Your guide to spending Avios | 2018 edition
Sep 29, 2018, 5:56 am
#466
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,945
If I book a BA Holiday then I know I can Avios upgrade into availability... is this still possible if I've only booked the holiday and paid the minimum deposit only? Just to verify.
EDIT:
PS, it's direct with BA, so no TA involved, but it's not out of the UK [the leg I wish to upgrade is out of LHR though], so would non-Sterling cause any issues in this instance? Thanks!
EDIT:
PS, it's direct with BA, so no TA involved, but it's not out of the UK [the leg I wish to upgrade is out of LHR though], so would non-Sterling cause any issues in this instance? Thanks!
I understand a BA Holiday booking (flights & hotel) is treated as a TA booking, so a holiday booking including non BA flights can't be UuA'ed in the same way a TA booking including non BA flights can't be UuA'ed.
there isn't any restriction for UuA based on where you start, and you can UuA one leg of a more complex booking. the currency won't be an issue and I suspect the agent will quote any extra taxes/fees/charges in £ anyway using the standard conversion rate.
Sep 29, 2018, 6:25 am
#467
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
yes it's possible to UuA even if you have only paid the deposit so far.
I understand a BA Holiday booking (flights & hotel) is treated as a TA booking, so a holiday booking including non BA flights can't be UuA'ed in the same way a TA booking including non BA flights can't be UuA'ed.
there isn't any restriction for UuA based on where you start, and you can UuA one leg of a more complex booking. the currency won't be an issue and I suspect the agent will quote any extra taxes/fees/charges in £ anyway using the standard conversion rate.
I understand a BA Holiday booking (flights & hotel) is treated as a TA booking, so a holiday booking including non BA flights can't be UuA'ed in the same way a TA booking including non BA flights can't be UuA'ed.
there isn't any restriction for UuA based on where you start, and you can UuA one leg of a more complex booking. the currency won't be an issue and I suspect the agent will quote any extra taxes/fees/charges in £ anyway using the standard conversion rate.
It'd be CW to F, so shouldn't be any additional currency to part with.
It's actually for my partner and mother, I won't be flying, so not sure I'll be able to upgrade the booking myself (I'll be making it and paying for it though). One is on friends/family, the other is not.
Now they just need to make a darn decision! Hope the seats stay open...
Last edited by mmxbreaks; Sep 29, 2018 at 6:37 am
Sep 29, 2018, 6:29 am
#468
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,945
that should be fine. i have UuA'ed bookings where I haven't been a passenger for, but i had made and paid for the booking originally. the passengers don't need to be on your F&F list.
Sep 29, 2018, 7:58 am
#469
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: BA Executive Club (lowly Blue but with MUCCI, apparently)
Posts: 1,186
Absolutely, just keep checking back. You can setup an alert also on https://baredemptionfinder.com
Sep 29, 2018, 11:20 am
#470
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver, Aegan Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 393
thanks
I tried to book from my partners account (household account) and she didn't earn any points during 1 year, but on my account I can book with 17.50GBP taxes....some strange rule good to know to credit some avios every year......
Oct 1, 2018, 2:18 pm
#471
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
So I can't get through to BAEC Gold line, even USA shuts at 15:00 Eastern now... any magic number to help me out?
Thanks
Thanks
Oct 1, 2018, 3:45 pm
#472
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Oct 2, 2018, 2:33 am
#473
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 443
I have booked many reward flights, but never book and upgrade.
iIcan't quite get my head around it, must be missing something!
If I book J from ABZ to BOS for 2 returns it is around £2800.
If I try book and upgrade to F for same it asks for around £17,000 ???
It is May 2-15.
I don't know what I am doing wrong?
iIcan't quite get my head around it, must be missing something!
If I book J from ABZ to BOS for 2 returns it is around £2800.
If I try book and upgrade to F for same it asks for around £17,000 ???
It is May 2-15.
I don't know what I am doing wrong?
Oct 2, 2018, 2:45 am
#474
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
You're not. The ~£1,386.81 fare that you're getting for a straightforward Club booking is a DIF. ba.com's book-and-upgrade engine for UuAs doesn't handle DIFs properly, hence you can get quoted the wrong underlying cash fare when you try it - although this is quite a spectacular one as to get anywhere near £8,500 I think it's probably the most expensive J class fare published (~£8,371.81).
Either book the underlying cash fare on ba.com and then call to do the UuA, or call to do the whole thing in one go, mentioning that you're having to call because ba.com won't work properly for you and quotes you the wrong cash fare when you try to book and upgrade at the same time.
You have no risk in booking the cash fare first and then calling to do the UuA, because if for some reason something goes wrong (eg no more Avios availability in F by the time you get through), you still have the 24 hour cooling-off cancellation period.
Either book the underlying cash fare on ba.com and then call to do the UuA, or call to do the whole thing in one go, mentioning that you're having to call because ba.com won't work properly for you and quotes you the wrong cash fare when you try to book and upgrade at the same time.
You have no risk in booking the cash fare first and then calling to do the UuA, because if for some reason something goes wrong (eg no more Avios availability in F by the time you get through), you still have the 24 hour cooling-off cancellation period.
Oct 2, 2018, 3:07 am
#475
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 443
Thankyou for clarifying. I will call them
Oct 5, 2018, 6:49 am
#476
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: star Alliance, JP miles, SQ, Avios
Posts: 5
Noob query : I have about 30k Avios and 30K SQ miles accumulated over past 1 year. I'd like to use these miles for an award flight from DEL/BOM/HYD - YYZ in November tentatively. I can see 29.5k Avios flight on BA however, the surcharge and taxes make it a not so great deal. How do I avoid these taxes ? I can't find partner flights on this route. Can i get more mileage on my miles using 2 partner segments ?
Oct 7, 2018, 10:47 pm
#477
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kendal, Cumbria and Luzon
Programs: BA Silver, PR Elite, Avis Preferred Plus, PC Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 1,122
HKG LHR Avios redemption fees now £330
Having read the HK authorities are now permitting fuel surcharges ex HKG I took a look to see if BA had revised the fees on Avios redemptions.
Previously fees were about £30. A look at October and November shows they have hiked fees on a one way to £330!!!
Bizarrely HKG to Man is only £66 - that said Cathay direct is only about £33.
Previously fees were about £30. A look at October and November shows they have hiked fees on a one way to £330!!!
Bizarrely HKG to Man is only £66 - that said Cathay direct is only about £33.
Oct 8, 2018, 1:50 am
#478
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
Having read the HK authorities are now permitting fuel surcharges ex HKG I took a look to see if BA had revised the fees on Avios redemptions.
Previously fees were about £30. A look at October and November shows they have hiked fees on a one way to £330!!!
Bizarrely HKG to Man is only £66 - that said Cathay direct is only about £33.
Previously fees were about £30. A look at October and November shows they have hiked fees on a one way to £330!!!
Bizarrely HKG to Man is only £66 - that said Cathay direct is only about £33.
Oct 8, 2018, 3:42 am
#479
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,129