One Way Ticket into London
Sep 12, 2017, 4:17 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Nottingham
Programs: Hotels.com Gold, BA Exec, 1M Green Sheild Stamps
Posts: 99
One Way Ticket into London
Hi
I am looking to purchase a couple of one way tickets with BA (City Flyer) from PRG into LCY.
When I do a search it insists on quoting me in the local currency - question is, when I pay on my BA Amex will it charge me in Sterling? I don't really want the foreign currency charges adding on if I can help it.
Thanks for your help
DanAirLondon ^
I am looking to purchase a couple of one way tickets with BA (City Flyer) from PRG into LCY.
When I do a search it insists on quoting me in the local currency - question is, when I pay on my BA Amex will it charge me in Sterling? I don't really want the foreign currency charges adding on if I can help it.
Thanks for your help
DanAirLondon ^
Sep 12, 2017, 4:20 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,198
If you book online, you'll be billed in the currency you see.
Your options are either a travel agent booking (which brings its own issues in the event of pre-travel changes, etc.) or to phone up and pay a booking fee. (Or get a fee-free foreign currency card).
Your options are either a travel agent booking (which brings its own issues in the event of pre-travel changes, etc.) or to phone up and pay a booking fee. (Or get a fee-free foreign currency card).
Sep 12, 2017, 4:20 am
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
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If you book on ba.com, the charge will be made in the currency that's quoted (CZK, presumably) so you will pay your credit card's foreign currency charge.
You could avoid that by phoning BA in the UK to book - the agent should be able to charge you in GBP. But then you'd have to pay the offline booking fee, which may be much more than the ~3% foreign currency fee on the CZK charge.
Or you could try to find a UK travel agent that will book and charge you in GBP. But then you may have to pay the agent's fee, which could again be more than the credit card's foreign currency fee.
You could avoid that by phoning BA in the UK to book - the agent should be able to charge you in GBP. But then you'd have to pay the offline booking fee, which may be much more than the ~3% foreign currency fee on the CZK charge.
Or you could try to find a UK travel agent that will book and charge you in GBP. But then you may have to pay the agent's fee, which could again be more than the credit card's foreign currency fee.
Sep 12, 2017, 4:22 am
#4
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,945
Hi
I am looking to purchase a couple of one way tickets with BA (City Flyer) from PRG into LCY.
When I do a search it insists on quoting me in the local currency - question is, when I pay on my BA Amex will it charge me in Sterling? I don't really want the foreign currency charges adding on if I can help it.
Thanks for your help
DanAirLondon ^
I am looking to purchase a couple of one way tickets with BA (City Flyer) from PRG into LCY.
When I do a search it insists on quoting me in the local currency - question is, when I pay on my BA Amex will it charge me in Sterling? I don't really want the foreign currency charges adding on if I can help it.
Thanks for your help
DanAirLondon ^
If you want to be charged in £ so that the charge to your card is not in a foreign currency you would have to call to book it. I have found when making bookings on the phone with BA they will default to quoting and charging me in £. Unfortunately I think you would be charged the offline booking fee if you call to book.
Sep 12, 2017, 4:47 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Nottingham
Programs: Hotels.com Gold, BA Exec, 1M Green Sheild Stamps
Posts: 99
Options for me are pay on Lloyds Amex with 0% overseas transactions, or
Pay on BA Amex and get the 3xAvios/£ bonus.
With me trying to accumulate Avios for a trip in F to NRT, its worth the charge.
Thanks again
Pay on BA Amex and get the 3xAvios/£ bonus.
With me trying to accumulate Avios for a trip in F to NRT, its worth the charge.
Thanks again
Sep 12, 2017, 4:51 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,198
Lloyds Amex will give you 1.25 avios/£.
BA will give you 3 (so a net gain of 1.75) but then will charge you roughly 3%. So you gain 1.75 avios for 3p, meaning you need to get 1.71p of value per avios.
Personally, I'd be using the Lloyds card but if you'd be prepared to pay £4k for an F flight to Japan (cash in lieu of avios, as opposed to splashing 240k avios), then the BA card would make more sense.
BA will give you 3 (so a net gain of 1.75) but then will charge you roughly 3%. So you gain 1.75 avios for 3p, meaning you need to get 1.71p of value per avios.
Personally, I'd be using the Lloyds card but if you'd be prepared to pay £4k for an F flight to Japan (cash in lieu of avios, as opposed to splashing 240k avios), then the BA card would make more sense.
Sep 12, 2017, 5:25 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Nottingham
Programs: Hotels.com Gold, BA Exec, 1M Green Sheild Stamps
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Its a difficult one, I am appalling at working out the value of Avios (I have tried reading the write up)
I currently stand @ approx 105k Avios - looking to purchase a minimum of an Outbound F and return J to NRJ in 2019 with the Amex 2-4-1.
I am going to have to purchase some Avios when I purchase so I think trying to get as much Avios as I can now the better.
I currently stand @ approx 105k Avios - looking to purchase a minimum of an Outbound F and return J to NRJ in 2019 with the Amex 2-4-1.
I am going to have to purchase some Avios when I purchase so I think trying to get as much Avios as I can now the better.
Sep 12, 2017, 5:31 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BAEC Gold, LH M&M Member
Posts: 2,705
It's important to bear in mind that whether you're paying in local currency and getting Amex to do the FX, or paying on the phone with BA, that somewhere along the line there is going to be an FX discrepancy.
(What I mean is, BA will be using an internal exchange rate to charge you - this might or not be better than the Amex exchange rate inc. the 3%)
I don't know how much this difference would be but I'd expect it's worth double-checking before one assumes the 3% Amex charge is automatically terrible.
(What I mean is, BA will be using an internal exchange rate to charge you - this might or not be better than the Amex exchange rate inc. the 3%)
I don't know how much this difference would be but I'd expect it's worth double-checking before one assumes the 3% Amex charge is automatically terrible.
Sep 12, 2017, 5:45 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: BA GGL, A3*G, Mucci de l'expertise des Apps
Posts: 3,365
BA will be using the official IATA exchange rate which is updated daily, not some random internal exchange rate they have made up for their benefit.
Sep 12, 2017, 7:27 am
#12
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Indeed, and it is likely to be better than the start point than whatever the credit card company uses, to then add the 3% uplift. So it is worth calculating the booking fee through to see if it is worth doing. This isn't guaranteed, but it seems that ticketing agents at LHR don't always collect the £15 fee there, so long as you butter them up a bit.
Sep 12, 2017, 7:45 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2011
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