Originally Posted by
BenSenise
if you think your avios have a similar value to the Zimbabwean Dollar, then I will gladly take them off your hands at no cost to you.
You can use them if a) you book 9-12 months out, b) you are flexible with your dates, and c) you are willing to put the effort into searching for flights. twice a week doesn't cut it.
if you can't meet those requirements, then avios are not for you.
What a heartwarming and helpful response this is.
Let's cut the crap if I may - Avios are great if you can use them. To use Avios used to require a little flexibility, now my personal experience is that it's harder to get the value I am used to.
I fly to India regularly (monthly) and have been able to upgrade to CW 2 out of 3 or 4 times, generally one way. I select dates, where I can, to match availability. Is that flexible enough?
Thankfully, I have been lucky to get op ups when I haven't been able to pay for it - that's a perk from BA not Avios.
Anyways, I am going to the States later this month on holiday - going out from LCY was ok. The return is from AUS.
Why AUS? No other availability from any US departure point, except occasional seat from MCO, BOS or YVR. So AUS it is and we're heading to New Mexico and Arizona as a result.
However it's clearly my fault as I booked only 4-5 months out.
Thanks for the advice, I hadn't realised that multiple checks using KVS from multiple departure points for multiple dates was not quite flexible enough. Oh, I did find a couple of flights from the Carribean once we had settled on AUS.
I know now that I am just too demanding.
For the record. I am now focusing on DFW as I would quite like AA's 777-300 but am happy with AUS - I guess that means I must be very happy with Avios.
We can't all be so über efficient to book our holidays 11 months out. The US availability is poor however you look at it and the changes for GC holders make it costlier. I guess I can now look at US so that will make it alright.