Best/Most Efficent use of 2 4 1 & Avios Points from London
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 26
Best/Most Efficent use of 2 4 1 & Avios Points from London
Good Morning,
I'm looking for some advice on what my best option would be to spend my 300k Avois points along with my 2 4 1 voucher for myself and partner.
I want to travel somewhere in First either with BA or a One World Partner but as I've no specific location requirements ( other than beginning from London ) where is the easiest, best value for the points, most availability location to travel too ?
For example it wants to be a long flight else it seems like a waste but the route has to have availability which I know a lot of routes don't plus it has to have a first class cabin which I know a lot don't.
The permutations are difficult for me to work out so I thought I'd reach out to this forum for help
Thanks in advance
Si
I'm looking for some advice on what my best option would be to spend my 300k Avois points along with my 2 4 1 voucher for myself and partner.
I want to travel somewhere in First either with BA or a One World Partner but as I've no specific location requirements ( other than beginning from London ) where is the easiest, best value for the points, most availability location to travel too ?
For example it wants to be a long flight else it seems like a waste but the route has to have availability which I know a lot of routes don't plus it has to have a first class cabin which I know a lot don't.
The permutations are difficult for me to work out so I thought I'd reach out to this forum for help
Thanks in advance
Si
#2
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,888
For a 241 your flight must be on a BA plane; usually referred to as BA metal on FT.
Longer the better for the F experience but pick somewhere you want to visit even if it is a short stay. And be as flexible as you can. Additional seats often appear close to the travel date which makes getting one easier but raises the stress levels!
Longer the better for the F experience but pick somewhere you want to visit even if it is a short stay. And be as flexible as you can. Additional seats often appear close to the travel date which makes getting one easier but raises the stress levels!
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,173
Morning Si!
Have you considered SIN / KUL ? Quite often two seats in F as long as you're happy to start and end (open jaw) different locations? Can mix in Hong Kong also. I did this last summer and for 1,100ish + 2-4-1 + 238,000 Avios thought it outstanding for two in F
Have you considered SIN / KUL ? Quite often two seats in F as long as you're happy to start and end (open jaw) different locations? Can mix in Hong Kong also. I did this last summer and for 1,100ish + 2-4-1 + 238,000 Avios thought it outstanding for two in F
#4
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 916
If you have time for a longish break 2-3 weeks an open jaw to the west coast of the States may be an option. Good road trip options down the coast and a choice of airports from YVR to SAN another option being LAS or PHX if you fancied Vegas/Grand Canyon.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,412
The other question is when do you want to go: are you restricted by your own diary or the 241 expiry?
But really you need to narrow down where you'd like to go a little. A city, a beach? East or west? Please don't elevate your expectations of F too high: unless you really only have time to fly out and back your holiday preferences should come first.
F availability is a more more unpredictable than business, but with flexibility most destinations are possible.
But really you need to narrow down where you'd like to go a little. A city, a beach? East or west? Please don't elevate your expectations of F too high: unless you really only have time to fly out and back your holiday preferences should come first.
F availability is a more more unpredictable than business, but with flexibility most destinations are possible.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 26
Thanks for the info,
Can I clarify the Openjaw you refer to is flying to one location but flying back from a different on ? If so how do you go about finding those type of reward flights ?
SIN sounds good and certainly something we'd consider as we always travel West ( travel to the state 2 or 3 times a year ) but don't travel East so we'd like to do that
Si
Can I clarify the Openjaw you refer to is flying to one location but flying back from a different on ? If so how do you go about finding those type of reward flights ?
SIN sounds good and certainly something we'd consider as we always travel West ( travel to the state 2 or 3 times a year ) but don't travel East so we'd like to do that
Si
#7
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: South East England
Programs: Status with BA Exec Club; KrisFlyer; Hilton Honors; IHG One; Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 543
Believe or not theres some last-minute F availability to SYD this month. Youd need to buy a flight to SIN/KUL/HKG to make up the return leg though, and maybe slum it in J. If you book in J and F comes up a quick phone call and 70 will get yourselves upgraded.
#8
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 134
Morning Si!
Have you considered SIN / KUL ? Quite often two seats in F as long as you're happy to start and end (open jaw) different locations? Can mix in Hong Kong also. I did this last summer and for 1,100ish + 2-4-1 + 238,000 Avios thought it outstanding for two in F
Have you considered SIN / KUL ? Quite often two seats in F as long as you're happy to start and end (open jaw) different locations? Can mix in Hong Kong also. I did this last summer and for 1,100ish + 2-4-1 + 238,000 Avios thought it outstanding for two in F
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 26
The other question is when do you want to go: are you restricted by your own diary or the 241 expiry?
But really you need to narrow down where you'd like to go a little. A city, a beach? East or west? Please don't elevate your expectations of F too high: unless you really only have time to fly out and back your holiday preferences should come first.
F availability is a more more unpredictable than business, but with flexibility most destinations are possible.
