City College

A Woman who represented herself In Court by using 80-year-old contract legislation has beaten British Airways (BA) in a row over flight vouchers.

Jennie Barber had in January 2020 booked two return Flights to Japan departing that May, but they were pulled due to Covid restrictions.

BA offered travel vouchers but Ms Barber wanted her money back instead.

When BA refused, she hit The Law books despite only studying the subject to A-level, and won a full refund.

" If you're. . an ordinary person who is not a legal professional, going up against someone like British Airways is scary and it is intimidating, " She Said .

She nevertheless beat the airline giant In Court by challenging its stance via the

Ms Barber said she had in March 2020, requested the vouchers - in effect store credit to the value of her Flights - because Japan had closed its borders to foreign travellers.

Her frustration began, she explained, when her preferred destination of Japan did not reopen its borders to visitors as quickly as other nations, making, She Said , the vouchers useless because she could not travel where she wished.

By December 2020, with Japan still closed, she made The Point to BA and requested a refund, but was knocked back.

The Birmingham resident, in her 30s, told The Bbc she then spent 2021 trying to get BA to change its mind. When that failed, she decided to mount a legal challenge, bringing action in February 2022 ahead of a case heard in January of this year.

It was in this period she found legislation stating that because the sale involved, through no fault of her own, something that was impossible to deliver, she was legally entitled to her money back.

Restrictions on travel to Japan - where Ms Barber once lived - were not lifted Until November 2022.

Ms Barber said she was moved to take matters into her own hands because she " didn't feel it was right" there was no leeway on vouchers when Japan remained shut.

Armed with a law A-level from City College in Coventry, she began to conduct research at her local library where she found out about The Law she used to make her case.

It was heard at Redditch Magistrates Court, Worcestershire, on 20 January, where Ms Barber was awarded the sum of £2,523. 42, which covered Flights , interest up to the date of judgment and costs.

Ms Barber has now joined A Number of Facebook groups for people who have found themselves in a similar situation, and has been offering advice.

" If I can get more people their refunds. . I think that is The Ideal outcome, " She Said .

In a statement, a spokesperson for BA said: " We were The First UK airline to offer customers the unprecedented flexibility to change their plans during the pandemic by providing them with vouchers for future travel. "

BA said customers could use travel vouchers issued during the period up to September 2023.

Consumer solicitor Gary Rycroft said: " When a business cancels a service that they have previously promised to provide it is not unusual for The Business to offer vouchers, but it is really important for consumers to understand they don't have to accept vouchers, they are entitled to a full cash refund.

" I Am absolutely thrilled that Jennie decided to see through this case. She absolutely knew what her Legal Rights are and she stuck to her guns. "

Source of news: bbc.com