By using ba.com you agree to the use of cookies.
Accept cookies and close this message.Log in or Sign up for the Executive Club
Use this form to log in to your account or to create an account for the British Airways executive club
General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage
When you buy a ticket to travel on a flight we operate, you enter into a contract of carriage with us.
The contract is governed by:
We, us, our - British Airways Plc, BA CityFlyer, BA Euroflyer.
You, your - any person holding a ticket who is to be carried or is carried on an aircraft, except members of the crew, or, in relation to ticket refunds, the person who paid for the ticket. (See also the definition for passenger.)
Agreed stopping places - the places, except the place of departure and the place of destination, set out in your ticket or shown in our timetables as scheduled stopping places on your route.
Airline designator code - the two or three letters or the letter and number which identify particular carriers.
Authorised agent - a passenger sales agent who we have appointed to represent us in selling air transportation on our services.
Baggage - your personal property accompanying you on your flight. Unless we say otherwise, this consists of your checked and unchecked baggage.
Baggage check - the parts of your ticket which relate to carrying your checked baggage.
Baggage identification tag - a document we give you to identify each piece of your checked baggage.
Carrier - an air carrier.
Checked baggage - baggage which we have taken into our custody and for which we have issued a baggage identification tag or a baggage check or both. (Checked baggage travels in the hold of the aircraft.)
Check-in deadline - the time limit we have set by which you must have completed check-in and received your boarding pass.
Conditions of carriage - these conditions of carriage or another carrier’s conditions of carriage as the case may be.
Conjunction ticket - a ticket we have issued to you in conjunction with another ticket which together make up a single contract of carriage.
Connecting flight - a subsequent flight providing onward travel on the same ticket or on a conjunction ticket.
Consumer - a man or a woman who has bought a ticket under a contract governed by the law of a member state of the European Union and plans to use it for travel outside his or her trade, business or profession.
Convention - whichever of the following apply.
The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw, 12 October 1929 (referred to below as the Warsaw Convention).
The Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague on 28 September 1955.
The Warsaw Convention as amended by Additional Protocol No.1 of Montreal (1975).
The Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague and by Additional Protocol No. 2 of Montreal (1975).
The Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague and by Additional Protocol No. 4 of Montreal (1975).
The Guadalajara Supplementary Convention (1961).
The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, signed at Montreal, 28 May 1999 (referred to below as the Montreal Convention).
Coupon - a paper flight coupon or an electronic coupon, each of which entitles the passenger named on it to travel on the particular flight identified on it.
Damage - includes death of, wounding of, or bodily injury to a passenger. It also includes loss, partial loss, theft of, or other damage to baggage arising out of, or in connection with, either carriage on flights we operate or other services we provide.
Days - all seven days of the week. For the purpose of sending notices, we will not count the day on which notice is sent. For the purposes of deciding whether a ticket is valid, we will not count the day on which the ticket was issued, or the first flight began.
Electronic coupon - an electronic flight coupon for an electronic ticket held in our computer database.
Electronic ticket - an itinerary and receipt, electronic coupons and any boarding document we have issued to you.
Events beyond your control - unusual and unforeseeable circumstances which you cannot control and the consequences of which you could not have avoided even if you had taken all due care.
Flight coupon - the part of your ticket which has the words 'Good for Passage' printed on it. In the case of an electronic ticket, it means the electronic coupon. The flight coupon shows the places of departure and destination between which you are entitled to be carried.
Involuntary fare refund - a refund, under clause 10b, of the fare for your ticket.
Itinerary and receipt - a document or documents we or our authorised agents issue on paper, by fax, by E-mail, or deliver electronically to passengers travelling with electronic tickets. It contains the passenger's name, flight information and a receipt.
Passenger - any person holding a ticket who is carried, or is to be carried, on an aircraft, except members of the operating crew. (See also the definition for you, your.)
Passenger coupon - the part of your ticket which is marked as such.
SDR - a Special Drawing Right as defined by the International Monetary Fund.
Stopover - a scheduled stop on your journey at a point between the place of departure and the place of destination.
Tariff - the published fares, charges and related conditions of carriage of an airline which have been filed, where required, with the appropriate authorities.
Ticket - either a document called 'Passenger ticket and baggage check' or an electronic ticket, which we or our authorised agents have issued to you.
Transit passenger - a passenger arriving at an airport for onward travel to another country:
Unchecked baggage - your baggage other than your checked baggage. (You take your unchecked baggage with you on to the aircraft.)
Validity period - the period for which your ticket is valid for travel.
Voluntary fare refund - a refund, under clause 10c, of the fare for your ticket.
Except where clause 2c says otherwise, these conditions of carriage will apply to all flights we operate under the BA airline designator code and to any case where we have a legal liability to you in relation to your flight.
