The Ultimate BRITISH AIRWAYS Guide
Nov 1, 2004 | 3:17 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 6,037
The Tesco FAQ by RJB (and other partner information)
Collecting BA Miles with Tesco - The TESCO FAQ by RJB
Tesco is the UKs largest supermarket chain. It operates a loyalty card scheme called Tesco Clubcard which awards 1 point for every 1 spent. Points can be spent in-store or with partners, including BA. 1 point = 2.4 BA Miles.
As with the BA Amex, you can only convert points to BAEC accounts that are UK domiciled. Bear this in mind if you are considering moving your account to Europe to benefit from the lower tier point thresholds.
How do I join Clubcard?
Pick up a free card at any Tesco. Alternatively, apply for the Tesco Credit Card. This doubles as a Clubcard and, in addition, earns you 1 point for every 2 (equal to 1.2 BA Miles per 1) you spend on the card anywhere, not just at Tesco. This is not as good as the BA Premium Plus Amex (1.5 BA Miles per 1) but it can be used at places that refuse Amex eg council tax bills, John Lewis, Boots. It can also be useful if you normally use your BA Amex but want to delay the issuance of your next '2 for 1' redemption voucher.
You should apply for the Platinum Tesco Credit Card if you qualify as this earns 1 extra bonus point for every 2 spent on tesco.com.
Can I have multiple Clubcards?
Yes. Tesco does not pick up multiple cards with the same address, or even the same name. To avoid duplicated mailings, ring the Clubcard Helpline and have the accounts merged. You will then only get one statement with one points total.
Do other businesses award Clubcard points?
Tesco has a range of partners that award Clubcard points. You can find the current list by going to http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/clubcard/index1.htm and clicking the 'Partners' tab. It is worth noting that you get more BA Miles by crediting your Marriott hotel stays to Tesco (and then to BA) then you do by crediting them directly to BA.
How do I convert points to BA Miles?
You can check your points balance at any time by going to http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/clubcard/index1.htm and clicking 'Your Account'.
Once every quarter, you will receive a statement with vouchers for points earned (minimum 250). Quarters run from Aug-Oct, Nov-Jan, Feb-Apr and May-July and you will receive your statement 2-3 weeks later.
To convert your vouchers to BA Miles, print out the form at https://www.britishairways.com/execclub/tesco and post them to BA.
You can ask Tesco to send your points electronically to BA. You need to call the Clubcard helpline on 0800 591688 and ask for Tesco Freetime. Give the Freetime operator your BAEC number and you are away. You will still receive a statement in the post showing the miles earned.
How can I earn bonus points?
There are occasional bonus offers in-store. These are flagged on FT and often at fixtureferrets.co.uk and madaboutbargains.co.uk. These can get you BA Miles for less than 1p each, compared to 1.7p when buying them from BA. Recent offers included palmier biscuits, Laurent Perrier champagne and instant coffee.
These offers are usually available whether you shop in-store or on-line. Note that some stores may restrict you to six identical items in any single purchase. Points offers are usually not advertised in Metro or Local stores but they should register at the check-out.
Other offers can be found on tesco.com. The Electricals section often offers bonus points but Tescos prices are generally worse than other on-line electrical specialists. Some FTers buy these items and re-sell them on e-bay for a small loss that is outweighed by the bonus miles.
Tesco Life Insurance - Updated 15/03/05
One interesting points earning opportunity is with Tesco Life Insurance. Tesco is currently offering 4,500 points (10,800 BA Miles) if you take out a policy on-line and hold it for 10 months. Points are credited quarterly at the rate of 1000 after 30 days and then 1000 / 1000 / 1500 at three-month intervals.
You are limited to one policy per person, but dont forget to sign up your partner as well. The minimum monthly payment is 5 - if you apply for 1,000 of cover over a 2 year term, the system will automatically increase the cover to the maximum available for 5.
If you hold your policy for 10 months you will have earnt 10,800 BA Miles for an outlay of 50. If you do not wish to continue with the policy after this point, you should cancel your direct debit and send a letter to Norwich Union.
Other bonus points schemes
The other no brainer is the Tesco Savings Account. Sadly, this offer has not been repeated for a while. When it is running, you can earn 1,500 points (3,600 BA Miles) for investing 1,500 for three months.
Powergen runs regular offers through tesco.com offering 2,000 points for moving your gas and electricity, or 1,000 points for one fuel. You will also earn 1 point per 1 spent on fuel going forwards.
Tesco offer points for recycling old mobile phones (300 points if they turn on, 50 points otherwise) and inkjet cartridges (50 points). You need to pick up a green plastic postage-paid envelope from the leaflet rack in-store.
If you are going to book flights or hotels through lastminute.com, you can book them through the lastminute.com link at tesco.com (under Travel) and earn an additional 1 Clubcard point per 1 spent on top of your usual credit card points.
Other Tesco finance products occasionally offer points but these are only worthwhile if you need the product anyway. These include breakdown cover (500 points), pet insurance (1,000 points), personal loans (2,000 points), Tesco home phone service (1,000 points) and home and buildings insurance (1,000 points).
If you have a Tesco Credit Card, you will receive extra bonus point offers with your statements. You can also see other offers when you check your balance at tesco.com. If you join the Tesco World of Wine or Tesco Healthy Living Club (free, forms in store), you will receive regular mailings with bonus offers.
What is Premium Clubcard?
This scheme, now abolished, let customers who spent over 780 per quarter convert at 800 BA Miles per 250 points. If you ever converted at this level, Tesco is continuing to let you do so. Some reports say that Tescos computers are still accidentally converting at the higher rate for customers who spend over the threshold, but YMMV.
For the latest information of the Tesco / BA partnership, look at this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=410750
Other Partners
BA has a lot of other Hotel, Car Rental and other Partners.
Some of the more notable ones are Avis (who offer a pretty good AWD for BA Gold members and nice miles earning opportunities), and Travelex.
This link lists BAs hotel partners:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...l/public/en_gb
This link lists BAs car rental partners:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...e/public/en_gb
This link lists BAs other partners:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...e/public/en_gb
Tesco is the UKs largest supermarket chain. It operates a loyalty card scheme called Tesco Clubcard which awards 1 point for every 1 spent. Points can be spent in-store or with partners, including BA. 1 point = 2.4 BA Miles.
As with the BA Amex, you can only convert points to BAEC accounts that are UK domiciled. Bear this in mind if you are considering moving your account to Europe to benefit from the lower tier point thresholds.
How do I join Clubcard?
