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)
#61
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Cerritos, CA
Programs: AA Plat; HH Gold; Marriott Silver; UCLA Fan
Posts: 798
[QUOTE=Xero;18635686]
What's next, advertise a $1 ticket but have a pilot surcharge, FA surcharge, jetway surcharge, lavatory surcharge, seat surcharge? And call them "taxes"?
Isn't that was Spirit does?
What's next, advertise a $1 ticket but have a pilot surcharge, FA surcharge, jetway surcharge, lavatory surcharge, seat surcharge? And call them "taxes"?
Isn't that was Spirit does?
#62
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,053
Umm, they could stop lying when they say that the 100K card is worth two tickets? They could give an estimate of the % of YQ to the average fare. Let's see how many people will sign up. I asked someone upthread of how many items have taxes and extras that comprises 75% of the main product? No reply so far. The common knowledge/expectation is that frequent fliers get free tickets.
#65
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: aa
Posts: 212
And they are doing business in the US, so when they go around peddling their 100K card as two free tickets to Europe, it is deceptive. Most US based airlines don't charge YQ, so its reasonable for people to feel angered. What was that saying, "when in Rome..."
Welcome to the USA and to international business where one adapts to the surroundings.
Who is talking about them?
When in Rome,...
Welcome to the USA and to international business where one adapts to the surroundings.
Who is talking about them?
When in Rome,...
Perhaps someone in US will go after this...the BA affiliated Chase cards (two offers out right now) Giving at least 100K Avios.
They talk about the 2-4-1 deals which are very attractive. But after putting together the required 270 K Avios for travel beyond LHR one finds out that a F ticket will incur additional charges of more than $2000.
I'm not sure where you get that idea from but you're throwing around "facts" that are simply not true. Frequent flyers may be aware of this issue with BA but if you stopped a leisure traveller in any UK high street and asked them about awards and redemptions the vast majority would not be aware that "free" can really mean you still have to pay in excess of 50% of what the ticket costs.
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,437
Its one thing to admit that YQ is here to stay and one might just try to make the best out of what one has. But I can't believe there are apologists who actually defend this practice. Find it weird that people love shelling out money for an "award" seat.
The most ludicrous argument was linking airline profitability to YQ. Yeah the YQ on a handful of seats per plane will swing any airline to profitability. Somehow they all managed to eke a life till YQ was introduced this past decade.
The most ludicrous argument was linking airline profitability to YQ. Yeah the YQ on a handful of seats per plane will swing any airline to profitability. Somehow they all managed to eke a life till YQ was introduced this past decade.
#67
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 473
I don't like YQ. Somehow it doesn't quite pass my smell test. Perhaps someday a regulator somewhere significant will ban it, but we seem to be stuck with it for the time being.
Unfortunately, I'd be very surprised if there have not been internal discussions at AA HQ as to whether to introduce the same thing. Perhaps they are just waiting for someone else to make the first move?
Unfortunately, I'd be very surprised if there have not been internal discussions at AA HQ as to whether to introduce the same thing. Perhaps they are just waiting for someone else to make the first move?
#68
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: AA Lifetime PLT , BA Silver , BD RIP , HH Gold, SPG / Marriott PLT , EF Subscriber
Posts: 6,698
Instead of the hugely profitable US market, right?
source: http://www.airlines.org/Pages/The-Pr...-Airlines.aspx
source: http://www.airlines.org/Pages/The-Pr...-Airlines.aspx
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,437
I don't like YQ. Somehow it doesn't quite pass my smell test. Perhaps someday a regulator somewhere significant will ban it, but we seem to be stuck with it for the time being.
Unfortunately, I'd be very surprised if there have not been internal discussions at AA HQ as to whether to introduce the same thing. Perhaps they are just waiting for someone else to make the first move?
Unfortunately, I'd be very surprised if there have not been internal discussions at AA HQ as to whether to introduce the same thing. Perhaps they are just waiting for someone else to make the first move?
