That would make sense. Although it's usually so random that I'd assumed it was always done on the back of an envelope.

Why are taxes so high on redemption bookings?
 

Hi all
Just trying to book an a reward ticket in business LHR-MAD-MEX on Iberia and then MEX-LHR on BA in First. The taxes are coming out at £650! I know from past experience that flying directly from LHR in premium cabins is super expensive but we are flying out via MAD. Last year did a LHR-CDG-KUL-LHR for about £250 in tax which was low due to the outbound from London only being to CDG not to KUL.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Charlie

If you're not having a stopover of 24 hours or more in MAD, then the departure tax is calculated based on your final destination (MEX) and will be £170 or so.

A quick check suggests the bulk of the remainder is 'fuel surcharge' (YQ) and is £350-£400. BA (and I guess Iberia) make you pay the 'fuel surcharge' when you fly with them ... other airlines in the alliance don't (CX for example). I guess last year you flew with an airline which doesn't make you pay that surchage.

The rest is various taxes and passenger charges ... about £80.

Check out www.headforpoints.com

If you fly ex LHR you will get hit with the high charges.

Consider booking LHR -MAD as a RFS (revenue flight saver)
And a separate flight MAD onwards.

You will have to factor in extra time too.
this post particularly helpful
http://www.headforpoints.com/2013/11...ios-on-iberia/

If you fly Iberia, you save a lot of cash if you book from an Iberia+ account. You can transfer the avios from BAEC at no cost, but the IB+ account must be 90 days old

This may for an AA award. Charles777 other thread on this http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...igh-taxes.html

Never confuse real taxes paid to governments with carrier imposed fees (~profit)

Indeed.

Poster should have a look at the detailed fare breakdown and will see that the biggest element of those 'taxes' is actually 'fuel surcharge' or 'international carriage fee'. Neither of which are taxes but 100% controlled and collected by the airline.

Not sure if it helps anyone and I haven't had a good poke around but it seems like a lot of NYC - LON availability has opened up for summer - the BA180 daylight service seems to be available every day!!

Using Avios YVR ( Vancouver) to LHR
 

I'm having a ridiculous time booking reward seats YVR to LHR in business or First, or at all, for that matter. This despite the fact that as of my last dummy booking, there were no less than 30 business class seats per flight vacant between now and the next four days ( yes on each flight). Wouldn't one think that BA would release some seats for rewards rather than have the seats go unused? Very frustrating! I have tried booking from nearby airports to LHR, but why should one have to with so many seats available from YVR? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Duncan

CW availability YVR-LON:
29/May
2/June
8/June
7/July
14/July
21/July
27/July
Stopped looking

F availability YVR-LON:
29/May
2/June
7/June
23/June
13/July
20/July
28/July
Stopped looking


How are you determining there are "no less than 30 business class seats per flight vacant"? If you are just counting unallocated seats on the seat map, then that is no indication of the booked load.

BA charges non-status customers for seat allocation, so a lot will remain unallocated until ~25hrs before the flight, at which time you cannot view it online unless you are booked on the flight.

You can use the fare bucket availability as a guidance for the booked load, but this only shows the seats BA is willing to sell (and numbers are not cumulative).

In the next few days CW looks quite full.

Availability today is: F6 A4 J8 C0
Tomorrow: F9 A9 J3 C0
Next: F9 A8 J9 C4
Next: F8 A7 J6 C0
Next: F9 A9 J9 C1

Ahhh, so is this why there is literally nothing in CW for PHL-LHR on BA68 for the next 3 months?

Probably because you are bit late grabbing the few seats on offer? Anything US East Coast has gone weird in recent months.

Maybe so, though I did manage to upgrade the outward leg last week....will keep looking and hoping, hoping and looking...

Like you, I have a UuA to CW outbound to IAD in Sep, and just hoping we don't have to do WT+ coming home. :(

Avios or Trivios ?
 

I used to think that BA's fees (aka "Fuel Surcharges" "YQ") were the same whether the ticket was booked on BA.com or on a partner site.

But I just priced out SEA-LHR in F(Z), (open jaw), BOM-LHR-SFO in J(U) for 2 passengers.
AA.com quotes 285,000 AAdvantage miles + $2,598.14
BA.com quotes 150000 Avios + $ 953.00 for the inbound and 200000 Avios + $ 1,397.98 for the return, per person = 350K Avios + $4,701.96

Is this robbery or what?
If Delta's points are Skypesos, then BA's should be Trivios.