Pick up a free card at any Tesco. Alternatively, apply for the Tesco Credit Card. This doubles as a Clubcard and, in addition, earns you 1 point for every 2 (equal to 1.2 BA Miles per 1) you spend on the card anywhere, not just at Tesco. This is not as good as the BA Premium Plus Amex (1.5 BA Miles per 1) but it can be used at places that refuse Amex eg council tax bills, John Lewis, Boots. It can also be useful if you normally use your BA Amex but want to delay the issuance of your next '2 for 1' redemption voucher.
You should apply for the Platinum Tesco Credit Card if you qualify as this earns 1 extra bonus point for every 2 spent on tesco.com.
Can I have multiple Clubcards?
Yes. Tesco does not pick up multiple cards with the same address, or even the same name. To avoid duplicated mailings, ring the Clubcard Helpline and have the accounts merged. You will then only get one statement with one points total.
Do other businesses award Clubcard points?
Tesco has a range of partners that award Clubcard points. You can find the current list by going to http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/clubcard/index1.htm and clicking the 'Partners' tab. It is worth noting that you get more BA Miles by crediting your Marriott hotel stays to Tesco (and then to BA) then you do by crediting them directly to BA.
How do I convert points to BA Miles?
You can check your points balance at any time by going to http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/clubcard/index1.htm and clicking 'Your Account'.
Once every quarter, you will receive a statement with vouchers for points earned (minimum 250). Quarters run from Aug-Oct, Nov-Jan, Feb-Apr and May-July and you will receive your statement 2-3 weeks later.
To convert your vouchers to BA Miles, print out the form at https://www.britishairways.com/execclub/tesco and post them to BA.
You can ask Tesco to send your points electronically to BA. You need to call the Clubcard helpline on 0800 591688 and ask for Tesco Freetime. Give the Freetime operator your BAEC number and you are away. You will still receive a statement in the post showing the miles earned.
How can I earn bonus points?
There are occasional bonus offers in-store. These are flagged on FT and often at fixtureferrets.co.uk and madaboutbargains.co.uk. These can get you BA Miles for less than 1p each, compared to 1.7p when buying them from BA. Recent offers included palmier biscuits, Laurent Perrier champagne and instant coffee.
These offers are usually available whether you shop in-store or on-line. Note that some stores may restrict you to six identical items in any single purchase. Points offers are usually not advertised in Metro or Local stores but they should register at the check-out.
Other offers can be found on tesco.com. The Electricals section often offers bonus points but Tescos prices are generally worse than other on-line electrical specialists. Some FTers buy these items and re-sell them on e-bay for a small loss that is outweighed by the bonus miles.
Tesco Life Insurance - Updated 15/03/05
One interesting points earning opportunity is with Tesco Life Insurance. Tesco is currently offering 4,500 points (10,800 BA Miles) if you take out a policy on-line and hold it for 10 months. Points are credited quarterly at the rate of 1000 after 30 days and then 1000 / 1000 / 1500 at three-month intervals.
You are limited to one policy per person, but dont forget to sign up your partner as well. The minimum monthly payment is 5 - if you apply for 1,000 of cover over a 2 year term, the system will automatically increase the cover to the maximum available for 5.
If you hold your policy for 10 months you will have earnt 10,800 BA Miles for an outlay of 50. If you do not wish to continue with the policy after this point, you should cancel your direct debit and send a letter to Norwich Union.
Other bonus points schemes
The other no brainer is the Tesco Savings Account. Sadly, this offer has not been repeated for a while. When it is running, you can earn 1,500 points (3,600 BA Miles) for investing 1,500 for three months.
Powergen runs regular offers through tesco.com offering 2,000 points for moving your gas and electricity, or 1,000 points for one fuel. You will also earn 1 point per 1 spent on fuel going forwards.
Tesco offer points for recycling old mobile phones (300 points if they turn on, 50 points otherwise) and inkjet cartridges (50 points). You need to pick up a green plastic postage-paid envelope from the leaflet rack in-store.
If you are going to book flights or hotels through lastminute.com, you can book them through the lastminute.com link at tesco.com (under Travel) and earn an additional 1 Clubcard point per 1 spent on top of your usual credit card points.
Other Tesco finance products occasionally offer points but these are only worthwhile if you need the product anyway. These include breakdown cover (500 points), pet insurance (1,000 points), personal loans (2,000 points), Tesco home phone service (1,000 points) and home and buildings insurance (1,000 points).
If you have a Tesco Credit Card, you will receive extra bonus point offers with your statements. You can also see other offers when you check your balance at tesco.com. If you join the Tesco World of Wine or Tesco Healthy Living Club (free, forms in store), you will receive regular mailings with bonus offers.
What is Premium Clubcard?
This scheme, now abolished, let customers who spent over 780 per quarter convert at 800 BA Miles per 250 points. If you ever converted at this level, Tesco is continuing to let you do so. Some reports say that Tescos computers are still accidentally converting at the higher rate for customers who spend over the threshold, but YMMV.
For the latest information of the Tesco / BA partnership, look at this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=410750
Other Partners
BA has a lot of other Hotel, Car Rental and other Partners.
Some of the more notable ones are Avis (who offer a pretty good AWD for BA Gold members and nice miles earning opportunities), and Travelex.
This link lists BAs hotel partners:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...l/public/en_gb
This link lists BAs car rental partners:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...e/public/en_gb
This link lists BAs other partners:
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...e/public/en_gb
Last edited by Dave_C; Mar 15, 2005 at 3:48 am
Nov 1, 2004 | 3:18 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 6,037
Fare Classes
This fare list comes from G-BOAC
A Discount First
B Semi-Flexible Economy
C Discount Club
D Discount Club
E Staff (Bookable)
F Full Fare First
G - Groups
H Semi-Flexible Economy
I Discount Club
J Full Fare Club
K Discount Economy
L Discount Economy
M Discount Economy
N Discount Economy
O Discount Economy
P World Traveller Plus Redemptions
Q Discount Economy
R Discount Economy
S Discount Economy
T Discount World Traveller Plus
U Club Redemptions
V Discount Economy
W Full Fare World Traveller Plus
X Economy Redemption
Y Full Fare Economy
Z First Redemptions
NB, The designations above are a guide only. Fare rules and the restrictions vary considerably from long to short haul, and on country of purchase.