On some services we have arrangements with other airlines known as code shares. This means that, even if you have a reservation with us and hold a ticket showing the BA airline designator code for the flight, another airline may operate the aircraft.
On some services we have arrangements with other airlines called franchisees who will operate the aircraft on which you will travel using our name, our livery and the BA airline designator code.
If either a code share or a franchise applies to your flight, we or our authorised agents will let you know if we or another airline will be operating the flight at the time you make a reservation.
If these conditions of carriage are inconsistent with any tariffs or laws which apply to your contract of carriage with us, the tariffs or laws will apply.
If these conditions of carriage are inconsistent with our regulations, these conditions of carriage will apply.
If one of these conditions of carriage is invalid, the other conditions will remain valid.
a1) We will only carry you if you are the passenger named in the ticket. We may ask you to prove that this is the case.
3a2) You cannot transfer your ticket. However, please read clauses 3e and 3f.
3a3) We sell some tickets at discounted fares which may be partly or completely non-refundable. You should choose the fare which best suits your needs and consider taking out insurance to cover instances where you might have to cancel your ticket.
3a4) Your ticket is our property at all times if it was issued by us or our authorised agents. If your ticket was issued by or on behalf of another airline, it is the property of the airline which issued it.
3a5) Except where you have an electronic ticket, you will not be entitled to be carried on a flight unless you have presented a valid ticket to us containing: -
You will not be entitled to be carried on a flight if the ticket you have presented is spoiled, torn or damaged or if it has been altered or tampered with unless we or our authorised agents have made the alteration.
If you are travelling on an electronic ticket, you will not be entitled to be carried on a flight unless the electronic ticket was issued in your name and you can prove to us that you are the person named on it.
3a6) A ticket is a valuable document and you must make sure it is not lost or stolen.
3b1) Unless it says differently on the ticket, in these conditions of carriage, or in any tariffs which apply, a ticket is valid for travel for:
3b2) If you are prevented from travelling within the validity period of a ticket because we could not confirm your reservation at the time you asked for it, we will:
3b3) If, after beginning your journey:
you must give us a medical certificate. The certificate must:
When we receive the certificate, we may decide to extend the validity period until either:
If the flight coupons left on your ticket involve one or more stopovers, we may decide to extend the validity period up to a maximum of three months from the recovery date. If other members of your immediate family were travelling with you when you fell ill, we will extend the validity period of their tickets for a similar period.
3b4) If:
we may decide to do either, or both, of the following.
3b5) If:
we may decide to change your tickets and those of your immediate family travelling with you by doing either, or both, of the following.
We will not extend the validity period of the tickets for more than 45 days after the date of death.
3c1) Your ticket is valid only for the transportation shown on it from the place of departure through any agreed stopping places to the final place of destination. The fare you have paid is based on our tariff for the transportation shown on your ticket and forms part of your contract with us.
3c2) Your ticket is no longer valid if you do not use all the coupons in the sequence provided in the ticket. Where you change your travel without our agreement and the price for the resulting transportation you intend to undertake is greater than the price originally paid, you will be requested to pay the difference in price. Failure to pay the price applicable to your revised transportation will result in refusal of carriage.
3c3) If you want to change all or part of your transportation, you must contact us beforehand. We will work out the revised fare for your changed transportation. You will have the option of either accepting the revised fare or maintaining your original transportation.
3c4) If you need to change any aspect of your transportation because of events beyond your control, you must contact us as soon as possible. We will use reasonable efforts to transport you to your next stopover or final destination, without re-calculating the fare.
3c5) If you change your transportation without our agreement, your unused flight coupons will not be valid for travel and will have no value and we will not carry you until:
If the revised fare is lower than the fare you have already paid, we or our authorised agents will refund you the difference.
3c6) While some changes to your transportation will not result in a change of fare, others, such as changing the place of departure (for example, because you have not used the first flight coupon in your ticket or you have reversed the direction of your travel) may result in a fare increase. Many fares are valid only for travel on the dates and for the flights shown on the ticket. You may not be able to change these at all or only if you pay us an extra fee to do so.
3c7) We will accept each flight coupon in your ticket for transportation in the class of service on the date and flight for which you have a reservation unless you fail to meet the check-in and boarding requirements in clause 6 or we have to deny you boarding because of overbooking or we exercise our right to refuse to carry you under clause 5d3 or 7.
3c8) If we issue a ticket without a reservation being specified on it, you may make a reservation later but whether you will be able to do so will depend on our tariff and whether a seat is available on your chosen flight.
3c9) If you cancel a booking before the check-in deadline for your flight, we will not cancel your return or onward reservations.
3c10) If you fail to cancel a booking before the check-in deadline for your flight and do not show up for the flight, we may decide to cancel your return or onward reservations.
If you ask, we will replace your ticket with a new ticket if:
We will only do this if:
We will not claim from you any losses which result from our own negligence.
