Originally Posted by ReelChief
On Travelocity, for example, I get a fare of US$1511 for the dates (approx 9 months apart) that I am considering --it is for BA 84/155-BA154/87. Is your point that the class being quoted is too cut-rate to qualify? Is there any way on Travelocity or other sites to tell the class that is being quoted?
BTW even on BA's own site, I get a WT+ quote of CA$2600. Are there WT+ fares that are "qualifying" and those that are not? How can one tell- even on the BA site?
If it's BAEC you want then you should look at a WT+ "T" fare ex-SEA rather than ex-YVR. Generally WT+ rides on the Seattle flights are considerably cheaper than on the YVR-originating ones. Taxes and demand, I presume.
You can tell when a fare on BA is a qualifying one when you book it through BA.com; you will get a prompt on the confirmation screen that tells you it's a qualifying EC fare. Generally WT+ "T" bookings (not "W", the high-priced ones) are competitive with economy booking classes that would also qualify, except WT+ is more comfortable. All WT+ paid flights are EC-qualifying. Most booking engines like Expedia don't offer premium coach ticketing options, so one is left with pathetic BA.com.
Use the "premium economy - cheapest" option when booking.
I thought about going for BA EC Gold on our current DONE4, but I couldn't justify it when I looked at our travel patterns. AA's plan is just too generous given AS EQM/Pts for all our west coast flying, as well as points for BA transatlantic if we just drive a couple of hours north and are prepared to pay for WT+ instead of WT-, which is no contest.