A Discount First
B Semi-Flexible Economy
C Discount Club
D Discount Club
E Staff (Bookable)
F Full Fare First
G - Groups
H Semi-Flexible Economy
I Discount Club
J Full Fare Club
K Discount Economy
L Discount Economy
M Discount Economy
N Discount Economy
O Discount Economy
P World Traveller Plus Redemptions
Q Discount Economy
R Discount Economy
S Discount Economy
T Discount World Traveller Plus
U Club Redemptions
V Discount Economy
W Full Fare World Traveller Plus
X Economy Redemption
Y Full Fare Economy
Z First Redemptions
NB, The designations above are a guide only. Fare rules and the restrictions vary considerably from long to short haul, and on country of purchase.
Last edited by Dave_C; Nov 2, 2004 at 2:32 am
Nov 2, 2004 | 1:38 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 6,037
Change Log
02Nov04 0830 - Factual Error - Amex Post - Basic Amex doesn't earn double miles on BA purchases. 1 mi per 1 across the board. Thanks fgbdavidson
02Nov04 0830 - Typo - Travel Classes - Hindmarch now spelt correctly. Thanks The Disco Volante
02Nov04 0830 - Typo - Travel Classes - 767 seating corrected to 2-3-2. Thanks The Disco Volante
02Nov04 0830 - Addition - Lounges - Hanover only lets in status Pax. Thanks The Disco Volante
02Nov04 0850 - Addition - ceBA - Can only OLCI once when using print your own BP. Thanks economyman.
02Nov04 0925 - Factual Error - Travel Classes - Width for CE convertible seating is two inches wider. Thanks edi-travaller.
02Nov04 0925 - Addition - Fare Codes - Added a NB to check rules as flexibility varies widely depending on country of purchase. Thanks edi-travaller.
02Nov04 1005 - Typo - Earning Miles - Corrected Great Circle Mapper URL. Thanks ropmot141.
02Nov04 1050 - Addition - Amex - Basic card is free for the first year. Added link to T&C's. Thanks Aerotec.
02Nov04 1115 - Addition - Lounges - BA Gold/Silver when travelling on a oneworld partner may not always gain access to a 3rd party lounge. Thanks oyster.
02Nov04 1145 - Factual Error - Fleet - OCW/WT 767 mislabelled as European config. Thanks edi-travaller.
02Nov04 1800 - Addition - Fleet - Added info about BMed not converting to NCW, but making minor changes in 2005.
02Nov04 2045 - Addition - Travel Classes - Added link to Club World Flash animation on ba.com.
02Nov04 2110 - Addition - Lounges - Added link to BTOpenzone list on ba.com.
02Nov04 2150 - Addition - Tier Points - Added section on fifth freedom flights. Thanks jahason.
03Nov04 1545 - Addition - Oneworld - Added section about not earning miles on AA transatlantic. Thanks economyman.
03Nov04 1550 - Addition - Amex - Added section on time limit for voucher. Thanks pauldb.
03Nov04 2135 - Factual Error - Membership Countries - Africa requires the same level of tier points as UK and NA regions. Thanks SchmekFlyer
03Nov04 2135 - Addition - Membership Countries - Added in lists of African and European countries. Thanks SchmekFlyer.
04Nov04 1545 - Addition - Lounges - Added info about T-Mobile WiFi at LHR. Thanks chucko.
05Nov04 1200 - Correction - Fleet - Corrected seat map links. Thanks Jet2K
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - Travel Classes - Added photo links to airliners.net. Thanks apudme.
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - Travelling with Kids - Added new section. Thanks MIAFlyer
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - What Terminal? - Added new section. Thanks SanDiego1K.
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - Tier Points - Added BMed 5th Freedom Flight. Thanks jahason.
05Nov04 1230 - Addition - Amex - Added link to German Mastercard. Thanks FLYGVA.
06Nov04 2355 - Addition - Amex - Added link to French and Dutch Diners Cards. Thanks economyman.
07Nov04 2140 - Terminal Guide - Update - Basle flights now depart T4. Thanks timol.
07Nov04 2155 - Lounges - Addition - Added link to Terraces info on ba.com. Thanks shuttle-bored.
08Nov04 1325 - Fleet - Addition - Posted full fleet breakdown as listed in the Q4 2004/5 results.
09Nov04 1230 - Tesco - Addition - Added in the Tesco FAQ. Thanks RJB
09Nov04 1455 - Lounges - Addition - Added Gold Open Doors policy info (what an omission!), and added info about Geneva not granting open doors during the ski season. Thanks StewieMac.
12Nov04 1715 - Amex - Addition - Added info that stopovers are allowed with the amex voucher. Thanks pauldb and ropmot141.
14Nov04 2220 - Travel Classes - Addition - Added UK Domestic. Thanks GregM.
14Nov04 2220 - Lounges - Addition - Added the UK Business Passengers get terraces access and noted exceptions. Thanks GregM.
16Nov04 1030 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added info on when miles expire. Thanks pauldb.
24Nov04 1725 - Several - Typo - Lots of typographical errors. Thanks lowlyblue.
25Nov04 1530 - ceBA - Addition - Change seat for OLCI will NOT work with Safari under MacOS X, only IE5.
26Nov04 1105 - exLIS - Updated with NB about fares ending. Edit by dnw.
30Nov04 1535 - Terminal Guide - Addition - Gibraltar flights now also depart LHR T1.
02Dec04 1925 - Lounges - Correction - Open doors for golds does apply to Pax on scheduled (but not Charter) flights. Thanks HugoCH.
21Dec04 1430 - Joining EC - Addition - Added quote from Lyndsay re: comping.
05Jan05 1210 - Tesco - Update - Life insurance promo changed. Thanks RJB.
05Jan05 1245 - Fleet - Addition - Added convertible CE/ET seating diagram. Thanks jamespvg.
05Jan05 1255 - Tesco - Typo - Corrected url. Thanks ropmot141.
13Jan05 1005 - Lounges - Addition - Added info on new TLV lounge. Thanks virtualtroy.
21Jan05 1030 - Lounges - Addition - Added info on IAD lounge refurbishment.
08Feb05 1045 - Fleet - Update - Updated Fleet makeup from Q3 results.
03Mar05 1535 - Fleet - Update - Removed reference to two class LGW 777 as they have now all been dusked.
15Mar05 1045 - Tesco - Update Life Insurance Info. Thanks RJB.
19Mar05 1135 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added info on miles redemptions for children and infants. Thanks The Disco Volante.
19Mar05 1250 - Travel Classes - Addition - Added link to FIRST flash product guide on ba.com.
