Originally Posted by
dcas
OP, I know you are searching for IB flights this time, but it's always good to remind newcomers that partner awards on IB+ are non-refundable.
Also, it's worth signing up for a BA FF account asap since there may be transfer bonuses to one of the programs but not the other. You can then transfer your avios to the other one as needed.
A brand new IB+ account still needs to be "activated" with a credit card transfer (or some other activity) and wait out the 90 day (IIRC) period before it can combine Avios.