We may charge a reasonable administration fee for issuing a new ticket, unless the loss or damage was caused by us or our authorised agents.
If:
We may ask you to pay up to the full ticket price for a replacement ticket. We will give you a refund if and when we are satisfied that the original ticket has not been used before its validity period ran out. If you find the original ticket before its validity period runs out and give it to us, we will give you a refund at that time.
If we or our authorised agents did not issue your ticket, you must apply for a refund from the airline which issued it.
If:
we will give you a credit for the non-refundable part of the fare. We will do this if you:
The credit can be used for future travel on us by you or any person you choose. We may take a reasonable fee from the credit to cover our administration costs.
We or our authorised agents will, if you ask, issue a new ticket to somebody else to replace your ticket if:
Our name may be abbreviated to the BA airline designator code on the ticket. Our address is Waterside, PO Box 365, Harmondsworth UB7 OGB, United Kingdom. Please also see our website www.ba.com for more details of how to contact us.
4a1) Your fare covers transporting you from the airport at the place of departure to the airport at the place of destination, unless we say otherwise.
4a2) Your fare does not include ground transport between one airport and another or between an airport and the town terminal.
4a3) We or our authorised agents will work out the fare for your ticket which applies under our tariff on the date you pay for it. The fare will be for travel on the specific dates and itinerary shown on your ticket.
4a4) If you want to change either your itinerary or your dates of travel, this may increase the fare.
4a5) Carrier imposed charges and/or surcharges may be added to your fare as part of the published total amount payable for your transportation.
4b1) You must pay any taxes, fees and charges imposed on us or on you by governments or other authorities, or by operators of airports.
4b2) When you buy your ticket, we will tell you about any:
4b3) Taxes, fees and charges change constantly and can be imposed or altered after the date we have issued your ticket. If they change or if a new tax, fee or charge is imposed after we have issued your ticket, you will have to pay us any increase. Similarly, if any taxes, fees and charges you pay to us in respect of your transportation when we issue the ticket are then abolished or reduced, you will be entitled to claim a refund from us. If you are a resident of, and your flight departs from, the Federal Republic of Germany, any increase in taxes, fees or charges will not be applied in the period of 4 months from the date of purchase of the ticket.
4b4) If you do not use your ticket, you will be entitled to claim a refund of any taxes, fees and charges which you paid. A refund can be claimed at ba.com, via the call centre, or at the airport. For flights with a point of commencement in France, no service charge will be applied for refunds claimed online via ba.com, and for refunds claimed other than online, a service charge, not exceeding 20% of the amount of the refund, will be applied.
You must pay the fare, carrier imposed charges and surcharges, and any taxes, fees and charges in the currency of the country in which the ticket is issued, unless we or our authorised agents say you must use another currency at or before the time you pay. We may decide to accept payment in another currency.
5a1) We will record your reservation in our computer system. If you ask, we or our authorised agents will send you confirmation of your reservation to the email address that was provided to us at the time that the booking was made.
5a2) Some fares have conditions attached to them which limit or exclude your right to change or cancel reservations.
5a3) We or our authorised agents may charge additional carrier or agency fees for issuing or changing your ticket or providing other reservation services.
If you have not paid for your ticket by the deadline we or our authorised agents have set, we may decide to cancel your reservation.
5c1) We may use the personal information that you provide and we collect, including information about how your purchase history and how you use our services and facilities ('your personal information'), for the purposes of:
5c2) For these purposes we may release your personal information to:
This may involve sending your personal information outside the European Economic Area.
5d1) For passengers with a disability refer to clause 18.
5d2) If you are not a passenger with a disability but you ask us or our authorised agents at the time of booking to provide any special assistance, we will make reasonable efforts to meet your request.
5d3) We may decide not to carry:
if arrangements to carry them have not been made before check in; or
5d4) We will not carry you if you are aged under 14 at the date of travel and are not travelling with someone aged 16 or older on your booking or on a linked booking. If we refuse to carry you clause 10b) will apply.
5d5) If you are aged under 16 at the date of travel and are travelling without someone aged 16 or older on your booking or a linked booking, you must carry with you at all times a fully completed 'Young Flyer Travelling Alone' consent form which is available on our website. You must also carry a copy of your parent or guardian’s passport or identity document. If you do not carry these documents at all times or present it when requested by us or our agents, we may refuse to carry you. If we refuse to carry you clause 10b) will apply.
5e1) We will try to honour advance seating requests.
5e2) We cannot guarantee that you will be able to sit in any particular seat.
5e3) We can change your seat at any time, even after you have boarded the aircraft, as we may need to do this for operational, safety or security reasons.
5f1) You may have to reconfirm onward or return reservations within certain time limits. We will tell you if you need to reconfirm and how and where you should do this.
5f2) If you fail to reconfirm, we may decide to cancel your onward or return reservations.
