Experience Handling Flight Ticket Cancellations with British Airways

When Booking Travel to the Middle East Becomes Complicated

Hello everyone, I'm currently facing a problem with a ticket exchange from British Airways (BA) and really need some advice. I noticed that someone else had a similar situation with changing a ticket from Dubai (DXB) to Doha (DOH) and they seemed to have received support from the GGL hotline. I'm only a Silver member, so I can't access that service.

First of all, the ticket I booked was a combination of Avios and cash issued on ticket code 125. The route: LHR-AMM-LHR, operated by Royal Jordanian, with Business class throughout the journey.

Issues When Changing Tickets Under Middle East Regulations

According to the exchange regulations applicable to flights in the region, BA switched me to Qatar Airways (QR) via Doha: QR016 LHR-DOH - Business (Qsuite), and then the AMM-DOH, DOH-LHR flights were booked in Economy class. I don't understand why two regional flights were placed in Economy when the original ticket was Business.

I noticed the issue arises because QR's service on the DOH-AMM route is labeled as First Class, while it is actually equivalent to Business (with booking codes A, P, R). Well, BA usually has the policy of "exchanging to the same class as the original ticket," with no clause for differences in partner cabin designations.

Frustrating Calls with BA

I called BA twice, and on the first call, the representative (from the Indian customer service center) booked me into Economy for the regional flights, insisting that it was the policy for award tickets. On the second call, the representative told me I would have to pay extra to switch to the front cabin since I had accepted the ticket change. I mentioned the standard customer guidelines and the basis of "the closest equivalent service cabin," but there was still no progress.

Is There a Way to Fix This?

I want to ask if anyone has successfully requested BA to modify the regional class after accepting the exchange? Once the new ticket is issued, is there still a way to change the cabin, or does it “lock” the Economy class flights?

Is the “re-ticketing” valid, or is it simply a way for the staff to evade responsibility since the new ticket has been issued? I feel that BA still has a responsibility to provide the original cabin as per the regulations.

Searching for Solutions

For those who have succeeded, was it through the GGL hotline, or did anyone achieve this through the standard line or customer service after the fact? I am a Silver member without GGL access. If class A is currently available on QR402 / QR401, is that a magic phrase to prompt the staff to act, or is there a specific point in the commercial guidelines I should mention?

If none of the above options work, would a claim for downgrade compensation under Article 10(2) of EU261 from customer service after the trip be a practical option? The flight originates from LHR, so EU261 might apply. This exchange with Avios could complicate the situation further. Thank you in advance for any guidance!