Prospero

Now that you've read about the changes coming to the Executive Club, you will have questions. As the purpose of yesterday's communique was to announce the planned revitalisation of the programme, it is understandable that many of the finer points of detail will not ready for release at this stage. So rather that adding to Nicci's already bulging inbox, please make use of this thread to as a placeholder for your questions.

To assist Nicci, the mod team will collate your questions into a master list.

Prospero

American Express Companion Voucher

• Question:
  With the effective merger of the Iberia/BA/Airmiles schemes will Amex 241 vouchers be extended to Iberia metal as well as BA?
  Answer:
  No. Amex 241 vouchers will continue be redeemable on BA metal only. Good idea though!

Avios & Money (formerly Part Cash Part Miles)

• Question:
  Will there be any changes to part cash, part miles - either widening options (with other partners) or reducing them?
  Answer:
  We will continue to offer multiple price points for Part Cash Part Miles (will be renamed as Avios & Money) and continue add this for partners if/when we get their agreement to do so.

BA.com functionality

• Question:
  From the new scheme, ideally would like to be able to do more online redemptions such as:
  - ability to book mixed class
  - ability to be able to fly into one city/depart from different
  - ability to purchase additional flights to be added onto redemption booking (BA and oneworld)
  Answer:
  Points 1 and 2 I agree with and we will continue to develop ba.com after launch to try and make booking reward easier online. The last point I'm not sure if I understand this - you cannot add flight sectors to a booking when it has been ticketed - is this what you were asking? If not please do let me know and I will review again for you

Communication

• Question:
  Will there be an official statement to say when the new redemption fares have been loaded to BA.COM?
  Answer:
  Yes we will let you know - we have provided some key examples on ba.com to help with initial queries

Partner redemptions

• Question:
  Will partner awards (in other regions) be affected?
  Answer:
  They will be affected in the sense that we are changing the way we price rewards - more details to follow soon
  
  
• Question:
  Are you able to provide examples of redemption rates for routes to the Far East, South America, Australia etc originating from North America?
  Answer:
  Not currently - sorry - we will follow up with this ASAP
  
  
• Question:
  Do we have any indication that OpenSkies will be adjusting their award rates too?
  Answer:
  No

Reward Flight Saver

• Question:
  For the reward flight saver the airmiles site says that there will need to have been activity in the previous 12 months. Will the same apply for BAEC, and if so will it have to be activity for each member of a household account, or for the total household account (as with airmiles)?
  Answer:
  Yes each individual member will have had to have earned 1 Avios 12 months prior to redeeming
  
  
• Question:
  Also will these allow cross London connections eg (NCL - LHR LGW-XXX) as there is no NCL-LGW shuttle (or even better can we use Flybe to LGW???)?
  Answer:
  Yes wholly domestic connections will be included so this includes LCY, LGW and LHR in the example you have provided (ie GLA-LCY etc)
  
  
• Question:
  these are only available to those members who have earned/spent one point in the past 12 months (active members). For other members what are the awards and prices? The current table lists reward flight saver for zones 1..9 (not just zones 1-3), so are zones 4-9 the same for normal and reward flight saver.
  Answer:
  Zones 1-3 (flights on BA/IB metal which are up to 2000 miles in distance) are eligible for Reward Flight Saver if you have earned 1 BA Mile/Avios prior to redeeming. For bands 4 and above and those that have not earned 1 BA Mile/Avios prior to redeeming the usual taxes, fees and charges that apply will be payable by the member
  
  
• Question:
  for active members will there be a choice when booking between normal and reward flight saver. Aill availability be the same for both types of award. And what is the difference between reward flight saver and normal rewards for zones 4-9 since the price is plus fees/taxes/surcharges.
  Answer:
  I think the answer to the above question answers this but no, if you have earned 1 Avios/1 BA Miles the Reward Flight Saver product automatically applies
  
  
• Question:
  The Reward Flight Saver examples given by BA to-date refer exclusively to "Euro Traveller" cabins. Will this include Domestic cabins too - i.e. for use LHR - GLA and the like? This would be a major benefit if so. Thank you
  Answer:
  Wholly domestic connections on both BA and IB metal will be included in both the Avios and Reward Flight Saver price ie EDI-LHR-CDG-LHR-EDI will cost 9000 Avios and £27 in cash. (If the LHR-CDG-LHR sectors are Club Europe it will cost £34). Yes wholly domestic flights are eligible for reward flight saver
  
  
• Question:
  Aside from the eligibility criteria and reduced taxes, are there any other differences between a standard priced award and a Reward Flight Saver? Is a RFS a more restricted ticket in any way?
  Answer:
  Reward Flight Saver bookings will carry the same flexibility as all reward bookings. That means the date and time can be changed up to 24 hours before departure and you can cancel (the whole itinerary) and receive a refund - a service fee will apply for all changes and cancellations unless you are a Gold member
  
