fransknorge

I might need to buy a flexible one-way ticket Aberdeen to Paris.

Specifically I need the flexibility to change the time of departure to a later flight or the departure date by a one or two days if the need arise. If I need to make a change; this would be between 48 and 12 hours before my original departure). No need to change the destination or routing (I might need to swap ORY for CDG or v.v. though).

Since I never need flexible tickets (or at least the few times I needed them it was not with BA) I am not well versed with those and need some advise.

For a revenue ticket, what fare bucket am I aiming for and how to ensure I get this bucket ?
Will a RFS booking allows that (and does it needs to have availability into the corresponding bucket for reward flight) ?

If the domestic add-on was still free, I would lean towards a RFS if they have the flexibility now, as I am saving for a specific redemption I would prefer a cash ticket (hopefully not at an eye watering price).

corporate-wage-slave

RFS is probably the way to go, in terms of cost effectiveness. You can change the flight for a change fee up to 24 hours before departure of the first flight, at which point it becomes inflexible. You could protect yourself a bit by splitting into 2 reservations, to minimise Avios lost if the 12 hour scenario applies, but you'd then lose flight protection if there was a delay. Now for rebooking, obviously it would also depend on getting availability to Paris, but that shouldn't be a problem unless there is some big event on or it is around school holidays. You could of course cancel totally and still buy cash at the last moment, but the cost effectiveness of that is very difficult to gauge. To keep the Avios usage low you can of course throw more cash at the Redemption, or perhaps buy some during the regular IB+ sales at about 1p each.

As for fare buckets for flexibility, it doesn't quite work like that, it's more about fare basis. You best tinker around with an inflexible single revenue to see how it works, the one thing BA.com is good at is showing how to increase flexibility for more money. Semi-flex in theory allows you a same day change, though there are reports of complexities when people actually try to invoke it.

fransknorge

Thanks CWS
My first thinking was RFS too, just wanted to be sure. Unfortunately this would be just before the french Easter holidays, so it might get busy.