When it comes to booking flights, I rarely need much encouragement. When an airline has a keenly priced sale, I can usually find an excuse to book a ticket and go away.
Even though there is a pandemic on, I would usually speculatively book something for late in the year, hopeful that I could actually travel. Not this time though, and here’s why.
How Keenly Priced Were Those Tickets?
British Airways were offering business class tickets from Ireland to the United States for about €1,200 return. I’d usually be all over this like a rash, as I’ve really only seen cheaper once or twice out of continental cities.
Why Didn’t I Book?
The British Airways “book with confidence commitment”, which is similar to other airlines, is just not quite good enough. For one, you can change your booking without the usual fee. Super, but “you will need to pay any difference in price”.
From a sale fare to a non-sale fare could be hundreds of Euro and I’m not willing to take that risk. If I could just switch dates without any additional cost to me, I’d be far happier. For what it’s worth, the majority of people want to travel and are only moving dates or cancelling because they have to, thanks to Government restrictions.
Happily this has changed, with the voucher now having to be used by 30 April 2023. Now I’m tempted once again, though I still baulk at perhaps having €1,200 tied up with an airline. That is not because I don’t trust BA, but when I go to rebook, who knows what the flights will cost. I do like locking in my fare, knowing I won’t have to pony up more.
Overall Thoughts
Perhaps I’ve been slightly spoiled by Qatar Airways, where the policy allows you to move your flights as much as you like, as long as the new flight has availability in your original booking class. This worked out very well for me and I actually got to travel eventually, after about 12 changes.
For what it’s worth, even economy class tickets were keenly priced. Ireland to USA at around €300 return, which is excellent, not to mention some Dublin to London flights at a paltry €15 one way! Now that is serious value when travelling on a quality oneworld alliance airline like British Airways.
Not much has changed since the sale ended. I can still see Dublin to London return in Euro Traveller in August for €51.79, and I can still see the €1,200 or so fares from Dublin to the USA. Who knows, perhaps I will make a booking. After all, I am tempted, and if I have until 30 April 2023…
Have you made a flight booking recently? What made you go for it? If you haven’t, what stopped you? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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I do feel a lot of carriers have shot themselves in the foot since the start of the Coronavirus issue
I personally was charged a fee to move a flight with Aer Lingus from April to September, the following day they allowed changes without a “change fee”, but took money from me at the time to change, even though I pleaded with them not to. Over the past 6 months I have seen some excellent deals with Aer Lingus but I refuse now to hand over my money until I know for certain that it is OK to travel … Once bitten etc etc
A lot of carriers are making it extremely difficult to get refunds, so why would anyone trust an airline that is slow to refund.
When a carrier pushes a voucher instead of a refund, remember this is the carrier looking for an interest free loan from the passenger. These are the same airlines that would screw you if you made a small error in spelling of a name when booking
Folk really need to remember which airlines treated them with respect during this pandemic and avoid those that did not
What a shame you got slugged that change fee… you’d think they would have known the policy change was coming the following day and could have just said, “Hey, call again tomorrow and we’ll do it with no change fee.”
I’m with you on the treatment by the airline when it comes to refunds. British Airways have been exemplary in my experience. I had about six bookings cancelled in 2020 and when I called them to request a refund, the staff were pleasant and the money always came back within a week or two.
I also had money returned from Swiss, Finnair and Aer Lingus without any chasing or particular delay. It has given me a favourable impression of those airlines, though I have read horror stories about most of those airlines as well. I’d say the vast majority of people are happy. Even so there is always an element of risk around booking right now that has to be taken into account.
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it!
Just as a quick follow up, have you checked precisely your refunds ? The reason I ask is because on my mentioned Aer Lingus flight, I eventually sought a refund when it was clear I would not be able to travel in September, It took some time to get the refund ( which I had no problem with) but on checking my bank account I had been left short money, and this necessitated another dialogue with Aer Lingus before I received the missing money with an apology for the “oversight”
Interesting! I always check the refund amount and it’s been pretty spot on. I lost a little cash from Finnair due to currency fluctuations, while Swiss gave me back more than they said on the phone. You win some, you lose some! My Aer Lingus refund was fine. It wasn’t an expensive ticket anyway.