FlyerTalk Forums

FlyerTalk Forums (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php)
-   British Airways | Executive Club (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club-446/)
-   -   OT: Can stopovers be booked on ba.com? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1496446-ot-can-stopovers-booked-ba-com.html)

drpabs Aug 22, 2013 10:38 am

OT: Can stopovers be booked on ba.com?
 
I seem to remember (I may be wrong) in the past being offered the chance when booking on the BA website to change an indirect flight such as LHR-SYD to incorporate a stopover. As far as I can tell this is not possible any more. Does anyone know if stopovers can be booked via the BA website, or will I have to ring BA to make such a booking?

Many thanks,

drpabs

irishguy28 Aug 22, 2013 10:41 am

If you are talking about changing an existing booking, then you should ring up.

If you are making a redemption booking, the option to stopover is presented as part of the booking, if stopovers are available on your itinerary.

If you are making a cash booking, use the "multi-city/stopovers" option and input your 3 routes (Origin-Stopover point on date 1; stopover point-destination on date 2; destination-origin on date 3 - or whatever setup you want) and book.

http://i44.tinypic.com/23s6k93.jpg

drpabs Aug 22, 2013 11:46 am

Thanks for the reply irishguy28. I had tried the method that you mention but it always results in an error message - even when I put in flights on which I know there is availability. I have found BA's website to be somewhat less than reliable in the past so I suspect that they don't have this functionality working correctly at present.

For those interested, I am trying to use the website to make the following cash booking, in club class and for 2 passengers:

Sat 21 Dec: London - Hong Kong
Mon 23 Dec: Hong Kong - Melbourne
Fri 10 Jan: Melbourne - Singapore
Sat 11 Jan: Singapore - London

NeverFirst Aug 22, 2013 12:31 pm

If you click on the help message it might explain why it's not working. It gives this as an example;


London to Hong Kong
Hong Kong to Bangkok
Bangkok to London

We do not fly directly from Hong Kong to Bangkok, and would be unable to book this part of the journey on ba.com. You would be able to book this with us if you call us. The following link will provide you with suitable contact details in your area. Contact us
So I suspect it's getting hung up on the XXX-MEL-XXX bit as you can't book them with a BA flight number on their own.

Globaliser Aug 22, 2013 12:47 pm


Originally Posted by drpabs (Post 21317758)
For those interested, I am trying to use the website to make the following cash booking, in club class and for 2 passengers:

Sat 21 Dec: London - Hong Kong
Mon 23 Dec: Hong Kong - Melbourne
Fri 10 Jan: Melbourne - Singapore
Sat 11 Jan: Singapore - London

I think that the problem here may be that ba.com is for some reason not seeing the BA codes between HKG and MEL, and that this part of the website will only book flights on BA codes. It may be the way it's asking for availability and/or because of rules about when the HKG-MEL sector can be sold as a BA code. Searching EF, for example, I can't see the BA codes if you ask for HKG-MEL alone but I can if I ask for LHR-HKG-MEL as a connection.

You might want to have a play with the ITA Software site to see whether the problem is that fare rules do not permit HKG-MEL to be booked as a BA code if you have a stopover in Hong Kong.

And, if so, you might get pointers as to alternative ways of getting this itinerary at the sort of fare that you were thinking of.

irishguy28 Aug 22, 2013 1:05 pm

That's high season - Christmas/New Year - the cheapest I can find for those routes and dates is £1,895.25 on a Virgin ticket (though only the first flight is on VS; the second is on Virgin Australia, and both flights on the return are VS codeshares on SQ).

I think that if you want BA to issue a ticket for you, it will work out very, very expensive. The next cheapest is £3,387.09 on a ticket that puts you on Emirates and then Qantas on the way out, and on a BA codeshare on QF and then BA proper on the way back.

I'm not sure if you actually want to have a "stopover" in SIN on the way back - you've specified MEL-SIN on 10 Jan, SIN-LON on 11 Jan, but most MEL-LON flights departing on 10 Jan would meet that requirement anyway!

I've just run a search again, but instead of searching for 2 separate flights on the way back, I just put in MEL-LON on 10 Jan as the third flight. And it actually comes in more expensive, £2,003.95 on a similar style Virgin ticket as mentioned above (though goes through SYD and HKG on the way home), with Cathay Pacific coming in on £2,104.35. The first appearance of BA isn't until a combined BA/CX/QF ticket for £4,951.35!!

Note: all data from opodo.co.uk and refers to Economy class.

And I will just miss you in MEL, I'll be arriving shortly after you're leaving!!!

Globaliser Aug 22, 2013 5:03 pm


Originally Posted by Globaliser (Post 21318204)
I think that the problem here may be that ba.com is for some reason not seeing the BA codes between HKG and MEL, and that this part of the website will only book flights on BA codes. It may be the way it's asking for availability and/or because of rules about when the HKG-MEL sector can be sold as a BA code. ...

You might want to have a play with the ITA Software site to see whether the problem is that fare rules do not permit HKG-MEL to be booked as a BA code if you have a stopover in Hong Kong.

Having had the time to play a bit, it looks like the problem may be this: The fare rules for BA business class fares to SYD and MEL appear to provide that you cannot have a stopover in Hong Kong if you continue to Australia using the same airline's code. So you can fly LHR-HKG-MEL on BA code followed by BA code providing you connect at HKG and go on to MEL straight away. That should therefore be bookable on ba.com.

However, if you have a stopover, you can't continue HKG-MEL using a BA code. You can still use the fare if you book a CX code or a QF code on HKG-MEL, and the ticket can still be priced using BA fares. But ba.com won't book those for you using the multi-city function because there's a sector that doesn't have a BA code, and that's why you're seeing the error message that you're getting.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 6:46 pm.


This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.