In short: BA cancelled: you are entitled to a full refund, which the law says must be paid within 7 days. Delayed 5 hours or more and you no longer want to travel: refund too. Refunds go to the person who paid. An eVoucher is optional, expires after one year and cannot be cashed. Cancelling yourself: your fare rules decide what comes back, less any cancellation charge.
When BA must refund you
BA’s conditions of carriage (clause 10b) list “involuntary” refunds. You are entitled to one if BA:
- cancels a flight;
- makes a significant change to a flight time that is not acceptable to you;
- delays a flight by five hours or more;
- fails to stop at your destination or stopover;
- causes you to miss a connecting flight on which you had a confirmed reservation.
If you have not used any part of the ticket, the refund equals the full fare plus carrier charges, taxes and fees. If you have used part of it, you get at least the difference between what you paid and the fare for the part you flew. Under Article 8 of UK261 and EU261, which BA’s notice of rights repeats, a refund must be paid within seven days.
Connections: if a cancellation or a delay of five hours or more disrupts a through-ticketed connection (planned connection 24 hours or less) and you no longer want to continue, BA says the operating carrier will fly you back to your starting point and refund the unflown parts. You can also claim the flown sectors if you can show the journey no longer serves any purpose – but you must claim them at the same time as the unflown parts.
How to request a refund from BA
- Booked on ba.com: open the booking in Manage My Booking, where BA shows your rebooking and refund options for a cancelled or delayed flight. If the online option is not available, use BA’s live chat or the numbers on its Contact us page.
- Booked through a travel agent or tour operator: BA says to request the refund from them; if they do not help, contact BA directly.
- British Airways Holidays: if the flight is cancelled you can cancel the whole package for a full refund including taxes, or rebook.
- Delayed 5+ hours at the airport: tell BA staff you no longer wish to travel before you give up the journey, and keep evidence of the delay.
BA’s conditions say refunds are paid to the person who paid for the ticket, who may be asked to prove it. Paid seats that BA could not honour after rebooking can be refunded separately via its seating refund page, and a Wi-Fi refund through the complaints and claims portal.
eVoucher or money?
BA sometimes offers an eVoucher. Its eVoucher terms say:
- eVouchers expire one year from the date of issue and cannot be renewed or exchanged for cash;
- they can pay for flights on BA-marketed routes but not extras such as seats or bags, and not Avios bookings;
- Customer Relations eVouchers cannot be combined with other eVouchers;
- if you cancel a booking paid with an eVoucher, any refund comes back as a new eVoucher;
- “If we cancel your flight, you will be entitled to a full refund of your booking.”
Under the Regulation, a refund – like compensation – is paid in money unless you agree in writing to a voucher. A voucher can be worth it if it is larger than the cash sum and you will certainly fly BA within a year; otherwise, ask for the money.
| Refund | eVoucher | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Money to the original payer | BA credit, one year |
| Can be cashed later | – | No |
| Affects compensation | No | No, unless you accepted it instead of compensation |
Check your British Airways flight
Two minutes, free, no sign-up.
Cancelling your own BA booking
When you cancel for your own reasons, BA’s conditions (clause 10c) give a refund only as your fare rules allow: the fare, carrier charges, taxes, fees and charges you paid, less any cancellation and reasonable service charge. BA sells some fares as partly or completely non-refundable and recommends insurance for that reason. Check the fare rules of your booking in Manage My Booking before you cancel, including whether any taxes, fees and charges are returned.
Two other clauses are worth knowing:
- If events beyond your control stopped you travelling and the fare was non-refundable, BA says it will give you a credit for the non-refundable part, provided the ticket is completely unused, you told BA promptly and you provide evidence.
- BA may refuse a refund requested after the ticket’s validity has expired, so do not wait.
We did not find a general 24-hour free cancellation rule on BA’s UK pages; BA does say that flights subject to the US Department of Transportation rules qualify for a cash refund when delayed or cancelled.
Refund and compensation are separate
A refund returns what you paid. Compensation – £220, £350 or £520 under UK261, €250, €400 or €600 under EU261 – is an additional payment when BA cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice, or your arrival was 3+ hours late, for reasons within its control. You can have both. Downgrades have a third remedy: BA repays 30%, 50% or 75% of the fare for the affected sector, excluding taxes, depending on distance (see downgraded flights).
If a refund is late, chase it in writing; if you paid more than £100 by credit card, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may allow a claim against the card provider. Unresolved complaints can go to CEDR – see claiming from BA – and our guide to BA cancellations covers rebooking and hotels.
Frequently asked questions
Will British Airways refund me if it cancels my flight?
Yes. BA’s eVoucher terms state that if BA cancels your flight you are entitled to a full refund of your booking, and the Regulation requires it within seven days. You can choose rebooking instead.
Can I get a refund from BA if my flight is delayed?
Yes, if the delay is five hours or more and you decide not to travel. BA’s conditions list a five-hour delay as a ground for a full involuntary refund.
Who receives a BA refund?
The person who paid for the ticket, unless BA says otherwise. You may need to prove you paid. Bookings made through agents are refunded through the agent.
Do BA eVouchers expire?
Yes, one year from the date of issue, and they cannot be exchanged for cash. You do not have to accept one instead of a refund or compensation.
What happens if I cancel a non-refundable BA ticket?
Your fare rules decide. BA’s conditions describe the refund as what the fare rules allow, less any cancellation and service charge. Check in Manage My Booking which taxes and charges, if any, are refundable.
The British Airways name belongs to its owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site and is not affiliated with British Airways. Information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage – British Airways
- Help with delays, cancellations and refunds – British Airways
- Denied boarding, downgrading, flight cancellation and long delays – notification of rights – British Airways
- Using an eVoucher – FAQs and terms – British Airways
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law – Article 8 (reimbursement or re-routing) – legislation.gov.uk
- Cancellations – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.