British Airways is cancelling a number of services across its network in November as a result
of the national lockdown in England that started on 5 November and will last
until 2 December at the earliest.
In a letter to the travel
trade seen by BTN Europe, BA’s head of global sales Mark Muren wrote, “Following the
government's announcement of a new national lockdown for England last Saturday,
we have been urgently reviewing our schedule for November.
“Our focus is
on keeping crucial air links open, bringing home the thousands of customers
currently abroad, transporting vital goods, and ensuring people who are
permitted to travel in and out of the UK for work, education and other reasons
stipulated by the UK government, can continue to do so.
“We are doing
everything in our power to best serve and support our customers, partners and
colleagues during this challenging time.”
A BA spokesperson told BTN
Europe, “We will be contacting customers whose flights are cancelled to
offer refund options, as well as encouraging customers who wish to change their
booking to do so via ba.com, where they can also request
a voucher for future travel if their flight continues to operate.”
Muren’s letter also warned trade
partners that their account managers may be changing on a temporary basis.
He wrote: “With the extension
of the UK government’s furlough scheme,
please be aware that there may be a temporary change to your British Airways
account manager. We will communicate this as soon as possible and look to
minimise any inconvenience to you and your teams.
“I would like to take the
opportunity to thank you for your understanding and flexibility as
we work through this complex and challenging situation. We will come
through this by continuing to work together, positively and proactively.”
The airline's parent company IAG announced a near €2 billion loss at the end of October.