Originally Posted by
Furby
Then you are missing the bigger picture. The cost of accumulating Avios is very inexpensive in comparison to accumulating AA miles due to the larger credit card bonuses that are available more frequently than AA bonuses, and the ability to transfer in from other programs also offering larger bonuses. The Avios required for a BA flight is typically less than half that required for equivalent AA flights and frequently much less than that. Availability on BA is far superior. When you consider all of that you will find that the $1,000 in fuel surcharges for a J class flight is actually a very good deal. It’s all about the total cost of accumulating the miles plus surcharges, not just the surcharges.
+1. Most of my Avios are transfers from Amex with a bonus of 30-40%. With the advent of RFS which has some pros and cons I can pretty much get BA J anytime I want from my local international airport for 80k Avios (off peak) and $350 one way in surcharges. With the 30-40% transfer bonus that is pretty close to AA saver if you can find it. And if you hold the Chase BA card you get a $200 credit back per booking (up to 3x a year).
I booked five people on BA J on the same flight next year to London one way. It was split across two BAEC accounts and two Chase CCs. Each person was booked on their own booking (all adults). So I got five folks on the same flight, in J for 80k Avios and net $150 in surcharges per person + 2 $95 in Chase annual fees. I doubt I could get anything close to that on AA. YMMV