Jmaw

Does anyone have any successful experience of finding internal domestic availability using the BA website? I've read it's a good value redemption but I can't seem to get the search site to pick up any availability. Am I searching wrong?! No particular date / city requirements as just looking to see what's available.

Thanks,
Jess

typical

I think they only open up two months out. Easy to find redemption availability e.g. HND-CTS up to 20th September, then nothing after that.

newyorklondon

Yep. I just booked Tokyo-Osaka r/t (HND-ITM) for the princely sum of 9k avios and £4 in Y. For next month.

newyorklondon

And, if of use, SFO-HND r/t in mid-September for 200k avios and £200 in F.

KARFA

There used to be an issue where if you searched for reward flights more than two months ahead it wouldn't display any results, but actually you could get around this by choosing a date within two months and then once in the flight list screen just advance the date until you got to the one you wanted. That issue was fixed at one stage and you could search and get results for flights more than two months ahead - it certainly worked in late 2017.

As of around March this year that stopped working, and even the workaround of scrolling forward doesn't seem to work. Perhaps they can be booked more than two months out if you call?

typical

I don't know, but JAL has the same restriction for its own program...

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/jalmile/use/jal/dom/application.html

PorcoRosso

Availability usually good. Key thing on BA is to use the Search and Book section rather than Reward Finder (or whatever it is labelled) - otherwise partner airlines (i.e. JAL, CX etc) won't show. I've had several JAL or JTA domestics using avios and regional flights (e.g. HND/NRT - HKG) are also good value (especially in J). Availability tends to come and go a bit so keep checking.

Regards

PR

onobond

Just for comparison, a return JFK-HKG in CX F , mid-December, booked through AA was 220K miles and a hefty sum of $66.11

Crofton138

I'm planning Avios flights in April 2019 from Hiroshima to Tokyo but couldn't get around the 2 month rule. I've just put a reminder in the diary 2 months before to make the booking.

Cris L

newyorklondon

Were they using Avios via BA? If so, maybe double check (with JL, not BA) that the coupons are not open (i.e. that they are properly ticketed). NH & JL occasionally don't tell you this until you turn up at the airport, with everything looking fine online (the catch-all Status marker listing OK on the reservation). I can't remember where, but I vaguely remember coming across someone managing to book a reward redemption on JL outside the two-month window only to have the coupons remain in limbo with everything online looking fine. I've also read of people having their reward redemptions cancelled if they somehow managed to book outside the two-month window.

Slightly related, we had a funny one with JL, where we changed dates on a rewards redemption. Our infant-in-arms booking remained 'hooked' to the original dates, not the new ones, despite the reservation looking all fine online. It was only an accidental query with JL about seating, which led the JL agent to mention that the infant-in-arms coupon was still open and needed to be re-ticked for the new dates (which BA then did). After doing a bit of searching online, I discovered that it's not entirely uncommon for this to happen.

ESFLYER95

Finished for the week in Tokyo and nothing on tomorrow (flying to KUL Monday), so just booked HND-ITM for tomorrow morning for a day trip. 9,000 avios and £4. Love it!

Woodbinerich

It's also worth looking at the JAL Explorer pass fares as well if you know what you are doing and don't need flexibility.They are cheap, and can often be upgraded at the airport for £10 a pop for extra cheap tier points.

Woodbinerich

Seems a bit of a fiddle compared to the train, but I guess cost wise makes sense just about. Have a good trip - Okonomiyaki is good in Osaka!

Greenpen