Originally Posted by
timmillea
1) NCL-LHR-MAD-AGP return in CE is possible now for 30,000 BA miles + taxes etc. but will fall in to Avios zone 3 from NCL as Avios zones are distance-based, i.e. it will be 40,000 + £34 (I make the distance to be 1,300 miles and zone 3 will start between 1134 and 1170 miles according to the LHR-HEL and LGW-PRN already-declared Avios route costings). But MAN-LHR-MAD-SDR-MAD-LHR-MAN very neatly fits in zone 2 (1500 + £27 ET/ 3000 + £34 CE)
Note to others, this is one interpretation of what has been said by Nicci. There is no confirmation, one way or the other, as to whether the distance from regional airports to London will be included in the distance-based calculations.
2) Yes Avios + TP can be earned from redemptions via Avios (formerly Airmiles). Nicci recently confirmed that there would be no change to the fare buckets Airmiles redemptions fell in to.
Similarly, this is one interpretation, but Nicci may have been referring to redemptions in a context of redeeming in BAEC, not (Airmiles) Avios.
This may still be the case with the new (Airmiles) Avios, but it wouldn't surprise me if this loophole was closed. If it stays open, we'd have everyone on this board transfer their BAEC Avios to the (Airmiles) Avios and do the redemptions from there, in the hope of getting TPs and miles.