Booking BA flights through Amex Travel
Dec 21, 2018, 2:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: GLA
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Booking BA flights through Amex Travel
Hi all,
I have an offer on my Amex card to get £200 back if I spend >£600 through Amex Travel.
I'm looking at booking BA flights to YVR for January travel. I normally book directly with BA; will I still get tier points etc booking through Amex? And will the booking be available in BA app for seat selection after booking.
Apologies if they are dumb questions!
Cheers
I have an offer on my Amex card to get £200 back if I spend >£600 through Amex Travel.
I'm looking at booking BA flights to YVR for January travel. I normally book directly with BA; will I still get tier points etc booking through Amex? And will the booking be available in BA app for seat selection after booking.
Apologies if they are dumb questions!
Cheers
Dec 21, 2018, 2:27 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2014
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Yes to your questions.
TPs and avios as normal. You will also get a PNR that allows you to add your booking to BA.com and select seat etc. Usual status benefits apply.
TPs and avios as normal. You will also get a PNR that allows you to add your booking to BA.com and select seat etc. Usual status benefits apply.
Dec 21, 2018, 3:10 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2008
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AMEX travel booked flights, usually appear on your AMEX credit card as a separate transactions for each passenger. So a reservation booked for two people at a total cost of £700 usually posts as 2x £350 transactions to your credit card, however the discount will still be awarded after a few days.
Sometimes these offers specify 'in a single transaction', but it seems the latest ones don't include that.
Sometimes these offers specify 'in a single transaction', but it seems the latest ones don't include that.
Dec 21, 2018, 3:17 am
#7
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Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Dec 21, 2018 at 4:25 am
Dec 21, 2018, 3:30 am
#8
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Dec 21, 2018, 4:20 am
#9
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I don't believe it does (though if USA based there are regulatory issues involved there, so this answer applies to the UK Amex Travel). If you are going to use an online travel agency, Amex is one of the good guys, relatively speaking, but still there remains advantages in direct booking.
I believe that Amex UK can do this, provided it is done at the time of purchase - whether it's part of the offer I know not.
I believe that Amex UK can do this, provided it is done at the time of purchase - whether it's part of the offer I know not.
For a UuA (so upgrading with avios) a TA cannot do it at all since they have no access to your avios. You can make the booking with a TA and then, subject to there being reward space, you call BAEC to do the UuA.
There are also some other restrictions when UuA'ing a TA booking, this is the relevant section from the TP run thread.
Upgrading Using Avios (UuA) & Gold Upgrade Vouchers (GUF)
A quick note on doing UuAs is that you can do these for exEU itineraries (or you can apply a GUF if you have any). The following restrictions for UuAs apply though:
Summary guide to bookings which can be upgraded with Avios:
A BA Holiday booking (flights & hotel) is UuA'able and treated as a TA booking, so a booking including non BA flights could not be UuA'ed. Also a BA Holiday booking which was made using a TA can not be UuA'ed.
Note that even if booked direct with BA on a 125-... ticket you can't UuA BA marketed and AA operated flight. The BA flight must be both BA marketed and operated.
There is more information on UuA'ing TA bookings here.
A quick note on doing UuAs is that you can do these for exEU itineraries (or you can apply a GUF if you have any). The following restrictions for UuAs apply though:
Summary guide to bookings which can be upgraded with Avios:
- BA issued tickets (can include other carriers) ^
- TA issued (on BA stock) booking with only BA flights ^
- TA issued (on BA stock) booking with other carriers
- Tickets issued on non-BA stock
A BA Holiday booking (flights & hotel) is UuA'able and treated as a TA booking, so a booking including non BA flights could not be UuA'ed. Also a BA Holiday booking which was made using a TA can not be UuA'ed.
Note that even if booked direct with BA on a 125-... ticket you can't UuA BA marketed and AA operated flight. The BA flight must be both BA marketed and operated.
There is more information on UuA'ing TA bookings here.
Dec 21, 2018, 4:25 am
#10
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My apologies, indeed it was a GUF I was thinking of, UuA is very different and subject to the restrictions mentioned (which basically ensure that BA have full ownership of any issues) then UuA should be OK.
Dec 21, 2018, 4:51 am
#11
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Be aware that there has been many incidences where Amex ( and other OTA ) has previously booked the WT+ (PE) tickets into a non-upgradable fare bucket which will prevent you moving into club. If you are looking at the Amex offer then you have to buy online and as such may get caught out as you cant get verbal confirmation before you buy.
Dec 21, 2018, 5:04 am
#12
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I would also point out that with amex online bookings, changing any dates can be an absolute nightmare. Emails go unanswered for days, and if you call in, the phone team has to call the online team which takes a long time....
Back to that offer, I last had it a couple of months ago, and split it into 3 separate transactions across 2 statement dates, and the £200 back posted with no problems. Funnily enough . just got it again, 200 off 600, but it arrived 3 days after I booked a load of travel...
Back to that offer, I last had it a couple of months ago, and split it into 3 separate transactions across 2 statement dates, and the £200 back posted with no problems. Funnily enough . just got it again, 200 off 600, but it arrived 3 days after I booked a load of travel...
Dec 21, 2018, 5:07 am
#13
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Be aware that there has been many incidences where Amex ( and other OTA ) has previously booked the WT+ (PE) tickets into a non-upgradable fare bucket which will prevent you moving into club. If you are looking at the Amex offer then you have to buy online and as such may get caught out as you cant get verbal confirmation before you buy.
Dec 21, 2018, 10:30 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2017
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Posts: 1,387
Pretty sure that's true when booked direct with BA. Booking thru a TA introduces additional complications and conditions for UuA, and I wonder whether any of these depend on the fare bucket? Like you I am interested to hear more details.