Nov 17, 2012, 4:33 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
i Preface
If you are new to the British Airways Executive Club (BAEC) or a long term member but have not booked a redemption flight since the programme's relaunch in 2011, you may have realised by now that planning an Avios redemption calls for a shift in mindset, especially to those more used to redeeming miles for flights with North American frequent flyer programmes.
The purpose of this thread is to introduce you to how the BAEC works in terms of spending Avios and to share some tips will will assist you during the planning and booking stages. We'll also cover the options available to you, so you can make an informed decision on how best to maximise your Avios Points.
If you are seeking guidance on the changes to the Executive Club in relation to the programme's 2011 relaunch, the Q&A discussion serves as a very useful reference point.
The purpose of this thread is to introduce you to how the BAEC works in terms of spending Avios and to share some tips will will assist you during the planning and booking stages. We'll also cover the options available to you, so you can make an informed decision on how best to maximise your Avios Points.
If you are seeking guidance on the changes to the Executive Club in relation to the programme's 2011 relaunch, the Q&A discussion serves as a very useful reference point.
ii Contents
Introduction
Standard reward flights
Multi-Partner reward flights
Reward Flight Saver
Avios & Money
Upgrading using Avios
Using your companion vouchers
Additional Gold benefits
Hotel and car rental redemptions
Avios Part Payment
Standard reward flights
Multi-Partner reward flights
Reward Flight Saver
Avios & Money
Upgrading using Avios
Using your companion vouchers
Additional Gold benefits
Hotel and car rental redemptions
Avios Part Payment
iii Acknowledgments
This guide is a collaborative effort, and could not have been produced without the kind contributions from corporate-wage-slave, DWFI, LTN Phobia, Petrus, Prospero, and Stez.
Your guide to spending Avios [Beta]
Sep 15, 2013, 2:37 pm
#751
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Programs: Nowt of note.
Posts: 1,628
I've constructed a multi-partner award itinerary and found availability for every segment on the dates I want. So far, so good! It's a fairly complex redemption making as good use of oneworld J as I've so far been able to muster at the 20k flown miles/200k Avios level - 6 flights across 4 or 5 airlines: BRU-LHR-JFK-HKG-KUL-NRT-SIN on BA/AA/CX/CX (or MH)/MH (or JL)/JL.
This comes in at 19998 miles on gcmap.com. The taxes, fees and surcharges add up to just £538.
I've never booked one of these awards before and my search powers have only really brought up advice of the "multi-partner awards are expensive" kind, which definitely isn't true! So I'm trying to steel myself for potential problems before I pick up the phone. My questions are
This comes in at 19998 miles on gcmap.com. The taxes, fees and surcharges add up to just £538.
I've never booked one of these awards before and my search powers have only really brought up advice of the "multi-partner awards are expensive" kind, which definitely isn't true! So I'm trying to steel myself for potential problems before I pick up the phone. My questions are
- is a one way itinerary legal for multi-partner awards?
- will the mileage from gcmap.com match BA's mileage?
- will I have trouble getting an agent to book this flight? what if I have the exact dates and flight numbers?
- will the offline booking fee be waived because these awards aren't available online?
- will the taxes, fees, and surcharges match the amount I get for adding up the figures from individual redemptions?
Last edited by dsf; Sep 15, 2013 at 2:38 pm Reason: small typo
Sep 15, 2013, 4:29 pm
#752
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Louisville KY
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Gold
Posts: 38
Right, so we will have to use avios + cash since I don't think we will be getting 18,000 more avios. I don't know if it is better to spread the points between the three tickets or get 2 "free" tickets and pay for the third.
Sep 15, 2013, 8:23 pm
#753
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
Do this unless the price of the paid ticket is insane.
Sep 15, 2013, 9:37 pm
#754
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,652
I understand you can book a stopover using avios and I was considering
USA-LHR (AA)
*stopover*
LHR-onward (BA)
First question:
What's the advantage of doing this? I'm still spending miles based on overall flight distance.
So for a dummy like me, how does one take advantage of the rules (ala AA NA gateway stopovers)?
Second question:
J to LHR on AA metal 50k miles + $2.50
J to LHR on AA metal costs 40k avios + $425
I understand the mileage difference with the distance-based system, but why the price variation? At 4 cents a mile, hardly worth it to book with avios.
Thanks
USA-LHR (AA)
*stopover*
LHR-onward (BA)
First question:
What's the advantage of doing this? I'm still spending miles based on overall flight distance.
So for a dummy like me, how does one take advantage of the rules (ala AA NA gateway stopovers)?
Second question:
J to LHR on AA metal 50k miles + $2.50
J to LHR on AA metal costs 40k avios + $425
I understand the mileage difference with the distance-based system, but why the price variation? At 4 cents a mile, hardly worth it to book with avios.
Thanks
Sep 15, 2013, 10:40 pm
#755
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: MAN
Programs: F
Posts: 2,898
I've constructed a multi-partner award itinerary and found availability for every segment on the dates I want. So far, so good! It's a fairly complex redemption making as good use of oneworld J as I've so far been able to muster at the 20k flown miles/200k Avios level - 6 flights across 4 or 5 airlines: BRU-LHR-JFK-HKG-KUL-NRT-SIN on BA/AA/CX/CX (or MH)/MH (or JL)/JL.
This comes in at 19998 miles on gcmap.com. The taxes, fees and surcharges add up to just £538.
I've never booked one of these awards before and my search powers have only really brought up advice of the "multi-partner awards are expensive" kind, which definitely isn't true! So I'm trying to steel myself for potential problems before I pick up the phone. My questions are
This comes in at 19998 miles on gcmap.com. The taxes, fees and surcharges add up to just £538.
