Your guide to spending Avios | 2019 edition
Feb 25, 2019, 4:06 pm
#76
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Expiry?
Hello, thank you for the comprehensive guide. I didn't find any information on expiry in the presentation - we have a family avios account with around 500K points and was wondering if avios points expire? If so when? We would ideally like to transfer more points from an amex card but would like to be cautious if there is possibility of expiry.
Feb 26, 2019, 3:46 am
#77
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,284
Hello, thank you for the comprehensive guide. I didn't find any information on expiry in the presentation - we have a family avios account with around 500K points and was wondering if avios points expire? If so when? We would ideally like to transfer more points from an amex card but would like to be cautious if there is possibility of expiry.
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...s-expiry-rules
Not sure on the Household account, but I don't think the requirement is unmanageable. It's probably the most lenient policy out there.
Feb 26, 2019, 1:46 pm
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,125
I believe, in the case of a HHA, that each account needs to have movement every 36 months, unless one of the members has status. In that case, only one transaction made by anyone in the HHA will reset the expiry date for each account.
Feb 27, 2019, 1:08 am
#79
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
The transfer itself is treated as collection, so will reset the 36 months for the receiving account only( unless you have status).
The other accounts will need their own activity if they have avios to be kept alive. The cheapest option is to click through from each to an estore purchase. The easiest is a redemption that takes a spread of the avios from each account - you can book a cheap (throwaway) hotel in KTM for 400 avios.
The other accounts will need their own activity if they have avios to be kept alive. The cheapest option is to click through from each to an estore purchase. The easiest is a redemption that takes a spread of the avios from each account - you can book a cheap (throwaway) hotel in KTM for 400 avios.
Feb 27, 2019, 3:40 am
#80
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,284
That's interesting. You're saying that if *one* person on the HHA is Bronze or above, it protects the whole HHA from expiry?
Mar 2, 2019, 5:11 am
#81
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,079
Just to confirm, I CANNOT upgrade a BA flight booked as an AA codeshare on an AA ticket?
Mar 2, 2019, 1:40 pm
#82
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,887
Mar 3, 2019, 5:18 am
#83
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bangkok / London
Programs: BA Silver, AmEx Platinum, AVIS Presidents Club, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,105
If I book an avios ticket ex-HKG to avoid the fuel surcharges does it apply to all subsequent sectors or just the leg departing HK?
I want to do a multi city thing so can’t price it online to check but thinking something like:
HKG-LHR-MAD // TXL-LHR-BKK all on one ticket.
Ta!
Mar 3, 2019, 12:38 pm
#84
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
If I book an avios ticket ex-HKG to avoid the fuel surcharges does it apply to all subsequent sectors or just the leg departing HK?
I want to do a multi city thing so can’t price it online to check but thinking something like:
HKG-LHR-MAD // TXL-LHR-BKK all on one ticket.
Ta!
The bar would, I think, have benefitted your whole ticket but it now appears, having tried ITA, you’ll have to pay £228, implying £203 for the inbound. So maybe you want to go back to HKG! (£50 rtn YQ.)
Mar 3, 2019, 9:05 pm
#85
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bangkok / London
Programs: BA Silver, AmEx Platinum, AVIS Presidents Club, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,105
There is no longer a bar on ex-HKG YQ, however YQ has been left fairly low (£25 for your outbound).
The bar would, I think, have benefitted your whole ticket but it now appears, having tried ITA, you’ll have to pay £228, implying £203 for the inbound. So maybe you want to go back to HKG! (£50 rtn YQ.)
Thanks for the HKG suggestion on the return; that’s easy enough for me to fit into my plans!
Mar 4, 2019, 2:35 am
#86
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
competition or a gradual impact on corporate deals are at play. CX charge a modest £43 e/w.
It’s actually starker than I thought. The YQ on HKG-LHR remains zero so they don’t appear to have set a new level at all yet; I presume your £25 is in fact for LHR-MAD. I’m a bit surprised - grudging respect - they got round to updating the parameters and IT to collect YQ on your latter legs, unfortunately for you.
(If you were avoiding an outbound a stop in LON to sidestep APD, the £25 YQ means it would probably in fact be cheaper to stop; but you wouldn’t want to book separate lags if you aren’t stopping due to connection risk.)
Last edited by pauldb; Mar 4, 2019 at 2:41 am
Mar 4, 2019, 7:06 pm
#87
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,098
Have not redeemed BA Avios on a AA flight for a while, however when looking from NA to Europe, I find that they charge around ~$250 in taxes in economy (AA), also I see availability on AA site, however when I look at BA website availability is not there. Is this normal? Are BA hiding award availability?
Mar 4, 2019, 7:30 pm
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,125
Is the availability you see on AA "MilesAAver" availability or Anytime? BA only has access to the former.
Mar 5, 2019, 4:23 am
#89
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,098
It would be the milessaver since I know that is what is available to partners....for example 23/8 PHL-FCO available on AA but not on BA.
Mar 5, 2019, 9:09 am
#90
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
can i avoid BA fuel surcharges by starting my itinerary in Brazil? thinking of flying JFK-GIG-LHR-JFK... LHR-JFK has painful fuel surcharges, but if the itinerary starts in Brazil (booking JFK-GIG separately from GIG-LHR-JFK) does that eliminate fuel surcharges on the LHR-JFK leg?