Yet to be announced Exec Club changes: your fears, conjecture and general grousing
Sep 1, 2011, 1:37 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 371
Agree, "Massive Devaluation to Partner Awards Announced".
I'm surprised that people only find this out after 20 pages. I guess this is BA's no hiding of information.
I'm surprised that people only find this out after 20 pages. I guess this is BA's no hiding of information.
Shouldn't this thread now be retitled "Massive Devaluation to Partner Awards Announced"?
Or since that might be impolite to the official rep, maybe it would be appropriate to start another thread to discuss? I mean that is the big news here. People who liked using BA miles to fly AA to South America, etc. are going to be reamed, while a bone is thrown to those that don't mind paying the ridiculous surcharges on BA international flights (which will require fewer miles).
No, actually I am proven right. The big news about the partner devaluation was hidden in the initial announcement, but has since been confirmed, at least on Lucky's blog. The reduction in miles on some BA routes is a small bone and no way offsets the costs to millions of BA's north american members that don't use their miles on the short haul intra-Euro routes. And there is no change to the heinous fuel surcharge or LHR luxury taxes, which are a big disincentive to book BA metal with miles and virtually a deal-killer on cattle car awards.
Or since that might be impolite to the official rep, maybe it would be appropriate to start another thread to discuss? I mean that is the big news here. People who liked using BA miles to fly AA to South America, etc. are going to be reamed, while a bone is thrown to those that don't mind paying the ridiculous surcharges on BA international flights (which will require fewer miles).
No, actually I am proven right. The big news about the partner devaluation was hidden in the initial announcement, but has since been confirmed, at least on Lucky's blog. The reduction in miles on some BA routes is a small bone and no way offsets the costs to millions of BA's north american members that don't use their miles on the short haul intra-Euro routes. And there is no change to the heinous fuel surcharge or LHR luxury taxes, which are a big disincentive to book BA metal with miles and virtually a deal-killer on cattle car awards.
Sep 1, 2011, 1:38 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,301
Partner rewards pricing gets simpler - the new pricing grid which we will publish at launch should be used for BA only flights, BA plus one partner or partner only flights. The current oneworld multicarrier redemption will also continue to be used for bookings containing more than one partner.
Sep 1, 2011, 1:39 pm
#18
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: MAN
Programs: F
Posts: 2,898
So...right now I have a ORD-HKG First Class Award on Cathay Pacific for 150,000 BA miles.
Under the BA only award chart this same trip would cost 360,000 BA miles.
This is a HUGE devaluation of British Airways miles for US-based members.
I will no longer be flying British Airways, using my Chase BA card or transferring any more Amex membership rewards points to Executive Club if this proves to be even remotely accurate.
Under the BA only award chart this same trip would cost 360,000 BA miles.
This is a HUGE devaluation of British Airways miles for US-based members.
I will no longer be flying British Airways, using my Chase BA card or transferring any more Amex membership rewards points to Executive Club if this proves to be even remotely accurate.
American members please turn out the lights after you leave.
Sep 1, 2011, 1:41 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,301
So...right now I have a ORD-HKG First Class Award on Cathay Pacific for 150,000 BA miles.
Under the BA only award chart this same trip would cost 360,000 BA miles.
This is a HUGE devaluation of British Airways miles for US-based members.
I will no longer be flying British Airways, using my Chase BA card or transferring any more Amex membership rewards points to Executive Club if this proves to be even remotely accurate.
Under the BA only award chart this same trip would cost 360,000 BA miles.
This is a HUGE devaluation of British Airways miles for US-based members.
I will no longer be flying British Airways, using my Chase BA card or transferring any more Amex membership rewards points to Executive Club if this proves to be even remotely accurate.
Partner rewards pricing gets simpler - the new pricing grid which we will publish at launch should be used for BA only flights, BA plus one partner or partner only flights. The current oneworld multicarrier redemption will also continue to be used for bookings containing more than one partner.
Sep 1, 2011, 1:48 pm
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Does anyone recall in what year it was that BA started hitting its mileage ticket customers with fuel surcharges?
Sep 1, 2011, 1:53 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
The predictable responses ...
All this based on partial information? 
Meanwhile, back on Planet Reality ...
And as someone said ...
Hey, you folks "over there". Have a cool beer and stop being so hyper. 
I will no longer be flying British Airways, using my Chase BA card or transferring any more Amex membership rewards points to Executive Club if this proves to be even remotely accurate.
Holy crap if this is true... and it seems fairly accurate. <snip> So I assume we have until November 1 to book under the current redemption charts... if so, yea, I'm planning to book and burn the 380,000 remaining miles on my BA account pretty fast.
Meanwhile, back on Planet Reality ...
So at the moment no-one knows what redemption rates will be for North America to Asia, etc.
What's very interesting is that during the day (UK) time the majority of BAEC members have been happy with the changes proposed.
It is a British airline after all.
Sep 1, 2011, 1:55 pm
#25
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: BTR, MSY
Programs: DL, BA, AA, UA, HHonors, PC
Posts: 200
I am always even more skeptical when 'enhancement's are stated, yet the award chart doesn't come out until the day the 'enhancements' are made? This is truly a major devaluation for partner awards.
Sep 1, 2011, 1:55 pm
#26
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Sep 1, 2011, 1:56 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Arlington, VA
Programs: United MP 1p, PC Ambassador, GP Platinum
Posts: 439
Sep 1, 2011, 2:06 pm
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
I'm heading your way in 2 weeks, and forward booked until May 2012. Do you hear me whining? You work with "now", and eventually work with "then". It's called reality. I may have burned more Miles on MFU of forward bookings between LHR and IAD than I would under the new system, but that's what sometimes happens when you plan ahead. I certainly wasn't expecting East Coast redemptions to be cheaper [Miles-wise], but I'll enjoy that post-May next year.