  
• Question:
  If I make a change in, say, December to a redemption made today, will I be bound by the new T&Cs or the current ones?
  Answer:
  Reward bookings made prior to the launch of all the changes will be subject to the terms and conditions at the time of booking. So in your example today's rules will apply
  
  
• Question:
  Aside from the eligibility criteria and reduced taxes, are there any other differences between a standard priced award and a Reward Flight Saver? Is a RFS a more restricted ticket in any way?
  Answer:
  Reward Flight Saver bookings will carry the same flexibility as all reward bookings. That means the date and time can be changed up to 24 hours before departure and you can cancel (the whole itinerary) and receive a refund - a service fee will apply for all changes and cancellations unless you are a Gold member
  
  
• Question:
  If I make a change in, say, December to a redemption made today, will I be bound by the new T&Cs or the current ones?
  Answer:
  Reward bookings made prior to the launch of all the changes will be subject to the terms and conditions at the time of booking. So in your example today's rules will apply

Standard redemption conditions

• Question:
  Will fuel surcharges become distance based? Right now, Denver-Capetown RT has double the fuel surcharge as London-Sydney RT even though the RT mileage is within a two hundred miles of each other. (assumes both are purchased in the same country; and uses great circle mapper for DEN/LHR/CPT and LHR/SYD).
  Answer:
  No - there are no changes to the way we collect fuel surcharge except for Reward Flight Saver bookings where we will pay this and all other taxes and fees and the member will pay a standard flat cash price (£27 for Euro Traveller/economy on IB and £34 for Club Europe/Business)
  
  
• Question:
  Will the fuel surcharges for tickets purchased in the US be the same (after accounting for exchange rates) as those purchased in the UK? Right now, long-haul more than 9 hours is 24% more in $ than in pounds ($285 vs. 145 pounds, with today's fx rate being 1.622).
  Answer:
  We will continue to collect fsc (where it applies) as we do today
  
  
• Question:
  Any change to the current rules on stopovers for awards? Unsure if this will change given the move to "sector" based upgrades, but overall curious if we'll still be able to stopover on the most direct route (for BA awards as well as partner awards).
  Answer:
  You will still be able to stopover as you do today
  
  
• Question:
  From my limited understanding of the Airmiles scheme, you could sometimes (always?) get a revenue ticket for your redemption, but with BAEC you were limited to where Award seats classes were available. Does this change with Avios? Do we all share the same award ticket buckets or do Avios ex Airmiles continue to have access to revenue seats for thier redemptions and v.v.?
  Answer:
  There are no changes planned for the way we release reward space

Tier structure, Tier benefits and Tier Point accrual

• Question:
  Will the Tier Points remain the same? As in collecting the same number as now per flight and getting the same number to get to silver/gold etc?
  Answer:
  I can only answer questions related to the announcements so far so I'm afraid I can't answer this at the moment
  
  
• Question:
  Are there any tier related changes ie. changed Silver/Gold benefits, any new tier, changed tier point requirements?
  Answer:
  I can only answer questions related to the announcements so far so I'm afraid I can't answer this at the moment
  
  
• Question:
  Will there be any (positive or negative) change to the thresholds used to qualify for each tier?
  Answer:
  I can only answer questions related to the announcements so far so I'm afraid I can't answer this at the moment
  
  
• Question:
  Will there be any (positive or negative) change to the benefits associated with either membership tier?
  Answer:
  I can only answer questions related to the announcements so far so I'm afraid I can't answer this at the moment
  
  
• Question:
  Any idea what harmonization, if any, will take place for BAEC earnings for IB flights? The situation at present is:
  
  Business class cabin bonus is 25% (vs. 50% on BA flights).
  Tier bonus is 50% SCH / 75% GCH, and this only for flights to/from N. America, Puerto Rico & Mexico -- otherwise it is zero (vs. 100% on all BA flights).
  Answer:
  The great news is that you will accrue on IB at exactly the same rate as on BA!
  
  
• Question:
  A similar question pertains to the cabin bonuses for AA flights (50% for F, 25% for Business vs. 100%/50% respectively for BA).
  Answer:
  There are no changes to the accrual rates on AA.

