Aug 13, 2014, 4:37 pm
Last edit by: beltway
With US joining OneWorld in early 2014, British Airways' mileage currency (Avios) offer a potentially advantageous option for redeeming for award tickets, especially on shorter flights.
What are the relevant characteristics/rules for redeeming Avios?
What are the mileage bands in the Avios award chart?
The full chart for redemptions until April 28, 2015 can be found here. Starting April 28, 2015, a new chart will apply.
One enterprising blogger has created interactive maps showing potential destinations reachable on US in each of the mileage bands from DCA, PHL, CLT, and PHX.
What's an example of Avios being better than booking an award on US using Dividend Miles?
Credit: Much of this wiki is based on post #1 by SanDiego1K.
What are the relevant characteristics/rules for redeeming Avios?
- Avios is charged per individual flight segment. The cost for a single connecting itinerary AAA-BBB-CCC is the same as the cost of two separate tickets for travel AAA-BBB & BBB-CCC.
- Avios uses a distance-based chart. (See below.)
- First-class travel costs 3x as many Avios as coach. Unfortunately, this generally makes domestic F redemption unattractive with Avios. In general, US front-cabin seats are treated as first-class for purposes of Avios redemption.
- Effective April 28, 2015, first-class awards will cost 4x the coach award price.
- Business class travel costs 2x Avios. Some North American airlines consider the front cabin to be business for Mexico and Central America routes.
- Effective April 28, 2015, business-class awards for segments >2000 miles long will cost 3x the coach award price.
- You can redeem one-way awards with Avios.
- Avios is region-agnostic. (That is, a given distance costs the same regardless of whether it traverses one or more world regions.) Thus, Avios can provide great value when flying to Hawaii for those who fly coach and can do so in one segment.
- There is no ticketing fee for online booking. If you call instead of booking online, there is a $25 ticketing fee. (Some people have success in getting this fee waived when an itinerary cannot be booked online, making a phone call unavoidable.)
- There is no close-in ticketing fee.
- BA charges $55 to cancel or change a ticket. However, if you cancel online, your cost is capped at the amount of taxes/TSA fees paid; for domestic itineraries on US, this will normally be much less than $55. (This workaround does not apply to changing a ticket online, which will incur the full $55 fee.) You must cancel one day in advance to get the Avios redeposited.
- 1-650 mile flight: 4,500 Avios
- 651-1151 mile flight: 7,500 Avios
- 1152-2000 mile flight: 10,000 Avios
- 2001-3000 mile flight: 12,500 Avios
The full chart for redemptions until April 28, 2015 can be found here. Starting April 28, 2015, a new chart will apply.
One enterprising blogger has created interactive maps showing potential destinations reachable on US in each of the mileage bands from DCA, PHL, CLT, and PHX.
Consider the cost to fly from San Diego to Phoenix, a route under 400 miles. US charges 25K miles R/T, plus $38 (includes $25 ticketing fee), plus a $75 close-in fee for any booking within 14 days of departure. BA will charge 9,000 Avios R/T plus the TSA security fee.
If you live in a gateway city and can fly to Hawaii nonstop, investigate whether booking with Avios is more attractive. Example:
PHX-HNL is 2917 miles. A R/T with Avios is 25K miles (12,500 each way). A R/T with US is 40K miles.
What's the process for redeeming Avios?If you live in a gateway city and can fly to Hawaii nonstop, investigate whether booking with Avios is more attractive. Example:
PHX-HNL is 2917 miles. A R/T with Avios is 25K miles (12,500 each way). A R/T with US is 40K miles.
Go to the Avios award search page; log in; and enter your desired itinerary.
Great! That sounds easy! What's the catch?Unfortunately, there are several practical restrictions on redeeming Avios for domestic travel on US, especially when attempting to book online.
OK, I managed to make an award booking despite all these pitfalls. How do I get my US FF# into the reservation in order to enjoy my US elite benefits?- Most importantly, US "low/saver" awards must be available. (You can confirm award availability at the lowest level by searching on the US site directly or by using a third-party service such as Expert Flyer.)
- The BA search tool cannot generate partner itineraries that include more than one connection. (You can still book each segment as an individual ticket, although doing so will create problems if you wish to check luggage all the way through and/or if you miss a connection owing to flight delays.)
- Even where US has low-level award availability, the Avios search tool will often fail to display it. This is especially true on routes with numerous flights in a single day (such as the DCA-LGA, LGA-BOS & DCA-BOS shuttles), but occurs regularly on numerous routes. There is no workaround except calling BA reservations.
