BA.com will let me book one-way with a 241??
Apr 26, 2015, 4:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: BA Executive Club, AS Airlines Mileage Plan
Posts: 981
BA.com will let me book one-way with a 241??
I have been doing some dummy bookings to explore options for using a Chase 241 companion voucher. The T&C on the website says the member and companion must travel together on both the outbound and inbound legs of the journey, and travel must originate in and return to the US. Both legs must be booked at the same time as one booking.
https://www.britishairways.com/trave...club/_gf/en_us
I know this has been interpreted as requiring a round-trip booking, so people book their desired outbound date and a dummy return date the next day or so, and then call back later when their actual return date is available.
But the website will allow me to book one-way for the SFO to LHR outbound trip (and not the reverse starting at LHR). At least I can get all the way to the payment page, which of course I do not complete. Will it fail at that step? Or can I really do this? If the website lets me complete the transactions will BA later rescind the tickets?
I am not sure I want to do this even if it is allowed, but we have enough Avios to book one-way with the 241 and the return for full Avios. It seems like a lot less hassle to do that than phoning in to change the return date, waiting in the queue for an hour, and then seeing the award seats disappear before I can get through.
Or am I imagining it worse than it really is?
https://www.britishairways.com/trave...club/_gf/en_us
I know this has been interpreted as requiring a round-trip booking, so people book their desired outbound date and a dummy return date the next day or so, and then call back later when their actual return date is available.
But the website will allow me to book one-way for the SFO to LHR outbound trip (and not the reverse starting at LHR). At least I can get all the way to the payment page, which of course I do not complete. Will it fail at that step? Or can I really do this? If the website lets me complete the transactions will BA later rescind the tickets?
I am not sure I want to do this even if it is allowed, but we have enough Avios to book one-way with the 241 and the return for full Avios. It seems like a lot less hassle to do that than phoning in to change the return date, waiting in the queue for an hour, and then seeing the award seats disappear before I can get through.
Or am I imagining it worse than it really is?
Apr 26, 2015, 5:16 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,818
Years ago you could. Then for several years you couldn't. Recently some have found that they can book oneway ex-us online.
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...-together.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...one-way-2.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...r-message.html
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...-together.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...one-way-2.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...r-message.html
Apr 26, 2015, 5:25 pm
#4
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,250
You're right, it's not supposed to be possible - based on the T&Cs - and from the left hand pane in the 'My Executive Club' link you'll see that if you select a one-way and choose a Chase voucher then the one-way option is not selectable.
However, in true BA website fashion, you can book a one-way through the 'Book a reward flight' link in the Spending Avios section. Even when you select the Chase voucher, the one-way option is still available. I suspect this is how you're doing it?
I think it's very likely that a one-way ticket booked in this way will be OK. You can't do it starting from outside the USA as the website pops up an error and refuses to present flights using a Chase voucher in this way.
However, in true BA website fashion, you can book a one-way through the 'Book a reward flight' link in the Spending Avios section. Even when you select the Chase voucher, the one-way option is still available. I suspect this is how you're doing it?
I think it's very likely that a one-way ticket booked in this way will be OK. You can't do it starting from outside the USA as the website pops up an error and refuses to present flights using a Chase voucher in this way.
Apr 27, 2015, 1:16 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
In terms of the hassle factor you are slightly confusing two things.
If you book a return, with a dummy inbound day, you can change this later online. You don't have to call but you do have to pay the change fee.
If you book a one-way only, you can't later convert this to a return online: you have to call. The reason people still do this greater-hassle option is because (amongst other reasons maybe):
i) BA will waive the change fee if your inbound date was initially out of range
ii) for some destinations, if you book the outbound at T-355, there is no possible dummy return date in range at that time
iii) they are booking an open jaw and would have to call anyway.
Unless you are in one of these 3 situations, the simplest way to avoid extra hassle is to book a dummy return date, change it online and swallow the change fee. Changing date online is straightforward. (Buying the inbound at full rate vs 241 would be much less value.)
This is particularly the case if you are able to make the booking today/tomorrow before the devaluation: doing so will get you the inbound leg at the current prices rather than (booked on/after 28th) the raised prices.
