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From Times Online

March 31, 2008

BA quietly changes ticket policy, allowing passengers to avoid Heathrow T5

Ginny McGrath

British Airways has quietly changed its ticketing policy to allow passengers on even the cheapest fares to rebook if they want to avoid Terminal 5 this week.

The new policy was posted on the BA website on Friday, but has not been widely communicated to passengers, and on Friday morning BA press office staff were still telling journalists that the normal ticket restrictions apply.

The new rules mean that anyone due to travel to, from or through Terminal 5 up to April 2, and whose flight is operating, can postpone their ticket if they wish to travel at a later date.

The option is to rebook onto a flight to the same destination on a different day.

Up until Friday morning only BA customers with the more expensive economy and business class tickets, which have flexible terms and conditions, were able to rebook their flights; anyone on a cheaper ticket would be unable to postpone their trip without losing the money spent on the fare, unless their flight was cancelled.

A BA spokeswoman told Times Online that she expects few people to rebook tickets. “The large majority of people will still want to travel,” she said.

The carrier has cancelled 54 flights today, mostly to short-haul and domestic destinations, and expects to cancel 50 flights on Tuesday.

For the latest on BA’s luggage policy, how to rebook your ticket, how to get refunds and compensation and the rights of delayed and stranded BA passengers, click here.