- Recommendation: Always search for one-way awards. The BA search tool is known to display no availability in either direction on round-trip searches when awards are in fact available in one direction but not the other.
- The BA search engine will accept metropolitan area pseudo-codes (WAS, LON, PAR, NYC, etc.) as well as individual airport codes. For better results, try both (e.g., DCA, BWI & IAD as well as WAS).
The American Airlines Twitter team (@AmericanAir) can modify a reservation to enter your US or AA FF#.
Several FTers also report success using the Finnair website ("Choose manage booking and put in your BA confirmation code"). However, this method allows the FF# on a given itinerary to be changed only once; it will not allow subsequent changes.
I want to change my seat but the BA site never gave me a US record locator. What's the solution?Several FTers also report success using the Finnair website ("Choose manage booking and put in your BA confirmation code"). However, this method allows the FF# on a given itinerary to be changed only once; it will not allow subsequent changes.
Look up your reservation on the US site using the BA record locator.
How can I accumulate Avios?- Fly British Airways.
- Credit OneWorld flights to British Airways.
- Open a Chase British Airways credit card, ideally with a generous sign up bonus.
- Move Chase Ultimate Reward points (CSP, Ink Plus, Ink Bold) to your BA account.
- Move AMEX Membership Rewards points to your BA account, preferably during the 2-3 times a year when a bonus is offered.
- Move SPG points to your BA account. 20K SPG points yields 25K BA Avios, and bonuses have been offered once a year.
- Form a household account (see BA forum for discussion) so that miles can be pooled.
US Airways Award Bookings Using BA Avios, as low as 4,500 Avios one way
Aug 25, 2014, 2:53 pm
#196
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Study the US Airways MoveUp program restrictions. US doesn't do Same Day Change and Standby the way AA does.
Aug 25, 2014, 4:58 pm
#197
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: FL
Programs: AA PLAT, HILTON DIAMOND, MARRIOTT LIFETIME TITANIUM
Posts: 616
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/trave...ds/MoveUp.html
So does anyone know if you are a AA Plat, is that recognized as a USAir Plat? If so, looks like the MoveUp fees are waived for USAir Plats:
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid.../platinum.html
Aug 25, 2014, 5:37 pm
#198
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
So does anyone know if you are a AA Plat, is that recognized as a USAir Plat? If so, looks like the MoveUp fees are waived for USAir Plats
Originally Posted by AA
We waive the MoveUp fee for Dividend Miles Preferred and AAdvantage elite status members.
Aug 28, 2014, 7:33 am
#199
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: DL Diamond, WN A-List, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 685
I just finished this map for destinations out of PHX. It doesn't look like I can embed a Google map on the forum so I'll point you to the link: US Airways Flights: Using British Airways Avios out of Phoenix-PHX I hope some find it useful!
---------------------------------
First in this series was Charlotte, North Carolina-CLT, Philadelphia-PHL, Washington, D.C.-DCA and now for Phoenix-PHX. I have compiled this map to help assist in visualizing and then planning just how far a British Airways Avios will take you on US Airways:
Legend
Some great values are Phoenix-PHX to:
-----------------------------------
As a side note: I pulled all of the route info for the map off of USAirways.com, I know that some routes are seasonal and some might even be slated for cancellation. If you see any destinations that I should remove, please let me know. Thanks!
US Airways Flights: Using British Airways Avios out of Phoenix-PHX
---------------------------------
First in this series was Charlotte, North Carolina-CLT, Philadelphia-PHL, Washington, D.C.-DCA and now for Phoenix-PHX. I have compiled this map to help assist in visualizing and then planning just how far a British Airways Avios will take you on US Airways:
Legend
Some great values are Phoenix-PHX to:
- As with all of these Avios redemptions, just about any Zone 1 city in green is probably a great value at just 9k Avios roundtrip.
- All of the Hawaiian destinations are a great deal at just 25k miles round trip: Kona-KOA, Kahului-OGG, Honolulu-HNL and Kauai Island/Lihue-LIH.
- Cancun-CUN for 20k Avios or Cabo San Lucas-SJD for 15k Avios is a solid deal.
-----------------------------------
As a side note: I pulled all of the route info for the map off of USAirways.com, I know that some routes are seasonal and some might even be slated for cancellation. If you see any destinations that I should remove, please let me know. Thanks!
