TEDisgone

I don't know if this is being discussed elsewhere (if so, please flag this thread) but I was just looking at some awards from Europe to LAX in October and I'm seeing dramatic increases in fees for British Airways tickets since the website went through updates this past weekend.

For example, in January I booked an award in Business (booking code was U) AMS-LHR-LAX and the fees were $210. I just checked it today and it's now $408! I can't swear to it but I thought cities in Germany used to be around $350 or so in fees but I'm seeing $470 for BER, $486 for MUC, and $498 for FRA. I thought CDG was similarly priced in the $350 range but it's now $417. OSL, CPH, and ARN were always the leaders in lower fees: OSL is now at $263, CPH at $277 (I had an award from CPH booked in late 2019 for a 2020 trip and those fees were $229), but ARN is now $300.

I tried to check these on AA's website to see what fees they are charging but I can't pull up the identical itineraries involving BA for the LHR-LAX flight.

So.. I have my own concrete example of AMS (and it's possible that was undercharging) but do others have some examples of increases? I know there's a new "Airport Cost Recovery Charge" for LHR but this can't be it!

eponymous_coward

Excise taxes are now being charged, for one thing. The pound is also up a lot against the US dollar. It doesn’t have anything to do with 2/27. I redid some BA tickets before 2/27 and got hit with about $90 in additional add/collect.

bon mot

My October BA FCO-LHR-SEA-FAI purchased in January is still the same price: $120.35 taxes + $138 fare = $258.35 (+60K miles). Perhaps the fare portion was the bulk of the increase? My first leg is in coach as I see little value in spending $171 more for a 2.5 hr flight in BA domestic business.

DeltaFlyingProf

Just a reminder for those starting in Europe that BA's added fees in the other direction are horrendous. This is one case where you'd better book your ticket as a return if you need to go back to Europe. US to Europe one way is typically over $700 for business or first class.

eponymous_coward

Book using CX Asia Miles to Europe in J, AS from Europe in J. Cuts the fees way down.

https://viewfromthewing.com/a-trick-...ges-right-now/
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-tra...Business_Class

DeltaFlyingProf

Interesting, but it takes more miles and I'd rather use my CX miles to get awards on CX more easily. Now I wish there were a way to get miles on JL....

eponymous_coward

1,000 more miles (61k CX for BA J vs. 60k AS) to save $300-400 in YQ on SEA-LHR? I'll take that. In fact I did, I cancelled AS Y+ to LHR and burned CX AsiaMiles for J instead, the YQ+fees held steady at around $300. Had I used AS miles for J YQ+fees would have been over $700. 16,500 miles for Y+ to J on a 10 hour flight seems reasonable.

It's quite true for BA F that CX is a lot more expensive than AS in miles (AA is similar) but IMO if you get BA's J suite the premium for F is very small (if you're OWE the premium is basically soft product on board + a little more space + Concorde room). Though note that CX drops a lot of YQ.

Also... AM are easy to get via Citi/AMEX/Capital One/Marriott. JL is Marriott only (which may be why their awards are cheaper, like AS you have limited ways to lard up your account).

TEDisgone

In an interesting case of "giveth and taketh", I'm now seeing this new lower surcharge just to London:

Continuing on to a UK destination adds $25 or so. If you're continuing on outside of the UK, the $769 surcharge still applies: UPDATE: As of 3/30 this is no longer true and only an additional $30 or so is now added!



As of 3/30:

eponymous_coward

BA is only charging $225 YQ to LHR.

TEDisgone

I'm not complaining but this does seem to be a gift only available to us in Mileage Plan! UPDATE: it also works if booking with Avios!






UPDATE: you have to click through as if you're ticketing to see the new lower price.

frankvb

BA surcharges have always been interesting when booking with AS miles. I booked some U class SAN-LHR-AMS and return in January, and fuel surcharges were higher when I checked again in March. As everyone probably knows, ex-US BA fuel surcharges have always been way higher than ex-AMS so always book two one-ways (but unrelated to this topic).

In a mixed award (e.g. LAX-LHR-AMS where LHR-AMS is in economy and LAX-LHR in F) you'll be charged the economy fuel surcharge...

For the flights I booked in January, SAN-LHR-AMS is the same in surcharge ($700), taxes slightly higher. AMS-LHR-SAN is over $100 more in surcharge now.

SAN-LHR is only $175 in fuel surcharge (in U)!

spgaston

I looked into changing an existing roundtrip Premium Economy award about a week ago.. same dates just different flights and there was no change in cost. I did not book it. I checked a few days later and suddenly the price difference was $150.

Edit, I think the new price was +$50, not $150 as there are three of us traveling.

frankvb

I checked the roundtrip as well but the major difference was only there with a one-way to the UK from the USA.

DeltaFlyingProf

This begs the question: with the current situation, is it doable to book two separate tickets, one to London and one from London to AMS? Would one be allowed to board the flight to London without any quarantine booking in London?

clarrkkent

Here I was looking at OP’s post thinking “I’d take $408 any day” since I routinely see the fees you describe when originating from the US.