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)
Apr 9, 2013, 10:01 pm
#211
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Apr 9, 2013, 11:12 pm
#213
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM
Posts: 2,080
Air Passenger Duty Reduced To Zero On All Long-Haul Flights From Belfast
It's a short drive from Belfast to Dublin airport; they couldn't have continued imposing a stiff tax that didn't apply at another major airport just down the road.
Apr 9, 2013, 11:34 pm
#214
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Tom in London
Apr 10, 2013, 6:27 am
#215
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... these fees apply to AAdvantage award tickets as a result of decisions made by the TATL joint venture. AA is part of the venture, and the venture has clearly decided that there's money to be made by imposing huge copays on BA metal, and then driving redemptions to BA metal by putting almost all of the availability there. So it's not a matter of "BA bad, AA good." They are in it together on the TATL routes.
Apr 10, 2013, 4:27 pm
#217
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Apr 13, 2013, 3:08 pm
#218
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Apr 13, 2013, 3:10 pm
#219
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Let's not forget that OP was planning to go to LHR. Using UA isn't going to eliminate the UK taxes. No one should put all their eggs in one basket. They are ways to play the mileage game in each alliance without flying a NA airline.
Apr 13, 2013, 3:53 pm
#220
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Avianca 100% Purchase Bonus Through April 30
Apr 21, 2013, 2:52 am
#221
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
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Posts: 514
Tricks to avoid BA taxes?
Folks - trying to book award flights to London this Fall; is there anyway to avoid the exorbitant taxes for BA award flights.
It is impossible to get seats on AA (I need 3 and hence the problem).
Thank you in advance.
It is impossible to get seats on AA (I need 3 and hence the problem).
Thank you in advance.
Apr 21, 2013, 3:12 am
#222
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 58
I'm looking at the same destination, and noticed while searching for award availability a thing that said "Taxes and Carrier-Imposed Fees: $2.50 to $700.00 USD per person per award". Quite a range of costs! So I assume the high end of the range is if the transatlantic portion is on BA?
Sorry I don't have an answer or tip for you, but I was just getting ready to post a question about what determines if the fees are $2.50 or $700, and noticed your post, which I think concerns the same issue.
Os
Sorry I don't have an answer or tip for you, but I was just getting ready to post a question about what determines if the fees are $2.50 or $700, and noticed your post, which I think concerns the same issue.
Os
Apr 21, 2013, 5:53 am
#223
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There are already tons of threads about this issue.
Apr 21, 2013, 6:22 am
#224
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Taxes (and death) cannot be avoided
Carrier-Imposed Fees & charges are a separate matter
As above (too) many threads on this topic (use the search feature)
Carrier-Imposed Fees & charges are a separate matter
As above (too) many threads on this topic (use the search feature)
Apr 21, 2013, 6:46 am
#225
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From the advanced award search page
6. What are your carrier preferences?
Check AA, American Eagle, and American Connection
That will avoid the BA-operated flights and their surcharges.