Seattle to Heathrow on AA instead of Vancouver on BA
Oct 5, 2015, 10:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Victoria Vancouver BC Canada
Posts: 44
Seattle to Heathrow on AA instead of Vancouver on BA
I live in Victoria BC and as you know it is virtually impossible to find reward seats to London and the taxes are really high. If I fly to Seattle and then use AA to fly to the UK I would be able to find more availability of reward seats, and less taxes to pay.
Is this allowed in respect of BA? Also is it the most sensible way to find reward seats and use my Avios?
thank you!
Is this allowed in respect of BA? Also is it the most sensible way to find reward seats and use my Avios?
thank you!
Oct 5, 2015, 10:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: PDX
Programs: BA Gold; AS MVP
Posts: 292
Lady, as far as I know, the only way to get from Seattle to London on AA is through Chicago or Dallas (or possibly flying WAY south to LAX). If that is what you're thinking of doing, I don't know that there are any restrictions. Others may know more.
Oct 5, 2015, 10:45 pm
#3
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It's also possible to fly SEA-JFK-LHR on AA metal.
And YVR-JFK on CX, connecting to JFK-LHR on AA. But you would have to book each of those legs as a separate redemption, in order to avoid BA's multi-partner redemption rate.
It's also possible to fly SEA-JFK-LHR on AA metal.
And YVR-JFK on CX, connecting to JFK-LHR on AA. But you would have to book each of those legs as a separate redemption, in order to avoid BA's multi-partner redemption rate.
Oct 5, 2015, 10:51 pm
#4
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But surcharges -- not "taxes" -- will also be very high on Avios redemptions on any AA TATL flight. If you want to avoid those surcharges, you'd have to fly AB -- not AA -- from somewhere in the U.S. (LAX, ORD, JFK, MIA, or RSW) to Germany, and then BA from Germany to LON. But each flight you add will cost more Avios.
But surcharges -- not "taxes" -- will also be very high on Avios redemptions on any AA TATL flight. If you want to avoid those surcharges, you'd have to fly AB -- not AA -- from somewhere in the U.S. (LAX, ORD, JFK, MIA, or RSW) to Germany, and then BA from Germany to LON. But each flight you add will cost more Avios.
Oct 6, 2015, 1:18 am
#5
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But surcharges -- not "taxes" -- will also be very high on Avios redemptions on any AA TATL flight. If you want to avoid those surcharges, you'd have to fly AB -- not AA -- from somewhere in the U.S. (LAX, ORD, JFK, MIA, or RSW) to Germany, and then BA from Germany to LON. But each flight you add will cost more Avios.
But surcharges -- not "taxes" -- will also be very high on Avios redemptions on any AA TATL flight. If you want to avoid those surcharges, you'd have to fly AB -- not AA -- from somewhere in the U.S. (LAX, ORD, JFK, MIA, or RSW) to Germany, and then BA from Germany to LON. But each flight you add will cost more Avios.
Oct 6, 2015, 8:02 am
#7
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Exactly.
No surcharges for Avios redemptions on AA flights wholly within the Americas; but surcharges apply to Avios redemptions on AA TATL and TPAC flights.
Another possibility would be to fly AS SEA-BOS, EI BOS-DUB, and then BA/EI DUB-LON; or SEA-SFO on AS, SFO-DUB on EI, and then DUB-LON on BA/EI. No surcharges on AS; low surcharges on EI TATL flights. Not sure about the fees on EI DUB-LON; on BA for that segment, they would be low if one did an RFS redemption.
No surcharges for Avios redemptions on AA flights wholly within the Americas; but surcharges apply to Avios redemptions on AA TATL and TPAC flights.
Another possibility would be to fly AS SEA-BOS, EI BOS-DUB, and then BA/EI DUB-LON; or SEA-SFO on AS, SFO-DUB on EI, and then DUB-LON on BA/EI. No surcharges on AS; low surcharges on EI TATL flights. Not sure about the fees on EI DUB-LON; on BA for that segment, they would be low if one did an RFS redemption.
Oct 6, 2015, 11:12 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 6,072
This is the exact reason why I credit all my miles to American Airlines and then use the miles to either fly on AA or a Codeshare partner to avoid the extra surcharges. I think BA should stop adding surcharges to AA metal flights to be in line with the AAdvantage program. How much are the surcharges by the way?
Oct 6, 2015, 11:31 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Another possibility would be to fly AS SEA-BOS, EI BOS-DUB, and then BA/EI DUB-LON; or SEA-SFO on AS, SFO-DUB on EI, and then DUB-LON on BA/EI. No surcharges on AS; low surcharges on EI TATL flights. Not sure about the fees on EI DUB-LON; on BA for that segment, they would be low if one did an RFS redemption.
Oct 6, 2015, 12:00 pm
#10
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If you're going to be flying AS anyways, you can add on YYJ-SEA to it to get all the way from Victoria. I'm not entirely familiar with how Avios work, but I can't imagine that adding on that short segment on the same carrier would increase the Avios needed by that much. Also, AS flies to JFK now for another option to connect to EI.
Short-haul (< 651-mile) flights cost 4,500 Avios in Economy.
Yes, SEA-JFK-DUB is also possible, but SEA-BOS-DUB would cost substantially fewer Avios, because BOS-DUB is just under 3,000 flown miles; JFK-DUB is just over 3,000 flown miles.
Originally Posted by bpe
Another possibility would be to fly AS SEA-BOS, EI BOS-DUB, and then BA/EI DUB-LON; or SEA-SFO on AS, SFO-DUB on EI, and then DUB-LON on BA/EI. No surcharges on AS; low surcharges on EI TATL flights. Not sure about the fees on EI DUB-LON; on BA for that segment, they would be low if one did an RFS redemption.
Yes, SEA-JFK-DUB is also possible, but SEA-BOS-DUB would cost substantially fewer Avios, because BOS-DUB is just under 3,000 flown miles; JFK-DUB is just over 3,000 flown miles.
Oct 6, 2015, 12:57 pm
#11
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This could have the effect though of AA award space being more popular than BA space, which may upset AAdvantage members trying to find space. Besides, AA/BA share revenue on the TATL routes and so from BA's POV the routes have to considered (and therefore priced) equally.
Oct 6, 2015, 2:09 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Victoria Vancouver BC Canada
Posts: 44
Great answers
Thank you everyone that responded to my question!
Being a non technical lingo flyer person this made me turn in circles reading the different routes. I will try and read the technical details regarding how many points I need to upgrade a tier if I buy a ticket or if I use my points to redeem for a ticket. One almost needs a degree in Executive Club language and terminology to get the best out of these points. Is there a simple non complicated of how to get the best deal out of our points.
thank you so much!
Being a non technical lingo flyer person this made me turn in circles reading the different routes. I will try and read the technical details regarding how many points I need to upgrade a tier if I buy a ticket or if I use my points to redeem for a ticket. One almost needs a degree in Executive Club language and terminology to get the best out of these points. Is there a simple non complicated of how to get the best deal out of our points.
thank you so much!
Oct 6, 2015, 2:23 pm
#13
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"Is there a simple non complicated of how to get the best deal out of our points.
thank you so much!"
No, because the answer varies widely, depending on origin, destination, carrier, class of service, etc.
"Is there a simple non complicated of how to get the best deal out of our points.
thank you so much!"
No, because the answer varies widely, depending on origin, destination, carrier, class of service, etc.
Oct 6, 2015, 4:04 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,771