Your guide to spending Avios | 2017 edition
Dec 8, 2017, 12:43 pm
#526
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Executive Club, Aeroplan
Posts: 196
Hi,
I've just booked an Avios reward flight on AA metal (I'm BA Bronze/OW Ruby) and I've gone to the AA site to select a seat (and keep an eye on MCE seats to grab 24 hrs out) and the AA system is saying 'We’re unable to assign seats for everyone. Please check back or we’ll assign seats at the airport.'
Is this a temporary glitch, or a problem?
My other half will be on the same flight and is AA Platinum, so if I can't select a seat, can AA customer services 'link' our bookings and get us MCE seats together?
Thanks!!
I've just booked an Avios reward flight on AA metal (I'm BA Bronze/OW Ruby) and I've gone to the AA site to select a seat (and keep an eye on MCE seats to grab 24 hrs out) and the AA system is saying 'We’re unable to assign seats for everyone. Please check back or we’ll assign seats at the airport.'
Is this a temporary glitch, or a problem?
My other half will be on the same flight and is AA Platinum, so if I can't select a seat, can AA customer services 'link' our bookings and get us MCE seats together?
Thanks!!
Dec 13, 2017, 12:51 am
#527
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
Delete
Last edited by sxc; Dec 13, 2017 at 2:13 am Reason: Deleted
Dec 13, 2017, 5:39 am
#528
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sunny Wales
Programs: BA Gold (Oh yeah!)
Posts: 66
Apologies, if this question is often asked, (i've had a look but just confused myself even more).
We have flights for 3 (2 adults and 1 child) LHR - LAX return in Feb, in WT+, cash bookings
When we booked, I had picked an outbound flight with reward availability to CW, and duly phoned up (within 24hrs of booking) and upgraded, total cost 75k avios and Ł150 (Ł50 each) for the 3 or us. Which was my first every reward upgraded and a very painless process.
I've been watching for reward availability on the return (none available yet), but I just wanted to check the likely cost, will it be the same as the outbound upgrade 75k avios and Ł150, or as it is after the 24hr (free changes timescale) is there a change fee, on my booking it makes reference to a Ł150 change fee per ticket. so total cost would be
75k avios
3 x change fees Ł450
3 x upgrade tax Ł150
So Ł600 which is a big jump from the Ł150
Thanks for your help and sorry for my ignorance, but hopefully I'm learning something new here everyday
We have flights for 3 (2 adults and 1 child) LHR - LAX return in Feb, in WT+, cash bookings
When we booked, I had picked an outbound flight with reward availability to CW, and duly phoned up (within 24hrs of booking) and upgraded, total cost 75k avios and Ł150 (Ł50 each) for the 3 or us. Which was my first every reward upgraded and a very painless process.
I've been watching for reward availability on the return (none available yet), but I just wanted to check the likely cost, will it be the same as the outbound upgrade 75k avios and Ł150, or as it is after the 24hr (free changes timescale) is there a change fee, on my booking it makes reference to a Ł150 change fee per ticket. so total cost would be
75k avios
3 x change fees Ł450
3 x upgrade tax Ł150
So Ł600 which is a big jump from the Ł150
Thanks for your help and sorry for my ignorance, but hopefully I'm learning something new here everyday
Dec 13, 2017, 6:01 am
#529
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
I've been watching for reward availability on the return (none available yet), but I just wanted to check the likely cost, will it be the same as the outbound upgrade 75k avios and Ł150, or as it is after the 24hr (free changes timescale) is there a change fee, on my booking it makes reference to a Ł150 change fee per ticket. so total cost would be
75k avios
3 x change fees Ł450
3 x upgrade tax Ł150
So Ł600 which is a big jump from the Ł150
75k avios
3 x change fees Ł450
3 x upgrade tax Ł150
So Ł600 which is a big jump from the Ł150
I say "along the lines of" because the exact numbers may differ depending on various things. If your inbound travel is on an off-peak date, then the way that the UuA numbers work means that the Avios cost would be 30,000 per person. And there is a full recalculation of the taxes, fees and charges for the whole ticket at the time of the ticket reissue, so the additional amount payable may be different from that which you paid for the first upgrade.
Dec 13, 2017, 7:36 am
#530
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sunny Wales
Programs: BA Gold (Oh yeah!)
Posts: 66
Thanks Globaliser, Just hope for availability now..
Dec 13, 2017, 7:04 pm
#531
Join Date: Mar 2003
Programs: BA GGL; AA LT Gold; AS 100K; DL MM GM; Hyatt G*list, Hilton Diamond; SQ silver
Posts: 3,806
Is the rule for upgrading TA bookings still true?
still applicable?
Could the TA fully release control of the ticket? Would that allow BA to do the upgrade? I have a TA issued ticket on which I've flown the outbound already. The return has plenty of F award availability and I'd like to upgrade. The remaining flights are all BA and the ticket number is BA.
