Airlines balk at refunds after UK announces curbs

Consumer rights: Heathrow Airport in London. UK’s latest travel rules took effect yesterday, less than a day after they were announced, catching many with holiday travel plans off-guard. — AFP

LONDON: British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd aren’t offering refunds to passengers who cancel year-end trips because of new UK coronavirus rules, even as regulators investigate airlines’ earlier refusal to hand cash back to customers caught in lockdown.

IAG SA-owned BA would grant ticket holders a voucher or let them switch to a later date, it said in an e-mailed statement. It said it would only refund fares if the airline cancelled a flight, a policy echoed by Virgin Atlantic in a Twitter post.