If you book a return, with a dummy inbound day, you can change this later online. You don't have to call but you do have to pay the change fee.
If you book a one-way only, you can't later convert this to a return online: you have to call. The reason people still do this greater-hassle option is because (amongst other reasons maybe):
i) BA will waive the change fee if your inbound date was initially out of range
ii) for some destinations, if you book the outbound at T-355, there is no possible dummy return date in range at that time
iii) they are booking an open jaw and would have to call anyway.
Unless you are in one of these 3 situations, the simplest way to avoid extra hassle is to book a dummy return date, change it online and swallow the change fee. Changing date online is straightforward. (Buying the inbound at full rate vs 241 would be much less value.)
This is particularly the case if you are able to make the booking today/tomorrow before the devaluation: doing so will get you the inbound leg at the current prices rather than (booked on/after 28th) the raised prices.
Apr 27, 2015, 1:55 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 22
According to the BA website, you are unable to change the dates of reward bookings online from the 21st April onwards (https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...b/club-changes).
I had to make a return leg change from NRT last week and the 3 available reward seats went within a couple of minutes of waiting online. Luckily, the Exec Club operator managed to get me a couple of returns from HND even though they weren't showing online. Switching reward flight dates are going to be more of a hassle now if the policy doesn't change back but it's still better value to try for that in most cases. Just be prepared for early morning phone calls (may get lucky with the US number?).
I had to make a return leg change from NRT last week and the 3 available reward seats went within a couple of minutes of waiting online. Luckily, the Exec Club operator managed to get me a couple of returns from HND even though they weren't showing online. Switching reward flight dates are going to be more of a hassle now if the policy doesn't change back but it's still better value to try for that in most cases. Just be prepared for early morning phone calls (may get lucky with the US number?).
Apr 27, 2015, 9:03 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: BA Executive Club, AS Airlines Mileage Plan
Posts: 981
In terms of the hassle factor you are slightly confusing two things.
If you book a return, with a dummy inbound day, you can change this later online. You don't have to call but you do have to pay the change fee.
If you book a one-way only, you can't later convert this to a return online: you have to call. The reason people still do this greater-hassle option is because (amongst other reasons maybe):
i) BA will waive the change fee if your inbound date was initially out of range
ii) for some destinations, if you book the outbound at T-355, there is no possible dummy return date in range at that time
iii) they are booking an open jaw and would have to call anyway.
Unless you are in one of these 3 situations, the simplest way to avoid extra hassle is to book a dummy return date, change it online and swallow the change fee. Changing date online is straightforward. (Buying the inbound at full rate vs 241 would be much less value.)
This is particularly the case if you are able to make the booking today/tomorrow before the devaluation: doing so will get you the inbound leg at the current prices rather than (booked on/after 28th) the raised prices.
If you book a return, with a dummy inbound day, you can change this later online. You don't have to call but you do have to pay the change fee.
If you book a one-way only, you can't later convert this to a return online: you have to call. The reason people still do this greater-hassle option is because (amongst other reasons maybe):
i) BA will waive the change fee if your inbound date was initially out of range
ii) for some destinations, if you book the outbound at T-355, there is no possible dummy return date in range at that time
iii) they are booking an open jaw and would have to call anyway.
Unless you are in one of these 3 situations, the simplest way to avoid extra hassle is to book a dummy return date, change it online and swallow the change fee. Changing date online is straightforward. (Buying the inbound at full rate vs 241 would be much less value.)
This is particularly the case if you are able to make the booking today/tomorrow before the devaluation: doing so will get you the inbound leg at the current prices rather than (booked on/after 28th) the raised prices.
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...b/club-changes
And actually that particular provision went into effect April 21. So even if I were to book today, I would still have to use the call center to change the date on the inbound flight.
So I am just trying to figure out if it will be OK to use the voucher for outbound only and book the return flight online when the date we want is released, without using the voucher for that flight. My goal is not the lowest cost but the highest probability of getting the two award seats in the timeframe we want. Post #7 confirms my concern that if I have to use the call center to book the inbound flight I may not get the seats.