5f3) If you fail to reconfirm but let us know that you still want to travel and there is space on the flight, we will reinstate your reservations and carry you. If there is no space on the flight, we will use reasonable efforts to carry you to your next or final destination on a later flight.
5f4) You should check the reconfirmation requirements of any other carriers involved in your journey and where necessary, reconfirm with the carrier whose airline designator code appears on the ticket for the flight in question.
Check-in deadlines vary and your journey will be smoother if you allow plenty of time to check in. Please find out the check-in deadlines for your flights before you travel and keep to them. We may also tell you a time by which you must present yourself for check-in.
We or our authorised agents will tell you the check-in deadline for your first flight with us. Check-in deadlines for all our flights are set out in our website www.ba.com and you can also ask us or our authorised agents for details at any time.
If you do not complete the check-in process by the check-in deadline, we may decide to cancel your reservation and not carry you. By completing the check-in process we mean that you have received your boarding pass for your flight.
You must be present at the boarding gate not later than the time we give you when you check in. We may decide not to carry you if you fail to arrive at the boarding gate on time.
We will not be liable to you for any loss or expense you suffer if you fail to meet check-in deadlines, fail to present yourself for check-in on time (if we tell you a time) or fail to be at the boarding gate on time.
We may decide to refuse to carry you or your baggage if one or more of the following has happened or we reasonably believe may happen.
7a1) If carrying you or your baggage may put the safety of the aircraft or the safety or health of any person in the aircraft in danger.
7a2) If carrying you or your baggage may affect the comfort of any person in the aircraft.
7a3) If you are drunk or under the influence of drink or drugs.
7a4) If you are, or we reasonably believe you are, in unlawful possession of drugs.
7a5) If you have ever been caught smoking, attempting to smoke and/or tampering with a smoke detector on a previous flight by a member of our crew.
7a6) If your mental or physical state or health is a danger or risk to you, the aircraft or any person in it.
7a7) If you have refused to allow a security check to be carried out on you or your baggage.
7a8) If you have not obeyed the instructions of our ground staff or a member of the crew of the aircraft relating to safety or security.
7a9) If you have used threatening, abusive or insulting words towards our ground staff or another passenger or a member of the crew of the aircraft.
7a10) If you have behaved in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly way towards a member of our ground staff or a member of the crew of the aircraft.
7a11) If you have deliberately interfered with a member of the crew of the aircraft carrying out their duties.
7a12) If you have put the safety of either the aircraft or any person in it in danger.
7a13) If you have made a hoax bomb or other security threat.
7a14) If you have committed a criminal offence during the check-in or boarding processes or on board the aircraft.
7a15) If you have not, or do not appear to have, valid travel documents.
7a16) If you try to enter a country for which your travel documents are not valid.
7a17) If the immigration authority for the country you are travelling to, or for a country in which you have a stopover, has told us (either orally or in writing) that it has decided not to allow you to enter that country, even if you have, or appear to have, valid travel documents.
7a18) If you destroy your travel documents during the flight.
7a19) If you have refused to allow us to photocopy your travel documents.
7a20) If you have refused to give your travel documents to a member of the crew of the aircraft, when we have asked you to do so.
7a21) If you ask the relevant government authorities for permission to enter a country in which you have landed as a transit passenger.
7a22) If carrying you would break government laws, regulations, or orders.
7a23) If you have refused or failed to give us information which a government authority has asked us to provide about you, including passenger information requested in advance of your flight.
7a24) If you have not presented a valid ticket.
7a25) If you have not paid the fare (or any applicable carrier imposed charges and surcharges, and any applicable taxes, fees and charges) for your journey.
7a26) If you have presented a ticket acquired illegally.
7a27) If you have presented a ticket which you did not buy from us or our authorised agents.
7a28) If you have presented a ticket which was not issued by us or our authorised agents.
7a29) If you have presented a ticket which has been reported as being lost or stolen.
7a30) If you have presented a counterfeit ticket.
7a31) If you have presented a ticket with an alteration made neither by us nor our authorised agents.
7a32) If you have presented a spoiled, torn or damaged ticket or a ticket which has been tampered with.
7a33) If you cannot prove you are the person named in the ticket.
7a34) If you have changed your transportation without our agreement as set out in clause 3c.
7a35) If you have failed to present your ticket or your boarding pass or your travel documents to us when reasonably asked to do so.
7a36) If you have failed to complete the check-in process by the check-in deadline.
7a37) If you have failed to arrive at the boarding gate on time.
7a38) If you have refused or failed to undergo health screening or a health examination requested by us or by a government or enforcement agency.
7a39) If you have behaved in a way mentioned above on or in connection with a previous flight and we believe you may repeat this behaviour.
