Feb 22, 2019, 9:45 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Help with British Airways / BA and IB / Iberia Surcharge / YQ (AA award on BA or IB)
Please see here for the current thread.
Intra-European awards using BA have significantly lower carrier imposed charges; some members may find using AA or other partner transatlantic connecting to BA may be acceptable.
NOTE: Paying YQ may trigger a host of other taxes and fees otherwise not charged on awards that do not include carrier imposed surcharges such as YQ. Flights within the Americas are YQ exempt.
As this is still flying on an award, these carrier imposed surcharges do not qualify for EQM or EQD earning.
Be sure to read the oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on thread wiki for information on searching for and finding alternative flights or those not shown on aa.com, which airlines' websites can find those, etc.
Read more about BA Carrier Imposed Surcharges
Fuel Surcharge for AA award redemptions on BA are up - again.
Partner airline awards now bookable on AA.com (AB, AS, AY, BA, HA, HG, QF, RJ, US)
Does AA push most of its European Awards to BA to collect fuel surcharges?
Charts from TravelIsFree for the three alliances and how you will pay (or avoid) YQ: http://travelisfree.com/2014/04/15/m...surcharges-yq/
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
AA oneworld and Other Airline ("All Partner") Award information, rules (2015 on)
Originating a flight in the UK incurs an Air Passenger Duty, reduced for seats with less than 40" seat pitch (except those originating from originating in BFS / Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands (INV) or Islands, and connections less than 24 hours do not incur UK Air Passenger Duty, though they do incur airport Passenger Service Charges). Separate topic, dealt with:
UK APD / Air Passenger Duty charged for UK departures (Master Thread); defines what the APD is in the wikipost.
Avoiding crazy UK "APD" taxes when transferring through LHR on separate tickets
*Note: BA now calls the YQ a "carrier imposed surcharge" after complaints about the so-called original "fuel surcharge" language. As of October 2017 BA seems to be calling the YQ an "Insurance and Security Surcharge".
ARCHIVE: Avoiding YQ Surcharge: AA award on BA / British (& Iberia - 2012-2016)
Jul 9, 2012, 12:31 am
#136
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: American Airlines, starwood
Posts: 206
sk3 I just called AA and they check Tahiti Nui but nothing avail from LAX.
Of course I would like to use up the miles rather than pay they hefty taxes. I don't want to book the 2 anytime tix and then chance finding a rate sale before Xmas for the other 2 , it might not come through.
I will book the tickets on hold tomorrow and pay the "extortion"..good word for it! I will then be on the look out for all AA flight or another partner. Will subscribe to expert flyer too.
Of course I would like to use up the miles rather than pay they hefty taxes. I don't want to book the 2 anytime tix and then chance finding a rate sale before Xmas for the other 2 , it might not come through.
I will book the tickets on hold tomorrow and pay the "extortion"..good word for it! I will then be on the look out for all AA flight or another partner. Will subscribe to expert flyer too.
Jul 9, 2012, 12:40 am
#137
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 2,741
sk3 I just called AA and they check Tahiti Nui but nothing avail from LAX.
Of course I would like to use up the miles rather than pay they hefty taxes. I don't want to book the 2 anytime tix and then chance finding a rate sale before Xmas for the other 2 , it might not come through.
I will book the tickets on hold tomorrow and pay the "extortion"..good word for it! I will then be on the look out for all AA flight or another partner. Will subscribe to expert flyer too.
Of course I would like to use up the miles rather than pay they hefty taxes. I don't want to book the 2 anytime tix and then chance finding a rate sale before Xmas for the other 2 , it might not come through.
I will book the tickets on hold tomorrow and pay the "extortion"..good word for it! I will then be on the look out for all AA flight or another partner. Will subscribe to expert flyer too.
Jul 9, 2012, 7:28 pm
#138
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
So, you will not see the other partner availability.
Jul 10, 2012, 7:00 am
#140
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern UK
Programs: None since COVID - yet!
Posts: 330
Start rant {
I know we've spoken about the absurd "fees" BA imposes on award tickets made through AA, but I have officially found a new level:
BA 710 LHR-ZRH on August 8th.
AA Miles award: 20,000 miles + $111.50
Purchase on BA.com: 67 GBP or $103.68.
So it is cheaper to BUY the ticket than to get it for free??
}End rant.
Now to the question:
I found another flight leaving out of LCY, but it's still $89 worth of fees, might as well pay the extra $20 and receivethe miles and segments.
Are there other airports with award options that I'm not thinking of? There don't seem to be any OW available flights from LGW or STN.
