Earning and redeeming AA miles / upgrading on BA/IB; BA fuel surcharge (Oct 1, 2010)
#91
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Dallas, TX USA
Posts: 2,106
https://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/p...atus/bonus.jsp
#92
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: East Coast
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, AA Lifetime Platinum, Delta PM, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,522
I was thinking the same thing until I realized that it's an additional source of revenue for BA and they elected to give AA a pass. Think of it like the checked bag fee, upgrade fee.
#93
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
Posts: 6,526
BA however wins because it loads this surcharge onto redemptions, and things like 2-4-1 promo tickets so a "free" ticket still earns them some revenue.
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,351
If AA wants to pay for elite AAdvantage members to have access to BA arrivals lounge at T5, I do not doubt that BA would be happy to negotiate that.
However, my understanding is that it is not AA policy to provide arrivals lounge access for elite members flying in non-premium classes. Therefore, it would be surprising if AA were to pay BA to provide a service that AA does not provide itself to its own members in its own arrival lounge at LHR.
#95
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 90
Have to say the BA fuel surcharges for awards is a major issue but can anyone confirm you can avoid these by using a Oneword Award instead of an all-partner award?
Not sure how many extra miles this is but perhaps an option for anyone wanting to go US-LHR-India/Middle East etc.....
Still think elite milage bonus on BA is a definite plus.
Not sure how many extra miles this is but perhaps an option for anyone wanting to go US-LHR-India/Middle East etc.....
Still think elite milage bonus on BA is a definite plus.
#96
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
Upon arrival at LHR T3 we are now going to be in a position where BAEC members on the flight, not in J or F cabin can use the AA arrivals lounge where AAdvantage members of the same status level cannot.
These changes are rather forcibly ramming home the point that AAdvantage members are 2nd class citizens in this new realigned world even when it comes to using facilities run for our own airline.
#97
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
Posts: 6,526
Until AA sees lounges as an integral part of a product instead of a source of direct, visible revenue then AA elites will be, as you put it, "2nd class citizens".
#98
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SWO
Programs: AA 2MM LTP;Marriott Platinum
Posts: 174
Here are the current ones (at least when redeeming with BA miles on BA flights): http://www.britishairways.com/travel...e/public/en_us
Surcharge per BA sector
Even if you fly AA TATL, but tack on a BA-served short-hop, that's going to add $50 for a non-AA destination RT Award ticket in Europe. Does anyone know if this fee will also trigger additional taxes?
Also, does anyone know if a sector is the same as a flight segment or includes all connecting flights? (i.e., if you fly into BRU, then hop through LHR to OSL, would you pay $50 each way ($25 BRU-LHR + $25 LHR-OSL) OR would you pay $25 total for BRU-LHR-OSL?).
I'm assuming these "fuel charges" will also apply to BA flights on OneWorld Awards. If so, this will drastically increase the net cost of a OW Award containing multiple BA flights.
Very dissappointing changes from AA that the TATL BA miles earning doesn't begin to compensate for.
#99
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
True, but I am talking about international services here where AA already match the lounge access granted to BAEC members.
#100
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP 1.5MM, Asiana Club Silver, KE Morning Calm, Hyatt Platinum, Amtrak Select
Posts: 7,161
this just got me thinking... does this mean getting award redemption on AA to madrid will now be in high demand? iberia won't charge a fuel surcharge therefore people wanting to go from u.s. to europe will choose madrid as their connection city to avoid fuel surcharges intra-europe. sounds like it'll be hard to find award seats on jfk/mia/dfw to mad now (at least that's the routing i think i'm likely to take to avoid fuel surcharge, plus i'm tired of switching terminals at heathrow.)
There's also the proposed increase in AA's flights to/from Europe as well, and still the mystery of what to do with MA/BUD which has huge potential that is being left untapped.
All in all I think the new rules are fair. There's still no YQ charge on redeeming awards on AA and any other partners, plus we now get to earn better mileage (and for PLT and EXP 100% bonus miles ^ ) for flying TATL on BA and IB.
#101
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
Is AA now adding the fuel charge to it's flights as well as BA's?
I didn't see that in the announcement but am trying to put together an award trip next summer RDU-DFW-LHR out in F and back LHR-MIA-RDU also in F. Taxes and fees are coming up at $250 per passenger. I thought the max on AA was $182.50? Where does this come from??
I didn't see that in the announcement but am trying to put together an award trip next summer RDU-DFW-LHR out in F and back LHR-MIA-RDU also in F. Taxes and fees are coming up at $250 per passenger. I thought the max on AA was $182.50? Where does this come from??
#102
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP 1.5MM, Asiana Club Silver, KE Morning Calm, Hyatt Platinum, Amtrak Select
Posts: 7,161
Or not paying for fuel surcharges when redeeming AA miles on BA that's not from the US as it used to be up until now? i.e.: YVR-LHR or NRT-LHR on BA using AA miles
#103
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
Posts: 6,526
There may be more harmonization in the future but it seems to me that what's been announced today doesn't actually change the scenery a great deal for most passengers.
#104
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,268
I was thinking of doing a Mileage Run for exp at the end of the year. But given that evips don't work for BA, and any BA redemption involves FS, I think the new world sucks big time. Since most of my exotic redemptions involve BA, this makes me rethink my AA commitment.
I'm in Luxor Egypt right now, and the cost of my "free" tickets would go up tremendously ($314 each, on top of the current taxes that are high due to a stopover in LHR).
On the other hand, BA just increased their earn rate on deep discount from 25% to 100%. Whose getting the short end of the stick here.
I'm in Luxor Egypt right now, and the cost of my "free" tickets would go up tremendously ($314 each, on top of the current taxes that are high due to a stopover in LHR).
On the other hand, BA just increased their earn rate on deep discount from 25% to 100%. Whose getting the short end of the stick here.
#105
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,731
Is AA now adding the fuel charge to it's flights as well as BA's?
I didn't see that in the announcement but am trying to put together an award trip next summer RDU-DFW-LHR out in F and back LHR-MIA-RDU also in F. Taxes and fees are coming up at $250 per passenger. I thought the max on AA was $182.50? Where does this come from??
I didn't see that in the announcement but am trying to put together an award trip next summer RDU-DFW-LHR out in F and back LHR-MIA-RDU also in F. Taxes and fees are coming up at $250 per passenger. I thought the max on AA was $182.50? Where does this come from??