Use Avios to select your seats on British Airways
May 8, 2018, 9:12 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LCY
Programs: Mucci des Ancients Matelots
Posts: 769
Anyone willing to pay this amount of avios for seats would also be willing to pay the cash so I don't see this as taking anything away from cardholders.
It's expensive, yes, but for some it will work out. There will be plenty of blues knocking around with several thousand avios in the bank, these people will largely, in my experience, have no idea what to do with them so this takes miles out of the system and also saves Jo and Marge Bloggs a few quid on their trip to Benidorm.
Not a bad move by BA in my mind. If on the otherhand there is wide spread news of FTers not being able to get their favourite seats, first of all I'll be shocked but second, at these prices it'll be BAU in no time.
It's expensive, yes, but for some it will work out. There will be plenty of blues knocking around with several thousand avios in the bank, these people will largely, in my experience, have no idea what to do with them so this takes miles out of the system and also saves Jo and Marge Bloggs a few quid on their trip to Benidorm.
Not a bad move by BA in my mind. If on the otherhand there is wide spread news of FTers not being able to get their favourite seats, first of all I'll be shocked but second, at these prices it'll be BAU in no time.
May 8, 2018, 9:24 am
#33
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,830
May 8, 2018, 9:48 am
#35
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 355
none of the previously blocked seats became available when trying to use Avios versus cash. The seat map shows the same limited availability as a lowly blue. Plus, you select the seat before you’re asked how you would like to pay for the privilege. I don’t think this changes much aside from BA hovering up some the Avios that are floating around out there.
May 8, 2018, 9:55 am
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
I do hope that fellow FT-ers don’t take my earlier tongue in cheek response too seriously! And I am comforted by LBA_Flyer’s input!
More significantly, I’m delighted to see BA Executive Club back on the Forum ... it’s been far too long since I have seen an input. More, please!!
More significantly, I’m delighted to see BA Executive Club back on the Forum ... it’s been far too long since I have seen an input. More, please!!
May 8, 2018, 9:58 am
#37
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
I've used part pay several times getting between 0.7p to 1.2p, which is a good deal for me as I only buy avios at 0.6p or cheaper, and I've never run out of avios - meaning that "wasting" avios on a poorer value redemption has never led me to miss out on a better value one because I didn't have enough.
May 8, 2018, 10:10 am
#38
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,830
The lowest I've seen (and indeed quoted by an FTer) was 0.475p per Avios for part pay, though it does indeed go to around 0.8 fairly readily. I still think that's silly usage since it isn't difficult to get 2p per Avios - or far higher if you are in Asia, USA, South America on particular routes. The one exception is that about once a year BA offer a special deal on part pay, which can get you towards the 1.2p level (still crummy in my book). The key thing being for seating, wine, part pay, hotels, car hire - there is a basement level of somewhere around 0.6p which is where BA presumably is delighted to get the Avios off their books. There are so many better uses for them and the gap between 0.55p and 0.7p, 0.8p is immaterial against this.
May 8, 2018, 10:23 am
#39
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, A3 *Gold
Posts: 887
I can see this squarely aimed at my (75+ years old) parents.
They fly BA once a year or less long haul from MAN in business so rack up avios but not enough to do anything meaningful, at the moment just the odd MAN-LON redemption which can be a cheap route anyway if they can book far enough in advance by cash. I have tried to advise them on other uses but they are too independent to let me control their avios and too detached to want to take the time to look into it themselves.
The fact they can't book seats together always annoys them and makes them fly other airlines direct from Manchester on their other 2 or 3 holidays a year. BA is their last choice partly because of seat fees and they have little to use Avios on - so this could make a difference. I can and will tell them its not the best use of their avios but I suspect they will look at it very differently....
They fly BA once a year or less long haul from MAN in business so rack up avios but not enough to do anything meaningful, at the moment just the odd MAN-LON redemption which can be a cheap route anyway if they can book far enough in advance by cash. I have tried to advise them on other uses but they are too independent to let me control their avios and too detached to want to take the time to look into it themselves.
The fact they can't book seats together always annoys them and makes them fly other airlines direct from Manchester on their other 2 or 3 holidays a year. BA is their last choice partly because of seat fees and they have little to use Avios on - so this could make a difference. I can and will tell them its not the best use of their avios but I suspect they will look at it very differently....
May 8, 2018, 10:29 am
#40
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Brisbane
Programs: BAEC Blue/Bronze, Krisflyer, Qantas
Posts: 419
Yes, on the plus side, good to have the flexibility to pay with Avios even if it's a poor rate. I think taxes should be payable with Avios too tbh.
Another plus is the more people who pay for food, wine and seats with Avios, the more redemption seats that will be left for the rest of us :-)
Another plus is the more people who pay for food, wine and seats with Avios, the more redemption seats that will be left for the rest of us :-)
May 8, 2018, 10:47 am
#41
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: Mucci Chevalier des Internautes Amables; BAEC
Posts: 971
The lowest I've seen (and indeed quoted by an FTer) was 0.475p per Avios for part pay, though it does indeed go to around 0.8 fairly readily. I still think that's silly usage since it isn't difficult to get 2p per Avios - or far higher if you are in Asia, USA, South America on particular routes. The one exception is that about once a year BA offer a special deal on part pay, which can get you towards the 1.2p level (still crummy in my book). The key thing being for seating, wine, part pay, hotels, car hire - there is a basement level of somewhere around 0.6p which is where BA presumably is delighted to get the Avios off their books. There are so many better uses for them and the gap between 0.55p and 0.7p, 0.8p is immaterial against this.
May 8, 2018, 11:44 am
#42
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: BA Gold. KrisFlyer Gold
Posts: 732
Hmmm, this further and consistent insight into BA's interpretation about what makes for an acceptable Avios-to-cash ratio does not bode well for the expected move towards a more dynamic pricing model for Avios redemptions across the board.
May 8, 2018, 12:49 pm
#43
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
If BA are now happily quoting a whopping 36K Avios as an alternative to paying £200 cash purely for advance seat selection (LBA_flyer, post #8), you can’t help but wonder just how much longer the same number of Avios (in fact, slightly less) will suffice for TWO return award tickets, Heathrow to Moscow ...... as it currently does.
May 8, 2018, 1:28 pm
#44
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
BA could have at least made the redemption a better value for CW and CE (1.10p per Avios instead of 0.55p, or whatever the non-saver price per point is these days). I still can't believe that these cabins don't get free seat selection even on revenue seats.