25Mar05 1440 - Spending Miles - Correction - Removed reference to Y - J upgrades on LGW 777's. Thanks spotwelder.
25Mar05 1445 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added note about one way MFU's. Thanks spotwelder.
25Mar05 1455 - Travel Classes - Correction - Removed reference to OCW on LGW 777's. Thanks spotwelder.
13Apr05 1100 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added European threshold for high value gold upgrade voucher and information that it now books into revenue classes. Thanks mijne.
10May05 1145 - Lounges - Addition - Added link to ba.com with new lounge access table. Thanks yyzlhr.
30May05 1730 - Lounges - Addition - Added note about CDG not admitting other oneworld elites. Thanks alex69uk.
30Aug05 1832 - Amex - Addition - Added note that you can't combine 2-for-1 and GUF2, and availability. Thanks ropmot141
02Nov04 0830 - Typo - Travel Classes - Hindmarch now spelt correctly. Thanks The Disco Volante
02Nov04 0830 - Typo - Travel Classes - 767 seating corrected to 2-3-2. Thanks The Disco Volante
02Nov04 0830 - Addition - Lounges - Hanover only lets in status Pax. Thanks The Disco Volante
02Nov04 0850 - Addition - ceBA - Can only OLCI once when using print your own BP. Thanks economyman.
02Nov04 0925 - Factual Error - Travel Classes - Width for CE convertible seating is two inches wider. Thanks edi-travaller.
02Nov04 0925 - Addition - Fare Codes - Added a NB to check rules as flexibility varies widely depending on country of purchase. Thanks edi-travaller.
02Nov04 1005 - Typo - Earning Miles - Corrected Great Circle Mapper URL. Thanks ropmot141.
02Nov04 1050 - Addition - Amex - Basic card is free for the first year. Added link to T&C's. Thanks Aerotec.
02Nov04 1115 - Addition - Lounges - BA Gold/Silver when travelling on a oneworld partner may not always gain access to a 3rd party lounge. Thanks oyster.
02Nov04 1145 - Factual Error - Fleet - OCW/WT 767 mislabelled as European config. Thanks edi-travaller.
02Nov04 1800 - Addition - Fleet - Added info about BMed not converting to NCW, but making minor changes in 2005.
02Nov04 2045 - Addition - Travel Classes - Added link to Club World Flash animation on ba.com.
02Nov04 2110 - Addition - Lounges - Added link to BTOpenzone list on ba.com.
02Nov04 2150 - Addition - Tier Points - Added section on fifth freedom flights. Thanks jahason.
03Nov04 1545 - Addition - Oneworld - Added section about not earning miles on AA transatlantic. Thanks economyman.
03Nov04 1550 - Addition - Amex - Added section on time limit for voucher. Thanks pauldb.
03Nov04 2135 - Factual Error - Membership Countries - Africa requires the same level of tier points as UK and NA regions. Thanks SchmekFlyer
03Nov04 2135 - Addition - Membership Countries - Added in lists of African and European countries. Thanks SchmekFlyer.
04Nov04 1545 - Addition - Lounges - Added info about T-Mobile WiFi at LHR. Thanks chucko.
05Nov04 1200 - Correction - Fleet - Corrected seat map links. Thanks Jet2K
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - Travel Classes - Added photo links to airliners.net. Thanks apudme.
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - Travelling with Kids - Added new section. Thanks MIAFlyer
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - What Terminal? - Added new section. Thanks SanDiego1K.
05Nov04 1200 - Addition - Tier Points - Added BMed 5th Freedom Flight. Thanks jahason.
05Nov04 1230 - Addition - Amex - Added link to German Mastercard. Thanks FLYGVA.
06Nov04 2355 - Addition - Amex - Added link to French and Dutch Diners Cards. Thanks economyman.
07Nov04 2140 - Terminal Guide - Update - Basle flights now depart T4. Thanks timol.
07Nov04 2155 - Lounges - Addition - Added link to Terraces info on ba.com. Thanks shuttle-bored.
08Nov04 1325 - Fleet - Addition - Posted full fleet breakdown as listed in the Q4 2004/5 results.
09Nov04 1230 - Tesco - Addition - Added in the Tesco FAQ. Thanks RJB
09Nov04 1455 - Lounges - Addition - Added Gold Open Doors policy info (what an omission!), and added info about Geneva not granting open doors during the ski season. Thanks StewieMac.
12Nov04 1715 - Amex - Addition - Added info that stopovers are allowed with the amex voucher. Thanks pauldb and ropmot141.
14Nov04 2220 - Travel Classes - Addition - Added UK Domestic. Thanks GregM.
14Nov04 2220 - Lounges - Addition - Added the UK Business Passengers get terraces access and noted exceptions. Thanks GregM.
16Nov04 1030 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added info on when miles expire. Thanks pauldb.
24Nov04 1725 - Several - Typo - Lots of typographical errors. Thanks lowlyblue.
25Nov04 1530 - ceBA - Addition - Change seat for OLCI will NOT work with Safari under MacOS X, only IE5.
26Nov04 1105 - exLIS - Updated with NB about fares ending. Edit by dnw.
30Nov04 1535 - Terminal Guide - Addition - Gibraltar flights now also depart LHR T1.
02Dec04 1925 - Lounges - Correction - Open doors for golds does apply to Pax on scheduled (but not Charter) flights. Thanks HugoCH.
21Dec04 1430 - Joining EC - Addition - Added quote from Lyndsay re: comping.
05Jan05 1210 - Tesco - Update - Life insurance promo changed. Thanks RJB.
05Jan05 1245 - Fleet - Addition - Added convertible CE/ET seating diagram. Thanks jamespvg.
05Jan05 1255 - Tesco - Typo - Corrected url. Thanks ropmot141.
13Jan05 1005 - Lounges - Addition - Added info on new TLV lounge. Thanks virtualtroy.
21Jan05 1030 - Lounges - Addition - Added info on IAD lounge refurbishment.
08Feb05 1045 - Fleet - Update - Updated Fleet makeup from Q3 results.
03Mar05 1535 - Fleet - Update - Removed reference to two class LGW 777 as they have now all been dusked.
15Mar05 1045 - Tesco - Update Life Insurance Info. Thanks RJB.
19Mar05 1135 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added info on miles redemptions for children and infants. Thanks The Disco Volante.
19Mar05 1250 - Travel Classes - Addition - Added link to FIRST flash product guide on ba.com.
25Mar05 1440 - Spending Miles - Correction - Removed reference to Y - J upgrades on LGW 777's. Thanks spotwelder.
