American Express Membership Rewards - Need a Oneworld Ticket on BA

I'm in the US and under the US Amex program - I've got a lot of Amex points, but need to transfer 300K a Oneworld Partner so I can claim two US to Europe tickets on BA in First. Any suggestions.

Is there any reason it "needs" to be BA first? You can do it, you'll just pay a really hefty premium for it.

Your two options are Mexicana or Iberia. IB's redemptions are distance-based so the cost will depend on where you are in the USA. But it will cost you a ton of points. From IAD/NYC/ORD you're looking at 133K MR points per ticket for a return ticket with Iberia. For destinations farther West/South it will jump to 168K points/ticket.

A redemption table can be found here (http://www.wanderingaramean.com/2008/07/membership-rewards-adds-airline-partner.html).

VS UC can be done for 63K points per ticket. No, it isn't first class, but it is also half price.

Your two options are Mexicana or Iberia. IB's redemptions are distance-based so the cost will depend on where you are in the USA. But it will cost you a ton of points. From IAD/NYC/ORD you're looking at 133K MR points per ticket for a return ticket with Iberia. For destinations farther West/South it will jump to 168K points/ticket.

A redemption table can be found here (http://www.wanderingaramean.com/2008/07/membership-rewards-adds-airline-partner.html).

VS UC can be done for 63K points per ticket. No, it isn't first class, but it is also half price.

Isn't VS US 90k miles? How would that be 63k (their "sales" are for economy and economy plus, business/upperclass is usually excluded)

Isn't VS US 90k miles? How would that be 63k?
By leveraging their partnership with NH. ;)

Your two options are Mexicana or Iberia. IB's redemptions are distance-based so the cost will depend on where you are in the USA. But it will cost you a ton of points. From IAD/NYC/ORD you're looking at 133K MR points per ticket for a return ticket with Iberia. For destinations farther West/South it will jump to 168K points/ticket.

A redemption table can be found here (http://www.wanderingaramean.com/2008/07/membership-rewards-adds-airline-partner.html).

VS UC can be done for 63K points per ticket. No, it isn't first class, but it is also half price.

I checked with Mexicana - they are not part of One World, nor do they offer redemption on any One World airlines.

The only Amex MR partner for One World seems to be Iberia.

I checked with Mexicana - they are not part of One World, nor do they offer redemption on any One World airlines.

The only Amex MR partner for One World seems to be Iberia.

Quick piece of advice - sbm is very rarely wrong, and that holds true in this case. You can go through Mexicana to BA.

By leveraging their partnership with NH. ;)

Point taken, thanks.

but out of curiousity -

1. the distance-based ANA reward would be 68k for business (not 63K) and 110k for first.

2. similar to other airlines with only J/C as the highest class, does ANA actually accept a VS UC redemption to be "business" and not "first"? This happens with CO sometimes (I forget which partner of theirs "short changes" you in this regard) Would 68k actually get you a seat, or does it take 110k - has anyone sucessfully done a USA-UK VS UC redemption for 68k?

3. If you want to play straighforward, you could always use SQ to get VS UC for 80k year-round (then add on all the random bonuses they seem to keep having...)

Quick piece of advice - sbm is very rarely wrong, and that holds true in this case. You can go through Mexicana to BA.

I'm sure he is :-)

I am just asking how such a thing works, since Mexicana told me it can't be done.

I would love to try, and also know what the particulars are (redemption levels, transfer, etc).

1. the distance-based ANA reward would be 68k for business (not 63K) and 110k for first.

Depends where you start, NYC is definitely 63k, have done it myself on numerous occassions.

2. similar to other airlines with only J/C as the highest class, does ANA actually accept a VS UC redemption to be "business" and not "first"? This happens with CO sometimes (I forget which partner of theirs "short changes" you in this regard)

Nooo. It's business, so is treated as business.

3. If you want to play straighforward, you could always use SQ to get VS UC for 80k year-round (then add on all the random bonuses they seem to keep having...)[/QUOTE]

Actually, that's a great way to complicate things - and there have been no SQ transfer bonuses, only redemption discounts which apply to SQ metal only. KF is one of the single worst programs to deal with, and not only will you pay the extra 17k miles, but you'll also pay $543 in taxes, as opposed to about $180 through NH.

Answer your question?

They aren't a part of OneWorld (yet), but are partners with BA. If they hadn't just f-ed up their website, I could link you.

Point taken, thanks.

but out of curiousity -

1. the distance-based ANA reward would be 68k for business (not 63K) and 110k for first.


It is 68K. I mess up between the curvy 3 and the curvy 8 sometimes when remembering that one. :o

Still it is half the price of the BA reward. And, yes, VS UC is a J product.

It is 68K. I mess up between the curvy 3 and the curvy 8 sometimes when remembering that one. :o

Still it is half the price of the BA reward. And, yes, VS UC is a J product.

Noooooo...it's 63k. At least from NY.

1. the distance-based ANA reward would be 68k for business (not 63K) and 110k for first.

Depends where you start, NYC is definitely 63k, have done it myself on numerous occassions.

