Odd BA fees. Was I misquoted?
Aug 25, 2014, 5:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 89
Odd BA fees. Was I misquoted?
I just booked a few tickets with BA Avios for domestic US. Some of them seemed to have oddly high fees.
For example:
July 2nd SEA-SNA on AS
July 12th SNA-SEA on AS
$19.20
Both of these flights are non-stops, so why was I assessed more than the $5.60 TSA fee each way? Does it have something to do with AS?
Thank you!
For example:
July 2nd SEA-SNA on AS
July 12th SNA-SEA on AS
$19.20
Both of these flights are non-stops, so why was I assessed more than the $5.60 TSA fee each way? Does it have something to do with AS?
Thank you!
Aug 25, 2014, 11:38 pm
#3
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Historically, "free" award tickets have been exempt from the segment tax. Has that changed? Is ba.com charging the segment tax on a domestic AA or US redemption now?
Originally Posted by whirlybird
There's a $4 "US Flight Segment Tax" in each direction.
Aug 26, 2014, 8:39 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 89
Huh. So then I am confused by some of my other bookings, which I made within a few minutes of that one.
I booked:
April 18th SGF-ORD on AA: $5.60
Is there a reason this ticket would not be subject to the flight segment tax?
Also, when you price out the original ticket I described booking above on the AS website, it comes back with the standard $11.20.
I booked:
April 18th SGF-ORD on AA: $5.60
Is there a reason this ticket would not be subject to the flight segment tax?
Also, when you price out the original ticket I described booking above on the AS website, it comes back with the standard $11.20.
Aug 26, 2014, 8:50 am
#6
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Isn't it the discretion of the operating carrier as to whether it collects and pays over the tax?
If OP has questions, doesn't it make sense for him to confirm this with a call to BA. If it makes a difference, OP can always avoid carriers which choose to collect the tax.
If OP has questions, doesn't it make sense for him to confirm this with a call to BA. If it makes a difference, OP can always avoid carriers which choose to collect the tax.
Aug 26, 2014, 8:56 am
#7
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 89
Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20
BA may be able to explain it. I tried calling in and was told 2hr wait :-/
Aug 26, 2014, 11:02 am
#8
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If it is the operating carrier then it is odd that AS prices it at $11.20, no?
Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20
BA may be able to explain it. I tried calling in and was told 2hr wait :-/
Has your credit card actually been charged $19.20 by BA, or only $11.20? If you have been charged the higher amount and BA does not refund the $8.00, you can always file a complaint with the U.S. DOT, if you are so inclined.
Originally Posted by evthu
Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20
BA may be able to explain it. I tried calling in and was told 2hr wait :-/
Aug 26, 2014, 11:08 am
#9
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20"
Did you book this itinerary as a single redemption with Avios? If so, you would have been subject to the much higher Avios redemption rates found on BAEC's "multi-partner" redemption chart. (If booked as an AS roundtrip and as a separate US roundtrip, you would have properly been charged an extra $11.20 in taxes, but would have paid fewer Avios. But you also might not have been protected in the event of IRROPS.)
"Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20"
Did you book this itinerary as a single redemption with Avios? If so, you would have been subject to the much higher Avios redemption rates found on BAEC's "multi-partner" redemption chart. (If booked as an AS roundtrip and as a separate US roundtrip, you would have properly been charged an extra $11.20 in taxes, but would have paid fewer Avios. But you also might not have been protected in the event of IRROPS.)
Aug 26, 2014, 3:01 pm
#10
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 89
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20"
Did you book this itinerary as a single redemption with Avios? If so, you would have been subject to the much higher Avios redemption rates found on BAEC's "multi-partner" redemption chart. (If booked as an AS roundtrip and as a separate US roundtrip, you would have properly been charged an extra $11.20 in taxes, but would have paid fewer Avios. But you also might not have been protected in the event of IRROPS.)
"Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20"
Did you book this itinerary as a single redemption with Avios? If so, you would have been subject to the much higher Avios redemption rates found on BAEC's "multi-partner" redemption chart. (If booked as an AS roundtrip and as a separate US roundtrip, you would have properly been charged an extra $11.20 in taxes, but would have paid fewer Avios. But you also might not have been protected in the event of IRROPS.)
Aug 26, 2014, 3:18 pm
#11
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
It was booked as one itinerary. 40k Avios, which is exactly what you would normally expect, as each leg was 10k.
I think you got very lucky. Normally, any single redemption using two (or more) BAEC partners gets priced at the multi-partner rate, which for your itinerary would have been 60,000 Avios in Coach.
Originally Posted by evthu
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"Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20"
Did you book this itinerary as a single redemption with Avios? If so, you would have been subject to the much higher Avios redemption rates found on BAEC's "multi-partner" redemption chart. (If booked as an AS roundtrip and as a separate US roundtrip, you would have properly been charged an extra $11.20 in taxes, but would have paid fewer Avios. But you also might not have been protected in the event of IRROPS.)
"Also, I booked a ticket which included an AS leg and they did NOT charge anything extra:
Jun9 SEA-IAH on AS
Jun9 IAH-PHL on US
Jun16 PHL-IAH on US
Jun16 IAH-SEA on AS
Cost: $11.20"
Did you book this itinerary as a single redemption with Avios? If so, you would have been subject to the much higher Avios redemption rates found on BAEC's "multi-partner" redemption chart. (If booked as an AS roundtrip and as a separate US roundtrip, you would have properly been charged an extra $11.20 in taxes, but would have paid fewer Avios. But you also might not have been protected in the event of IRROPS.)
Aug 26, 2014, 3:22 pm
#12
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 89
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I think you got very lucky. Normally, any single redemption using two (or more) BAEC partners gets priced at the multi-partner rate, which for your itinerary would have been 60,000 Avios in Coach.
I think you got very lucky. Normally, any single redemption using two (or more) BAEC partners gets priced at the multi-partner rate, which for your itinerary would have been 60,000 Avios in Coach.
I wonder if combining some partners (in both of these cases, US and AS) is not being bumped up to the multi-partner rate.
Aug 26, 2014, 3:34 pm
#13
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"I wonder if combining some partners (in both of these cases, US and AS) is not being bumped up to the multi-partner rate."
Maybe the higher rate is only supposed to kick in when two or more oneworld partners are used, but I seem to recall an old post indicating that the higher rate was quoted on an AA/EI combination. I think someone recently posted that an AA/US combination resulted in the higher rate being charged, but AA and US are both oneworld partners.
Have you verified that only the lesser amount of Avios was actually deducted from your BAEC account?
"I wonder if combining some partners (in both of these cases, US and AS) is not being bumped up to the multi-partner rate."
Maybe the higher rate is only supposed to kick in when two or more oneworld partners are used, but I seem to recall an old post indicating that the higher rate was quoted on an AA/EI combination. I think someone recently posted that an AA/US combination resulted in the higher rate being charged, but AA and US are both oneworld partners.
Have you verified that only the lesser amount of Avios was actually deducted from your BAEC account?
Aug 26, 2014, 3:39 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 89
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"I wonder if combining some partners (in both of these cases, US and AS) is not being bumped up to the multi-partner rate."
Maybe the higher rate is only supposed to kick in when two or more oneworld partners are used, but I seem to recall an old post indicating that the higher rate was quoted on an AA/EI combination. I think someone recently posted that an AA/US combination resulted in the higher rate being charged, but AA and US are both oneworld partners.
Have you verified that only the lesser amount of Avios was actually deducted from your BAEC account?
"I wonder if combining some partners (in both of these cases, US and AS) is not being bumped up to the multi-partner rate."
Maybe the higher rate is only supposed to kick in when two or more oneworld partners are used, but I seem to recall an old post indicating that the higher rate was quoted on an AA/EI combination. I think someone recently posted that an AA/US combination resulted in the higher rate being charged, but AA and US are both oneworld partners.
Have you verified that only the lesser amount of Avios was actually deducted from your BAEC account?