Originally Posted by
JesW
Just for illustration purposes....have an open-jaw ticket for next month, going LHR-IAD, MIA-LHR.
Managed to upgrade WTP-CW last month for the IAD leg, which was 10K avios and £53 for YQ. When I upgraded MIA-LHR this morning, it cost me 12.5K avios and £71 for YQ. I thought it would be the same price for each as a US return but IAD/MIA are in different sectors, apparently.
I can certainly explain the avios difference. MIA is further and in a different avios band so avios will be more which is what you found. IAD, PHL, JFK/EWR, and BOS are the same for avios needed.
IAD, BWI, PHL, JFK/EWR, and BOS are all in band 5 which is less than 4000 miles, whereas MIA is 4425 miles so in band 6. The table for avios redemptions is
here, and the amount needed for a one way UuA WT+ to CW is 1/2 the amount listed in the business column for the relevant band.
On YQ I am somewhat less sure why you are seeing a significant difference. I think the YQ you would have originally paid would have been £213.00 looking at itamatrix.
For YQ out in CW to IAD and back in WT+ from MIA the YQ is £266.00 so I would expect you to have paid £53 which checks out.
For YQ out in CW to IAD and back in CW from MIA the YQ is £319.00 I would expect you to have paid a further £53, but you were charged £71.
Is this because the YQ for MIA-LHR is calculated based on US POS? I notice that the one way YQ for MIA-LHR is $229 in WT+ and for CW is $414, so a much bigger difference when using US POS.
Alternatively, in all cases when you do a UuA any changes in taxes, charges for customs, immigration, airport service fee, passenger service charge which have happened since the original booking was made will be taken in to account, so perhaps there are some other changes which have happened in between you UuA'ing the IAD leg and now doing the MIA leg?