If you’ve booked British Airways cheap flights and an unforeseen incident comes your way that causes you to change your travel plans and cancel your flight, there’s no need to worry. The airline not only has a very generous allowance in this regard but also guarantees peace of mind for you with its extensive flight cancellation options.

When you cancel your flight, whether or not you incur a cancellation fee depends upon various factors. It can be your ticket type, fare class, season of travel or other things of the sort. So, if you want to cancel your flight for free in the UK, there are plenty of ways to go about that. Prominently including the following methods.

Get a refundable ticket.

The first and most reliable way to save on your flight ticket while cancelling it for free is getting a refundable ticket. If you possess a refundable ticket, not only the chances of getting your full refund amount are greater but also you can enjoy flexible policies in this regard.

There are two types of options to choose from for your refundable tickets with BA.

1.   Fully refundable tickets.

Obvious of its name, fully refundable tickets offer a full refund for the flights cancelled by the passengers regardless of the time. It means you can book your flight in advance and can cancel it later on if you don’t want to travel without any hesitation or worry. The airline would refund the full amount you’ve paid for your ticket to your account without deducting any cancellation fee.

2.   Partially refundable tickets.

Partially refundable tickets, on the other hand, have fewer flexible options. With partially refundable tickets, your refund amount gets less as the departure date approaches. Additionally, you may also be liable for the cancellation fee with partially refundable tickets as well.

Cancel in time.

The next tip to consider is that if you want to cancel your flight for any reason, do it in time. This is because the airline policies can differ for the different flight cancellation periods based on your fare class and ticket type. Ultimately leading to inconveniences during last-minute cancellations.

As a general rule of thumb, remember that;

• If you cancel your booked flight within the first 24 hours of booking, you don’t have to pay any cancellation fee even for base fare flights.
• If you cancel your flight very close to the departure date, you will have to pay a heavy amount for the cancellation fee.
• If you cancel your flight by informing the airline of your reason and submitting valid proof for it in time, you may get a full refund without incurring cancellation charges.

Understand the airline policies.

Know that there are different airline policies for matters related to flight cancellation and refund. So, it is better to read about the terms attached to your ticket type and understand your eligibility criteria for a free cancellation. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying hefty fines or penalties and still getting a very small refund amount from the airline.

Consider travel insurance.

Travel insurance can save you in a lot of matters when it comes to uncertain travel plans. Therefore, consider buying it. Make sure that you get coverage that also includes the ‘cancel for any reason’ option. So that whenever you cancel your flight for whatever reason, you can get a full refund amount for it without going through the lengthy procedures.

Become a frequent flyer.

Last, but not least, become a frequent flyer to earn miles and points that you can redeem for a variety of travel benefits. These benefits also include offering free flight cancellation options for members with a higher membership status or tier.

So, that’s how you can cancel your flights for free with British Airways first class.