Use Avios to select your seats on British Airways
May 8, 2018, 2:37 pm
#47
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 81
May 8, 2018, 2:51 pm
#49
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 625
To your average FlyerTalking, Tier Point running GGL’er who puts every last bean on a BA Amex and has an Avios balance that could be confused for a phone number, this is of course an absurd use of Avios (setting aside the obvious fact that such an individual would have free seat selection anyway.)
But to people who fly BA once a year (or once every other year) in Economy and otherwise do not chase Avios collecting opportunities - which I suspect is a sizeable chunk of BA’s passengers - it is a way to swap an otherwise meaningless number for the tangible benefit of free seat selection.
It’s the sort of behaviour that’s almost the antithesis of this forums reason for existing - to help extract the best possible value from FF programs - but to casual fliers it can make sense. I recently swapped 9,000 UA miles for a $50 gift card - an atrocious use of miles to a frequent UA flier. But money in my pocket for what otherwise would have been a useless number that would have eventually just expired unused.
It’s the sort of behaviour that’s almost the antithesis of this forums reason for existing - to help extract the best possible value from FF programs - but to casual fliers it can make sense. I recently swapped 9,000 UA miles for a $50 gift card - an atrocious use of miles to a frequent UA flier. But money in my pocket for what otherwise would have been a useless number that would have eventually just expired unused.
May 8, 2018, 2:58 pm
#50
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 81
May 8, 2018, 3:21 pm
#51
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
My suspicion is that this may become a devaluation of BAEC status by stealth. Gold and Silver cardholders might have fewer seat options because Blue members are using (poor value) Avios because they are - to an infrequent leisure traveller - often regarded as worthless.
But to people who fly BA once a year (or once every other year) in Economy and otherwise do not chase Avios collecting opportunities - which I suspect is a sizeable chunk of BA’s passengers - it is a way to swap an otherwise meaningless number for the tangible benefit of free seat selection.
That argument does not necessarily hold up given that the seat reservations cost substantial more than what your once-a-year flyer will earn on his flights. The exception is really the once-a-year CW LH flyer. That person is however likely to reach Bronze.
May 8, 2018, 3:29 pm
#52
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 355
Absolutely! The addition of a new payment method will have the Blues rushing to their computers to reserve seats! If they add paypal as payment method for seat reservations, then we are doomed! Doomed!
That .argument does not necessarily hold up given that the seat reservations cost substantial more than what your once-a-year flyer will earn on his flights. The exception is really the once-a-year CW LH flyer. That person is however likely to reach Bronze.
That .argument does not necessarily hold up given that the seat reservations cost substantial more than what your once-a-year flyer will earn on his flights. The exception is really the once-a-year CW LH flyer. That person is however likely to reach Bronze.
May 8, 2018, 3:42 pm
#54
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 625
But they can reduce the cost of seat selection. I’m not saying this is a fantastic, revolutionary benefit. But to those who earn a modest number of Avios but will never achieve a balance to do something particularly worthwhile to them, my point was that “free” or reduced price seat selection (or a cup of bought-on-board tea) is at least something vaguely productive or do with them, even if to the vast majority of the FlyerTalk community it would be a waste of Avios (which I agree wholly with)
May 8, 2018, 3:44 pm
#55
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Stockholm, Sweden.
Programs: BA, JAL
Posts: 689
Just because you may not be adversely affected does not mean it is good enough reason to pour scorn on those that hate the idea of this erosion of benefit and its consequences. Nevertheless thank you for your other useful insights...
May 8, 2018, 4:35 pm
#56
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: BA GGL/CCR/GFL
Posts: 103
As a GGL, very depressing.
No one HAS to spend anything, so on the one hand it's nice to have the option I suppose, but it feels like a punishment on low status passengers all the same.
I guess this is where the market is headed. How sad.
No one HAS to spend anything, so on the one hand it's nice to have the option I suppose, but it feels like a punishment on low status passengers all the same.
I guess this is where the market is headed. How sad.
May 9, 2018, 8:13 am
#58
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
Some people might perceive it as getting a good rate on average, but that would be a false economy - consider the alternatives of
- £2500
- 180000 avios + £500
- 271000 avios
May 9, 2018, 8:46 am
#59
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK
Programs: Tufty Club (Gold), BAGA Gymnastics level 4, 440yds swimming certificate
Posts: 2,533
I still wish they'd put more effort (i.e. more availability) into letting you use frequent flyer point for flights. All these other options really just highlight their failures at that.
May 9, 2018, 8:52 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
If you want more availability, it's easy: spend a bit more money to become a Gold, and pay double fare for your award flights.