25Mar05 1445 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added note about one way MFU's. Thanks spotwelder.
25Mar05 1455 - Travel Classes - Correction - Removed reference to OCW on LGW 777's. Thanks spotwelder.
13Apr05 1100 - Spending Miles - Addition - Added European threshold for high value gold upgrade voucher and information that it now books into revenue classes. Thanks mijne.
10May05 1145 - Lounges - Addition - Added link to ba.com with new lounge access table. Thanks yyzlhr.
30May05 1730 - Lounges - Addition - Added note about CDG not admitting other oneworld elites. Thanks alex69uk.
30Aug05 1832 - Amex - Addition - Added note that you can't combine 2-for-1 and GUF2, and availability. Thanks ropmot141
Last edited by Dave_C; Aug 30, 2005 at 11:33 am
Nov 2, 2004 | 4:58 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,539
Originally Posted by loobtastic
May I ask... do you have kids?
Originally Posted by loobtastic
How the hell do you find the time to be captains of industry and do all this?????
..... Well I'm a poor scummy student 
Nov 4, 2004 | 2:26 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Phila, PA
Posts: 891
[QUOTE=Dave_C]There are fours types of lounge on the BA Network, the Concorde Rooms, First lounges, Club Lounges / Terraces, and Arrivals Lounges.
There is also a BA 'Serenity Lounge' at LHR near gate 7. That's for the passenger who needs cart/wheelchair assistance to and from the gates and has a wait between flights. It is very organized and timed well.
Jane in PHL (was there x 2 over the past weekend)
There is also a BA 'Serenity Lounge' at LHR near gate 7. That's for the passenger who needs cart/wheelchair assistance to and from the gates and has a wait between flights. It is very organized and timed well.
Jane in PHL (was there x 2 over the past weekend)
Last edited by JanePond; Nov 5, 2004 at 10:50 am
Nov 4, 2004 | 3:30 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: SFO
Programs: HH Silver, SPG Gold, PC Plat, IC Royal Ambassador, UA 1K, Founder www.SeatExpert.com , CO Platinum
Posts: 1,924
Minor correction to link
Mistakenly posted here, please go to
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...93#post3363693 instead.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...93#post3363693 instead.
Last edited by Jet2K; Nov 4, 2004 at 4:11 pm Reason: Moved to different thread
Nov 5, 2004 | 3:09 am
#26
Moderator: InterContinental Hotels and Germany
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,192
I am impressed
Wow, that is a fantastic summary, I am really impressed ^ .
This must have been a lot of work. By the way, for German Ececutive Club Members, there is an Mastercard offer by Britisch Airways.
This must have been a lot of work. By the way, for German Ececutive Club Members, there is an Mastercard offer by Britisch Airways.
Nov 5, 2004 | 4:43 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 6,037
Guide to Travelling with Children by MIAFlyer
The Guide to Travelling with Children by MIAFlyer
I am an American currently living in Geneva, Switzerland. We fly to the US 2 or 3 times per year. I have three boys, 5 yrs, 3 yrs and 18 months now, so I know how much fun traveling with children can be. I will try to give you my point of view.
1 - BA is by far, the best airline for transatlantic travel with children. Period. This will be backed up by the statements below....
2 - Seating - To directly answer your post, no, the arm rests in WT+ do not raise. I don't think any of the arm rests on any BA plane raise. However, unless your car seat is some giant monstrosity, it should fit. I believe in order for it to be FAA approved, the base can not be more than 17 inches wide, which is the smallest seat currently used on US airlines. Our Graco seat fits in BA long/short haul WT and WT+ seats.
3 - Safety - In previous posts, you were quite concerned about the whole car seat/infant cot/safety issue. Here are my experiences...
3a - Infant in a seat - If you are SURE your seat meets BOTH FAA and CAA standards, you will not have a problem using it in flight. Key points are - Must be a 5 point harness (meaning there is webbing crossing the little one attached to the shell of the seat in 5 locations), most US car seats that are both forward and rear facing are 5 point, there are a few that are 3 point, but not many. The seat must be forward facing. The reason for this is based upon how airplane seats are designed to move forward in a crash. Example: If you have a rear facing infant seat in seat 12A, and the airplane crashes, the person in 13A would be forced forward into the back of the seat 12A. This seat is will move forward and crush the little one in 12A. So there is a reason for them to be forward facing. If your little one is too young to be forward facing in a car, he is too little to be forward facing in an airplane. My experience has been that BA cabin crew will let the little one stay in his car seat for take off and landing provided it is forward facing and properly installed.
3b - Infant on your lap - I am a mechanical engineer. BA is the only airline I have experienced that understands the forces involved in a crash. They have a specially designed figure 8 lap belt that attaches the little one to your seatbelt OUTSIDE of your body/belt loop. This is the safest way for your little one to travel for take off and landing(yes, better than in a car seat), mainly based upon the time to exit the plane.
3c - BA Britax/Sleeping cots - My troupe has flown in both Club (when the Swiss franc was 1.45 to the dollar) and in WT+ (when the Swiss franc was 1.2 to the dollar!) so I have experience with the setup in both cabins (they are the same). The Britax seat looks just like a car seat, and if you are lucky enough to get a bulkhead seat, the cabin crew will come around right after takeoff and setup your seat for you. Usually, it is a fold down tray, about 20 inches deep to about 30 inches wide coming from the bulkhead in front of you. Same thing with the sleeping cots. I have big boys, and my 8 month old fit just fine in the Britax seat, and was slightly too big for the sleeping cot at 17 months.
4 - Purchase a seat/hope for bulkhead/why won't they give me both - I had exactly the same discussion with BA. Do I purchase 4 WT+ tickets, and ask for a bulkhead, or do I buy 5 tickets and put the youngest in his own seat. BA told me exactly the same thing, if you have an infant in your lap, paying the infant fare, we will try to allocate you a bulkhead seat. If you buy the infant a seat, we will NOT try to allocate you a bulkhead. The thought of having a 17 month old squirming on my lap in a crowded cabin made me purchase 5 WT+ tickets. My experience has been there are VERY FEW parents with children traveling in WT+. In fact, each time we have traveled in WT+, my three little ones were the only children on the plane. Thus, I think your odds of getting a bulkhead seat are probably pretty good. Having said that, you can also purchase a seat for your child and ask at the airport check in desk for the bulkhead seats. We have always been able to get at least two bulkhead seats this way.