Transferring miles/points between BAEC, Air Miles and IB Plus accounts

• Question:
  I have a stash of Iberia Plus points can I transfer them into my BAEC account?
  If allowed what will the transfer rate be Nicci? 1 IB Plus point would seem to be worth more than 1 BAEC mile.
  Answer:
  When your IB Plus Points have been transferred to Avios you can transfer some or all of these to your Executive Club account at the total Avios value they will become after the transition or vice versa - look out for your email from our Iberia colleagues for information on the changes to Avios

Upgrade using Avios

• Question:
  Will the mileage required for UUA be calculated using the same formula as the mileage required for MFU? Namely: mileage required for MFU = mileage required for straight redemption in higher cabin - mileage required for straight redemption in cabin paid for.
  Answer:
  Yes but using the new reward pricing
  
  
• Question:
  Will the new conditions relating to UUA apply to tickets booked and partially upgraded prior to relaunch day. Example:
  Let's say I make a booking today; WTP, CPH-LHR/LHR-MIA, for travel in February. No availability now so not possible to MFU to CW. But what if availability opens up in February, can I then MFU only LHR-MIA for 25k OR do I still have follow the old rules and MFU the entire journey, and if so will it still cost 30k OR will it cost 25k for LHR-MIA + 9k for CPH-LHR ?
  Answer:
  No you can upgrade some or all of your journey if it is available and you will pay on a sector basis
  
  
• Question:
  Will it be possible use UUA to upgrade tickets not booked through a BA sales channel?
  Answer:
  MFU for indirect bookings, ie those not made directly with BA is a separate project which we know is important to you - that makes it important to us. I accept it may not seem that way given the delay but we will be reviewing this again in the not too distant future. With regards to upgrading a ticket in a different country to the one booked, this has additional complexity in terms of payment which I need to think about separately.
  
  
• Question:
  Suppose I book LHR-NYC MFU from WTP to CW today for, say, February after the change has taken effect. The cost is 25k BA miles. Then suppose that I make a change in December on one leg only. The price at the time is 20k Avios. Will the price in effect at the time of the new ticketing take effect? i.e. will I get a refund of 5k Avios?
  Answer:
  No we will not be refunding or collecting additional reward prices for bookings made prior to launch

Prospero

Original announcement

Clarification 01

• Reward pricing
• redeeming into premium cabins
• Upgrading using Avios (including future outlook on UAA and trade bookings
• Refunds of differences in reward prices
• Combine my Avios
• Earning Avios on IB metal
• Reward Flight Saver

Clarification 02

• Earning on partner metal
• Partner rewards pricing
• Reward Flight Saver examples

Clarification 03

• Multi partner rewards

Clarification 04

• Ongoing communication with BA Executive Club
• Introducing Helen and Gauthier

Clarification 05

• Household accounts
• New Terms and Conditions
• Executive Club and Avios programme

Clarification 06

• Response to concerns raised by NA members

Sixth Freedom

Will the mileage required for UUA be calculated using the same formula as the mileage required for MFU?

Namely: mileage required for MFU = mileage required for straight redemption in higher cabin - mileage required for straight redemption in cabin paid for.

Sixth Freedom

In order to promote awareness of the Avios will there be a half price redemption promotion?!

johnaalex

Will there be an official statement to say when the new redemption fares have been loaded to BA.COM?

trvllvr123

For the reward flight saver the airmiles site says that there will need to have been activity in the previous 12 months. Will the same apply for BAEC, and if so will it have to be activity for each member of a household account, or for the total household account (as with airmiles)?
Also will these allow cross London connections eg (NCL - LHR LGW-XXX) as there is no NCL-LGW shuttle (or even better can we use Flybe to LGW???)?

Thank you

riku2

reward flight saver: these are only available to those members who have earned/spent one point in the past 12 months (active members)

Q1: for other members what are the awards and prices? The current table lists reward flight saver for zones 1..9 (not just zones 1-3), so are zones 4-9 the same for normal and reward flight saver.

Q2: for active members will there be a choice when booking between normal and reward flight saver. Aill availability be the same for both types of award. And what is the difference between reward flight saver and normal rewards for zones 4-9 since the price is plus fees/taxes/surcharges.

henkybaby

I guess 'Why Avios?' isn't helping...

Serious question: in order to put an end to all the speculation will BA confirm or deny that the partner awards (in other regions) will not be affected? In case they don't want to do either, will they at least officially do the 'no comment'?

FCO36

if I MFU this month for a flight in December and find out in November that the new number of BA Miles/ Avios for the same MFU is less than what I have spent, will the difference of Miles/ Avios be reimbursed a posteriori?

flyoff

With the effective merger of the Iberia/BA/Airmiles schemes will Amex 241 vouchers be extended to Iberia metal as well as BA?

irishguy28

When will the new redemption/zone maps and charts be available?

SHOW US THE CHARTS!!! PLEASE!!!!

henkybaby

That one is already answered in the Q&A on the site and the answer is NO.

untamed

Q: When will we know the detailed award redemption rules?

747_not_777

The Reward Flight Saver examples given by BA to-date refer exclusively to "Euro Traveller" cabins. Will this include Domestic cabins too - i.e. for use LHR - GLA and the like?

This would be a major benefit if so.

Thank you