Thanks all,
-A
Just to be clear, I know there are huge threads on this, and I don't really need assistance. It was just the first time I saw the price tip over to be more than the free ticket in total and wanted to remark on it. We don't need to start up another sticky/search rant.
I know we've spoken about the absurd "fees" BA imposes on award tickets made through AA, but I have officially found a new level:
BA 710 LHR-ZRH on August 8th.
AA Miles award: 20,000 miles + $111.50
Purchase on BA.com: 67 GBP or $103.68.
So it is cheaper to BUY the ticket than to get it for free??
}End rant.
Now to the question:
I found another flight leaving out of LCY, but it's still $89 worth of fees, might as well pay the extra $20 and receivethe miles and segments.
Are there other airports with award options that I'm not thinking of? There don't seem to be any OW available flights from LGW or STN.
Thanks all,
-A
Just to be clear, I know there are huge threads on this, and I don't really need assistance. It was just the first time I saw the price tip over to be more than the free ticket in total and wanted to remark on it. We don't need to start up another sticky/search rant.
Jan 16, 2013, 4:49 pm
#141
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: AA Plat Exec, Hilton Honors Diamond, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 220
Award Travel - beaten like a baby seal by BA
So, I haven't booked a trip using Advantage Miles in quite some time. I went to aa.com and spent CONSIDERABLE time finding dates/times to book 2 tickets from SAN - PRG for only 80k miles. SCORE! Felt pretty good about myself all the way up to closing out the transaction. That's when I learned I would have to pay over $1,300 in taxes....
I called the Advantage desk and was told that's the way it is when you fly on British Air metal....
Is there an easy way to find international destinations that American serves on their planes? Also, do all the AA partners (e.g. Japan Air) charge these high taxes when booking through AA??
I called the Advantage desk and was told that's the way it is when you fly on British Air metal.... Is there an easy way to find international destinations that American serves on their planes? Also, do all the AA partners (e.g. Japan Air) charge these high taxes when booking through AA??
Jan 16, 2013, 4:54 pm
#142
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
No, and there are threads discussing the BA surcharges. IB has surcharges that are not nearly as dead as those BA charges, and fortunately there are other airlines one can use (but some not via aa.com): AA, IB, AY, AB etc. that do not charge onerous surcharges. (Maybe that is why BA has more awards seats than some others?)
Thread merged into appropriate thread for the question. /Moderator
Thread merged into appropriate thread for the question. /Moderator
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 16, 2013 at 5:06 pm
Jan 16, 2013, 4:56 pm
#143
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
That's a rather unique title. 
Jan 16, 2013, 5:02 pm
#144
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NYC, SLC, LAX
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat
Posts: 3,951
AA.com clearly discloses that the fees range from "$2.50 to $700 per direction". You could have quite simply called AA and asked them what the fees are.
Jan 16, 2013, 6:31 pm
#145
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Jan 16, 2013, 6:48 pm
#146
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,535
Cheers.
Jan 16, 2013, 11:26 pm
#147
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
That range is so ridiculously big (a ~300 times difference between the high end and the low end) as to not be useful. By this logic, the award chart could just be blank and say "awards cost between 10,000 and 2.5 million miles per direction". That statement would be technically correct, but I don't think anyone would apply the word "clear" to the situation.
Jan 17, 2013, 6:55 am
#148
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Lewisville, TX USA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Bonvoy LT Ti; National EE; WDW Passholder
Posts: 838
Jan 17, 2013, 7:52 am
#149
Join Date: May 2004
Location: US
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 973
BA's fuel surcharge on some routes are so high that a cheap economy ticket is often no more than 10 to 25% higher than the "award" ticket. Fuel is essential to running a plane and it cannot called a surcharge. Also fuel prices have now stabilized to between $80 to $95/barrel and the airlines should have by now adjusted to this. Those days of $20 to 35 /bbl are never coming back, nor it should and as with inflation the fuel prices are reasonable when compared to the prices in 70's and 80's.
So it is now longer reasonable to charge any fuel surcharges on award tickets. Otherwise just refrain from calling it award tickets, but instead as a reduced fare tickets with avios as part payment.
So it is now longer reasonable to charge any fuel surcharges on award tickets. Otherwise just refrain from calling it award tickets, but instead as a reduced fare tickets with avios as part payment.
Jan 17, 2013, 9:22 am
#150
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,861
It's just a surcharge when redeeming AA miles. There's no reference to "fuel". Refer to the link in my signature.