US Airways Flights: Using British Airways Avios out of Phoenix-PHX
Aug 28, 2014, 8:36 am
#201
Join Date: May 2004
Location: US
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 974
After the Dividend miles merges with Aadvantage, will we be able to still book using Avios for the points listed in the chart. Or will it go back to the current AA awards, which requires 12,500 points for each one way regardless of distance within US and Canada.
Aug 28, 2014, 8:42 am
#202
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
The chief impact is (and will be) the amount of low/saver award availability offered by US/AA, but the carriers in question already exercise complete control over that.
Sep 1, 2014, 2:37 pm
#203
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,738
2 separate tickets instead of 1
I'm trying to book SAV-PHL-IND, all operated by US. For some reason BA.com (the currency I'm using to book this) can't piece together this complicated itin, so I have to book it as 2 tickets. I'm wondering what's the practical implication of this. If I misconnect due to IRROP, would my rebooking be handled any differently than if it were on a single ticket?
Sep 1, 2014, 2:48 pm
#204
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
If you book two separate tickets, you will not be connecting at all. Rather, you will be ending one itinerary and starting another. While US is generally pretty good about rebooking in this situation, you come at the bottom of the heap, it may take significant time to reinstate your xPHL ticket which would have been cancelled when you no-showed and, if the IRROPS were caused by something within US' control such as MX, you are on your own for hotels + meals if needed.
Sep 1, 2014, 4:47 pm
#205
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,738
If you book two separate tickets, you will not be connecting at all. Rather, you will be ending one itinerary and starting another. While US is generally pretty good about rebooking in this situation, you come at the bottom of the heap, it may take significant time to reinstate your xPHL ticket which would have been cancelled when you no-showed and, if the IRROPS were caused by something within US' control such as MX, you are on your own for hotels + meals if needed.
Say SAV-PHL is delayed (which is the only way I'd misconnect). If it's looking bad, I would proactively ask a customer rep (at airport or on the phone, maybe call one of the international offices) to rebook me on something reasonable. Maybe route thru CLT or DFW if no delays there. If I have them rebook before the misconnection happens--so ex-PHL ticket is still valid--is it going to make their life hard that the connection is on a separate ticket?
I could book this using 25K AA miles or 18K avios, so just trying to see if the saving is worth the risk.
Sep 1, 2014, 6:33 pm
#206
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: ATL
Programs: AA GLD Skymiles DM MM, a+ rewards lifetime elite, AS, Marriott plat, PC plat, HH gold
Posts: 1,277
I'm trying to book SAV-PHL-IND, all operated by US. For some reason BA.com (the currency I'm using to book this) can't piece together this complicated itin, so I have to book it as 2 tickets. I'm wondering what's the practical implication of this. If I misconnect due to IRROP, would my rebooking be handled any differently than if it were on a single ticket?
Sep 2, 2014, 7:14 am
#207
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
What date(s) are you looking at? Maybe I was just lucky, but a date chosen at random -- Jan 20, 2015 -- has extensive availability on ba.com. Mind you, it's SAV-CLT-IND, but that's still two segments <650 miles each; unclear to me whether you have a reason to transit PHL specifically.
Sep 2, 2014, 2:56 pm
#208
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,738
What date(s) are you looking at? Maybe I was just lucky, but a date chosen at random -- Jan 20, 2015 -- has extensive availability on ba.com. Mind you, it's SAV-CLT-IND, but that's still two segments <650 miles each; unclear to me whether you have a reason to transit PHL specifically.
Sep 2, 2014, 3:14 pm
#209
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
As indicated in the wiki, there's no known workaround except calling BA (& the hold times are often lengthy). Some have suggested Skyping a non-US call center, such as Singapore, to get faster service.
Sep 9, 2014, 7:31 pm
#210
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 803
Cross posting here about a ticket on US airways from BA board (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ho-call.html):
In short, I booked US airways flight SFO-LAX and it has changed to AA code now. So it was marked as cancelled
.
Now there is no award available on the route on that day (no SJC/OAK options either).
So what is my best choice? BA phone is notorious for its long wait time.
It has been
Flight US2692 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5387 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5534 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
in the past.
In short, I booked US airways flight SFO-LAX and it has changed to AA code now. So it was marked as cancelled
.Now there is no award available on the route on that day (no SJC/OAK options either).
So what is my best choice? BA phone is notorious for its long wait time.
It has been
Flight US2692 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5387 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5534 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
in the past.