7b1) Separately, and in addition to our right to refuse to carry you under any of the provisions of 7a), We will be entitled to refuse to carry you or your baggage if we have given you a banning notice.
7b2) By a banning notice we mean a written notice we have given to you informing you that you are banned from being carried on our route network. (This means you are banned from travelling on all flights we operate.) This notice will give the date when the ban comes into force and the period for which it applies. A banning notice will also ask you not to buy a ticket or ask or allow anyone to do so for you.
7b3) If you try to travel while a banning notice is in force, we will refuse to carry you and your only recourse will be receipt of an involuntary fare refund. You will not be entitled to any compensatory or other damages.
We will carry some of your baggage free of charge. Your free baggage allowance will be shown on your ticket, or in the case of an electronic ticket, on your itinerary and receipt and will depend on our baggage regulations applying at the time of your flight. If you are in doubt, please ask us or our authorised agents for details of your free baggage allowance and our baggage regulations.
You will have to pay a charge for the carriage of baggage over your free baggage allowance. Please ask us or our authorised agents for details of our excess baggage rates.
The carriage of excess baggage is subject to availability.
You must not carry the following in your baggage (whether as checked baggage or unchecked baggage):
If we discover that you are carrying forbidden items, we will refuse to carry them. Please ask us or our authorised agents for information about forbidden items if you need it.
8d1) On some of our services we do not carry firearms and ammunition. On services where we do carry firearms and ammunition we may charge a handling fee for accepting firearms and ammunition or we may exclude firearms and ammunition from your free baggage allowance in which case you will have to pay an excess baggage charge.
8d2) If you want us to carry firearms and ammunition, other than sporting guns or ammunition, you must get our permission before you check in. If you do not, we may decide not to carry them.
8d3) If you are travelling on a service where we carry firearms and you want us to carry sporting guns or ammunition, you must let us know before you check in. If you do not, we may decide not to carry them.
8d4) All firearms and ammunition must be carried as checked baggage and we will not allow you to take them into the aircraft cabin.
8d5) All firearms carried as checked baggage must be unloaded, have the safety catch on and be suitably packed.
8d6) Carrying firearms and ammunition is covered by the ICAO Technical Instruction and IATA Regulations referred to above.
8d7) You must make sure that you have all the documents you need for firearms and ammunition. If you do not, we may decide not to carry them.
8e1) You must not take any item into the aircraft cabin if we tell you that we reasonably believe that its presence there would affect the safety and security of the aircraft or any person in it. You must not take any item into the aircraft cabin which you are forbidden from taking into the aircraft cabin by law.
8e2) You must not take antique, toy or replica guns or weapons into the aircraft cabin.
8e3) You must not take swords, knives, archery bows, arrows or similar weapons into the aircraft cabin.
8e4) We may either tell you to check in items referred to in clauses 8e1, 8e2 and 8e3 as checked baggage or refuse to carry them altogether.
You must not include in your checked baggage fragile or perishable items or items of special value such as:
8g1) We will refuse to carry checked baggage if we reasonably believe that it is not properly and securely packed in suitable containers.
8h1) For reasons of safety and security we or our agents may ask to search and screen you and search, screen or x-ray your baggage. We will always try to search, screen or x-ray your baggage when you are present. However, if you are not available, we may search your baggage in your absence.
If you do not allow us to carry out the necessary safety and security searches, screening and x-rays, we will refuse to carry you and your baggage.
8h2) If a search or screening causes damage to you, or a search, screening or x-ray causes damage to your baggage, we will not be liable for the damage unless it was caused by our negligence or fault.
8i1) You must put your name on each item of checked baggage.
8i2) When you check in your checked baggage, we will give you a baggage identification tag for each piece.
8i3) We will carry your checked baggage, whenever possible, on the same aircraft as you, unless we decide for safety, security or operational reasons to carry it on another flight. If we carry your checked baggage on another flight we will deliver it to you, unless the law says you must be present for customs clearance.
8j1) We set maximum dimensions and weights for unchecked baggage, which must also:
8j2) If:
you must check it in as checked baggage.
8j3) If you have an item of baggage (such as a musical instrument) larger or heavier than the maximum dimensions and weight for unchecked baggage but unsuitable to be carried as checked baggage, we will carry it in the aircraft cabin if:
Please ask us or our authorised agents for details of our charges.
8k1) Unless clause 8i3 applies, you must collect your checked baggage as soon as we have made it available at your place of destination or stopover. If you do not collect it within a reasonable time, we may charge you a storage fee. If you do not claim your checked baggage within three months from the date we make it available, we may dispose of it without any liability to you.
8k2) Only the person with the baggage identification tag and if one has been issued, the baggage check, can claim a piece of checked baggage.
8k3) If a person claiming a piece of checked baggage cannot produce the baggage identification tag and if one has been issued, the baggage check, we will deliver the baggage to them only if they can prove to us that the baggage is theirs.
