Flights £300 less on aa.com; ideas for paying deposit?
Sep 29, 2018, 5:10 am
#1
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Flights £300 less on aa.com; ideas for paying deposit?
Hello everyone,
This is a new one for me and I wonder if anyone might be able to help. I’ve found some flights for next summer which price at £1507 on aa.com but over £1800 on ba.com. A major benefit of ba holidays is that you can pay a deposit; is there any way of doing the same thing with aa (I only have a UK-registered credit card) or is there any way of getting ba to match the price (call centre said not as even though it’s the same flight, as ba sell under the ba code and aa under theirs).
Any bright ideas out there?
TFC
This is a new one for me and I wonder if anyone might be able to help. I’ve found some flights for next summer which price at £1507 on aa.com but over £1800 on ba.com. A major benefit of ba holidays is that you can pay a deposit; is there any way of doing the same thing with aa (I only have a UK-registered credit card) or is there any way of getting ba to match the price (call centre said not as even though it’s the same flight, as ba sell under the ba code and aa under theirs).
Any bright ideas out there?
TFC
Sep 29, 2018, 5:14 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: London
Programs: Gold at BA, Hilton and Radisson.
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Whilst they're the same 'physical flight' the flight number which will be on your ticket will be different; AAxxxx if booked on aa.com and BAxxxx if booked on BA.com. You can for a standard flight booking call up and ask to be booked on a codeshare. However, I have never been successful in getting BA Holidays to book an AA Codeshare for a flight and have tried probably three different times. BA Holidays are not 'BA' so to speak; they're a travel agents working on behalf of BA.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Sep 29, 2018, 5:53 am
#3
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This may not help here, given the fare sensitivity, but there is an ABTA registered, London based online travel agency - awaymo.com - which allows for spreading the cost of travel over 10 installments. They advertise this at 0% APR, however they seem to be a consolidator, so the fares they charge may well recover interest payments indirectly. They aren't the cheapest on the market, that's for sure, but for those with limited cash, it may be an option. I am not endorsing this company, I have no idea if this a good idea, but they have had some mainstream press coverage.
Sep 29, 2018, 6:07 am
#4
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What is the interest rate on your credit card? Even on a high-interest card at 10%, the average interest on £1507 paid over 6 months works out to a total of £38 (approximately). You could simply pay AA the £1507 with a card, incur £38 and still save £255 off the BA price.
By the time you add in the value of your time running around to third-party consolidators and the like, you come out quite decently ahead. In addition, that six month schedule is yours to adjust. You could make it 3 or 4 months if that were doable.
By the time you add in the value of your time running around to third-party consolidators and the like, you come out quite decently ahead. In addition, that six month schedule is yours to adjust. You could make it 3 or 4 months if that were doable.
Sep 29, 2018, 6:16 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2007
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What is the interest rate on your credit card? Even on a high-interest card at 10%, the average interest on £1507 paid over 6 months works out to a total of £38 (approximately). You could simply pay AA the £1507 with a card, incur £38 and still save £255 off the BA price.
Most credit cards are around 30%
Sep 29, 2018, 6:30 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2005
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I have encountered the problem as described by the OP on a number of occasions. While I am in a position to make the full payment a significant benefit of only needing to pay a deposit is that when I book far in advance I am more comfortable with the prospect of forfeiting that amount if subsequent events prevent me taking the trip.
Sep 29, 2018, 7:01 am
#7
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It appears AA allow you to pay by paypal credit, which gives 4 months interest free credit. I could make the full payment, I just prefer to spread it out as I'd rather hang onto my own cash for as long as possible...
Sep 29, 2018, 8:20 am
#10
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not in the UK. My most expensive credit card charges 18.9%. They can be had as low as 0% for an lengthy introductory period.
If I were the OP and looking to spread the cost, a 0% credit card would be the way to go.
If I were the OP and looking to spread the cost, a 0% credit card would be the way to go.
Sep 29, 2018, 9:41 am
#11
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In what country?
In the US, anything above 10% means that you've got abysmally poor credit and likely shouldn't be doing leisure travel. In the UK, it is not quite that bad, but close. Someone with good credit in the US (800+) ought to be able to quite easily find a card in the 5-7% range with 30 days' grace.
In the US, anything above 10% means that you've got abysmally poor credit and likely shouldn't be doing leisure travel. In the UK, it is not quite that bad, but close. Someone with good credit in the US (800+) ought to be able to quite easily find a card in the 5-7% range with 30 days' grace.
Sep 29, 2018, 9:43 am
#12
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4% of £1,570 is £62.80. That's more than the interest on a 10% card. Can't imagine twisting myself into a pretzel when there's an easy & common practice solution. Particularly where one may resolve to pay off the amount over 6 months and perhaps do it in 3 or stretch it to 8 as circumstances dictate.
Sep 29, 2018, 11:24 am
#13
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In what country?
In the US, anything above 10% means that you've got abysmally poor credit and likely shouldn't be doing leisure travel. In the UK, it is not quite that bad, but close. Someone with good credit in the US (800+) ought to be able to quite easily find a card in the 5-7% range with 30 days' grace.
In the US, anything above 10% means that you've got abysmally poor credit and likely shouldn't be doing leisure travel. In the UK, it is not quite that bad, but close. Someone with good credit in the US (800+) ought to be able to quite easily find a card in the 5-7% range with 30 days' grace.
Applying for extra credit cards is not always the solution some people think it is. They may not want extra credit.
And people with poor credit shouldn't do leisure travel? How very judgemental of you. Poor credit rating does not always mean the person is cash poor and shouldn't go on holiday!
OP the only way I see to get a BA holiday deposit is to book flight + hotel or flight + car and compare that to booking them separately.
Sep 29, 2018, 11:52 am
#14
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The OP is based in the UK so the rates of interest in the USA are totally irrelevant to them.
Applying for extra credit cards is not always the solution some people think it is. They may not want extra credit.
And people with poor credit shouldn't do leisure travel? How very judgemental of you. Poor credit rating does not always mean the person is cash poor and shouldn't go on holiday!
OP the only way I see to get a BA holiday deposit is to book flight + hotel or flight + car and compare that to booking them separately.
Applying for extra credit cards is not always the solution some people think it is. They may not want extra credit.
And people with poor credit shouldn't do leisure travel? How very judgemental of you. Poor credit rating does not always mean the person is cash poor and shouldn't go on holiday!
OP the only way I see to get a BA holiday deposit is to book flight + hotel or flight + car and compare that to booking them separately.
My comment regarding travel by people with poor credit was in response to #5 which suggests that CC rates hover around 30%. Indeed any person who can only obtain a card at such a rate has not "poor credit" but "abysmal credit" of the sort where the entire thread makes no sense for leisure.
UK and US card rates are quite similar because bank rates in general are fairly close at any given time.
Sep 29, 2018, 11:54 am
#15
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In what country?
In the US, anything above 10% means that you've got abysmally poor credit and likely shouldn't be doing leisure travel. In the UK, it is not quite that bad, but close. Someone with good credit in the US (800+) ought to be able to quite easily find a card in the 5-7% range with 30 days' grace.
In the US, anything above 10% means that you've got abysmally poor credit and likely shouldn't be doing leisure travel. In the UK, it is not quite that bad, but close. Someone with good credit in the US (800+) ought to be able to quite easily find a card in the 5-7% range with 30 days' grace.
The word arrogant springs to mind. Can't think why?