Terrible Premium BA reward availability (rant)
Oct 14, 2015, 3:49 am
#31
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
Having narrow and fixed ideas inevitably leads to disappointment.
Oct 14, 2015, 4:07 am
#32
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,330
I specifically choose to fly with them because I know I can effectively have my pick of redemptions twice a year as a result. Florida at Easter in CW for 4? No problem.
What do BA get out of it? My a*se in a CW revenue seat for the majority of my long haul travel each year.
Plus not every Avios earned is equal; you only need to look at the US Chase sign up bonuses vs the UK Amex ones to see that.
Oct 14, 2015, 4:23 am
#33
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Near Edinburgh
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 9,034
[QUOTE=Raffles;25562229
And this is just one days availability from Dubai, at super-peak season given the weather is ideal at Easter.[/QUOTE]
Yes, but its Dubai. If i want chavvy bling, I'll go to Blackpool
Do BA fly to Blackpool?
And this is just one days availability from Dubai, at super-peak season given the weather is ideal at Easter.[/QUOTE]
Yes, but its Dubai. If i want chavvy bling, I'll go to Blackpool
Do BA fly to Blackpool?
Oct 14, 2015, 4:30 am
#34
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,330
Oct 14, 2015, 4:57 am
#35
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Berkshire,ENGLAND
Programs: BA Gold,VS Gold,Hilton Diamond
Posts: 138
[QUOTE=Raffles;25562229]For those who think life is terrible, this is what is available out of Dubai on Monday 4th April next year, ie the Monday after Easter Monday assuming you go for a week over Easter:
Try and get anywhere in North America,Caribbean most of South America and Asia and you wont get far!
I just wish that B.A would make it very clear that they would sell seats rather than release them.
I have no problem with this at all however with all the advertising,emails telling me how far i can go itsmisleading to say the least.
Availability IS getting worse.I try and book avios if none available i pay cash,no biggie nonetheless its not the way B.A would have you think.hence all the posts moaning about it
Try and get anywhere in North America,Caribbean most of South America and Asia and you wont get far!
I just wish that B.A would make it very clear that they would sell seats rather than release them.
I have no problem with this at all however with all the advertising,emails telling me how far i can go itsmisleading to say the least.
Availability IS getting worse.I try and book avios if none available i pay cash,no biggie nonetheless its not the way B.A would have you think.hence all the posts moaning about it
Oct 14, 2015, 5:07 am
#36
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
Try and get anywhere in North America,Caribbean most of South America and Asia and you wont get far!
I just wish that B.A would make it very clear that they would sell seats rather than release them.
I have no problem with this at all however with all the advertising,emails telling me how far i can go its misleading to say the least.
You could always pay money for a ticket if there's no availability...
Oct 14, 2015, 6:59 am
#37
Join Date: May 2009
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,741
And, when people refer to plentiful availability are they talking about economy seats or business/first ones ?
Oct 14, 2015, 7:33 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,330
You can do that or, as a Gold, pay double Avios and fly wherever you want whenever you want.
Oct 14, 2015, 8:01 am
#40
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,968
Where did BA ever promise you would have reward availability to the location of your choice? I think if you thought this was a given of BAEC you are mistaken. Clearly some popular destinations (i.e. those mentioned in post 1) are very hard to get.
Oct 14, 2015, 8:04 am
#41
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: Latinpass Million Miler. BA Gold.
Posts: 3,544
So rather than taking my holiday in my choice of location, I should just leave it to BA to dictate my destination through Avios availability ? I'm sorry, but that doesn't cut it for me.
And, when people refer to plentiful availability are they talking about economy seats or business/first ones ?
And, when people refer to plentiful availability are they talking about economy seats or business/first ones ?
CW (or First) long haul. And yes, I've done Caribbean, North America and South America as well, both on BA and other airlines. Only once had I had to resort to a double Avios booking for a European trip.
And choosing a holiday destination for me is a compromise between many things: attractiveness, distance, costs, ease of getting there etc. Oh, and what Mrs BBA wants
So redemption availability is part of it. It doesn't dictate the choice, but influences it. And if we really want to go somewhere where there is no availability, we'll pay. And use the Avios on the next opportunity.
Oct 14, 2015, 9:25 am
#42
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K, Million Miler, BA
Posts: 194
Fair enough. And without wishing to make this personal - it would appear that the OP is BA Blue. That means he either spends little time or little money with BA. He's also been a member of FT since 2004 - enough time to figure out availability so the destinations he mentions is very limited, and adjust his expectations when deciding to collect Avios.
You can't fault BA for making seats available for GGLs but not for Blues.
You can't fault BA for making seats available for GGLs but not for Blues.
Oct 14, 2015, 9:31 am
#43
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: Latinpass Million Miler. BA Gold.
Posts: 3,544
That is a different issue. I am no expert on BA or any other airline's F inventory policies, but I guess that if there were F seats available on many (all) flights, they would fill up with people buying club, and using Avios to upgrade. I guess BA only needs to sell a few F seats to make the cabin profitable, and does not need the incremental Avios revenue from redemptions. Also not having the cabin absolutely full every flight probably adds to its cachet.
Oct 14, 2015, 9:39 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,660
So rather than taking my holiday in my choice of location, I should just leave it to BA to dictate my destination through Avios availability ? I'm sorry, but that doesn't cut it for me.
And, when people refer to plentiful availability are they talking about economy seats or business/first ones ?
And, when people refer to plentiful availability are they talking about economy seats or business/first ones ?
I think you have to realise as most people here do that you need reasonable expectations. Expecting to for example get 6 seats in first in the easter holidays to a destination that is hot is realistically going to probably never happen!
Again as others have said:flexibility
If you have set dates for 1-2 destinations then avios probably isnt for you or you will have to search constantly and book any availability 355 days out!
Oct 14, 2015, 9:45 am
#45
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,660
Yes, understood, but how does that explain why BA will allow F seats to depart empty instead of allowing Avios bookings? Most world carriers do hoard F seats, but they do let them go shortly before departure rather than allow them the seats to go empty. This makes no sense to me.