clubeurope

Hello everyone,

I couldn't seem to find any information anywhere, but can you redeem Avios for non-BA destinations (neither codeshare or BA-operated?). I'm looking to redeem a Cathay flight to Jeju (CJU) but it is not an option on BA.com.

If it is possible, I suppose calling BAEC can help out?

cheers,
clubeurope

etiene

Should be possible by calling. I also recall mention of a bug whereby the autocomplete would not work, but leaving the airport code itself would still operate so might be worth trying that.

clubeurope

Thanks Etiene!

BA6501

First comment - correct.
Second comment - indeed that could be an issue, and I don't see any other option than having to wait for segment 4 to be available for booking to be honest. You can only have one open-jaw in the itinerary, and the routing has to be "logical". I suppose it depends how far apart your segments 2-3-4 are from each other.
Yes, putting in just the airport code should work just fine.

etiene

I can think of a way in which it might be possible - but it relies on some things regarding ticketing/availability that I don't know... Best described as: can the booking exist, claiming availability, without being pushed though ticketing? In that case, it might be possible to break the fare rules for the somewhat imaginary itinerary - such that after moving flight 2 one had, the real 1 and 2 but placeholder 3 and 4. Temporarily giving a flight order of 1-3-4-2 and two OJs. If the PNRs are able to sit there, keeping the availability then the fare could be constructed that way and specifically only pushed to ticketing once it is back in "working" order. This would at least seem easier than having to move 2-3-4.

Back to more sensible questions: regarding changing bands etc - I'm guessing this essentially means making the main Avios transaction the correct one [e.g. a 20k miles 200k Avios MPR]. But is this likely to mean that one should have the full and final route up front [such that only date changes are made, and thus no changes to TFS] or is it likely to be that remaining within a band is fine [either changing route or adding extra flights if there is mileage remaining]?

I appreciate this might be guesswork - but from the sounds of it experience of these rewards at the BA call centre is scarce!

BA6501

1 - I thought of that, but it's not really an option. It might just work if your flights 2-3-4 are one day apart from each other, but agents aren't even supposed to hold flights in bookings, at least for more than 24 hours or so. Plus the fact that these are partner flights, some airlines cancel them out within hours if not queued to ticketing.

2 - as you said, quite scarce and the rules seem to be made up on the day / depending on the agent. Remaining within a band should be fine as long as you still abide by the general routing rules, I would avoid adding flights in though if you can help it. Remember the 8 segment maximum.

etiene

Yes, too many ways that can go wrong - hadn't even considered the extra complexity of partners.

In reality the routing I'm looking at is close to 20k, so adding flights just to use the mileage is less likely. Still, rerouting is in essence adding some flights and dropping others - I guess I can but try!

Thanks for the advice - I may be back for more...!

RTLS

Hello everyone,
In a few days, I'm going to book return flights for next October from Budapest to YVR. I've been fooling around online to see the best way to handle this so that I can have a chance of J seats. For the several dates that I've tried( for example today I checked for Oct. 2nd right at I o'clock BST this evening) there are no j seats available but y is available. If, instead, I book with a London stopover but for the same day, Is that allowed? I can find J for my first leg and Y for the 2nd leg. My question is, If I book this way and later a J seat pops up would I be able to nab that? And would I be able to do so online which would be quicker than phoning in I think? Or would I be better to book the whole journey in Y in the hope I can make a change later.
Appreciate any advice./ Thanks.

Concerto

This is a spending Avios question because it involves a ticket issued using Avios for a trip from Moscow to Milan via LHR. The key question is, while the person traveling will have a new Schengen visa with first point of entry being Italy, is it possible to transit LHR without being hit with immigration issues? I think for all flights from London except domestic, you have to clear passport control first, right?

I would say that coming from a non EU country hoping to transfer to another country in the EU it is not possible to avoid immigration, as to access a Schengen flight you would need to immigrate into Schengen at the first point of entry. This ruled out other possibilities or transit to reach Italy, such as HEL (with AY) or FRA (with LH), not to mention AMS and CDG (KL and AF respectively). Apparently, if you are not an EU or UK passport holder you must apply for the Schengen visa from one of the member states and make that country your first point of entry.

KARFA

If doing a same day connection at LHR and not having to going landside you do not go through immigration.

However, I think some nationalities still require transit visas so you would have to check on that - there are quite a few online sources to do that such as this one https://www.emirates.com/english/bef...uirements.aspx

Concerto

Thank you for coming back quickly, KARFA. The document above from Emirates is most interesting but I am not sure it takes into account the vagaries of EU Schengen visa stipulations. I wonder if a BA call centre agent would really know. Want to get it right, obviously, to save a mess at the airport. (For clarity, this has come about because Air Italy suddenly dropped their Milan-Moscow route at very short notice and I had made an Avios ticket on Air Italy from DME to MXP for the passenger).

KARFA

Concerto

Really good tool, KARFA, thanks very much. I've worked out how to use it properly now (always takes a while for me). It seems TWOV is possible in London if you stay airside. Never needed to look at these things before, so it is new for me.

Modo

No it was off peak most dates in October on BA. It was clearly marked Off Peak but still 30K

Just checked now. If I admit to being in Macau SAR all October Off Peak are quoting 30K. But the fares of approx £32 LHE and £66 MAN look correct.

KARFA