On some services we do not carry animals. If we agree to carry your animals, we will carry them subject to the following conditions.
8l1) On domestic flights (by which we mean flights within the common travel area of the United Kingdom (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and the Republic of Ireland) the following will apply:
8l2) On international flights (by which we mean all flights other than domestic flights) the following will apply:
8l3) On all flights (by which we mean both domestic and international) the following will apply:
9a1) The flight times shown in our timetables may change between the date of publication and the date you actually travel. We do not guarantee these flight times to you and they do not form part of your contract of carriage with us.
9a2) Before we accept your booking, we or our authorised agents will tell you the scheduled departure time of your flight and it will be shown on your ticket or itinerary and receipt. We may need to change the scheduled departure time of your flight after your ticket has been sent to you or to change the scheduled departure terminal for your flight. If you give us or our authorised agents contact information, we or they will try to let you know about any changes.
9a3) If, after you buy your ticket:
we will give you an involuntary fare refund.
9b1) We will take all reasonable measures necessary to avoid delay in carrying you and your baggage.
9b2) These measures may, in exceptional circumstances and if necessary to prevent a flight being cancelled, include arranging for a flight to be operated:
9b3) If we:
you can choose one of the three remedies set out immediately below.
We will carry you as soon as we can to the destination shown on your ticket on another of our scheduled services on which a seat is available in the class of service for which you have paid the fare. If we do this, we will not charge you extra and where necessary, will extend the validity period of your ticket.
We will carry you to the destination shown on your ticket in the class of service for which you have paid the fare at a later date at your convenience and within the validity period of your ticket on another of our scheduled services on which a seat is available. If we do this, we will not charge you extra.
We will give or obtain for you an involuntary fare refund.
We will give you additional assistance, such as compensation, refreshments and other care and reimbursement, if required to do so by any law which may apply. We will have no further liability to you.
If you are denied boarding against your will on a flight for which you have both a valid ticket and a confirmed reservation, we will pay you compensation and provide refreshments and other care as required by any law which may apply. This will not apply if you fail to meet the check-in and boarding requirements in clause 6 or we exercise our right to refuse to carry you under clause 5d3 or 7.
10a1) We will refund the fare and carrier imposed charges and surcharges for your ticket, or any unused part of it and any taxes, fees and charges, as set out in the fare rules and conditions applicable to your booking.
10a2) Unless we say otherwise, we will only make a refund to the person who paid for the ticket.
10a3) You must, if you want a refund, prove to us that you are the person who paid for the ticket.
10a4) Unless you are applying for a refund on a lost ticket, we will only make the refund if you first give us the ticket and all unused flight coupons.
10b1) We will pay fare refunds as set out below if we:
10b2) If you have not used any part of the ticket, the refund will be equal to the fare and any carrier imposed charges and surcharges, and taxes, fees and charges you have paid.
10b3) If you have used part of the ticket, the refund will be equal to at least the difference between the fare and any carrier imposed charges and surcharge and taxes, fees and charges you have paid and the correct fare and carrier imposed charges and surcharges, and taxes, fees and charges for travel between the points for which you have used your ticket.
10c1) If you are entitled to a refund of the fare for your ticket for reasons other than those set out in clause 10b, the refund will be as follows.
10c2) If you have not used any part of the ticket, the refund will be equal to the fare and any carrier imposed charges and surcharges, and taxes, fees and charges you have paid, less any cancellation and reasonable service charge.
10c3) If you have used part of the ticket, the refund will be equal to the difference between the fare and any carrier imposed charges and surcharges, and taxes, fees and charges you have paid and the correct fare, and any carrier imposed charges and surcharges, and taxes, fees and charges for travel between the points for which you have used the ticket, less any cancellation and reasonable service charge.
10d1) If you lose your ticket or part of it, we will, if you give us satisfactory proof of the loss and pay a reasonable administration fee, give you a refund as soon as possible after the validity period of the ticket expires. we will only do this if:
This will not apply if any fraud or use by someone else resulted from our negligence.
10d2) If we or our authorised agents lose the ticket or part of it, we will be responsible for any loss.
10e1) We may decide to refuse to give you a refund if you apply for it after the end of the ticket validity period.
10e2) We may decide to refuse to give you a refund if, when you arrived in a country, you presented your ticket to us or to government officials as evidence of your intention to leave that country, unless you can prove to us that:
We will pay you a refund in the same way and in the same currency that you used to pay for the ticket, unless we agree otherwise. For example, if you paid in US dollars by credit card, we will make a refund in US dollars to your credit card account.
We will only give you a voluntary fare refund if we or our authorised agents issued the ticket and we or they have authorised the refund.