#70
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: eastern Europe & NC
Posts: 4,527
I think DL will be the first to permanently implement it. They already played with it once in 2006/7? Tried to charge $50 on domestic redemptions.
#71
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: eastern Europe & NC
Posts: 4,527
In some instances they are sneaky ways to get around taxes. That is something that should make governments sit up and take notice and then outlaw YQ.
It has also been a technique for false advertising when it comes to revenue flights, pretending that the flight is cheaper than it reallly. This shell game of decoupling one part of the fare from the rest of it and then hiding it on the tax line is simply dishonest to all concerned.
It has also been a technique for false advertising when it comes to revenue flights, pretending that the flight is cheaper than it reallly. This shell game of decoupling one part of the fare from the rest of it and then hiding it on the tax line is simply dishonest to all concerned.
Funny how the EU regularly take US companies to task for services rendered in Europe--Google and Microsoft come to mind.
Or,
one could argue that by establishing a physical presence in the US, these foreign companies now fall under local laws.
Either way, YQs are deceptive.
If they weren't, why have them today?
If YQ are so above board, get rid of them and just lump them into the ticket price. What's BA afraid of? After all YQs date back to the days when airlines paid a commission to travel agents, and this was a sneaky way to reduce the "base fare" and thereby the amount of the commission paid.
Or we could have YQQ (seat cushion surcharge), YQX (staffing surcharge), YQW (aircraft tire surcharge). Why stop at fuel?
Or,
one could argue that by establishing a physical presence in the US, these foreign companies now fall under local laws.
Either way, YQs are deceptive.
If they weren't, why have them today?
If YQ are so above board, get rid of them and just lump them into the ticket price. What's BA afraid of? After all YQs date back to the days when airlines paid a commission to travel agents, and this was a sneaky way to reduce the "base fare" and thereby the amount of the commission paid.
Or we could have YQQ (seat cushion surcharge), YQX (staffing surcharge), YQW (aircraft tire surcharge). Why stop at fuel?
#72
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 56
Yes, you avoid the BA Bahksheesh for the long haul flight by flying AA, but get stiffed for the BA Bahsheesh for the shorter flight. Fortunately it is a lower amount.
If your flight at LHR is a connection (as opposed to a stopover), you should also be able to avoid the APD scam.
If your flight at LHR is a connection (as opposed to a stopover), you should also be able to avoid the APD scam.
To achieve this do you have to go with ba.com or aa.com ?
How do you get to mix and match airlines to avoid the <expletive> TAX that ba charges?
#73
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: aa
Posts: 212
Its one thing to admit that YQ is here to stay and one might just try to make the best out of what one has. But I can't believe there are apologists who actually defend this practice. Find it weird that people love shelling out money for an "award" seat.
The most ludicrous argument was linking airline profitability to YQ. Yeah the YQ on a handful of seats per plane will swing any airline to profitability. Somehow they all managed to eke a life till YQ was introduced this past decade.
The most ludicrous argument was linking airline profitability to YQ. Yeah the YQ on a handful of seats per plane will swing any airline to profitability. Somehow they all managed to eke a life till YQ was introduced this past decade.
If someone does an opinion poll, I am sure a majority of the flying public will say No to ideas of YQs!
#75
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,473
1. For award travel, fly on actual AA aircraft to/from your destination, as far as possible. Problem is AA has relatively few European destinations and zero African destinations.
This avoids BA and their nasty YQs for the TATL bit.
2. Since AA can only take you so far, look for a non BA partner that doesn't charge YQ to get you the rest of the way.
Even consider paying for the onward ticket. I've used paid BA flights (such as LHR to PRG), or flown on other carriers such as LH (paid) or Easy Jet or Ryan Air. It depends on what works out cheaper and is best use of miles.
If you are connecting at LHR you should be exempt from APD. If you make a stopover, you're stuck with APD.