5 - Food - The kids meals on BA are actually food my kids will eat. Chicken nuggets, baked beans, and far too much chocolate (which we took away...). You will have to ask for a childrens' meal at least 24 hours before the flight. Your travel agent can to this, or you can call BA directly. If you do not call ahead, you will not get a child's meal. Baby food is carried on all flights, but we always brought our own anyway.
6 - Entertainment packs - BA also has a game pack that they give kids. They have one for 2-6 year olds and 6-12 year olds. The 2-6 year olds get a coloring book, pad of paper, crayons, and a stuffed animal type airplane. The 6-12 year olds get a puzzle book (crossword, connect the dots, etc.) and a little electronic game that my 5 yr old loves. (Off topic - LX and LH give out Legos and Matchbox cars, US Flag carriers don't give anything).
7 - Flight Crew - While my experiences are limited to Club and WT+, the flight crew on each BA flight have truly gone out of their way to make my wife and I, and more importantly, our children, comfortable and happy on our flights. LH, DL, and Alitalia greeted us with a sneer. Never again. This has cost them significant dollars in terms of my business travel, but that is the subject of another thread.
8 - Ground Services - I have a BA Gold card, my wife and 2 of the 3 children have Silver cards, so my experiences may be tainted. We have always been welcomed in the lounges (and promptly directed to the Toybox!), check in has always been easy, we were allowed to take our buggy/pram/stroller right to the plane, (all but once it was stored in the cabin instead of luggage).
Now, not everything is rosy with BA and Heathrow, changing planes/terminals there is a giant pain. But overall, compared to any other transatlantic service, BA is the way to go. Whatever you do, do not fly Alitalia. Even if you purchase a seat for your child, they will not let you use a car seat, even during the flight. They would rather the infant sit in an adult seat, by themselves, or be held by a parent for the whole flight. The sooner they go bankrupt, the better.
Hope this helps!
I am an American currently living in Geneva, Switzerland. We fly to the US 2 or 3 times per year. I have three boys, 5 yrs, 3 yrs and 18 months now, so I know how much fun traveling with children can be. I will try to give you my point of view.
1 - BA is by far, the best airline for transatlantic travel with children. Period. This will be backed up by the statements below....
2 - Seating - To directly answer your post, no, the arm rests in WT+ do not raise. I don't think any of the arm rests on any BA plane raise. However, unless your car seat is some giant monstrosity, it should fit. I believe in order for it to be FAA approved, the base can not be more than 17 inches wide, which is the smallest seat currently used on US airlines. Our Graco seat fits in BA long/short haul WT and WT+ seats.
3 - Safety - In previous posts, you were quite concerned about the whole car seat/infant cot/safety issue. Here are my experiences...
3a - Infant in a seat - If you are SURE your seat meets BOTH FAA and CAA standards, you will not have a problem using it in flight. Key points are - Must be a 5 point harness (meaning there is webbing crossing the little one attached to the shell of the seat in 5 locations), most US car seats that are both forward and rear facing are 5 point, there are a few that are 3 point, but not many. The seat must be forward facing. The reason for this is based upon how airplane seats are designed to move forward in a crash. Example: If you have a rear facing infant seat in seat 12A, and the airplane crashes, the person in 13A would be forced forward into the back of the seat 12A. This seat is will move forward and crush the little one in 12A. So there is a reason for them to be forward facing. If your little one is too young to be forward facing in a car, he is too little to be forward facing in an airplane. My experience has been that BA cabin crew will let the little one stay in his car seat for take off and landing provided it is forward facing and properly installed.
3b - Infant on your lap - I am a mechanical engineer. BA is the only airline I have experienced that understands the forces involved in a crash. They have a specially designed figure 8 lap belt that attaches the little one to your seatbelt OUTSIDE of your body/belt loop. This is the safest way for your little one to travel for take off and landing(yes, better than in a car seat), mainly based upon the time to exit the plane.
3c - BA Britax/Sleeping cots - My troupe has flown in both Club (when the Swiss franc was 1.45 to the dollar) and in WT+ (when the Swiss franc was 1.2 to the dollar!) so I have experience with the setup in both cabins (they are the same). The Britax seat looks just like a car seat, and if you are lucky enough to get a bulkhead seat, the cabin crew will come around right after takeoff and setup your seat for you. Usually, it is a fold down tray, about 20 inches deep to about 30 inches wide coming from the bulkhead in front of you. Same thing with the sleeping cots. I have big boys, and my 8 month old fit just fine in the Britax seat, and was slightly too big for the sleeping cot at 17 months.
4 - Purchase a seat/hope for bulkhead/why won't they give me both - I had exactly the same discussion with BA. Do I purchase 4 WT+ tickets, and ask for a bulkhead, or do I buy 5 tickets and put the youngest in his own seat. BA told me exactly the same thing, if you have an infant in your lap, paying the infant fare, we will try to allocate you a bulkhead seat. If you buy the infant a seat, we will NOT try to allocate you a bulkhead. The thought of having a 17 month old squirming on my lap in a crowded cabin made me purchase 5 WT+ tickets. My experience has been there are VERY FEW parents with children traveling in WT+. In fact, each time we have traveled in WT+, my three little ones were the only children on the plane. Thus, I think your odds of getting a bulkhead seat are probably pretty good. Having said that, you can also purchase a seat for your child and ask at the airport check in desk for the bulkhead seats. We have always been able to get at least two bulkhead seats this way.
5 - Food - The kids meals on BA are actually food my kids will eat. Chicken nuggets, baked beans, and far too much chocolate (which we took away...). You will have to ask for a childrens' meal at least 24 hours before the flight. Your travel agent can to this, or you can call BA directly. If you do not call ahead, you will not get a child's meal. Baby food is carried on all flights, but we always brought our own anyway.
6 - Entertainment packs - BA also has a game pack that they give kids. They have one for 2-6 year olds and 6-12 year olds. The 2-6 year olds get a coloring book, pad of paper, crayons, and a stuffed animal type airplane. The 6-12 year olds get a puzzle book (crossword, connect the dots, etc.) and a little electronic game that my 5 yr old loves. (Off topic - LX and LH give out Legos and Matchbox cars, US Flag carriers don't give anything).
7 - Flight Crew - While my experiences are limited to Club and WT+, the flight crew on each BA flight have truly gone out of their way to make my wife and I, and more importantly, our children, comfortable and happy on our flights. LH, DL, and Alitalia greeted us with a sneer. Never again. This has cost them significant dollars in terms of my business travel, but that is the subject of another thread.
