bmi diamond club - Initial impressions of the BA redemption system

I moved my miles over to BA last week. The whole BMi way was always frustrating, using other partners websites etc etc. but the BA one works a dream. Availability, partners, booking everything worked a treat.

Can you let us know what sort of routes/classes/partners you were looking at?

It obviously wasn't LHR-SYD in J or F!!!

I found zero availability on the BA flights I was looking for, on any date even close to what I wanted.

However, when I searched on the dates I wanted, but selected use partners, I found almost what I needed.

I was looking for J return, LHR-HKG in October. I found a BA flight to HKG via Shanghai, and then a direct return with CX. All for 499 GBP and 135k Avios.

Seemed an easy find to me.

Good luck!

You'll need a Chinese visa to connect in Shanghai, there is no airside connections there - with a very small list of exceptions.

You'll need a Chinese visa to connect in Shanghai, there is no airside connections there - with a very small list of exceptions.

This seems to contradict China Gov Site:

Visas are not required of aliens who hold air tickets to the final destination and have booked seats on international airliners flying directly through China, and will stay in a transit city for less than 24 hours without leaving the airport.

Transit seems to have changed recently as per Local Newspaper : http://www.shanghaidaily.com/nsp/Metro/2012/03/15/Good%2Bnews%2Bfor%2BPudong%2Btransit%2Bpassengers/

You'll need a Chinese visa to connect in Shanghai, there is no airside connections there - with a very small list of exceptions.

Absolutely wrong - EU nationals can get 48 hour exception while transiting via PVG (this only applies to PVG/SHA). As documented on Other Asian Airlines forum even 24 hour transit exception for airports other than PVG, would allow you to leave the airport.

This is what TIMATIC says (for Swedish passport holders, but it should be the same for all EU nationals):

[quote]

National Sweden (SE)
Transit China (People's Rep.) (CN)
Destination Hong Kong (SAR China) (HK)
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW


China (People's Rep.) (CN)


TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Holders of confirmed onward tickets
for a max. transit For details, click here time of 24 hours. Transit
incl. two stops, with a total transit time of 24 hours, within
China (People's Rep.) is permitted.
Visa required, except for Nationals of Sweden holding
confirmed onward tickets for a max. transit
time of 48 hours, provided arriving at and departing from
Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) or Pu Dong (PVG) airports.
- All transiting passengers are subject to passport control.
Passengers in transit are required to hold passports or
passport replacing documents that are accepted for entry
into China (People's Rep.). For more details on document
requirements, please enter China (People's Rep.) as a
destination.

- Leaving the airport transit area is allowed.
Visa Issuance:
- A transit visa can be obtained at Dalian (DLC) Airport only
for a max. stay of 7 days provided passenger:
- holds confirmed onward tickets;
- is a national of a country having diplomatic relations
with China (People's Rep.).
Fee: USD 14.-.

[unquote]

Note that the BA system is NOT actually that good using partners, especially for multiple plane changes. What you are shown can be booked, but there is usually more available it doesn't show. The Qantas system is better, I think, for finding what is there.

Can you let us know what sort of routes/classes/partners you were looking at?

It obviously wasn't LHR-SYD in J or F!!!

Its actually not too hard to find, if you're willing to use partners, not quite so easy if you want to use BA and a 2-4-1 though!

redemptions on BA metal within Europe are so easy and availability is excellent across a range of routes. With reward flight saver its good value too and I have found the online booking to be spectacularly quick and painless though. I realise that longhaul is the real redemption game but european award flights are now easier to book and better value if a domestic connection is required.

This is what TIMATIC says (for Swedish passport holders, but it should be the same for all EU nationals):


Beware that it is not the same for all EU nationals - the 48 hour Shanghai exception does not apply to UK citizens. It does however apply to the following:

Republic of Korea, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland. (http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84242.htm)

I moved my miles over to BA last week. The whole BMi way was always frustrating, using other partners websites etc etc. but the BA one works a dream. Availability, partners, booking everything worked a treat.

Wow, I wish my experience was the same. I find the BA one pretty awful to use. When it's actually working properly, searching for BA flights is not too bad but anything else can be very hit and miss. The functionality doesn't seem great either.

Having said that, I do have limited experience of different award flight engines - my experience being limited to ANA (for BMI DC redemptions), AA and AC (justt once because I could search further out for AC flights here than I could on ANA).

Beware that it is not the same for all EU nationals - the 48 hour Shanghai exception does not apply to UK citizens. It does however apply to the following:

Republic of Korea, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland. (http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84242.htm)

Does the 24 hour exception work for UK passport holders?

Does the 24 hour exception work for UK passport holders?Yes. You can check timatic yourself courtesy of Delta here (http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/).

Absolutely wrong - EU nationals can get 48 hour exception while transiting via PVG (this only applies to PVG/SHA). Ummmm pretty sure I've seen information on FT destinations forum that while EU is included, United Kingdom passport holders are exception and only get 24 hours.

Wow, I wish my experience was the same. I find the BA one pretty awful to use. When it's actually working properly, searching for BA flights is not too bad but anything else can be very hit and miss. The functionality doesn't seem great either..

Yes it really depends what route you're after. If it's a BA route then the redemption tool is a piece of cake. If it's a route BA do not fly then in the most part it works well. If you're looking for partner availability from an airport BA fly from then it'll try and route you through London....that's when the faffing about begins.
Compared to the likes of United and other airline redemption tools I have experience of then BA's lags well behind. Why they don't do something about it is beyond me. :td:

Ummmm pretty sure I've seen information on FT destinations forum that while EU is included, United Kingdom passport holders are exception and only get 24 hours.Well, FT destinations fora are hardly an official source of information.
Timatic confirms that the 48 hours derogation does not apply to UK nationals.

I was looking for J return, LHR-HKG in October. I found a BA flight to HKG via Shanghai, and then a direct return with CX. All for 499 GBP and 135k Avios.

Seemed an easy find to me.

Good luck!

I thought if you booked a flight with a connection you had to pay each sector separately? I was looking at LHR-HNL and it told me I had to book LHR-LAX, then LAX-HNL as separate redemptions. I assume PVG-HKG was on CX and not BA?

Maybe I'm just confused as to how it works!

I thought if you booked a flight with a connection you had to pay each sector separately?LHR-HKG-LHR on non-stops would have been only 120K, I think. The extra 15K would have been for the extra sector from PVG to HKG.

Does the 24 hour exception work for UK passport holders?YES!
I transited through PVG last October, had to change airlines (LX -> OZ), change plans, pass through immigration and collect bags to re-check in.

I was granted a special 24 hour stamp in my passport by the main immigration officer on duty. Just had to show my onward itinerary. I specifically asked the officer if I could leave the terminal for the day and was told I could. I therefore headed into town to visit a museum before returning to check-in for my flight (check-in would not service me whilst an earlier flight was being processed). Not problems encountered and took about 3 minutes once I reached the front of the (regular) immigration queue.

I know that the 2 for 1 voucher can only be used with BA. Can you use cash and miles on partners?

I too prize the J redemption to Aus / NZ that *A was excellent for. Availbilty on BA looks very skinny but better on OW - and with Malysian joining I'm hoping that gets better.

I know that the 2 for 1 voucher can only be used with BA. Can you use cash and miles on partners?

I too prize the J redemption to Aus / NZ that *A was excellent for. Availbilty on BA looks very skinny but better on OW - and with Malysian joining I'm hoping that gets better.

I have seen the cash+points option pop up occasionally. Unsure what the criteria is though because it's not all carriers/routes.