But really you need to narrow down where you'd like to go a little. A city, a beach? East or west? Please don't elevate your expectations of F too high: unless you really only have time to fly out and back your holiday preferences should come first.
F availability is a more more unpredictable than business, but with flexibility most destinations are possible.
I don't really have any requirements so beach or city are equally as tantalizing, we travel a lot in business ( mostly West ) so are really using this 2 4 1 & Points as a "cheap" break to try out first so it's all about the flight for us TBF
Si
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 26
i did the same thing last year, used my first 241 going SIN in F, then 2 weeks in Vietnam and back from HKG in J. It was fantastic. I now also have 300k Avios and wondering where to go next. Very tempted to go to Asia again, out to SIN and back from Bangkok so will watch this thread with interest to see if any of the suggestions sound better!
Si
#12
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,085
You've had some good answers, Hong Kong was my first thought as well, availability seems fairly decent on that route (it's one I've been tracking myself for use of a 2-4-1)
Open jaw is as you surmise - arriving to and leaving from different airports, with a "surface sector" in between which despite the name, you will almost certainly fly The distance between the 2 airports should be less than the distance from LHR - something that would seem to be a given in your case.
You can search for availability for each leg individually - if you have the BA app I find it really good for this. Select "Reward Flights" and "Reward Flight Finder", enter a destination city, dates, passengers, first class etc - you'll get a nice horizontal scrolling list of availability. For example, you could fly out to HKG on 28th Nov.
If doing an open jaw, simply change the city and only look at the return options for the second destination.
Other considerations beyond those already mentioned:
- is First a regular thing for you or a rare treat. If the latter, do you want to consider things like access to the Concorde Room, which means a destination that leaves from T5
- is the particular aircraft important? Many rate the A380 as the best, while others say 1A/K in a 747 is a unique experience (not one I've done yet myself)
Open jaw is as you surmise - arriving to and leaving from different airports, with a "surface sector" in between which despite the name, you will almost certainly fly The distance between the 2 airports should be less than the distance from LHR - something that would seem to be a given in your case.
You can search for availability for each leg individually - if you have the BA app I find it really good for this. Select "Reward Flights" and "Reward Flight Finder", enter a destination city, dates, passengers, first class etc - you'll get a nice horizontal scrolling list of availability. For example, you could fly out to HKG on 28th Nov.
If doing an open jaw, simply change the city and only look at the return options for the second destination.
Other considerations beyond those already mentioned:
- is First a regular thing for you or a rare treat. If the latter, do you want to consider things like access to the Concorde Room, which means a destination that leaves from T5
- is the particular aircraft important? Many rate the A380 as the best, while others say 1A/K in a 747 is a unique experience (not one I've done yet myself)
#13
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 134
If we were going to do this I would explore overland options between SIN and BKK, but I have not investigated this so don't know if it is what we would do, in fact looking again at the map as I reply to this I think we would fly to KL rather than SIN as we have seen Singapore and I would rather see somewhere new!
#14
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,375
For us it ends up being roughly where we want to go and roughly when we want. We like open jaw, going out to one place and returning from another, and for a road trip can be fairly flexible on return airports but usually book well in advance due to availability not lasting long on popular destinations. If you are really flexible, seats do come up at short notice and you can get alerts from various sites about seat availability.
Depending on flight timings (day/night etc) we like first class outbound, to take advantage of all the LHR comforts and wine and dine on the aircraft during a day flight, and then collapse into a hotel at the other end. Not so bothered about first for the return, specially where there is less to be gained at the airport, probably want to sleep if it is a night flight and probably no drinking to be done because we have to drive home from LHR.
In terms of 'efficient use of avios', people will work out pence-per-avios, but if it is somewhere you want to go, and/or an experience you want to have, it will be great value anyway - even more so if you wouldn't have paid for it otherwise.
Edit: Good points Bertie - amazing how many other posts arrived during my snail-pace typing!
Depending on flight timings (day/night etc) we like first class outbound, to take advantage of all the LHR comforts and wine and dine on the aircraft during a day flight, and then collapse into a hotel at the other end. Not so bothered about first for the return, specially where there is less to be gained at the airport, probably want to sleep if it is a night flight and probably no drinking to be done because we have to drive home from LHR.
In terms of 'efficient use of avios', people will work out pence-per-avios, but if it is somewhere you want to go, and/or an experience you want to have, it will be great value anyway - even more so if you wouldn't have paid for it otherwise.
Edit: Good points Bertie - amazing how many other posts arrived during my snail-pace typing!
Last edited by vintagepilot; May 17, 2018 at 2:03 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,412
BKK doesn't have F, and HKG is a marginally better option to come home from in F as you get to use the Cathay F lounges.
How about a flight to SIN (or KUL), then a cheap flight to a beach (eg Phuket or Da Nang), from where you can use avios to get a Cathay Dragon flight up to HKG.
How about a flight to SIN (or KUL), then a cheap flight to a beach (eg Phuket or Da Nang), from where you can use avios to get a Cathay Dragon flight up to HKG.