percysmith

Hi BA Executive Club

Can you confirm that you are removing access to redemption availability for CX/KA -6 days before departure due to fraudulent activity again please?

I respect your right to do so but it will be much appreciated if you can confirm this is being done deliberately.

Many thanks.

BA6501

And is this just online or by phone as well?

percysmith

I count six (it's 04:40 HKT Sun 30 Oct and I can't see any flights before Sat 5 Nov 01:30)

Yes (see cbagent above)

Counsellor

There are reports of people looking for two F award seats where only one is shown as available taking the one seat shown as available and seeing a second seat pop up as available shortly thereafter which they were able to grab. No guarantees, though.

DoctorORD

This is ridiculously annoying - it seems to apply to ALL Cathay redemptions T-5, not just HKG-China/Taiwan redemptions like the prior block. CX flights like HKG-BKK and HKG-KIX are blocked. Is there any recourse?! BAEC redemptions gave me so much flexibility in Asia. How long was the old block in place??

Dave Noble

There is no recourse. Using Avios, a booking can be made as long as there is availability in the appropriate class; if CX chooses not to offer availability, then that is it

SeeBuyFly

Reportedly it is a BA issue, not a CX issue. Availability can be seen using JL, QF web sites.

Enhancements

Wouldn't it be easier to just ban the BAEC accounts that are doing this rather than a blanket ban on availability?

sammyg901

There are some interesting insights on the OMAAT blog post about this

Seems this was a request by Cathay (and same issue affecting JAL) due to high levels of fraud involving these tickets being sold via mileage brokers in China, as they are v good value redemptions vs high cash fares

I guess the IT only allows a brute force approach but it's a shame that even the call centre can't make a booking for named account holder only or similar

sxc

So is the answer going to be a devaluation of avios for short haul flights like they did for USA?

Enhancements

I really hope not; you can double the miles needed on SHA-TYO and it's still a good deal.
I'd rather BA limit the number of people that can use award tickets, or limit T-7 on hot routes for personal redemptions.

percysmith

I think there's two different issue involved:

- the first is BAEC is a relatively easy program to sell awards from cos there's no redemption list.

AM has only five name slots to fill in the first year so it is relatively hard to sell small awards (intra-Asia) using an AM account. And both are considerably easier than PRC programs (Phoenixmiles, Eastermiles, Sky Pearl or Fortune Wings Club) with their 60-day waiting periods to add a name to redemption group.

BAEC basically lets you write in whoever you want for redemptions, tho we've seen BA audit shut down accounts that issue awards to many names too fast. Quite ideal for selling.

So I guess BA Audit's thinking is:
--- I don't want to implement a redemption list cos I'll get yelled at by non-Asia BAEC members (I can imagine the puns from the BA forum if they tried this)
--- if the miles broker issue long-dated awards I've got plenty of time to audit them at my leisure
--- so it's only the close-in awards I have to be worried about. After all possession is nine-tenths of the law. Solution? Block close-in availability

- the other issue is redemption chart arbitrage. Currently there's a benefit in redeeming Avios over Asia Miles for the first three tiers (e.g. for Economy R/T, HKG-TPE-HKG is 9,000 Avios vs 15,000 AM, HKG-BKK-HKT is 15,000 Avios vs 20,000 AM, HKG-NRT-HKG is 20,000 Avios vs 30,000 AM)

This is why there's considerable interest in Avios from bona fide travellers here. 20,000 Avios R/T to Japan plus certain other features (50% one-way pricing, lower cancellation fees) are the big drawcard for BAEC in HK.

Now BA can kill the golden goose by implementing US pricing for regional CX flights but they can kiss their member base in HK goodbye. It won't take much to panic the Avios crowd here.

aimzywynn

hi percy - is there a similar type of arbitrage with redeeming long haul flights (eg hk - new york) using avios vs. asia miles?

percysmith

Well for long haul you'd look at AM or AA...with Avios costing as much as they are for long haul esp w premium cabins

tomofmaine

Is there any word if this CX T-6 block on Avios will be permanent?

I'm currently HKG based and love using Avios for last minute weekend trips. UL and RJ are still options to BKK, and obviously MH to KUL, but obviously the loss of CX/KA is a big blow.