Great use for Avios (yes they are rather useful!)
#1
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Great use for Avios (yes they are rather useful!)
I made two great use of Avios redemptions today - 4 bookings in total.
Great use 1.
We all know that using Avios for WT is a fairly poor use of Avios.
However, when you are fairly Avios-rich and you are earning them at an alarming rate, and your spouse needs a fully cancellable booking (not unlikely to change dates but may need to be cancelled), and there is no Avios availability in CW or F, and your spouse does not consider that a full fare CW or F is an option, it's a great use.
WT+ may seem better but since the remaining exit row seat is in WT on this particular flight, WT would be better on this occasion, if you have a tall spouse.
Thanks to Avios, I have managed to make 3 fully flexible bookings for him (3 x one-ways).
Great use 2.
I was needing to go somewhere at a short notice and was a bit horrified to see that ET was around Ł400 one-way. Of course, CE was even worse although my brain had gone into protective shutdown from the shock of seeing such an ET fare by then* so I cannot remember the CE fare.
However on the off chance I decided to look at redemption availability. I was rather surprised that it was available!
Some Avios and cash later, I have a reward seat in CE, and better still, it's flexible
*it's a joke - I have seen much worse, but it was far more than I would have liked to pay for ET.
Great use 1.
We all know that using Avios for WT is a fairly poor use of Avios.
However, when you are fairly Avios-rich and you are earning them at an alarming rate, and your spouse needs a fully cancellable booking (not unlikely to change dates but may need to be cancelled), and there is no Avios availability in CW or F, and your spouse does not consider that a full fare CW or F is an option, it's a great use.
WT+ may seem better but since the remaining exit row seat is in WT on this particular flight, WT would be better on this occasion, if you have a tall spouse.
Thanks to Avios, I have managed to make 3 fully flexible bookings for him (3 x one-ways).
Great use 2.
I was needing to go somewhere at a short notice and was a bit horrified to see that ET was around Ł400 one-way. Of course, CE was even worse although my brain had gone into protective shutdown from the shock of seeing such an ET fare by then* so I cannot remember the CE fare.
However on the off chance I decided to look at redemption availability. I was rather surprised that it was available!
Some Avios and cash later, I have a reward seat in CE, and better still, it's flexible
*it's a joke - I have seen much worse, but it was far more than I would have liked to pay for ET.
Last edited by LTN Phobia; Dec 13, 2012 at 10:20 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL (but soon to lose the GL :-(), IHG Spire Amb, Hilton Dmnd (and pleb/pleb-plus in 1001 others)
Posts: 771
Following the topic of using Avios in WT, which of course we all constantly say is a waste of money, I today booked a LHR-JNB-LHR redemption in Y next week using half Avios/half cash for 25,000 and just under Ł600, as compared to over Ł1800 cash price - i.e. getting ~5p each for them.
Received wisdom isn't always as wise as we think!
Received wisdom isn't always as wise as we think!
#3
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 344
Following the topic of using Avios in WT, which of course we all constantly say is a waste of money, I today booked a LHR-JNB-LHR redemption in Y next week using half Avios/half cash for 25,000 and just under Ł600, as compared to over Ł1800 cash price - i.e. getting ~5p each for them.
Received wisdom isn't always as wise as we think!
Received wisdom isn't always as wise as we think!
-- M
#4
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland
Programs: BA gold
Posts: 3,902
I redeemed at very short notice for SYD-HKG-ICN-LHR in J and W.
At short notice, the price of tickets in Y becomes extortinate, that any taxes you'd pay for Y/W is no longer such a significant part of the fare and the value of using Avios for Y or W becomes better.
I was more surprised at the easy availability for a reasonably complex routing with a mixture of carriers and the ease of booking it via ba.com (shock horror!).
At short notice, the price of tickets in Y becomes extortinate, that any taxes you'd pay for Y/W is no longer such a significant part of the fare and the value of using Avios for Y or W becomes better.