A booking that has already been part flown will not be upgradeable.
Could the TA fully release control of the ticket? Would that allow BA to do the upgrade? I have a TA issued ticket on which I've flown the outbound already. The return has plenty of F award availability and I'd like to upgrade. The remaining flights are all BA and the ticket number is BA.
Dec 14, 2017, 2:12 am
#532
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, several other less interesting cards...
Posts: 3,712
I notice that BA codeshares with Bangkok Airways for domestics. Are these bookable via Avios?
Dec 14, 2017, 7:35 am
#533
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,128
They are not.
Dec 14, 2017, 2:21 pm
#534
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
Why does BA seem to charge less taxes/fees on EI redemptions than EI/Avios.com?
Last edited by wiivile; Dec 14, 2017 at 2:29 pm
Dec 14, 2017, 5:04 pm
#535
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,128
Not always. I've had an Avios.com redemption suggesting Ł18, and BAEC was trying to charge over Ł50. This was, I believe, DUB-AGP.
Dec 15, 2017, 2:12 am
#536
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
Probably because it's fairly simple to put internally-set YQ overrides into your own systems, i.e. the avios.com/aerclub interface, and of highest priority for AGL to get this done as that will be the path of most redemptions. By contrast BAEC agents are presumably calculating YQ/taxes through the generic fares/taxes system where it's harder to run parallel pricing for avios vs cash booking (and less redemptions go that way) so they just are using the cash-fare-equivalent taxes.
Dec 15, 2017, 5:45 am
#537
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, several other less interesting cards...
Posts: 3,712
Dec 15, 2017, 5:49 am
#538
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,926
Dec 15, 2017, 6:32 am
#539
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,128
Dec 15, 2017, 9:16 am
#540
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Saint Augustine, FL
Posts: 145
Which date is this for? Are you departing MIA on a Friday evening? I can see an oddity in the published connections MIA-DUB-AMS on Friday evenings, but the onward DUB-AMS flight (EI608) is still there if you search for that sector alone. I'm not sure what's happened there, but it would be interesting to know whether this is the issue that's affecting you.
Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong area, but I need some advice.
I booked 3 coach award tickets on Aer Lingus using Avios for MIA-AMS in July 2018. Originally, there was a 3 hour layover in DUB. It now appears that Aer Lingus has revised their schedule, and there's no connection from DUB to AMS after our plane arrives in DUB from MIA. Even though this change in schedule occurred a few weeks ago, no one has contacted us, and our original flights and times are still showing on the Executive Club website. I assume Aer Linus finalized their summer schedule, and our original connecting flight is now gone, but I'm not 100% sure it won't be added back into the schedule.
We don't want to have a 19 hour layover in Dublin and have to spend a night there before continuing on to AMS. Should we contact BA and see if they'll change the flights? I'm willing to pay the extra fees to fly BA from MIA-LHR-AMS if I absolutely have to, but it totals about $500 so I'd like to avoid this. I would also like to avoid paying any $55 change fees. Conversely, if indeed Aer Lingus is not an option, I'd like to switch to BA while there is still availability for award seats (which there currently is).
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
I booked 3 coach award tickets on Aer Lingus using Avios for MIA-AMS in July 2018. Originally, there was a 3 hour layover in DUB. It now appears that Aer Lingus has revised their schedule, and there's no connection from DUB to AMS after our plane arrives in DUB from MIA. Even though this change in schedule occurred a few weeks ago, no one has contacted us, and our original flights and times are still showing on the Executive Club website. I assume Aer Linus finalized their summer schedule, and our original connecting flight is now gone, but I'm not 100% sure it won't be added back into the schedule.
We don't want to have a 19 hour layover in Dublin and have to spend a night there before continuing on to AMS. Should we contact BA and see if they'll change the flights? I'm willing to pay the extra fees to fly BA from MIA-LHR-AMS if I absolutely have to, but it totals about $500 so I'd like to avoid this. I would also like to avoid paying any $55 change fees. Conversely, if indeed Aer Lingus is not an option, I'd like to switch to BA while there is still availability for award seats (which there currently is).
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
BA emailed me that my EI connecting flight had been cancelled, and they rebooked me on an earlier EI flight. The problem is, my new connecting flight from DUB-AMS is scheduled to depart 20 minutes BEFORE my initial flight from MIA-DUB lands. I don't know how their system would allow this, but they did it. My best guess is I should call BA and reroute so that I fly MIA-LHR-AMS, but is there any way to do it with out paying the additional taxes on BA? The BA taxes and fees are about $150 more per person than the EI taxes and fees were.
Last edited by canes98; Dec 15, 2017 at 12:18 pm Reason: Had wrong code for Aer Lingus