Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
You also paradoxically reduce the UuA amount by travelling at peak periods, from 48k off peak to 40k peak (return fares). Presumably the cash component would potentially be higher though.
This depends on the route. There are many routes on which the level of cash fares works on a calendar that has no resemblance whatsoever to the peak/off-peak awards calendar. So a WT+ --> CW off-peak UuA is simply more expensive off-peak than peak.
The basic result is that a WT+ --> CW UuA is now double the former Avios cost, plus more if you're doing it off-peak.