Avios - ex airmiles account and BA account

Old Nov 26, 2012, 4:10 pm
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Avios - ex airmiles account and BA account

Recently remembered that I had an airmiles account - now converted to avios. logged in and saw the option of converting all miles to the BA account. This would be the best way of keeping track of them, but is there any advantage in keeping the separate account open, eg special offers not on the main BA site?
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Old Nov 26, 2012, 4:13 pm
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Originally Posted by riga
Recently remembered that I had an airmiles account - now converted to avios. logged in and saw the option of converting all miles to the BA account. This would be the best way of keeping track of them, but is there any advantage in keeping the separate account open, eg special offers not on the main BA site?
Yes, avios do have their own set of promotions, which are distinct from BAEC. In addition, the partners are not identical. For instance, you can redeem ex-airmiles avios on Eurostar.
So yes: it does make sense to keep an avios account.
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Old Nov 26, 2012, 11:53 pm
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I don't understand why they have two separate schemes (and to make things worse they have the same name!).

Surely it would be a better loyalty scheme if they just simply merged into one.
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 12:11 am
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Originally Posted by kitbag1984
I don't understand why they have two separate schemes (and to make things worse they have the same name!).

Surely it would be a better loyalty scheme if they just simply merged into one.
They are two very distinct schemes, one is a general shopping rewards scheme and one a frequent flyer one, but they share a "currency".
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 1:32 am
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But you have shopping schemes on both as well? The distinction really blurred. The on,y outward sign seems to be the credit cards.
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 2:46 am
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Originally Posted by kitbag1984
But you have shopping schemes on both as well? The distinction really blurred. The on,y outward sign seems to be the credit cards.
The biggest issue I have, oddly, is that the avios.com scheme is called Avios.

It would be easier if they kept it as Air Miles with avios as the currency, it would at least then be clear what we were referring to!
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 3:15 am
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Originally Posted by Raffles
The biggest issue I have, oddly, is that the avios.com scheme is called Avios.

It would be easier if they kept it as Air Miles with avios as the currency, it would at least then be clear what we were referring to!
^
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 3:25 am
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But you can move Avios freely backwards and fowards between the two schemes, I believe. So keeping them both open is probably a good idea.
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 3:31 am
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If you want to maximize possibilities, it's better to open an Iberia Plus account as well.
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 10:30 am
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The both have an estore which earn avios.

They both have credit cards which earn avios.

They are both part of the Tesco reward scheme in which you can redeem for ...... Yes you guessed it. Avios.

There are small differences but why not merge the schemes. It's never a good idea to confuse your customers. Remember flyertalkers are hardly the majority of flyers.

Must be from the same person who came with the name "avios". If there was ever a meaningless marketing dept thought buzz word lol
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 10:40 am
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Originally Posted by kitbag1984
There are small differences but why not merge the schemes. It's never a good idea to confuse your customers. Remember flyertalkers are hardly the majority of flyers.
Because it would severly limit their future options, to do things with the Avios brand. Turn it into a nectar style mass market scheme, etc.

Keep in mind you can book other airlines flights with Avios.com, i.e. Monarch etc, all online. Not great value, but you can do it.
And Eurostar, etc.

Originally Posted by Raffles
The biggest issue I have, oddly, is that the avios.com scheme is called Avios.
I think I said that here on FT on day 1 of the annoucement, certainly many of us were saying it in the first few days. Why not call it Avios UK direct or something like that.

Especially since it has a website, avios.com, which does not immediatly suggest it is something for the UK only. Hence many people thinking it is for everyone using Avios, e.g. Iberia Plus members etc.

It would be easier if they kept it as Air Miles with avios as the currency, it would at least then be clear what we were referring to!
But as we know, that would have meant continuing to licence the Air Miles brand, which they did not own.

I'm not going to rehash the old threads here, we've all said before how we think it is badly explained.

Ideally Avios.com would be a site explaining the avios currency. And 'Avios direct UK' would have it's own site.
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 10:43 am
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Originally Posted by Raffles
The biggest issue I have, oddly, is that the avios.com scheme is called Avios.

It would be easier if they kept it as Air Miles with avios as the currency, it would at least then be clear what we were referring to!
They dont own the trade mark airmiles, so would have to pay a fee to use it. I think they wanted to save money.
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 10:54 am
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Bloody confusing the whole damn thing if you ask me. No partner one ways in one, no connections in another without having to phone up and then you see different BA availability showing on them all.

Quicker they have the Avios currency all under one site the better I say.
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 2:21 pm
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Originally Posted by David-A
Because it would severly limit their future options, to do things with the Avios brand. Turn it into a nectar style mass market scheme, etc.

Keep in mind you can book other airlines flights with Avios.com, i.e. Monarch etc, all online. Not great value, but you can do it.
And Eurostar, etc.



I think I said that here on FT on day 1 of the annoucement, certainly many of us were saying it in the first few days. Why not call it Avios UK direct or something like that.

Especially since it has a website, avios.com, which does not immediatly suggest it is something for the UK only. Hence many people thinking it is for everyone using Avios, e.g. Iberia Plus members etc.



But as we know, that would have meant continuing to licence the Air Miles brand, which they did not own.

I'm not going to rehash the old threads here, we've all said before how we think it is badly explained.

Ideally Avios.com would be a site explaining the avios currency. And 'Avios direct UK' would have it's own site.
But why is that a bar to merging the schemes?

If they want to turn it into a mass market Nectar style scheme then why not merge them. Giving them even more appeal.

You can transfer the damn things so why overcomplicate matters.

Sorry, maybe im being dim but I just dont get it!
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Old Nov 27, 2012, 2:36 pm
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Originally Posted by kitbag1984
But why is that a bar to merging the schemes?

If they want to turn it into a mass market Nectar style scheme then why not merge them. Giving them even more appeal.

You can transfer the damn things so why overcomplicate matters.

Sorry, maybe im being dim but I just dont get it!
Avios.com is a consumer loyalty scheme, BA.com is a frequent flyer program.

Why not make TPs transferrable and let them be earned on Avios.com through shopping and/or credit card spends?

That would sure even things up a bit

*runs for cover
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