Can I get a refund if my flight has been cancelled? Info for BA, easyJet and more

To say the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the travel industry would be an understatement, with many people having their holidays cancelled this year as lockdown was imposed.

The government did lift certain travel restrictions earlier this summer through the introduction of air bridges, but advice against travelling to countries, including popular destinations such as France and Spain, has been reintroduced.

With travel restrictions still constantly changing, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get abroad to your destination of choice.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting a refund if your flight has been cancelled.

Can I get a refund if my flight has been cancelled?

British Airways

British Airways is offering a voucher to the value of your booking for refunded flights, or Avios.

However, the BA website states: “If you do not wish to rebook, claim your voucher or claim Avios (if you an Executive Club Member), you can contact us on 0800 727 800 from the UK, or +44 (0)203 250 0145 from outside the UK, to discuss your refund options.

“Please contact us on 877-767-7970 if you are calling from the USA or view worldwide contact centre details here.”

EasyJet

EasyJet state that if your flight is cancelled you will be notified by the booker using the details on the booking.

You can choose to switch to any other flight, any time, or claim a voucher for the full value of your ticket.

If you aren’t ready to book again just yet, a voucher provides the flexibility to book travel in future, for flying through to at least Summer 2021. You can access the voucher via Manage Bookings.

Additionally by visiting the Covid-19 Help Hub you can request a refund via an online form, and your request should be completed within 28 days.

Ryanair

Ryanair confirmed it will pay refunds to those who ask for them, and has committed to a timeline for paying out requests – and is making “rapid progress” on its refund backlog.

It said 90 per cent of customers who booked directly with Ryanair and requested refunds for cancelled flights between March and June were set to be paid by the end of July.

You can find out more here.

Virgin

Both Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays are giving vouchers for cancelled bookings automatically, however if you want a cash refund you’ll need to ask for it proactively, and may be left waiting for 120 days.

From 29 July 2020, it’s added that if you request a refund in August, you should have to wait a maximum of 80 days to get your refund, down to 60 days in September and 30 days in October.

You can use the refund request links in your cancellation email, or contact customer services.

Tui

Package holiday giant Tui cancelled all package holidays that were due to depart up until 10 July 2020, affecting hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers.

If you had a cancelled holiday booked up until 10 July 2020, or a Marella Cruises holiday until 30 July 2020, you’ll be automatically sent a refund credit voucher to the value of your booking plus 20 per cent extra on top.

You can spend the voucher and rebook online or via a Tui store.

However, if you want a refund, you’ll have to put the details into Tui’s online refund form to ask for a refund to the value of your booking instead.