that you would clearly prefer to travel from Heathrow, it could have offered Aer Lingus via Dublin – a slightly longer journey because of the en-route stop, but with the benefit of clearing US immigration formalities in the Irish capital. From BA’s perspective the Aer Lingus connection also has the attraction of being on a sister airline, reducing the cost of buying you the seat.

In your position I would certainly go back to British Airways and ask why you were not offered those options, and invite the airline to arrange one or other for you. Then you can enjoy your trip as originally booked, albeit with a small amount of inconvenience on the day of your outward flight.

If, however, BA says that you have made your choice and no further rearrangement is possible, my reading of the European air passengers’ rights rules is that you should be able to claim for the extra two nights in Seattle. The EU regulation says you are entitled to “hotel accommodation in cases where a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary, or where a stay additional to that intended by the passenger becomes necessary”.

When British Airways moved your flight two days earlier, it should at the same time have booked you a hotel for you. As the airline declined to do so, you should simply forward the bill to BA.

Finally, let me tackle the Heathrow hotel night and parking. Have you talked to the hotel in question (or an agent, if you used one)? While non-refundable/changeable policies are normal for lower cost deals, I imagine a decent company would offer some flexibility specifically for the BA strike dates.

If they do not, then I suggest you choose another provider next time. But either way, I don’t believe British Airways is responsible for your financial commitment to a pre-flight hotel and parking at Heathrow.

KLM has upped its fares during the BA strikes (iStock)

Q I am one of the many travellers with BA who received an email telling me my flight had been cancelled, then 17 hours later received another to tell me that the flight is now operating as originally planned.

In the meantime, I tried to book another flight with BA, failed, so booked with KLM.

When booking the KLM flights, I was quoted a price of £1,691, roughly comparable to the price of the BA flights. However, when I reached the payment page (within nine minutes of starting the flights search), a “Something Changed” box appeared, stating that: “Due to availability, the price of the tickets had increased by £6,845 to £8,537” – an increase of 404 per cent. I know the situation with BA is causing many problems, but for KLM to profit from them is disgraceful. I wonder if other travellers have also been appalled by this?

Gael D

A Whenever an airline suffers large-scale disruption, its rivals profit substantially. With the British Airways pilots’ strike on 9, 10 and 27 September, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic are doing particularly well, and fares are also rising – but not necessarily five-fold in less than 10 minutes.

Because of BA’s botched communication with customers, not least failing to reassure them that they have the right for an alternative flight at British Airways’ expense, thousands of passengers have been seeking alternative flights on the same very narrow range of dates.

Airlines’ pricing systems are programmed to respond to surges in demand by increasing fares, in order for the carrier to extract as much money as it can from each seat.

In your case, I speculate that while you were booking, others were grabbing the last available economy-class seats. So you were instead “upgraded” to the business class fare, which as usual is a multiple of the economy fare.

I am not sure that I agree such behaviour is appalling. The airlines are using price to allocate a suddenly very scarce resource – a flight from A to B on the date you want – and it is up to the buyer to decide whether it is worth it.

I trust, though, that British Airways has now agreed to fulfil its obligation to you to book a seat on an alternative flight at BA’s expense – even if it is in business class, if this is the only one available.

Travellers have already paid for their hotels in San Francisco... but their flight was cancelled (iStock)

Q I have just had an email from British Airways advising my flight to San Francisco has been cancelled. We are unable to make contact via telephone. We have booked a lot of different hotels and B&Bs whilst in California independent from the flight so we potentially stand to lose a lot if we cannot go as planned. What would you suggest is best for us to do?

Alice R

A Your question is typical of the dozens that I have received since the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) called three days of strikes, on 9, 10 and 27 September, in a pay dispute with British Airways.

BA has cancelled many flights on 9 and 10 September. Departures on days on either side are also affected, due to the airline’s complex scheduling patterns, and its wish to free up as much capacity as possible for what it regards as its key routes.

Many people are understandably upset and anxious at being told their flight is cancelled. While you can get a full refund or rebook on another British Airways flight on the website, ba.com, for the vast majority of travellers neither of these is the best solution: you want to fly to your destination on the day you originally booked.

Fortunately the European air passengers’ rights rules require BA to provide this for you. The airline will have to find you a suitable flight on the planned travel day, even if it means buying you a ticket on arch-rival Virgin Atlantic. There is plenty of capacity across the Atlantic, though it may involve a change of plane somewhere along the way.

Unfortunately a seat on another airline can only be organised through the BA call centre, which as you have discovered is extremely difficult to get through to. I suggest that you keep trying, however frustrating it is, because the solution you need rests with British Airways.

Finally, because BA has given more than two weeks’ notice of the cancellation, you are not eligible for cash compensation. But I imagine you will be content with a replacement flight.

Dulles airport in Virginia saw travel chaos this month – could Brexit bring more? (Reuters)

Q The government is pressing for an end to free movement for EU citizens in the event of a no-deal Brexit on 31 October. I’d be interested to learn your thoughts on what it could mean for the travel experience, particularly at airports, and more widely the effects on UK tourism?

Graham M

A As part of its no-deal preparation, the government is spelling out some consequences for EU citizens if the UK crashes out of the European Union without a deal. One aspect is to remove all special privileges currently granted to EU citizens. Logistically, the most significant one will be at ports, airports and Eurostar stations. At present, UK Border Force officials can merely check the arriving EU passenger has a valid travel document – they cannot make any further assessment.

The government has indicated this will end, in which case there could be a degree of gridlock. If officials question every passenger about their plans – in particular, whether they intend to settle and work – then the pressure at some of the world’s busiest airports will ratchet up. This could lead to severe congestion and, as we saw when the US CBP computer system failed last week, arriving passengers held on planes on the ground to reduce queues inside the terminal. Were this to happen – and I stress it is just a theoretical possibility at present – then flight operations would swiftly unravel.

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For a wider viewpoint, I asked Martin Evans, managing director of The Tourism Business and a leading light in the UK industry. He said: “We’ve seen the growth of international visitors to the UK already stall. The risk of a no-deal Brexit and an immediate restriction on travel to the UK after 31 October would seriously harm the UK’s important tourism and hospitality sector, and our tourism balance of payments.”

I should add: while the government has stressed that short holiday and business visits by EU nationals would not be affected, the tourism associated with family-and-friend visits to people working here could go into decline if citizens from the European Union leave Britain.

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