I was more surprised at the easy availability for a reasonably complex routing with a mixture of carriers and the ease of booking it via ba.com (shock horror!).
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,207
Despite my grumps about the loss of multi sector redemptions for the one price. I was looking at a LAN itinerary the other day with the help of the new super look redemption tool.
EZE-LIM then LIM-MIA in Y.....which is comfortable enough for two 5 hour day flights. 22,500 Avios and about $100.
EZE-LIM then LIM-MIA in Y.....which is comfortable enough for two 5 hour day flights. 22,500 Avios and about $100.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: somewhere north of London, UK
Programs: HH Gold, BA Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 15,245
Yep, couple of weeks ago I needed to go to Glasgow on the late flight from Heathrow (you know the one that's so late, no one needs to be on it).
Must have been less than half full. They wanted >Ł200 for a revenue ticket, or I could pick up an award seat for 2250 miles and 40 quid.
Must have been less than half full. They wanted >Ł200 for a revenue ticket, or I could pick up an award seat for 2250 miles and 40 quid.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Sunny Singapore
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 143
I made two great use of Avios redemptions today - 4 bookings in total.
Great use 1.
We all know that using Avios for WT is a fairly poor use of Avios.
However, when you are fairly Avios-rich and you are earning them at an alarming rate, and your spouse needs a fully cancellable booking (not unlikely to change dates but may need to be cancelled), and there is no Avios availability in CW or F, and your spouse does not consider that a full fare CW or F is an option, it's a great use.
WT+ may seem better but since the remaining exit row seat is in WT on this particular flight, WT would be better on this occasion, if you have a tall spouse.
Thanks to Avios, I have managed to make 3 fully flexible bookings for him (3 x one-ways).
Great use 2.
I was needing to go somewhere at a short notice and was a bit horrified to see that ET was around Ł400 one-way. Of course, CE was even worse although my brain had gone into protective shutdown from the shock of seeing such an ET fare by then* so I cannot remember the CE fare.
However on the off chance I decided to look at redemption availability. I was rather surprised that it was available!
Some Avios and cash later, I have a reward seat in CE, and better still, it's flexible
*it's a joke - I have seen much worse, but it was far more than I would have liked to pay for ET.
Great use 1.
We all know that using Avios for WT is a fairly poor use of Avios.
However, when you are fairly Avios-rich and you are earning them at an alarming rate, and your spouse needs a fully cancellable booking (not unlikely to change dates but may need to be cancelled), and there is no Avios availability in CW or F, and your spouse does not consider that a full fare CW or F is an option, it's a great use.
WT+ may seem better but since the remaining exit row seat is in WT on this particular flight, WT would be better on this occasion, if you have a tall spouse.
Thanks to Avios, I have managed to make 3 fully flexible bookings for him (3 x one-ways).
Great use 2.
I was needing to go somewhere at a short notice and was a bit horrified to see that ET was around Ł400 one-way. Of course, CE was even worse although my brain had gone into protective shutdown from the shock of seeing such an ET fare by then* so I cannot remember the CE fare.
However on the off chance I decided to look at redemption availability. I was rather surprised that it was available!
Some Avios and cash later, I have a reward seat in CE, and better still, it's flexible
*it's a joke - I have seen much worse, but it was far more than I would have liked to pay for ET.
#9
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Texas
Programs: American Airlines British Airways
Posts: 1,752
I find them very useful. I use them to travel around the US on American Eagle. If you are a short little fellow as I am and sit on the single seat side of the RJs it is very comfortable for these one to two hour flights.
#10
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PEK and BOS
Programs: BA - Blue
Posts: 4,530
I made two great use of Avios redemptions today - 4 bookings in total.
Great use 1.
We all know that using Avios for WT is a fairly poor use of Avios.
