Booking a higher booking class & UUA/Reward Flight Saver questions
Aug 14, 2018, 2:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,639
Booking a higher booking class & UUA/Reward Flight Saver questions
I want to UUA a short haul flight.
I have tried the book and upgrade tool but just giving an error.
The lowest selling class is currently not upgradeable. Moving up to one that is is an extra £15. What is the best way to book this? Call and ask for the booking class I want? Book the lower one and call within 24 hours to change. Will the telephone booking fee apply on either route? I’ve found getting the fee waived hard work/not possible recently even when the website was falling over.
Secondly how are taxes, fees and charges applied? Does RFS apply and cap any additional taxes?
I’ve looked for existing threads on this but they are a little inconclusive.
I have tried the book and upgrade tool but just giving an error.
The lowest selling class is currently not upgradeable. Moving up to one that is is an extra £15. What is the best way to book this? Call and ask for the booking class I want? Book the lower one and call within 24 hours to change. Will the telephone booking fee apply on either route? I’ve found getting the fee waived hard work/not possible recently even when the website was falling over.
Secondly how are taxes, fees and charges applied? Does RFS apply and cap any additional taxes?
I’ve looked for existing threads on this but they are a little inconclusive.
Aug 14, 2018, 3:51 am
#3
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: 63,779
The easiest way to do this is to book online, choosing the cheapest bucket.
Then ring up - within 24 hours - and then ask it to be put in N bucket (usually but not always the cheapest UuA bucket). You will pay the fare difference from (say) O to N but no penalty and you won't be out of pocket, nor pay a telephone service fee, so long as it is done within 24 hours. And of course if it doesn't work out you could cancel for a free refund too at this point. The one thing to avoid, in my view, is paying the 72 hour hold booking, it just complicates things.
Having done that, you can then UuA, either via another call, or possibly online. The UuA cost will be the differential between the two fares at RFS level, and the difference in fees/taxes between ET and CE. All this you can work out via Matrix and / or Expertflyer. From the UK the main cash element is the £13 additional APD if applicable, apart from that usually there isn't much of a cash component other than currency differences in the taxes over the days concerned (and it is broadly as likely to go down as up).
If this is too broad an answer, by all means give a specific example and I'll provide the workings out.
Then ring up - within 24 hours - and then ask it to be put in N bucket (usually but not always the cheapest UuA bucket). You will pay the fare difference from (say) O to N but no penalty and you won't be out of pocket, nor pay a telephone service fee, so long as it is done within 24 hours. And of course if it doesn't work out you could cancel for a free refund too at this point. The one thing to avoid, in my view, is paying the 72 hour hold booking, it just complicates things.
Having done that, you can then UuA, either via another call, or possibly online. The UuA cost will be the differential between the two fares at RFS level, and the difference in fees/taxes between ET and CE. All this you can work out via Matrix and / or Expertflyer. From the UK the main cash element is the £13 additional APD if applicable, apart from that usually there isn't much of a cash component other than currency differences in the taxes over the days concerned (and it is broadly as likely to go down as up).
If this is too broad an answer, by all means give a specific example and I'll provide the workings out.
Aug 14, 2018, 5:01 am
#5
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: 63,779
OK, so if we take the cheapest fare, say 29 October out, 5 November back, that comes to £74.90 return Basic, O class both ways, bookable online. Base fare £24, £50.90 taxes and fees
To get this to N class the base Basic fare goes to £99 (quite a jump in my experience, it may not be a good example), so to UuA for one way only you would probably be looking at around £40 to take one leg from O to N, £13 extra APD and 6250 Avios off peak. For the return it's more cost effective, since the total would be £75 fare difference on O, £13 APD outbound, and 12500 Avios. I say more cost effective, if staying a Saturday night then revenue fares would usually beat redemptions.
N gets you the higher level of TPs, so 10 per leg rather than 5.
To get this to N class the base Basic fare goes to £99 (quite a jump in my experience, it may not be a good example), so to UuA for one way only you would probably be looking at around £40 to take one leg from O to N, £13 extra APD and 6250 Avios off peak. For the return it's more cost effective, since the total would be £75 fare difference on O, £13 APD outbound, and 12500 Avios. I say more cost effective, if staying a Saturday night then revenue fares would usually beat redemptions.
N gets you the higher level of TPs, so 10 per leg rather than 5.