odd booking pattern 2 class vs. 3 class award
 

I am trying one way SFO-SDF on Avios miles in business/first. Its a 2 class flight for both legs and prices out 25k on AA website and 50k thru British. All seats are available in business on both legs.
Other bookings JFK-SFO are 25k in business on a 3 class aircraft on both AA and British.
I thought it was a web error, but apparently not because the snooty CSA on the phone could care less.
Is this policy and should I start looking for 25k AA?

Sorry...

Maybe I am a tad confused.

How are you able to see Avios amounts required through the AA website? Does the AA website not quote you in AA miles currency? Where the British AIRWAYS website will quote you in their currency, i.e. Avios?

Or maybe I have got the completely wrong end of the stick?

Sorry for the confusion.
SFO-SDF is 25k business on AA. It is 50k British. 2 class seating.
JFK-SFO is 25k business on both AA and British. 3 class seating.

Its the 2 class aircraft vs the 3 class apparently, but still a little odd

Ok... Well, in that case... I am absolutely clueless...

Hopefully someone will be along soon to advise... And on here, they are like busses... 3 will come along at once... ^

Why do you expect that an itinerary will necessarily cost the same number of miles if you redeem AA miles as it would cost if you redeem BA miles?

Or am I as confused as BingBongBoy about what you mean?

And, for further confusion, did you actually mean that "the snooty CSA on the phone could not care less" - that is to say, that she cared so little about helping you that it was not possible to reduce her level of caring any lower?

I think what the OP is highlighting is a pricing discrepancy on two-class AA services. Effectively, the Avios pricing 'ignores' the lack of J and charges F at 3x Y.

Recently, on BA.com, I was offered:

- LAX-EGE in Y for 7.5k Avios
- LAX-EGE in F for 22.5k Avios
- i.e. Three times the price on a two-class service

However, AA.com offers:

- LAX-EGE in Y for 12.5k miles (Economy MileSAAver)
- LAX-EGE in F for 25k miles (Busines/First MileSAAver)
- i.e. Two times the price on a two-class service

I doubt this is deliberate; probably more likely to be a system bug that can be fixed if the right person can be notified.

By the way - I booked Y - good value - and cheaper than the original BA Miles booking!

Thanks for understanding-I wonder who to contact, I have no options in lower class (at present).

I've probably got completely the wrong end of the stick but isn't BA more because of the stopover and the new distance based model?

Stopover maybe but unless Louisville is east of New York city, distance no That's part of the confusion, one is substantially shorter but more expensive.

The real issue is that BA thinks a 2-cabin business first is first class, while the originating carrier AA considers it a business level reward.

The stopover wouldn't have anything to do with it, if anything that would make relatively more expensive since o/w domestic awards do not allow for stopovers.

But doesn't the stopover mean you have to pay for two domestic legs whereas SFO-JFK is just one leg?

I really don't think I've understood the problem. :D

AIUI, it's called "first" and it's therefore priced as first. That's how I was charged for an AA domestic first award last year. So I suspect that's just how the BA scheme is. For this award, it may mean that you'll get better value if you use AA miles rather than BA miles.

May get better value? What part of 25k vs. 50k is "may"? If I had the AA miles do you think we would be talking about this issue?

You were pricing the trip using AA miles, so forgive me if it was rash to think that you might have some AA miles to use.

If you don't, then you've probably got a stark choice: either use your BA miles according to the way that BA does it, or don't use your BA miles for this trip.

Sorry for jumping you. I am used to straightforward Continental booking with Amex Rewards-the good old days where (almost) all flights were shown and low level awards ruled the earth.

And Aeroplan award levels were less than Continental, now they are just like the BA to AA comparison shown here.