However, when you are fairly Avios-rich and you are earning them at an alarming rate, and your spouse needs a fully cancellable booking (not unlikely to change dates but may need to be cancelled), and there is no Avios availability in CW or F, and your spouse does not consider that a full fare CW or F is an option, it's a great use.
WT+ may seem better but since the remaining exit row seat is in WT on this particular flight, WT would be better on this occasion, if you have a tall spouse.
Thanks to Avios, I have managed to make 3 fully flexible bookings for him (3 x one-ways).
.
Great use 1.
We all know that using Avios for WT is a fairly poor use of Avios.
However, when you are fairly Avios-rich and you are earning them at an alarming rate, and your spouse needs a fully cancellable booking (not unlikely to change dates but may need to be cancelled), and there is no Avios availability in CW or F, and your spouse does not consider that a full fare CW or F is an option, it's a great use.
WT+ may seem better but since the remaining exit row seat is in WT on this particular flight, WT would be better on this occasion, if you have a tall spouse.
Thanks to Avios, I have managed to make 3 fully flexible bookings for him (3 x one-ways).
.
Despite my grumps about the loss of multi sector redemptions for the one price. I was looking at a LAN itinerary the other day with the help of the new super look redemption tool.
EZE-LIM then LIM-MIA in Y.....which is comfortable enough for two 5 hour day flights. 22,500 Avios and about $100.
EZE-LIM then LIM-MIA in Y.....which is comfortable enough for two 5 hour day flights. 22,500 Avios and about $100.
The major advantage of Avios in this regard is if one is not EXP: the AA programme levies a hefty $150 redeposit fee, which is much more than Avios. And non-elites also get dinged for a 'last minute' redemption fee, to mitigate the rising cost of the standard Y fare.
For the SA redemption, again, AA miles would have cost 20k-30k for the same redemption, but without YQ*.
Not disagreeing that these are relatively good value uses for Avios redemptions, but the major value of Avios as a programme per se, compared with other programmes (esp in OW, so no need to change flying patterns) is in short-haul redemptions, reward savers in Europe, and in UUA.
Of course, if one's Avios come from Tesco/LLoyds etc, and not flying, one is tied to the programme.
tb
* not sure if the $100 was YQ or taxes (LAN used to not charge YQ), if taxes, then Avios are fair value here.
Last edited by trueblu; Dec 13, 2012 at 8:35 pm Reason: ETA
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
I was going to keep it as a secret. But I decide to share. But please please please do not NOT tell others. If everyone knows about it and it will be gone!
The secret is:
B and A may display very different award opportunities in Y class, especially short haul.
If that happens. Trust A for the flight did not show on B
Think about GGLEISURE...
Thank TP later.
Enough said. Keep this to your self while this lasts.
The secret is:
B and A may display very different award opportunities in Y class, especially short haul.
If that happens. Trust A for the flight did not show on B
Think about GGLEISURE...
Thank TP later.
Enough said. Keep this to your self while this lasts.
#12
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: By the sea...
Programs: BA/EC Silver
Posts: 564
I use the LTN Phobia option #2 all the time... very very useful to have flexibility for just 42CHF (+9000 avois). Made a booking just this morning. To date I have made changes around 25% of the time (either date or time). ^BA
#13
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA IHG
Posts: 1,370
I was going to keep it as a secret. But I decide to share. But please please please do not NOT tell others. If everyone knows about it and it will be gone!
The secret is:
B and A may display very different award opportunities in Y class, especially short haul.
If that happens. Trust A for the flight did not show on B
Think about GGLEISURE...
Thank TP later.
Enough said. Keep this to your self while this lasts.
The secret is:
B and A may display very different award opportunities in Y class, especially short haul.
If that happens. Trust A for the flight did not show on B
Think about GGLEISURE...
Thank TP later.
Enough said. Keep this to your self while this lasts.
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
Especially since the switch from Airmiles to Avios. In Airmiles days, yet. In Avios days. Hardly.
In the end it not about different award availability. It is about inventory.