Roger

The two of us are looking to get flight-only tickets from LON to FUE for later in the year. Possible scheduled flights are with FR and U2 and don't appeal for that length flight, nor do charters.

The BA/IB opportunity is LON/LCY-MAD, then IB Express MAD-FUE which offers one daily rotation. This would require an overnight in MAD. There are various others including stretches on Binter Canarias via TFN or EI via DUB, but all require overnighting on the way out. The cash prices do not appeal, so what about Avios redemptions?

I was checking separate sectors LHR/LCY-MAD and MAD-FUE at avios.com and found the latter was available as Reward Flight Savers. Trying to take the enquiry further produced:Has anybody successfully booked RFS tickets from LON to FUE, and if so, how was the experience? Grateful for any advice.

Swanhunter

This might not be very helpful, but given the dreadful seat pitch on IB Express for a relatively long sector wouldn't U2 with allocated seating be a better option?

If not, I think RFS would have to be booked using the IB code. Might be worth calling BA to see if they have the same problem or whether this is just a ba.com bug.

David-A

You do have another Avios points option, although not directly from BAEC or Avios.com, Vueling.

Flying Vueling metal LHR-Bilbao-FUE, or LGW-Barcelona-FUE. (Although I haven't checked the days or how they stack).

Vueling are not a BAEc partner or an Avios.com partner, but they are an Iberia Plus partner. So you can book them from IB+ accounts, and at RFS rates.

Your IB+ account will need to be 90 days old, and active, before you can transfer Avios points from your BAEC or Avios.com accounts into it free of charge. But if you have Amex MR points etc, these can be used to make it active (small transfer), or transfer enough to book if you have enough MR points without waiting the 90 days after opening.

[Another Avios points using option to FUE, although only getting about 0.5p value per Avios point would be booking from an Avios.com scheme account (assuming you have a UK address to qualify for having one), and booking monarch flights from Birmingham or Manchester.]

If you don't have an IB+ account to book Vueling as RFS rates, then you could fly vueling for cash and credit it to you IB+ account for later transfer into your BAEC account.

And heck, even if you don't use Vueling for this trip, if you don't have an IB+ account yet get one, make it active for future stuff like this.
This is the only current freebie-way I am aware of to actitvate an IB+ account:
http://www.ukpoints.com/2013/04/26/w...50-free-avios/
(The old Alice.es activation route has long gone.)
But if you have Amex MR, a quick transfer, or form a hotel scheme is quickest.

colmc

Indeed, I'd probably take U2 over IB Express to be honest. There's not even that much difference between them and IB mainline in Economy. If it's direct, it's a nobrainer. Ever FR would beat some of the faffing about with connections, with some decent headphones

Roger

Thanks, all. Very useful info.

With an active IB+ account, I was beginning to think that the Vueling option was the one to go for. (Thanks, David-A, for pointing that out. I had overlooked it.) I can't book it at iberia.com. Selecting either IB or OneWorld produces no results so a phone call would be necessary.

For our dates, base prices on U2 are running at about £264 each plus extras (with an 01:15 return arrival time ) while FR prices are about £191 each plus extras (arriving back at 23:50). Adding one bag and no other extras produces U2 prices of £280 (20kg bag) and FR prices of £225 (15kg bag). Legacy airline flights are much more expensive. By contrast, 2x RFS flights would be attractive.

Hmmm. The advantages of a non-stop flight even with a late arrival time back are persuasive. Could this be the first time I have booked an FR flight for more than £1?

Thanks again.

FlyerTalker688786

How about BA avios LHR-BCN return. Then cash Vueling BCN-RFS?

opalfruit

So, I did a variant of this last year with a Reward Flight Saver to TFS with BA and IB via MAD before BA (re)started their direct service. It was finnickity, but doable.

It's important to note that the Canary Islands are NOT considered a domestic connection within Spain, and therefore you'll be forking out 30,000 Avios for the return journey in ET, and not 15,000.

Changing in MAD is largely ok. You'll likely have to do a transfer between T4 and T4S, but it's much the same as going from T5 to T5B/C in LHR, just a longer train ride and even more misleading signage. The lounges are quite nice too, the T4S one a little small.

Service on the IB legs is miserable, even in CE. Food was good though.

David-A

Other thoughts that occur, given that it sounds like you would need to connect anyway:

Flying into FUE with AirBerlin, who fly there for various places in Europe, not PMI sadly, so you would be heading distinctly east before south.
Low ish taxes/surcharge with AB.

Connect onto Air Nostrum in AGP, etc. You will be on a smaller aircraft, but hey.

Do IB bring a widebody into FUE at all? I know they do into LPA for cargo etc on some of the flights. This could be an argument to go for the IB connection in business - long haul aircraft. Although beware of subs. Not sure how guaranteed it is.

Fly BA (or the IB widebody) into some other CI airport, then book a cheap interisland flight in advance to get over to FUE. I'm seeing 36EUR ones with Binter (that you could credit to IB+).

Not sure your booking horizon though.

Roger

Thanks, folks.

Actually, MAD-FUE is available at avios.com for 7,500 Avios + £30 in economy or £15,000 Avios + £40 in biz each way. But I got an error message earlier.

AB is an interesting option, and IIRC can be redeemed with Avios. I checked at airberlin.com. There are connections on two days a week and revenue flights were into 4 figures for the two of us for our dates. However, the routeings were interesting. Outbound options were via ZRH or HAM on BA codeshares with inbound on AB via DUS. Hmmm, I smell some opportunities here, even if it means two bookings. A phone call will be necessary, I think, and ZRH/HAM-FUE would not be an RFS.

This and the flying into LPA etc and continuing on Binter are interesting opportunities to explore. Thank you.

Skipcool3

Also consider flying direct to ACE on BA and then jump on the ferry from Playa blanca..... very easy

LTN Phobia

ACE or TFS and then Binter Canarias?

Roger

Thanks, skipcool3 and LTN Phobia. Yes, the ACE connection looks interesting.

Having visited Playa Blanca* for a cheapo Christmas as newlyweds some years ago when it really was a fishing village , the idea of revisiting appealed at first, though in reality, the Binter Canarias is more practical.

* There were two localities called Playa Blanca at the time. The one we went to was the one in the south next to the Papagayo beaches. It is now a major resort AIUI.