Baggage allowance on short haul Avios ticket?
 

Is there a simple statement (or any prior experience) on what baggage allowance, if any, comes with a short haul Avios ticket? Could not find a reference here or a statement on the EI website.

Assuming the answer is none - are the fees for checked bags, seats etc. the same as for a revenue ticket?

Very basic questions but I am about to book my first short haul EI award ever....!

EI awards include baggage (I believe you can also have a seat assigned by calling). Its 20KG on Regional and Short-Haul, 23KG on long-haul. I think the UK routes can offer value in the even you want to check-in a bag and/or book at short notice. Availability can be surprisingly good. Booking in advance, hand baggage only, the cash fares tend to work out better.

https://www.avios.com/gb/en_gb/spend/airline-partners

I can confirm that I had a 20kg allowance on my last Avios redemption on EI. This was DUB-LHR in Y.

Thanks both. ^

With the family (5 pax in total) in tow and the high (each-way) cost of bags this will actually save us quite a bit.

Surprisingly good reward availability at peak times also.

Yes, they include baggage.

Don't ask for a seat. I called EI today - "No, it's an Avios booking, you need to call Avios."

Call Avios - "No, we don't have access to seat maps at EI - EI must have been mistaken, try again." - I asked for my EI locator, got that, but same deal on the web site.

Called EI, gave the locator starting with 2, then asked for my ticket number. Avios tickets from Aer Club are on 125- BA stock, so this is no surprise. Once she pulled it up, put me on hold, came back, no we can't help you as it's an Avios ticket. Avios have to do it. I asked for her supervisor. Supervisor was "on a call" but told her definitely 100% Avios do it. She said they had people calling all the time where Avios had said to call EI and wished it would get fixed. She was really nice but...

Called Avios again. No, we definitely absolutely can't do it. Put on hold while she went to her supervisor ("our supervisors don't speak to customers"). Came back. The supervisor was going to try to force seats, did I have a choice? Yes, I did. Back on hold.

After a few more minutes, she came back, said they were going to keep trying. If it didn't work her "supervisor would call oneworld who would call EI". Since EI are not in oneworld, I see they have no clue at all. Upshot is she will call me Tuesday to see if the seats are on and if not, the 24 hour cancellation period applies.

What. A. Palaver. I know the EI agents can do it on a 125- ticket but she said "we can't do it on an Avios booking or we get in trouble". So something has changed and I lost an hour of my life to select a damned seat.

It's 2018, this is a joke! And this is buying an EI flight from an Aer Club account... I mean seriously?

I know someone who called the US number and said they wanted to buy their seat. When the agent said they could not do it they said they could not do it online and that they had done it before over the phone. On hold for 5 mins then came back and did it for them and took payment. Maybe try that .

Skytrax 4*. ;).

The cash element of the Avios redemption is somewhat lower* if you make the booking over the phone with BA. You have to call.

(*at least, this was my experience when looking to buy an EI flight from AMS over Christmas. BA charged significantly less than the Aer Club/Avios site wanted for the flights).

For anyone looking to buy on the DUB-LHR route, though, you really should be booking on BA. You can get a Reward Flight Saver for just €11 in addition to the Avios...

Just checked in with family of 4 avios short haul tickets Dub to Gva. The self service bag drop tried to charge me 50 euro per bag. AerClub desk checkin confirmed bags are included and checked in no problem.

Technical glitch with their SSK's. I always take a print out of the E Ticket from AVIOS which clearly shows 1PC included anyway. Just in case you got hassle at an out station. Thats for all IAG airlines.

This always happens.

Learn not to use the self-service baggage drop, even when they insist you go there - tell them you're on an Avios ticket and the baggage isn't recognised. You need to go to the desk.

It's not just the SSKs. It's the website, the app, the baggage drop machines, and the agents' checkin computers too. The last time, the agent had to furiously type for 5 minutes to override the baggage charge and check the bag as per the terms of the Avios e-ticket...