Howgart

Forgive me for asking this question, as I think I recall it being answered many times in the past. (I tried search but had difficulty finding an answer. Perhaps I need a remedial search function lesson).

In a bid to bypass the co-pay, I'm wondering whether I can use AA miles to upgrade an economy ticket from YYZ-LHR on BA metal. If so, what Q points and miles can I expect? And finally, what is the BA fare code for mileage upgrades? Thanks all, and once again, my apologies for asking something I'm sure has been answered here already.

ExtrAAordinaire

No. However, you can earn AAdvantage miles on that itinerary.

JGR01

Upgrades for AA flyers on Oneworld and code-share partners are history. Not sure how long ago (2+ years) but the answer is NO. No VIPs, no miles, no nothing! What you buys is what you flys. Or what award you turn in is what you flys.

This was done (I was told) in a global simplification of the Frequent Flyer programs for all airlines involved. Apparently a transatlantic upgrade on Airline X was n-miles while an upgrade within Europe was a different number of miles .. and then with some airlines 4-levels of service and such it all got tooo confusing and then inventory/yield management issues kicked in too! So they 'pulled'' the upgrade feature.

As the other posters say .. woohoo .. you will get miles on BA this way thru your Canadian departure. Hope its worth the effort.

krug

Well, you still get some benefits as an AA EXP - BA Lounge access for all economy and premium economy/world traveller plus fares, and also business class check in when flying economy. No upgrades though.

Although particularly on BA upgrades are only given out of operational necessity, you are ahead of the baying masses with an AA card for preference should an operational upgrade opportunity arise.

The thread you seek is here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=24296

it is indeed tricky to search for!

Flying BA on their new, softer, flat beds (www.deepersleep.co.uk) on a BA WT+(Premium Economy) to Club World Miles MFU Miles-For-Upgrade ticket will allow you to earn back about half the miles you spend on the trip.

Prices start around $600 return including taxes. Use the fare explorer for the cheapest fares.

You need 25k BA Miles to upgrade a WT+ fare - these are always cheaper Mon-Weds and if purchased 42 days in advance. All WT+ fares are upgradeable, subject to availability, at time of purchase.

If you get a BA Visa card (15,000 free BA Miles) at www.ba.com and pay for it that way, you will come out with more BA miles in your account than you did when you started the trip.

These BA Miles can be used for AA (non transatlantic flights) in the future. You can also add to your BA Miles balance through America West and Alaska Airlines.

Another useful tip, add a European side trip to somehwere like Paris, Amsterdam - this rarely increases the cost of the fare, you do no need extra miles above the 25k return for these "near London" European destination, and on an MFU you get the use of Club Europe (nothing to write home about seat-wise, but champagne is free on board and you get lounge access).

UncleDude

You can convert via Diners Club 50,000 AA miles via DC becomes 37,500 BA mile enough for an upgrade from WT+ to NCW. Or to avoid waste just transfer 38,000 AA to DC to BA for the 25,000 needed.

YVR Cockroach

Never been offered on BA. Just CX on select fares.

Stefan Daystrom

No, but you can upgrade on BA using a co-pay but no miles!

See, BA has 4 classes of service, while AA has only 3. From coach, on AA you pay $250 one-way plus miles to upgrade from coach to business. From coach, on BA you use either miles only or about $250ish one-way to upgrade from coach to premiun coach. Premium coach is llike a whole section of exit row seats (same service as regular coach, just better seat pitch).

To upgrade to business on BA, you have to BUY a premium coach ticket, and THEN use miles, which means you have to pay the EQUIVALENT of the AA co-pay (because the premium coach ticket costs at least $250ish one way more than either BA or AA regular coach ticket).

So even if you could use miles, you wouldn't be bypassing the co-pay (you'd just be paying the equivalent of a co-pay even if your upgrade to business DIDN'T go through!).

In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if this is a big reason for the co-pay having been introduced at AA: To bring them more inline with what it costs to upgrade to business on BA! (Until the co-pay, AA let you upgrade for less cash outlay than BA, and also less cash outlay than most other airlines, becuase unlike so many others AA lets you upgrade from pretty much any coach fare.)

