07flightsuit

Hi, my first post on here but can somebody please help, I have booked 2 return seats to LAS VEGAS from HEATHROW 23/07 - 30/07 with Avios points and have tried and tried to upgrade the seats to first class but keep being told no seats are available,,,, Does anybody have an idea when BA release the seats or is it just a waste of my time calling them every 2 days.
Any info would be so much appreciated.

rwoman

07flightsuit,

Welcome to FT.

BA may not have released availability for Avios UGs.

The following threads may be useful to you:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...es-thread.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...tive-club-446/
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...-upgrades.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...uilibrium.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...-bookings.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...des-first.html

nux

What class are you currently booked in? If it is an award booking you won't be able to upgrade as such rather a change, which will no doubt require a call to book.

However, you can check for BA award availability through BA.com without needing to call. Seats may be released at anytime up to the day of flight, however just because there are free seats doesn't mean they will be released as award seats.

Just check online regularly and if you see F availability then call to change.

aBroadAbroad

Welcome to FlyerTalk. Since we have a British Airways forum, which is dedicated to answering all things BA, that's where this thread has landed.

NOTE: This thread originated at the flame-free Information Desk — responding FTers will please reply accordingly.

Thanks, everyone!

~Moderator, Information Desk

matthandy

Unfortunately you cannot upgrade Avios bookings.

BA has quite limited availability in premium cabins these days so if there are no F seats then you will just need to keep checking. However, if you have an existing Avios booking you would need to cancel this and re-book into F if the seats become available. This is quite a risky strategy unless you have enough Avios to make the First booking without waiting for the Avios to re-credit after cancelling you other booking.

corporate-wage-slave

Welcome, 07flightsuit, to Flyertalk and a particularly warm welcome to the British Airways forum. It's good to have you here, please continue to post and I hope you have a great flight.

Just to reiterate the messages upthread really. They release availability around 01:00 hrs, so check first thing in the morning by just trying to get a dummy redemption booking into F - though in the days before departure you need to perhaps check online in the afternoon as well. If that's available then ring up, it just one availability bucket. I will very slightly disagree with matthandy, since there are agents out there that will rebook you into First, so long as you are not changing your aircraft/date of travel etc, without going through a cancel/rebook process. However they will not do this when you are within 24 hours of departure or if you have already changed your booking once already. If you have a large stack of Avios then an agent may do as matthandy has suggested just for speed / ease of booking. Good luck.

matthandy

corporate-wage-slave I very slightly accept and bow to your superior knowledge

alexwuk

LHR-LAS in particular, the recent trend is BA releasing Business Class award seats 8-4 days before departure.
They have not been releasing First Class award seats near departure of late.

jerry a. laska

As noted by CWS one can usually apply more avios to an existing award booking and change to a higher cabin. This traditionally has not involved a cancellation and rebooking and may or may not involve a change fee depending upon the agent. See for example:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ore-avios.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ing-avios.html

07flightsuit

Thanks everybody for all the help and replies.

DS7

One other thing that I might add....

I thought BA had stopped selling F seats on routes operated (in general) by 747 aircraft fitted with OF...?

gw76

The dates of travel are just in a few week though

djibouti

Is the only way to do this by calling? I have a PE award I'd like to change to business now that it's available. Of course, I also would like to change to the earlier flight and that is a different issue entirely (and I expect would cost me the change and phone fee).

golfmad

The answer is in your post in the link that you quoted. Call up and don't delay as the reward seats you want might not be around for long. Good luck.

djibouti

I've been on hold since before I posted

If they don't answer soon I might call the UK or Singapore call centers. But the last time I did that they said they wouldn't touch a US member's booking.