BA inhibiting avios upgrades on TA bookings
Apr 29, 2018, 5:14 am
#16
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I'm aware that if the travel agent uses a "hidden fare" - e.g a special negotiated rate - then BA will not allow you to upgrade using points. However, they will (i believe) allow you to upgrade the hidden fare TA ticket using a gold upgrade voucher. I think there's discussion within BA about allowing you to upgrade a TA hidden fare using avios too but they've not changed the policy yet. An example of a hidden fare could be a package (e.g Club tickets to JFK with hotel or car hire) or a reduced WTP ticket to the US. Companies such as Trailfinders, Travelcentre and others would be companies with negotiated specials. These don't have to be "cheap" tickets, i've booked many Ł2K WTP tickets to the US that fall under this "hidden fare". So, they aren't bucket seats.
If the fare is not in the booking for the BA team to see it then (at the moment) they won't allow a points upgrade. This is frustrating for many of us using corporate travel agencies where this is common. I had an example recently of being on quite an expensive WTP ticket booked through the travel agent and there being Club avios seats available but BA not willing to allow me to upgrade using points (because they couldn't see the fare). I hope BA can revisit this policy. Ironically, BA has no problem selling a paid AUP upgrade at the ticket desk and changing the TA ticket so the rules clearly can be changed to suit BA (but also the passenger if they wish).
If the fare is not in the booking for the BA team to see it then (at the moment) they won't allow a points upgrade. This is frustrating for many of us using corporate travel agencies where this is common. I had an example recently of being on quite an expensive WTP ticket booked through the travel agent and there being Club avios seats available but BA not willing to allow me to upgrade using points (because they couldn't see the fare). I hope BA can revisit this policy. Ironically, BA has no problem selling a paid AUP upgrade at the ticket desk and changing the TA ticket so the rules clearly can be changed to suit BA (but also the passenger if they wish).
Last edited by Airways45; Apr 29, 2018 at 5:21 am
Apr 29, 2018, 8:23 am
#18
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bulk fares are not UuA’able as well as the country issue mentioned above. What reason are BA giving to say no?
May 27, 2018, 9:41 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Trying to figure out if I can upgrade with Avios so I can sit with my wife up front at the end of a vacation next weekend to Corsica. I am accompanying here back to LHR and she is already in CE as part of an award back to the US. I'm going back to LHR for a few days of work next week so just had my TA buy a one way FSC-LHR ticket in economy. There is indeed award space for the CE cabin on the flight so I would like to upgrade. Do I have to call in to have this upgraded with Avios?
May 27, 2018, 9:44 am
#20
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Trying to figure out if I can upgrade with Avios so I can sit with my wife up front at the end of a vacation next weekend to Corsica. I am accompanying here back to LHR and she is already in CE as part of an award back to the US. I'm going back to LHR for a few days of work next week so just had my TA buy a one way FSC-LHR ticket in economy. There is indeed award space for the CE cabin on the flight so I would like to upgrade. Do I have to call in to have this upgraded with Avios?
As long as it is not Q/O/G and you on a BA 125-... ticket, and it’s a published fare, then a UuA should be possible. You’ll need to call BAEC to do it.
May 21, 2019, 7:58 am
#21
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OTA booking, can't UuA
I booked NTE-LHR-JFK-LHR in WT+ (K/T classes) via Expedia for a fraction of what BA.com was quoting for either that or returning to NTE. It's on 125 stock, all operated by BA, but the outbound is on a BA flight number, the return is on an IB one. BA are saying I cannot UuA the outbound leg because of the IB flight number on the return. I am only trying to upgrade the BA ticketed, operated and numbered flight!
Interestingly I was told different things by different agents, having called 3x. The first time the lady did not say any of this and was processing it but didn't understand my request to UuA all the way from Nantes as the YQ difference calc is 35 EUR instead of 100 GBP so I HUACAed and the next 2 agents then explained the above and refused to do it.
Is this in fact correct?
Interestingly I was told different things by different agents, having called 3x. The first time the lady did not say any of this and was processing it but didn't understand my request to UuA all the way from Nantes as the YQ difference calc is 35 EUR instead of 100 GBP so I HUACAed and the next 2 agents then explained the above and refused to do it.
Is this in fact correct?
May 21, 2019, 8:09 am
#22
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I booked NTE-LHR-JFK-LHR in WT+ (K/T classes) via Expedia for a fraction of what BA.com was quoting for either that or returning to NTE. It's on 125 stock, all operated by BA, but the outbound is on a BA flight number, the return is on an IB one. BA are saying I cannot UuA the outbound leg because of the IB flight number on the return. I am only trying to upgrade the BA ticketed, operated and numbered flight!
