matinicus rock

How do we know this is the case?

gallagher

if i search for LON-NCL for this Friday in economy I get zero seats. yet if I search in Business I can get seats on 3 different flights !!!

suntravler

I have been trying to find CW seats MIA-LHR-MIA for April, May, or June 2014.
Zero availability. Never had this problem before.

I called BAEC. Very nice agent told me NO CW or F seats have been released yet for that time period and she doesn't know when they will be. (She said there was lots of coach seats available.)

Her advice: check everyday.

Thank goodness I did not transfer my MR points to BA.

BTW, flew back last week LHR - MIA. CW was virtually EMPTY.

I wonder if it really would help to complain to Chase and AE that these BA points now seem worthless. ...as suggested in an earlier post.

chad3

what you report is not unusual and its not really difficult to deal with either - there is a system that you need to be aware of and then it will hopefully work out fine for you....

My experience of booking CW and F rewards is in line with what you experienced. WT tickets get released around 350 days in advance (or thereabouts) Premium seats are almost invariably about two months later. I cant remember the exact number of days (and it does vary +/- a day or two) but I booked F tickets for June this year in August last year. I've always looked ahead and found the last day I could book a reward ticket and then looking in again the following day, the next days rewards (in the following year) usually become available. I've worked out when the reward seats come available, I set myself an alarm in my diary and bingo, the day the seats are released, I am reminded to get on line and get them booked. Good luck!

Of course, someone may be able to give you more scientific or precise information than this but its always worked for me

suntravler

Thank you, Chad3, for taking the time to explain this. I will put it to the test.

Happy travels.

Full Score

This may have worked in past years, but BA's policy has changed dramatically over the last few weeks. Try looking for ANY F availability from the West Coast to LHR and you'll find almost zero for the next 355 days. Even PHX, where seats used to be plentiful, has only nine days out of 355 where anything is offered.

BA no longer cares about loyalty.

matinicus rock

Naive question but is there no way to get an official response from the airline about this?

Betteronacamel

Here you go...

'Following a survey of our most loyal passengers we have decided that releasing reward seat availability closer to the date of departure is preferred by many of our valued customers. Therefore if you wish to redeem in, or upgrade to our Club World or First cabins you can now only do so within 48 hours of your desired departure date. There are no plans to change this policy which has received positive feedback from members of BAEC.'

Good enough?

TheMajor

^^^^^^^
That's really useful when planning a holiday for multiple people, when you have to book everyone's time off work, hotels, car hire, etc.

Blueboys999

Clearly nowhere near an authentic response - not a single mention of an 'enhancement'.

Betteronacamel

I believe that's what they found in their research. We much prefer the frisson of not knowing whether we can get anything until the last minute. Makes life that little bit more exciting, but at the same time so much more rewarding when you finally hook up that flight you've been waiting all year for. Much better fun. I'm all for it, and told them so

Blueboys999

jayceeohh

It really is disappointing reading this thread. I'm saving avios to try to take the family to the US in Club next summer, plus will have a BA amex companion voucher. What's the point when there's no way I'll be able to book in advance at a time I'll want to? I've spent over 10 years travelling in BA only when flying for business. What price loyalty?

JohnAx

Group legal action in the U.S.? The airlines tend to warn their FF members that they can change the plan as they see fit at any time, but the airlines might be found guilty of 'bait-and-switch' because of the bonuses they dangled for point transfers at a time they knew they were about to devalue the product.

suntravler

What about the credit card companies who are also involved in this "bait and switch". They have some liability too...IMHO.