copenhagenBA

I have been sitting at the computer for 1 hour and now tired of trying to use Avios sensibly as it doesn't seem possible. I'm wanting to goto Las Vegas in September on a 2 week break, but only 4 days in Vegas so could fly to any US city and then onwards to Vegas... Im looking to fly first using Avios in some way... I cannot seem to use them sensibly, every time i try and go somewhere like New York i get lots of reward availability via AA but the price including using avios for a CW upgrade is higher than the cost of purchasing a ticket without using Avios.... So, can anyone help me use these damn miles, i don't mind burning them either.. Im gold card holder based in CPH so looking for CPH to US somewhere or LHR to US somewhere and back in first.. All help and input welcomed.

DaMadCroat

Have you tried a straight reward booking rather than an upgrade? what are the prices you're getting? Are you comparing CW and upgrade to buying a revenue F fare? I wouldn't think that your cash outlay should be equivalent to purchasing a CW fare (although on rare occasion I have been faced with similar). If that is the case, it may be "good value" to purchase your F fare and use your miles for domestic legs in the US. What are the prices is the system returning?

Rather than New York, have you tried something on the west side like PHX, SFO, LAX, SEA? May also try WAS or PHL. Alternatively you could try something like CPH-LON-LAS-NYC-LON-CPH. On a straight redemption you could even do stopovers in both directions if you do something like CPH-LON-LAS-SFO-NYC-LON-CPH all on one ticket.

There are very many options, but you haven't given many guidelines regarding how you'd like to spend your currency (both cash and miles).

copenhagenBA

Tried straight reward booking and MFU from club world... Cant find anything, need two tickets, BA seems very stingy and not want to offer more than one whereas AA has unto 7 but u choose them and you are paying more for what a return ticket costs on its own.. Its tiresome... Was on the computer for 1 hour... And before anybody mentions try October, anytime in September is when i would like to go.... regards

BA304

Do you mean that the cash component is more than the cost of a return ticket in Y or F?

copenhagenBA

Indeed, a straight cash booking in club is between 16400-18500 dkk return, trying to use miles the cost is even higher when doing mfu... Miles higher, excuse the pun... Booking cph to usa .. Tried just from london, same or worse.. How can ba charge more for cash + miles.... Its a poor show and there has been a lot of negative threads about ba redemption lately as it is..

stifle

I think that's a bug with the BA website. Check if booking WTP outright for the same dates would cost the same amount that's being asked for the book and upgrade. If not, then it's bugged.

DVT

Have you tried using the Award Nexus tool? It allows you to specify a range of airports and a range of dates and it does multiple searches at once for you:

http://awardnexus.com

copenhagenBA

In answer to end this game... The good people of the BA helpdesk helped me out.. Cheapest deal i could get in September from Copenhagen, was to Dallas Fort Worth at 1560 GBP return club world plus 50k miles upgrade to FIRST return. Was not bad value...

DaMadCroat

Not bad value at all. A good price for the CW ticketing, and a measly 50k miles for a return upgrade to F ^.

If you're one of those types who are into calculating the "cash" value obtained per mile spent, I'd say you netted at least GBP 0.03 per mile (calculating the value of the F return at GBP3060). Did you manage to get a stopover and continuation to LAS, or will you be booking that separately?

copenhagenBA

Decided to book a return flight on AA to LAX and will drive to Vegas in between.