If, while you are on board the aircraft, we reasonably believe that youhave:
we may take any measures we think reasonable to prevent you continuing your behaviour. When the aircraft lands, we may decide to:
If, as a result of your behaviour, we divert the aircraft to an unscheduled place of destination and make you leave the aircraft, you must pay us the reasonable and proper costs of the diversion.
For safety reasons, we may decide not to allow you to use electronic devices when you are on board the aircraft, including:
You must not use these items when we have told you that they are not allowed.
We will allow you to use hearing aids and heart pacemakers.
we are only acting as your agent in making the arrangements or issuing the ticket. The terms and conditions of the company providing those services will apply.
12b) If we are also providing land or sea transport for you, specific conditions (not these conditions of carriage) will apply to that transport. Please ask us or our authorised agents for a copy of these specific conditions.
13a1) You (not us) must:
13a2) You must obey all laws, regulations and orders of any countries you fly from, enter or travel through or in which you are a transit passenger.
13a3) We will not be liable to you if:
Before you travel, you must present to us all passports, visas, health certificates and other travel documents you need for your journey. If we ask, you must:
If you are refused entry to a country, you must pay:
We will not refund to you the fare for carrying you to the place where you were denied entry.
If we have to pay any fine, penalty, fee, charge or costs (such as detention costs) because you have failed to obey any laws or regulations, or other travel requirements of the country to which you have travelled to or to produce the necessary documents needed by that country, you must repay us the amount we have paid as a result. We may take this amount from the value of any unused part of your ticket, or any of your money we have in our possession.
If necessary, you must be present when your baggage is inspected by customs or other government officials. We will not be liable to you for any damage you suffer in the course of an inspection or because you are not present.
You must allow us, government officials, airport officials, or other carriers to carry out security screening of you or your baggage.
If we and other carriers are involved in performing carriage for you under one ticket, or under a conjunction ticket, we will regard the carriage as a single operation for the purposes of the convention. However, please read clause 15g1.
The conditions of carriage of each other carrier involved in your journey govern its liability to you. Other carriers may have lower limits of liability.
Our liability for the carriage of passengers and baggage is governed by the convention. This clause 15 sets out the limits on our liability and summarises the liability rules applied by us under the convention but if it is inconsistent with the convention or other applicable laws, the convention or other applicable laws will override this clause 15.
15d1) Our liability for proved damages sustained in the event of death, wounding or any other bodily injury by a passenger in the event of an accident shall not be subject to any financial limit.
15d2) For any damages up to and including the sum of the equivalent of 113,100 SDRs (approximately £109,500), we shall not exclude or limit our liability.
15d3) Notwithstanding the provisions of clause 15d2, if we prove that the damage was caused by, or contributed to by, the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of the injured or deceased passenger or of the person claiming compensation we may be exonerated wholly or partly from our liability in accordance with applicable laws.
15d4) To the extent that damages under this clause 15d may potentially exceed 113,100 SDRs (approximately £109,500) they will be reduced accordingly if we prove that the damage was not due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of us or our agents or that the damage was solely due to the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of a third party.
15d5) We shall, without delay and in any event not later than 15 days after the identity of the natural person entitled to compensation has been established, make such advance payments as may be required to meet immediate economic needs on a basis proportionate to the hardship suffered.
15d6) Without prejudice to clause 15d5, an advance payment shall not be less than the equivalent of 16,000 SDRs (approximately £13,000) per passenger in the event of death.
15d7) An advance payment shall not constitute recognition of our liability.
15d8) An advance payment may be offset against any subsequent sums paid on the basis of our liability.
15d9) An advance payment is not returnable, except in the cases described in clause 15d3, or in circumstances where it is subsequently proved that the person who received the advance payment was not the person entitled to compensation.
15d10) We are not responsible for any illness, injury or disability, including death, attributable to your physical condition or for the aggravation of such condition.
15e1) We are not liable for damage to unchecked baggage (other than damage caused by delay which is covered by clause 15e4 below), unless the damage was caused by our negligence or the negligence of our agents.
15e2) Our liability for damage to your baggage, including damage caused by delay, is limited by the convention to 1,131 SDRs (approximately £1,000) except where you prove that the damage resulted from an act or omission by us or our agents carried out either:
- with the intention of causing damage; or
- recklessly and with knowledge that damage would probably result, and you prove that our employees or agents responsible for the act or omission were acting within the scope of their employment.
15e3) If you complete a special declaration of higher value at check-in and pay the applicable fee, our liability shall be limited to the higher declared value.
15e4) We are not liable for damage to baggage caused by delay if we prove that we and our agents took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or that it was impossible for us or our agents to take such measures.
15e5) We are not liable for any damage caused by your baggage.
15e6) You are responsible for any damage caused by your baggage to other people and property, including our property.