8 - Ground Services - I have a BA Gold card, my wife and 2 of the 3 children have Silver cards, so my experiences may be tainted. We have always been welcomed in the lounges (and promptly directed to the Toybox!), check in has always been easy, we were allowed to take our buggy/pram/stroller right to the plane, (all but once it was stored in the cabin instead of luggage).
Now, not everything is rosy with BA and Heathrow, changing planes/terminals there is a giant pain. But overall, compared to any other transatlantic service, BA is the way to go. Whatever you do, do not fly Alitalia. Even if you purchase a seat for your child, they will not let you use a car seat, even during the flight. They would rather the infant sit in an adult seat, by themselves, or be held by a parent for the whole flight. The sooner they go bankrupt, the better.
Hope this helps!
Nov 5, 2004 | 5:00 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 6,037
What London Airport, and What Terminal is my BA Flight?
Code:
Aberdeen Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Abu Dhabi Heathrow Terminal 4 Abuja Heathrow Terminal 4 Accra Heathrow Terminal 4 Addis Ababa Heathrow Terminal 4 Agadir Gatwick North Aleppo Heathrow Terminal 4 Alexandria - Borg el Arab Heathrow Terminal 4 Algiers Gatwick North Alicante Gatwick North Almaty Heathrow Terminal 4 Almeria Gatwick North Amman Heathrow Terminal 4 Amsterdam Heathrow Terminal 4 or Gatwick North Antigua Gatwick North Arrecife - Lanzarote Gatwick North Asturias Gatwick South Athens Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Atlanta Gatwick North Bahrain Heathrow Terminal 4 Baku Heathrow Terminal 4 Baltimore Heathrow Terminal 4 Bangkok Heathrow Terminal 4 Barbados Gatwick North Barcelona Heathrow Terminal 1 or 2 or Gatwick North Basle/Mulhouse Heathrow Terminal 4 Beijing Heathrow Terminal 4 Beirut Heathrow Terminal 4 Belgrade Heathrow Terminal 1 Berlin Heathrow Terminal 1 Bermuda Gatwick North Bilbao Heathrow Terminal 2 or Gatwick North Bishkek Heathrow Terminal 4 Bogota Heathrow Terminal 4 Bologna Gatwick North Bordeaux Gatwick North Boston Heathrow Terminal 4 Bremen Gatwick North Bristol Gatwick North Brussels Heathrow Terminal 4 or Gatwick North Bucharest Heathrow Terminal 1 Budapest Heathrow Terminal 1 Buenos Aires Heathrow Terminal 4 Cairo Heathrow Terminal 4 Cape Town Heathrow Terminal 4 Caracas Heathrow Terminal 4 Casablanca Heathrow Terminal 1 Chennai (Madras) Heathrow Terminal 4 Chicago Heathrow Terminal 4 Cologne/Bonn Heathrow Terminal 1 Copenhagen Heathrow Terminal 4 Cork Heathrow Terminal 1 Dallas/Fort Worth Gatwick North Damascus Heathrow Terminal 4 Dar es Salaam Heathrow Terminal 4 Denver Heathrow Terminal 4 Delhi Heathrow Terminal 4 Detroit Wayne County Heathrow Terminal 4 Dhaka Heathrow Terminal 4 Doha Heathrow Terminal 4 Dubai Heathrow Terminal 4 Dublin Gatwick North Dusseldorf Heathrow Terminal 1 Edinburgh Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Entebbe Heathrow Terminal 4 Faro Gatwick North Frankfurt Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Fuerteventura Gatwick North Funchal Gatwick North Geneva Heathrow Terminal 4 or Gatwick North Genoa Gatwick North Gibraltar Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Glasgow Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Grand Cayman Heathrow Terminal 4 Grenada Gatwick North Guernsey Gatwick North Hamburg Heathrow Terminal 1 Hanover Gatwick North Harare Heathrow Terminal 4 Helsinki Heathrow Terminal 1 Hong Kong Heathrow Terminal 1 Houston Heathrow Terminal 4 or Gatwick North Inverness Gatwick North Islamabad Heathrow Terminal 4 Isle of Man Gatwick North Istanbul Heathrow Terminal 1 Jeddah Heathrow Terminal 4 Jersey Gatwick North Johannesburg Heathrow Terminal 1 Kiev Heathrow Terminal 1 Kingston Gatwick North Kolkata (Calcutta) Heathrow Terminal 4 Krakow Gatwick North Kuwait Heathrow Terminal 4 Lagos Heathrow Terminal 4 Larnaca Heathrow Terminal 1 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria Gatwick North Lilongwe Heathrow Terminal 4 Lisbon Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Los Angeles Heathrow Terminal 1 Luanda Heathrow Terminal 4 Lusaka Heathrow Terminal 4 Luxembourg Gatwick North Lyon Heathrow Terminal 4 Madrid Heathrow Terminal 1 or 2 or Gatwick North Malaga Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Malta Gatwick North Manchester Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Marrakech Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Marseille Gatwick North Mauritius Heathrow Terminal 4 Melbourne Heathrow Terminal 4 Menorca Gatwick North Mexico City Heathrow Terminal 4 Miami Heathrow Terminal 3 Milan - Linate Heathrow Terminal 1 Milan - Malpensa Heathrow Terminal 1 Montpellier Gatwick North Montreal - Trudeau (Dorval) Heathrow Terminal 4 Moscow - Domodedevo Heathrow Terminal 1 Mumbai (Bombay) Heathrow Terminal 4 Munich Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Murcia Gatwick North Muscat Heathrow Terminal 4 Nairobi Heathrow Terminal 4 Nantes Gatwick North Naples Gatwick North Nassau Heathrow Terminal 4 Newark NJ Heathrow Terminal 4 Newcastle Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North New York - JFK Heathrow Terminal 4 Nice Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North Orlando Gatwick North Oslo Heathrow Terminal 4 Palma Mallorca Gatwick North Paris - Charles de Gaulle Heathrow Terminal 4 Philadelphia Heathrow Terminal 4 Phoenix Heathrow Terminal 4 Pisa Gatwick North Porto Gatwick North Prague Heathrow Terminal 1 Pristina Gatwick North Providenciales Heathrow Terminal 4 Riga Heathrow Terminal 1 Rio de Janeiro Heathrow Terminal 4 Riyadh Heathrow Terminal 4 Rome - Fiumicino Heathrow Terminal 1 or Gatwick North St Lucia - Hewanorra Gatwick North St Petersburg Heathrow Terminal 1 San Francisco Heathrow Terminal 1 Santiago de Compostela Heathrow Terminal 2 Sao Paulo - Guarulhos Heathrow Terminal 4 Seattle Heathrow Terminal 4 Seville Heathrow Terminal 2 or Gatwick North Seychelles Heathrow Terminal 4 Shannon Heathrow Terminal 1 Singapore Heathrow Terminal 4 Sofia Heathrow Terminal 1 Stockholm - Arlanda Heathrow Terminal 1 Stuttgart Heathrow Terminal 1 Sydney Heathrow Terminal 4 Tampa Gatwick North Tashkent Heathrow Terminal 4 Tbilisi Heathrow Terminal 4 Tehran Heathrow Terminal 4 Tel Aviv Heathrow Terminal 4 Tenerife - Sur Reina Sofia Gatwick North Tobago Gatwick North Tokyo - Narita Heathrow Terminal 1 Toronto Heathrow Terminal 4 Toulon Gatwick North Toulouse Gatwick North Tripoli Heathrow Terminal 1 Tunis Gatwick North Turin Gatwick North Valencia Heathrow Terminal 2 or Gatwick North Vancouver Heathrow Terminal 4 Venice Gatwick North Verona Gatwick North Vienna Heathrow Terminal 4 Warsaw Heathrow Terminal 1 Washington - Dulles Heathrow Terminal 4 Yerevan Heathrow Terminal 4 Zurich Heathrow Terminal 4
Last edited by Dave_C; Nov 30, 2004 at 8:39 am
Nov 23, 2004 | 9:07 am
#29
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The World! Home Base = DCA/IAD + CPT (2026)
Programs: HHonors, Hyatt GP, Marriott, Varying Levels w/ AF / EK / SQ
Posts: 2,722
This thread is pretty impressive. In fact, it's amongst the best I've seen here, and I've seen a lot! I have a question that I'm going to start in a different post, because I don't want to dilute this one.