Interestingly I was told different things by different agents, having called 3x. The first time the lady did not say any of this and was processing it but didn't understand my request to UuA all the way from Nantes as the YQ difference calc is 35 EUR instead of 100 GBP so I HUACAed and the next 2 agents then explained the above and refused to do it.
Is this in fact correct?
Interestingly I was told different things by different agents, having called 3x. The first time the lady did not say any of this and was processing it but didn't understand my request to UuA all the way from Nantes as the YQ difference calc is 35 EUR instead of 100 GBP so I HUACAed and the next 2 agents then explained the above and refused to do it.
Is this in fact correct?
Upgrading Using Avios (UuA) & Gold Upgrade Vouchers (GUF)
A quick note on doing UuAs is that you can do these for exEU itineraries (or you can apply a GUF if you have any). The following restrictions for UuAs apply though:
Summary guide to bookings which can be upgraded with Avios:
A BA Holiday booking (flights & hotel) is UuA'able and treated as a TA booking, so a booking including non BA flights could not be UuA'ed. Also a BA Holiday booking which was made using a TA can not be UuA'ed.
Note that even if booked direct with BA on a 125-... ticket you can't UuA BA marketed and AA operated flight. The BA flight must be both BA marketed and operated.
There is more information on UuA'ing TA bookings here.
A quick note on doing UuAs is that you can do these for exEU itineraries (or you can apply a GUF if you have any). The following restrictions for UuAs apply though:
Summary guide to bookings which can be upgraded with Avios:
- BA issued tickets (can include other carriers) ^
- TA issued (on BA stock) booking with only BA flights ^
- TA issued (on BA stock) booking with other carriers
- Tickets issued on non-BA stock
A BA Holiday booking (flights & hotel) is UuA'able and treated as a TA booking, so a booking including non BA flights could not be UuA'ed. Also a BA Holiday booking which was made using a TA can not be UuA'ed.
Note that even if booked direct with BA on a 125-... ticket you can't UuA BA marketed and AA operated flight. The BA flight must be both BA marketed and operated.
There is more information on UuA'ing TA bookings here.
May 21, 2019, 9:28 am
#23
Join Date: Jul 2010
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That second category is a bit unclear about what happens in this instance.
Have I misinterpreted this?
May 21, 2019, 9:31 am
#24
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Thanks Karfa. From your excerpt though, this still seems eligible. The whole ticket is 125 stock but TA issued. All legs are BA operated. One leg, which I'm not trying to upgrade, is IB marketed.
That second category is a bit unclear about what happens in this instance.
Have I misinterpreted this?
That second category is a bit unclear about what happens in this instance.
Have I misinterpreted this?
The BA flight must be both BA marketed and operated.
May 21, 2019, 9:32 am
#25
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I think it means that on a ta booking if one leg is not a ba flight that makes the whole ticket and th various legs not upgradeable with avios
Regards
Tbs
May 21, 2019, 9:41 am
#26
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May 22, 2019, 2:38 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2010
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We only offer upgrades with Avios for flights that are operated by BA and booked under a BA prime flight code. We are unable to offer upgrades where another carrier's flight code is issued on the ticket.
May 22, 2019, 2:46 pm
#28
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It seems rather odd to me that this means that they cannot upgrade the outbound leg, which is completely compliant with this, purely because the return leg has an IB flight code. Presumably this is not a systems problem but part of them deterring people from using (O)TAs and the drastically cheaper fares that often come up by mixing up the flight codes?
May 26, 2019, 2:52 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2010
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No, it is to do with the fact that using UuA alters the underlying ticket, and puts control under BA, which is unusual since that normally only happens at T-24, before that control lies with the TA. There is a risk of something going wrong or getting missed in the process. If the entire trip is on BA then it is happy to take the responsibility, but if there is other metal involved then the potential liability for mistakes (etc) is a step too far for BA. This also explains why AUP is ok, not least because the risk is in any case lower, but also because at that point the ticket is under airline control anyway.
May 27, 2019, 1:15 am
#30
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 457
In my experience you can have ‘other metal’ on the booking as long as all flights carry a BA code and it’s a 125- ticket. But you can only UuA for specific sectors within that booking that are operated with BA metal. For example I have a transatlantic return booking which includes an AS-operated sector between Portland and Seattle, but as this also carries a BA flight code and the whole ticket is 125-, I have been able to UuA from W to J for the outbound LHR-JFK BA-operated sector. The Exec Club telephone agents don’t always realise this, hence you may have to call several times before you reach an agent that will do it for you.