ardboe

I'll be honest, I never knew there was a break at that stage in October. I suppose growing up with different holidays compared to the mainland clouds things a bit.

T8191

It can certainly get complicated!! Before we start searching seriously, we Google for school and public holidays at both ends of the journey ... and immediately remove those dates from our consideration. Of course, it's much easier when our plans are very flexible: not so easy if someone needs to attend a specific meeting/conference/birthday/anniversary.

stueys

Just read through a few pages of this thread with interest. BA availability has always been a sport where a bit of knowledge and flexibility could get you where you wanted and meant BAEC was a good deal. I've has some great trips on the back of miles collecting.

However I do think that redemption availability passed the point of unresonable about 12 months ago, there are now numerous routes where its almost impossible to get seats.

Thats going to drive some frustration, justifiably in my view.

FliGuy

hi,
Have been looking for 3 CW award seats in May to either MIA/TPA/MCO. I have been checking every day throughout May and into June but nothing has been showing up... is it likely that have have missed them and thet were snaped up already (even though I was checking every day, sometime not until later in the day) or could there still be award seats to be loaded for May 2010? (In checking F availability I can see there is one day in May to MIA available but thats it). Hoping I have not missed the boat, or rather plane . If so, there must have been little by way of award inventory opened up or I was too slow in checking each day.

Looking at alternatives, I can see award seats available in CW outbound to MCO on 25th April so I tried to book a one way MFU from WT+ (coming back in WT+ later in May), however I get the message that there is no availability.. even though when I check via Reward Availability it shows as available. Anyone had any experience of this? I will probably need to call BAEC and face the offline booking fee

go4bal

I am a new BA Executive Club member. I got on the BA credit card deal and now have 103K miles to spend. I was going to use them for one-ways from LGW - MLE. In business it is 50K miles per person and over $500 US in fees. In coach it is 25K miles per person and over $300 US in fees.

Can anyone explain to me what the deal is with the fees? The fees are as much or more than many airlines charge for the full prices of the tickets.

Is there anyway to avoid it? Going out of another airport?

Thanks.

David

Hubbabridge

The fees are the fees........you can avoid them by not flying on BA.

itsmeitisss

using this will probably help!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/search.php

There are lots of threads on this!

Stez

Welcome to the BAEC forum.... for best "value" of BA miles is to use them for J/F redemptions or MFU from WTP (premium economy). The Dashboard explains it very well.

In short, you're paying for taxes and fuel surcharges, and BA miles do not pay for these. This is why it is rarely good value for BA miles to be used for long haul economy - some use them for flexibility generally for short haul I believe.

There are lots and lots of posts on this subject... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...er-thread.html

LondonAndy

If you can let me know which airline does business class tickets for $500 for a long haul route like this I'd be happy to hear about it

There are many posts about the fees which apparently isn't common in the US but moreso in Europe.

I'm afraid that apart from avoiding LHR, which you are already doing, there isn't too much that can be done.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

BA charges relatively high fuel surcharges on all of its long-haul flights, except for itineraries that depart from Brazil. The fuel surcharges are dependent on the flight duration and the class of service. In addition, the British government imposes an Air Passenger Duty (APD) on flights that depart from the U.K. The amount of the APD is based on the distance to the capital of the country to which one is flying, and the class of service. You might pay lower fees if you left from AMS or BRU, and merely connected in London, as you would then be exempt from the APD. But the fuel surcharges (and the UK Passenger Service Charge) would still apply.

lwildernorva

You got a credit card for airline miles and didn't research the program? Ouch. So, the after-the-fact research will tell you that BA miles will frequently incur hefty surcharges.

Before you dismiss the BA program, realize that there are advantages to this scheme. BA allows stopovers, a feature not included in many programs. Availability is generally pretty high, but certainly includes surcharges if you're flying BA metal (and increasingly on partner airlines).

Right now, if you're attempting to avoid the fuel surchages, the most efficient use of BA miles is redemption on AA routes within the US and on LAN to South America. I think it's just a matter of time, however, before AA and other American carriers realize that surcharges will be the way to avoid making massive changes to their own award charts--a result dictated by the huge number of high-bonus credit cards.

Sorta like the BA Chase 100K offer. . .

henkybaby

The existence of groundhog threads is why moderation was invented in the first place...

go4bal

Maybe I can wait until Air Berlin is in the picture and take the flight to MLE from Germany.

go4bal

Good point. I may used is for AA or LAN or Central or South America.

xenole

I was looking at MAN-IAD-MAN yesterday for redemption flights and it came to 75000 miles + around £840 in taxes/fees/cash! (Or only £420+ if you use 100000 miles).
Costs at present about £840 for a WT+ seat and 25000 miles to upgrade to CW from LHR-IAD-LHR (or £940 if you go from Manchester).

Also looked at SFO-IAD in First with AA and that came to 37500 miles + £3! in taxes.

Did also see a SFO-HKG (or was it Singapore?) out of SFO in CX F for 75000 miles + $98 tax/fees.

Did a business class flight to JFK last years and taxes were around £228 out of London and £104 coming back from the US into London - helps pay for our beautiful clean skies, fresh air, zero pollution in the centre of London etc