Anticipated BAEC "Enhancements"
Oct 20, 2018, 5:27 am
#16
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC, IC Plat Amb, LH FTV
Posts: 1,952
As of today I have reduced my avios balance to 7. Hopefully that reduces the risk of any enhancement to a minimum!
Spent the last on a trip for Mrs PK and 2 offspring to Madrid using RFS to buy a wedding dress for the elder
Following the data breach I will minimise my expenditure with BA and currently have bookings for a couple of internal flights in Australia (Avios), return to the Seychelles (paid) and one way to Nairobi (Avios), the return from Nairobi will be on EK using up most of my Skywards miles.....
Spent the last on a trip for Mrs PK and 2 offspring to Madrid using RFS to buy a wedding dress for the elder
Following the data breach I will minimise my expenditure with BA and currently have bookings for a couple of internal flights in Australia (Avios), return to the Seychelles (paid) and one way to Nairobi (Avios), the return from Nairobi will be on EK using up most of my Skywards miles.....
Oct 20, 2018, 6:57 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: BA - Blue > Bronze > Silver > Bronze > Blue
Posts: 6,812
As a non frequent business flyer but someone who was a constant Silver for a period, the program has been dead for me already for a number of years now.
I recently had a 40% bonus offer from AMEX, 3-4
years who it would’ve been a no brainer to transfer by 200,000 or so MR points but at 800 quid for a CW return, it’s simply of no value to me, when I can fly LX or DL for similar mileage but at a fraction of the money.
...or pay 400 and fly Norwegian
...or pay 25% more miles and fly LH F with the same fees
I recently had a 40% bonus offer from AMEX, 3-4
years who it would’ve been a no brainer to transfer by 200,000 or so MR points but at 800 quid for a CW return, it’s simply of no value to me, when I can fly LX or DL for similar mileage but at a fraction of the money.
...or pay 400 and fly Norwegian
...or pay 25% more miles and fly LH F with the same fees
Oct 20, 2018, 7:15 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,130
Oct 20, 2018, 7:30 am
#19
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
It makes sense to change your reward programme if the benefits of the programme no longer suit your needs. BAEC will know which group of members to keep happy and those they don't mind losing.
Oct 20, 2018, 7:47 am
#20
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: BA - Blue > Bronze > Silver > Bronze > Blue
Posts: 6,812
I think it’s almost been too much of a victim of its own success (for us not them) in that the sweet spots, pushed heavily by the likes of head for points, ultimately pushed demand well over the supply, which allowed them to effectively gut those sweets spots (and for me any real value bar maybe F redemptions).
The success of the airline itself in selling seats (despite all the doomsayers on here) has meant that no extra supply is likely to be forthcoming anytime soon, so unless the demand (and volume of Avios out there in peoples pockets) for Avios has dropped, I can’t really see there being any positive changes, like we saw back in 09-10ish
Oct 20, 2018, 8:17 am
#21
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: BA Gold/Marriott Gold/HH Diamond/IC Plat Amba
Posts: 5,990
I was going to post just that. At this price point, it’s approaching 100% of various paid fares such as OTP-PHX. I’d be slightly less offended if BA awarded tier points for travel on award tickets given the high surcharges as it’s closer to a part cash part Avios with these surcharge increases.
Oct 20, 2018, 8:31 am
#22
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
I doubt BA loses money, operationally, on Avios redemptions - because the cash fees are so high that they cover the operating cost of the flight (fuel, food, etc). So there's only the opportunity loss of not selling the seat at a high cash price when they sell it at a lower cash+avios price instead. BA limits the supply of Avios seats quite sharply, and clearly makes a revenue management decision to sell seats for cash+avios when they don't think they can get a high cash price. The "two Club seats on every flight" guarantee only loses them money if they could sell all seats at a higher cost than the cash+avios redemption cost - otherwise that's simply selling the two cheapest seats for cash+avios rather than cash and all other seats for a higher cash price. I suspect that only loses them money on a per-flight basis on lucrative routes at peak periods, and amortised over the route and the year they're still probably not losing much if any money.
So I think BA doesn't need to devalue Avios because redemptions don't actually cost them in operating cash terms and they can limit them the opportunity loss also.
Upgrades have a similar story, and same applies to First where there isn't even a "two seats" guarantee.
So I think BA doesn't need to devalue Avios because redemptions don't actually cost them in operating cash terms and they can limit them the opportunity loss also.
Upgrades have a similar story, and same applies to First where there isn't even a "two seats" guarantee.
Oct 20, 2018, 9:36 am
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
Flying has become so affordable nowadays for the leisure flyer even in J. I can get a return cash ticket to Europe from here at less cost than I paid twelve years ago if flexible on dates.
Oct 20, 2018, 10:02 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Bombay
Programs: EC Blue, EB Silver, FB Gold
Posts: 551
A couple of years ago I checked Avios prices on an OSL-TYO flight in F. They wanted a six figure sum of miles, plus £1600. Alternatively I could book QR for £1300 in J and get 560 TP...
Oct 20, 2018, 10:09 am
#25
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: M&S, Radisson
Posts: 758
I understand TATL flights are much more expensive if the outbound is from the US as opposed to Europe but $1000+ in taxes+fees is still pretty insane.
EDIT: OMAAT reported on the insane YQ charged on LH group flights ex US/Canada to Europe a few weeks ago.
Oct 21, 2018, 7:05 am
#26
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SAV/HHH
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold (current GGL), HH Diamond
Posts: 1,293
Even the old BAEC sweet spot of UuA from WT+ to CW from Canada to LHR has become almost too expensive to bother. Depending on where you are flying to if connecting on further from LHR it raises the price to within a few hundred dollars of the cheaper I fares. It still is a bit of a deal if connecting on to the usual sky high priced TATL destinations for example Germany,Switzerland or Austria.
That said, I still find a limited sweet spot here because most of the I fares require 60-day advance purchase...and I can't always plan that far ahead.
Oct 21, 2018, 7:36 am
#27
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SAV/HHH
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold (current GGL), HH Diamond
Posts: 1,293
I was going to post just that. At this price point, it’s approaching 100% of various paid fares such as OTP-PHX. I’d be slightly less offended if BA awarded tier points for travel on award tickets given the high surcharges as it’s closer to a part cash part Avios with these surcharge increases.
Part cash, part Avios is very accurate...I'm amazed how many BA tickets I purchase have higher taxes & fees than the fare component.
Oct 21, 2018, 7:46 am
#28
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SAV/HHH
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold (current GGL), HH Diamond
Posts: 1,293
I wasn't aware that this happened on BA as well. I knew LH M&M recently sharply increased taxes+fees on award flights. A o/w (!) LH F flight from the US to FRA or MUC now costs you around $1200 in taxes+fees.
I understand TATL flights are much more expensive if the outbound is from the US as opposed to Europe but $1000+ in taxes+fees is still pretty insane.
EDIT: OMAAT reported on the insane YQ charged on LH group flights ex US/Canada to Europe a few weeks ago.
I understand TATL flights are much more expensive if the outbound is from the US as opposed to Europe but $1000+ in taxes+fees is still pretty insane.
EDIT: OMAAT reported on the insane YQ charged on LH group flights ex US/Canada to Europe a few weeks ago.
Is the demand ex-US that much higher to justify this?