2. similar to other airlines with only J/C as the highest class, does ANA actually accept a VS UC redemption to be "business" and not "first"? This happens with CO sometimes (I forget which partner of theirs "short changes" you in this regard)

Nooo. It's business, so is treated as business.

3. If you want to play straighforward, you could always use SQ to get VS UC for 80k year-round (then add on all the random bonuses they seem to keep having...)

Actually, that's a great way to complicate things - and there have been no SQ transfer bonuses, only redemption discounts which apply to SQ metal only. KF is one of the single worst programs to deal with, and not only will you pay the extra 17k miles, but you'll also pay $543 in taxes, as opposed to about $180 through NH.

Answer your question?[/QUOTE]

Yep, thanks for the clarification.

1. sbm also confirms it is 68k not 63k. Depending on which method or chart each airline uses in the best case ex-NY would be 42 miles within the limit (and some count it over). IAD and ORD are definitely not even close to qualifying.

3. Didn't know that NH doesn't charge a fuel surcharge like SQ does - but keep in mind they are no worse than BA or VS themselves, who charge the same thing.

Mike, U could go to tCC & trade your Amex for someone's BA miles. S/He could even add U to their Household Account!

Fair enough on all points (and, yup, NYC is DEFINITELY 63k), but it doesn't matter what everyone else does (fyi Continental doesn't, but requires more miles), but you had might as well skip paying the fuel surcharge.

Noooooo...it's 63k. At least from NY.

Uggghhhh..

It is a 6 followed by one of the curvier numbers followed by three zeros. :confused:

Either way it is a great deal and the best way to get from NYC to LON on VS in UC using MR points. :p

By the way, sbm, it appears we stand corrected! (At least for the very short-term, and this is a recent and temporary issue.)

Steven [2:30:12 PM]:
¿Tiene usted una lista de todos los precios de los billetes gratuitos de British Airways y Cathay Pacific?
Maricruz Arcos [2:40:27 PM]: Bienvenido al Chat de Mexicana GO, es un placer saludarle esta tarde.
Steven [2:40:41 PM]: Buenos dias.
Maricruz Arcos [2:41:35 PM]: Estimado Sr.Steven, por el momento no contamos con el beneficio de reservaciones en vuelos de British Airways.
Steven [2:43:28 PM]: ¿Sabes cuándo será posible?
Maricruz Arcos [2:44:08 PM]: Por el momento sólo puede acumular vuelos de British Airways en MexicanaGO.
Steven [2:44:41 PM]: ¿Sabes cuándo será posible reservar billetes gratis?
Maricruz Arcos [2:50:33 PM]: Una fecha posible es en Septiembre.

Fair enough on all points (and, yup, NYC is DEFINITELY 63k), but it doesn't matter what everyone else does (fyi Continental doesn't, but requires more miles), but you had might as well skip paying the fuel surcharge.

so true.

American companies haven't wised up yet to the idea of fuel surcharges on domestic or transatlantic tickets. Use them to redeem international flights, rather than UK-based carriers, or indeed AF who rip you off with taxes and charges.

But if you're going domestic US, always pays to check using a foreign carrier to redeem on american-company metal - since their "fees" are even less than the actual government taxes and airport fees.

A good example is redeeming a cross-country F flight with skyteam:
I just did it, and:
DL wanted 80k R/T ("medium" tier - it goes up to 100k also)
CO wanted 100k R/T (no saturday stay)
and add to both the TSA fee, gov't tax, 9/11 security of 2.50 per segment, plus the airport tax of up to 10 bucks (per airport you fly each segment).

Instead - I redeemed AF for the exact same DL flights in DL metal - 4 flight segments.
Charge? = 45k and $5.00 total for all taxes and fees.
Did the same for Continental later (3 segments) = same 45k miles and $5 fee.

So it always pays to check the more "backwardly obvious" airline to redeem on, regardless of the metal flown.

By the way, sbm, it appears we stand corrected! (At least for the very short-term, and this is a recent and temporary issue.)

so mexicana isn't an option then - and it's just Iberia.

you could just use an SPG amex, and then transfer 20k spg points to 25k miles in any number of one-world partners... :-)

American companies haven't wised up yet to the idea of fuel surcharges on domestic or transatlantic tickets. Use them to redeem international flights, rather than UK-based carriers, or indeed AF who rip you off with taxes and charges.

Delta tried. They had to back it out after no one else would match them.

I'm in the US and under the US Amex program - I've got a lot of Amex points, but need to transfer 300K a Oneworld Partner so I can claim two US to Europe tickets on BA in First. Any suggestions.

A few solutions:

- IB or Mexicana (Mexicana will join OW later this year)
- Transfer points to SPG and then to AA
- Get a foreign Amex card and transfer to QF/BA etc.

BTW, BA F is actually not that much better than BA J. The biggest advantage would be the Concord Room at T5 but that's not worth the extra miles.

I gave up on the option to fly BA and will do the trip via Virgin in J ... My route is NYC-LHR and LHR-LAX ... The reason I wanted BA was the second leg was to be LHR-PHX on BA's nonstop .... now I'll do the trip via LAX.


Thanks for the all the input!