I've never booked one of these awards before and my search powers have only really brought up advice of the "multi-partner awards are expensive" kind, which definitely isn't true! So I'm trying to steel myself for potential problems before I pick up the phone. My questions are
- is a one way itinerary legal for multi-partner awards?
- will the mileage from gcmap.com match BA's mileage?
- will I have trouble getting an agent to book this flight? what if I have the exact dates and flight numbers?
- will the offline booking fee be waived because these awards aren't available online?
- will the taxes, fees, and surcharges match the amount I get for adding up the figures from individual redemptions?
No the mileage will not match. But using the "How many Avios will I get" calculator on ba.com as an indicator of the figures that BA uses, you should be ok.
The only way to find out is to go for it and phone up...
Sep 16, 2013, 2:26 am
#756
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
First question:
What's the advantage of doing this? I'm still spending miles based on overall flight distance.
So for a dummy like me, how does one take advantage of the rules (ala AA NA gateway stopovers)?
Second question:
J to LHR on AA metal 50k miles + $2.50
J to LHR on AA metal costs 40k avios + $425
I understand the mileage difference with the distance-based system, but why the price variation? At 4 cents a mile, hardly worth it to book with avios.
What's the advantage of doing this? I'm still spending miles based on overall flight distance.
So for a dummy like me, how does one take advantage of the rules (ala AA NA gateway stopovers)?
Second question:
J to LHR on AA metal 50k miles + $2.50
J to LHR on AA metal costs 40k avios + $425
I understand the mileage difference with the distance-based system, but why the price variation? At 4 cents a mile, hardly worth it to book with avios.
BA charges a fuel surcharge on award bookings. AA does not charge one on AA metal (it does for BA metal).
Sep 16, 2013, 8:59 am
#757
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,652
If I book on one PNR JFK-LHR stopover LHR-FCO
-or-
Two one-way tickets JFK-LHR then LHR-FCO
It's the same thing, so "free" in this case is defined as you're not charging me any extra to do this, but at the same time, you're not actually giving me anything of additional value?
So it looks like the best use of avios is domestic U.S. on AA metal to zones where I would otherwise pay more miles with AAdvantage, or Club Europe hopping. I was going to use them for TATL on AA metal, but don't see the point in that now.
Thanks for the info.
Sep 16, 2013, 9:12 am
#758
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
Forgive me on the semantics.
If I book on one PNR JFK-LHR stopover LHR-FCO
-or-
Two one-way tickets JFK-LHR then LHR-FCO
It's the same thing, so "free" in this case is defined as you're not charging me any extra to do this, but at the same time, you're not actually giving me anything of additional value?
So it looks like the best use of avios is domestic U.S. on AA metal to zones where I would otherwise pay more miles with AAdvantage, or Club Europe hopping. I was going to use them for TATL on AA metal, but don't see the point in that now.
Thanks for the info.
If I book on one PNR JFK-LHR stopover LHR-FCO
-or-
Two one-way tickets JFK-LHR then LHR-FCO
It's the same thing, so "free" in this case is defined as you're not charging me any extra to do this, but at the same time, you're not actually giving me anything of additional value?
So it looks like the best use of avios is domestic U.S. on AA metal to zones where I would otherwise pay more miles with AAdvantage, or Club Europe hopping. I was going to use them for TATL on AA metal, but don't see the point in that now.
Thanks for the info.
Sep 16, 2013, 9:13 am
#759
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
Forgive me on the semantics.
If I book on one PNR JFK-LHR stopover LHR-FCO
-or-
Two one-way tickets JFK-LHR then LHR-FCO
It's the same thing, so "free" in this case is defined as you're not charging me any extra to do this, but at the same time, you're not actually giving me anything of additional value?
So it looks like the best use of avios is domestic U.S. on AA metal to zones where I would otherwise pay more miles with AAdvantage, or Club Europe hopping. I was going to use them for TATL on AA metal, but don't see the point in that now.
Thanks for the info.
If I book on one PNR JFK-LHR stopover LHR-FCO
-or-
Two one-way tickets JFK-LHR then LHR-FCO
It's the same thing, so "free" in this case is defined as you're not charging me any extra to do this, but at the same time, you're not actually giving me anything of additional value?
So it looks like the best use of avios is domestic U.S. on AA metal to zones where I would otherwise pay more miles with AAdvantage, or Club Europe hopping. I was going to use them for TATL on AA metal, but don't see the point in that now.
Thanks for the info.
Sep 17, 2013, 1:02 pm
#760
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: MAN
Programs: BA Blue, VA, Red
Posts: 76
To add to ExpatSomchai's reply: there is availability showing on several flights that day. If you're flexible enough to consider other nearby airports you should be able to put together an itinerary that meets your needs.
AA.com has a pretty straightforward online search engine here -- just select "redeem miles". Anything that shows as "MileSAAver" can be booked using BA Avios.
AA.com has a pretty straightforward online search engine here -- just select "redeem miles". Anything that shows as "MileSAAver" can be booked using BA Avios.
Sep 18, 2013, 1:17 am
#762
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
I have Avios points in my BA executive account. I can see availability from MIA-mad-LHR-man on AA, but nothing shows by on BA.Com. Would BA be able to see this at their end, so I could book? I need three seats and all BA ever shows is 2. The AA flight is milesaaver one.
Sep 18, 2013, 3:41 am
#763
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: MAN
Programs: F
Posts: 2,898
Or if you are UK based you can transfer the Avios from BAEC to a Avios.com account and book from there.