GREAT JOB!
Will
GREAT JOB!
Will
Feb 21, 2005 | 1:10 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 7
Originally Posted by Dave_C
Well, we finally get down to the business of actually earning miles!
First off, you need to actually work out how long a trip youre travelling on. A great tool for determining the distances between two points is this website:
http://gc.kls2.com
The distances arent exactly what BA use, but they are pretty accurate.
BA are pretty stingy with miles if youre not travelling on a Y B H fare or higher. In fact, anything less than that (i.e. most cheapy economy tickets), only earn 25% of the miles. That means if youre on a flight thats 1000 miles, youll only get 250 miles credited.
The chart below shows how many miles youll earn, depending on what class youre in. BA call this a Cabin Bonus:
Award fares dont earn any miles or tier points at all. These are tickets booked in to X, P, U and Z.
In addition to this, silver members get a 25% bonus on the base mileage, and golds get a 50% bonus on the base mileage. BA call this a tier bonus.
For short flights, there is a 500-mile minimum. However, if youre travelling on a cheapy ticket, you only get 25% of this, which is 125 miles. The gold and silver bonus is actually calculated from the 500, so you have the bizarre situation of your tier bonus being more miles than the actual flight.
Right, these are the rules, but how does it actually work.
Ill take an LHR-BOS flight as first example. A gold is travelling traveller plus:
Base mileage 3265
Cabin bonus 816
Tier Bonus 1633
TOTAL 5714
Lets take an example of a silver travelling LHR-CDG on a cheap N class economy ticket:
Base mileage 125
Cabin bonus 0
Tier Bonus 125
TOTAL 250
I hope that makes sense.
In addition to earning miles for flying, you can also buy miles from BA. You can buy up to 15,000 miles per calendar year, in 1,000 mile increments.
Below is a table, illustrating how much it costs to buy miles
You can also buy miles for other members, up to 15,000 per year.
Buying miles looks expensive, but can be good value if youre just short of an award. A few hundred pounds worth of miles, when compared the cost of a revenue premium class ticket, compares quite favourably.
Another benefit of buying miles if you have a household account is that you can buy miles for all the members of your household. Each member gets 15K miles per year to buy.
Miles cant be transferred between accounts.
Ill talk about earning miles from places partners such as Avis, Tesco, Shell and others in the partners section.
First off, you need to actually work out how long a trip youre travelling on. A great tool for determining the distances between two points is this website:
http://gc.kls2.com
The distances arent exactly what BA use, but they are pretty accurate.
BA are pretty stingy with miles if youre not travelling on a Y B H fare or higher. In fact, anything less than that (i.e. most cheapy economy tickets), only earn 25% of the miles. That means if youre on a flight thats 1000 miles, youll only get 250 miles credited.
The chart below shows how many miles youll earn, depending on what class youre in. BA call this a Cabin Bonus:
Code:
Cabin Economy Economy WT+ Club First Fare Class NVRKMLOS Y B H W T J C D I F A Miles 25% 100% 125% 150% 200%
In addition to this, silver members get a 25% bonus on the base mileage, and golds get a 50% bonus on the base mileage. BA call this a tier bonus.
For short flights, there is a 500-mile minimum. However, if youre travelling on a cheapy ticket, you only get 25% of this, which is 125 miles. The gold and silver bonus is actually calculated from the 500, so you have the bizarre situation of your tier bonus being more miles than the actual flight.
Right, these are the rules, but how does it actually work.
Ill take an LHR-BOS flight as first example. A gold is travelling traveller plus:
Base mileage 3265
Cabin bonus 816
Tier Bonus 1633
TOTAL 5714
Lets take an example of a silver travelling LHR-CDG on a cheap N class economy ticket:
Base mileage 125
Cabin bonus 0
Tier Bonus 125
TOTAL 250
I hope that makes sense.
In addition to earning miles for flying, you can also buy miles from BA. You can buy up to 15,000 miles per calendar year, in 1,000 mile increments.
Below is a table, illustrating how much it costs to buy miles
Code:
1,000 31 2,000 47 3,000 63 4,000 79 5,000 95 6,000 111 7,000 127 8,000 143 9,000 159 10,000 175 11,000 191 12,000 207 13,000 223 14,000 239 15,000 255
Buying miles looks expensive, but can be good value if youre just short of an award. A few hundred pounds worth of miles, when compared the cost of a revenue premium class ticket, compares quite favourably.
Another benefit of buying miles if you have a household account is that you can buy miles for all the members of your household. Each member gets 15K miles per year to buy.
Miles cant be transferred between accounts.
Ill talk about earning miles from places partners such as Avis, Tesco, Shell and others in the partners section.