15e7) We are not liable in any way whatever for damage to or loss of items which you include in your checked baggage although you are forbidden from including them under clauses 8c, 8d or 8f, or in the case of permitted firearms you have not complied with the conditions for including them under clause 8d, except as provided for by the Convention. These items include fragile or perishable items, items with a special value, such as money, jewellery, precious metals, computers, personal electronic devices, share certificates, bonds and other valuable documents, business documents, or passports and other identification documents. In the event of any claim for damage, delay or loss, we may avail ourself of all defences of contributory negligence specified in the Convention.
15e8) We are not liable in any way whatever for damage to items which you include in your unchecked baggage although you are forbidden from including them under clauses 8c or 8e.
15f1) Our liability for damage caused to a passenger by delay is limited by the convention to 4,694 SDRs (approximately £4,500).
15f2) We are not liable for damage to passengers caused by delay if we prove that we and our agents took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or that that it was impossible for us or our agents to take such measures.
15g1) If we:
we do so only as agent for that carrier. If you have a claim for checked baggage, you may make it against the first or last carrier or against the carrier performing the carriage during which the damage took place.
15g2) We are not liable for any damage arising from the fact that:
15g3) Except where these conditions of carriage say differently, we are liable to you only for compensatory damages which you are entitled to recover for proven losses and costs under the convention.
15g4) Our contract of carriage with you (including these conditions of carriage and exclusions or limits of liability) applies to our agents, servants, employees and representatives in the same way as it applies to us. As a result, the total amount you can recover from us and our agents, servants, employees and representatives will not be more than the total amount of our own liability, if any.
15g5) Unless we say otherwise, nothing in these conditions of carriage gives up any exclusion or limitation of liability to which we are entitled under the convention or any laws which may apply.
15g6) Nothing in these conditions of carriage:
against any public social insurance body or any person liable to pay, or who has paid, compensation for the death, wounding or other bodily injury of a passenger.
If the person with a baggage check or a baggage identification tag receives checked baggage without complaint, this will be sufficient evidence that the checked baggage has been delivered in good condition and according to the contract of carriage, unless you prove otherwise.
If your checked baggage is damaged, you must complain in writing to us immediately you discover the damage and at the latest, within seven days from the date you received the checked baggage.
If your checked baggage is delayed, you must complain in writing to us within 21 days at the latest of the checked baggage being made available to you.
You will have no right to damages if an action is not brought within two years calculated from:
The method of calculating the period of limitation will be determined by the law of the court where the case is heard.
18a1) You must submit your claim for compensation directly to us and allow us 28 days (or such time as permitted by applicable law, whichever is the shorter) to respond to your claim, before you engage a third party to make a claim on your behalf. Claims can be submitted online or by writing to the Customer Relations Department.
18a2) Nothing in this clause prevents you from consulting a legal adviser or other third party company before you submit your claim directly to us under clause 18a1) above.
18a3) We will not deal with any claim submitted by a third party company on your behalf if you have not first followed the process in clause 18a1) above.
18a4) Clause 18a1) does not apply to a passenger who makes a claim on behalf of other passengers in the same booking, or to a party who makes a claim on behalf of a passenger who lacks capacity to bring a claim or is a minor. We may ask for proof that the individual bringing the claim has authority to do so.
18a5) We will not deal with a claim made by a third party company on your behalf unless it provides the necessary documentation to prove that it has the authority to make the claim on your behalf.
Information about our complaints procedure can be found at: Complaints and claims.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, you can refer your complaint to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR): http://www.cedr.com/aviation.
You must refer your complaint to CEDR within 12 months after receiving our final response. Alternatively, you may use the European Commission’s electronic form: http://ec.europa.eu/odr.
20a) General and Reservations
20a1) If you are a passenger with a disability and you require any special assistance, you should inform us at the time of booking of your special needs.
20a2) If you are a passenger with a disability we will carry you where arrangements have been made to provide for your special needs. If you do not inform us at the time of booking of your special needs, we will nevertheless use reasonable efforts to accommodate your special needs.
All the rules of seating in clause 5e apply to seating passengers with a disability. In addition if you are a passenger with a disability which causes you to need a bulkhead seat, such as a disability which causes you to be accompanied by an assistance dog in the cabin in accordance with clause 8l, and you request a bulkhead seat, it will be provided to you if it is not already assigned to another passenger with a disability.
We may require that you travel with an attendant if it is essential for safety or you are unable to assist in your own evacuation from the aircraft or you are unable to understand safety instructions.
20d1) There is no charge for transporting any assistive device, such as a wheelchair or a cane, and such assistive devices will not be counted towards your free baggage allowance.
20d2) On flights where medical oxygen is permitted, you will be charged for the service of medical oxygen (and you will be required to be accompanied by an attendant).
We reserve the right to cease accepting passengers who must travel on a stretcher on any flight.
When we carry you and your baggage you must obey our regulations. These concern, among other things:
Last updated: 20 March 2024
© British Airways Plc 2001-2016.