LearningToFly

It does not seem to happen...

zh

Just checked points.com and I am getting 116,532 esso for 100K Aeroplan.

ZH

nabeelj

Which translates to 105K Avios during the recurring 50% bonus and 87K AAdvantage miles during a potential 25% bonus.

jazzartist

Hi there ,

I am new to the forum , Greetings to all !
I am planning to switch my RBC Avion points to British Aiways Avios and American Airlines AA advantage . But I am confused which way to go and which would be more beneficial for me . Avios uses less points with high taxes and American Airlines uses more with points with no fuel surcharge. Its also very difficult to book American or other airlines using Avios , some Airports the One world Airlines fly to is not even recognized in the British Airways system . Its realatively easier to use AA advantage website . But right now the BA is having a promotion of converting from RBC Avion to Avios .
I am based in Toronto Canada so mostly fly out of Toronto . I have found that flying to Europe via NY by American / US / Air berlin I can save fuel surcharge on the other hand British Airways is distance bases and good for short haul flights .
The following are the routes I plan to fly using my points

Long haul routes
Toronto – New York – Berlin- AbuDhabi/Doha – Dhaka – AbuDhabi/Doha- Berlin- NY- Toronto
Toronto – Miami- Rio De Janerio – Buenos Aires –Miami- Toronto
Dhaka- Hong Kong- Sydney- Hong Kong- Dhaka

Short haul routes

Toronto – Cancun- Toronto
Toronto – San Francisco- Toronto

I would sincerely appreciate any input in which Airlines to use to avoid the fuel surcharge . Also which program would be better for taking these Routes .
Regards.



Jazzartist
Toronto

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

AAdvantage awards do not permit any free stopovers. Will you want to stop over at any of the connection points on your long-haul trips? If not, AA will almost always be better, if you can avoid redemptions on BA metal. (YYZ-CUN might be an exception, depending on time of year.)

Shareholder

Those of us who have BA Avios accounts seldom or never use them for anything but short haul AA/US flights and never for BA flights where the surcharges are laughably high. As you note, you can get a 50% bonus by converting Avion points to Avios miles, and BA is having a half off award sale too. So that combination could offset the cash surcharges on BA flights. But you can redeem Avios for AA/US flights and if you're converting enough Avion points now, any difference in the number of miles required by the BA/Avios chart vs the AAdvantage chart.

jazzartist

@GUV 1976
Thanks for your reply . I would definetly want to do stop over in my Long haul flights . I have found that some of the Routes I have mentioned if I by use AA and selet the right Airlines I can save lot of money . But Can you clarify if AA will allow ot not any stop over at all ?


@Shareholder

Thanks for your reply . I am planing to switch 60 to 70 of my total Avion to AA and the rest to Avios . I would then use the Avios for short haul in Europe and North America.

Jazzartist

jazzartist

I found this article which explains how to avoid Fuel surcharges in One World Airlines by selecting the right Airlines

http://travelisfree.com/2014/04/15/m...surcharges-yq/

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"But Can you clarify if AA will allow ot not any stop over at all ?"

AAdvantage awards do not permit any stopovers anywhere. On international awards, you have up to 24 hours to connect, however.

With the 50% bonus on Avios conversions, BAEC redemptions could work out better than AAdvantage redemptions if you want en-route stopovers, but only if you can avoid flights for which BAEC assesses high surcharges.

JDiver

Welcome!

That's a very helpful page.

jazzartist

Thanks J Diver .Whats your opinon for convertion BA or AA? I also have the option to switch to Asia Miles .

worldtraveller73

I faced the same situation, wanting to go YVR-SIN.

Avios was 90,000 points plus $364 taxes per person.
AAdvantage was 50,000 points per person.

The bonus did not make it worth my mile. I'm travelling with a 10 year old anyway so the stopover option did not add value under my circumstances.

I went with AAdvantage.

worldtraveller73

Data point to add here for Canadian readers.

I was waiting around for the usual transfer bonus that's occurred every fall for the past 3 years. This year there hasn't been one so I called in today to transfer the miles, foregoing any bonus.

I was informed by the agent that despite lots of calls surrounding the promotion, there isn't one planned or announced for the near future according to her "communications package".

The agent also advised that RBC does not view American Airlines in the same level of partnership with RBC as they do not offer, nor advertise, a dedicated AAdvantage points earning Visa card like the RBC British Airways Executive Club card or the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Visa Card. The suggestion was that the bonus points transfer might not appear as frequently as in years past.

I also called AAdvantage who informed me that the bonus was added by the issuing bank (RBC). The same information was received that no transfer bonus was in the near future.

It's a bit of a surprising position considering that the Canadian Credit Card market has gotten more competitive since CIBC ended their Aeroplan.

Thought that this might be of interest to some Canadian readers.

JDiver

I think it depends on one's strategies. For example, BA offers a very nice benefit upgrading WT+ to CW. One can use AA miles, but only on the most expensive WT+ fare, whereas using Avios that's not a requirement.

Shareholder

As of next month, RBC Avion transfers will only receive 7 AA miles for every 10 Avion points redeemed. While on the surface this looks massively unfair, it should be noted that the C$ has declined against the value of the US$ by almost 30% in the past couple of years (or the US$ has continued to rise against all world currencies over that period). What used to be a "normal" 1 AA mile per C$1 spent could not be maintained.

The BMO DinersClub card has always had a lower conversion than 1:1, though from time to time we'd be offered a 20% or so bonus on transfers.

I doubt we'll ever see another real AAdvantage credit card up here. IIRC TD issued one after CP merged into AC but ended it a few years later. Our RDM earning prospects are getting pretty meagre up here, with this change coming and the lowering of RDM earnings from flights booked in discount fare categories.

Of course Avionpoints can still be used to purchase revenue flight tickets at a value of $1 per 100 points. And those tickets, on the appropriate partner airline, can still earn RDMs, EQMs and EQDs.