If you do your homework (of how things work at other airlines), you'll find the co-pay is no worse than the conditions at most other airlines. It's just that AA went from being a WAY cheaper airline than most for getting international business seats at discount economy cash outlays, to being on par with the others.

krug

Stefan while I agree with the broad thrust of your points, it is not wholly accurate to suggest Premium coach on BA (actually called World Traveller Plus or WT+) is like a whole section of exit seats.

Though the service is indeed the same, there are some differentiators from regular AA coach so free full bar throughout the flight, in flight kit, guaranteed seat back TVs and 125% of miles flown in WT+ for the BAEC members). On some routes there is dedicated WT+ check in as well.

It is a different style of product from United's Economy Plus or indeed AA's defunct MRTC.

The seat is unique to that WT+ cabin, having footrest, lumbar support and a 2-4-2 layout on 777/747 aircraft:

www.airliners.net/open.file/255514/L/

Further, while prices can sometimes exceed the co-pay, it is possible to fly WT+ fares for less than $600 return US-UK including taxes, and therefore the difference between a WT+ fare and a standard economy fare cannot be said to be "equivalent to the AA co-pay"; it is often less with new comfier flat bed seats and enhanced Club World Catering, and the Molton Brown spa massage at LHR and JFK, you gets extra perks on BA with you WT+ MFU which a similar co-payment upgrade at AA would simply not provide.

www.deepersleep.co.uk

In response to my point that "on some routes there is dedicated check in as well":

I myself saw this in action at BOS last week, I have also asked on the BA Board, who have helpfully provided first hand information of such a check in at YUL, YVR, LAX, SFO and BOS, probably others too. So although dedicated check in is not a core offering of the service, it seems to exist in most major US BA ports.

Howgart

Hey All....whoops,forgot to say thanks to all of you for your help. You folks are truly a great resource, and this is a wonderful community filled with giving people. Thanks so much!.......H.

oiRRio

Stefan, of course what you posted makes perfect sense, not that our resident BA cheerleader will understand. Perhaps he feels others on this board are as slow on the uptake as he is hence the need to post 3 BA links within one thread, and repeated posting of OT inaccurate info on this board.

You’re correct, WT+ on BA only has 38” of legroom whilst many int’l exit row seats on AA have far more such as those in row 31 A,B,H,J on a 777. Other such as those in rows 20 and 21 on 767s do have about the same.

Even though I’m Irish I would be surprised if anyone could drink more than $50 of free booze (using AA’s pricing) on a TA flight, or indeed if the cabin crew would continue to serve you. IME seatback TVs are featured on all AA’s 767/777 int’l flights save for the exit rows and a couple of others such as some in row 40 that have the flip-up monitors in the armrests that are IMO superior. Finally you neglect to add that a Plt or Exp like the OP will earn more miles in AA economy than a BAEC Gold in WT+, or the same as a BAEC Gold in paid J.

BTW, please feel free to post here all the routes that have dedicated WT+ check-in. Also please post the routes in this thread to which you’ve already posted but neglected to mention that some routes have a dedicated WT+ check-in.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=437832
Some on the BA board seem to feel there isn’t a priority check-in facility for WT+ so it would be nice if you could correct their “erroneous” info.

AA’s MRTC is currently still in place on the 767s and 777s that are used on international flights. Hardly defunct as you claim.

In the majority of cases WT+ fares represent a significant premium over AA (or BA) economy fares e.g. on my regular route LHR-GIG WT+ costs GBP450 more than AA economy and GBP420 more than BA economy. Far more than a co-pay which of course is also only payable IF you get the upgrade. Shades of the old HoKeY on CO if you take the chance and buy WT+ solely to have a shot at an upgrade.

As JonNYC previously put it “At least make the relentless, repetitive, boring, pedantic BA-Spam slightly accurate.”

Of course I suspect that this is just part of a long elaborate troll. Surely it’s not a coincidence that apudme is an anagram of made up as so much of the info he's posted in this thread seems to me to be.

JonNYC

I'm pretty proud of that little quote in this particular case-- thanks for mentioning it!

krug

It is in fact Latin.