Does British Airways refund the difference if the price drops?
Usually not — and it is worth knowing that before you spend an afternoon on it. British Airways generally reprices only flexible tickets, so on the restrictive fares most leisure travellers buy, rebooking at a lower price is normally not permitted at all. There is no self-service route either: BA does not surface this in Manage My Booking, so the only way to establish where your particular ticket stands is to phone and ask.
How to claim it
Phone British Airways and ask whether your fare rules allow rebooking at the current lower fare. BA does not offer this online, and on restrictive fares it may not be permitted at all.
- You get back
- eVoucher or rebooking difference
- Does not apply to
- most non-flexible fares — BA generally reprices only flexible tickets
- Phone
- +44 344 493 0787
Farewatch is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by British Airways.
Common questions
So is it ever worth asking?
Yes, if you hold a flexible or semi-flexible fare, or a business or first ticket, where changes are permitted without a penalty that swallows the saving. On a deep-discount economy fare the answer is very likely no, and that is worth knowing before you queue on the phone.
How do I tell whether my fare is flexible?
The fare conditions on your booking confirmation say so. The practical test is what a change costs: if changing your dates carries a substantial fee or is barred outright, the fare is restrictive and a reprice is unlikely to be allowed.
Why can I not do this online?
BA does not offer fare-difference repricing through Manage My Booking the way the US carriers do through their change flows. Whatever your fare permits, the conversation happens by phone.
What would I actually get back?
Where BA does permit it, the difference typically comes back as an eVoucher or is applied against the rebooking, rather than as a cash refund to your card — the same pattern as the US airlines, if on far fewer tickets.
Is this the same as compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight?
No, and the two are often confused. Delay and cancellation compensation under UK and EU rules is a separate entitlement with its own process, and it is unrelated to the published fare moving after you booked.
Does Farewatch cover British Airways?
We monitor BA fares, but we treat the airline as case by case rather than promising an outcome: we will tell you when the price of your flights has fallen, while whether BA permits rebooking at that price depends on your ticket’s own fare rules. Our free check tells you which category your ticket falls into before you pay anything.