Revised 2020 travel plans
Apr 17, 2019, 6:24 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Southampton UK
Posts: 48
Revised 2020 travel plans
Hi folks
Hope this is OK to post. I always appreciate your help and as this is my dearly beloved’s 60th birthday trip, I’d rather not drop the ball!!
2 adults
This is the revised plan for 2020.
Outbound LHR [or LGW] to Chicago ORD. 29th May - BA WT+
3 week road trip
Inbound Miami MIA to LHR [or LGW] 19th June - BA WT+
BAEC points 150,000
So is this a plan? Book on the ‘phone with BA. Buy WT+ both ways cash and upgrade both flights to Club with points.
Questions:
# I guess I can’t book the whole trip until 355 days before the inbound flight on the 19th June? Would this mean I might miss any outbound upgrade seats as I’ll be 3 weeks behind? [if you see what I mean!]
# If upgrades are not available at the time of booking can others come free in the ensuing period before the flights?
# Is this the best way to book an ‘open-jaw’ flight with BA?
# Could I be offered American Airlines by BA and, if so, are they OK? I’ve only ever used BA long haul.
# Are all WT+ upgradeable?
Thanks for your time everybody…..
Hope this is OK to post. I always appreciate your help and as this is my dearly beloved’s 60th birthday trip, I’d rather not drop the ball!!
2 adults
This is the revised plan for 2020.
Outbound LHR [or LGW] to Chicago ORD. 29th May - BA WT+
3 week road trip
Inbound Miami MIA to LHR [or LGW] 19th June - BA WT+
BAEC points 150,000
So is this a plan? Book on the ‘phone with BA. Buy WT+ both ways cash and upgrade both flights to Club with points.
Questions:
# I guess I can’t book the whole trip until 355 days before the inbound flight on the 19th June? Would this mean I might miss any outbound upgrade seats as I’ll be 3 weeks behind? [if you see what I mean!]
# If upgrades are not available at the time of booking can others come free in the ensuing period before the flights?
# Is this the best way to book an ‘open-jaw’ flight with BA?
# Could I be offered American Airlines by BA and, if so, are they OK? I’ve only ever used BA long haul.
# Are all WT+ upgradeable?
Thanks for your time everybody…..
Apr 17, 2019, 8:17 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: NCL
Programs: BA Exec Club: Gold HHons:Diamond FB:Ivory Accor:Plat Hertz: PC USA:GlobalEntry
Posts: 234
Hi folks
Hope this is OK to post. I always appreciate your help and as this is my dearly beloved’s 60th birthday trip, I’d rather not drop the ball!!
2 adults
This is the revised plan for 2020.
Outbound LHR [or LGW] to Chicago ORD. 29th May - BA WT+
3 week road trip
Inbound Miami MIA to LHR [or LGW] 19th June - BA WT+
BAEC points 150,000
So is this a plan? Book on the ‘phone with BA. Buy WT+ both ways cash and upgrade both flights to Club with points.
Questions:
# I guess I can’t book the whole trip until 355 days before the inbound flight on the 19th June? Would this mean I might miss any outbound upgrade seats as I’ll be 3 weeks behind? [if you see what I mean!]
= You could phone and make the outbound booking (will may have to pay the phone fee) then add the return leg 3 weeks later.
# If upgrades are not available at the time of booking can others come free in the ensuing period before the flights?
= LHR<->ORD has decent availability in CW but MIA<->LHR less so.
# Is this the best way to book an ‘open-jaw’ flight with BA?
= Calling them has worked best for Open-Jaws trips for me in the past
# Could I be offered American Airlines by BA and, if so, are they OK? I’ve only ever used BA long haul.
# Are all WT+ upgradeable?
= https://www.headforpoints.com/2019/0...de-with-avios/
Thanks for your time everybody…..
Hope this is OK to post. I always appreciate your help and as this is my dearly beloved’s 60th birthday trip, I’d rather not drop the ball!!
2 adults
This is the revised plan for 2020.
Outbound LHR [or LGW] to Chicago ORD. 29th May - BA WT+
3 week road trip
Inbound Miami MIA to LHR [or LGW] 19th June - BA WT+
BAEC points 150,000
So is this a plan? Book on the ‘phone with BA. Buy WT+ both ways cash and upgrade both flights to Club with points.
Questions:
# I guess I can’t book the whole trip until 355 days before the inbound flight on the 19th June? Would this mean I might miss any outbound upgrade seats as I’ll be 3 weeks behind? [if you see what I mean!]
= You could phone and make the outbound booking (will may have to pay the phone fee) then add the return leg 3 weeks later.
# If upgrades are not available at the time of booking can others come free in the ensuing period before the flights?
= LHR<->ORD has decent availability in CW but MIA<->LHR less so.
# Is this the best way to book an ‘open-jaw’ flight with BA?
= Calling them has worked best for Open-Jaws trips for me in the past
# Could I be offered American Airlines by BA and, if so, are they OK? I’ve only ever used BA long haul.
# Are all WT+ upgradeable?
= https://www.headforpoints.com/2019/0...de-with-avios/
Thanks for your time everybody…..
Last edited by AleTrail; Apr 17, 2019 at 8:18 am Reason: typo
Apr 17, 2019, 8:20 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,471
I think I've seen mention of it being possible to book revenue tickets at the end of system range - effectively with a dummy return held and a note in the PNR - such that when the time comes to add the return no change fee is charged. This would have to be done with a call. I'd also be worried about getting an agent at one in the morning who manages to hold the Avios space, change the inbound to the correct date and upgrade it - but you might be lucky.
You might like to sign up to ExpertFlyer to see if BA are releasing E or T availability that far out though - I know some routes don't open all the buckets at first [though that might just be shorthaul stuff where the likes of U2/FR aren't selling the competition yet]. Regardless, you're probably going to pay more for your WT+ base fare than you could, but obviously waiting would mean a lottery as regards upgrade space.
Extra space is in the hands of Revenue Management - so nobody knows, but it's certainly possible for more to release - EF or rewardflightfinder subscription recommended for alerts there.
AA are fine [never flown CW or AA PE, so can't offer a comparison] - though the 788 J seats used on LHR-ORD have a comical rocking issue but that's not too annoying for a day flight. It will be rather harder to upgrade the AA flight though, I believe.
All WT+ should be upgradeable.
You might like to sign up to ExpertFlyer to see if BA are releasing E or T availability that far out though - I know some routes don't open all the buckets at first [though that might just be shorthaul stuff where the likes of U2/FR aren't selling the competition yet]. Regardless, you're probably going to pay more for your WT+ base fare than you could, but obviously waiting would mean a lottery as regards upgrade space.
Extra space is in the hands of Revenue Management - so nobody knows, but it's certainly possible for more to release - EF or rewardflightfinder subscription recommended for alerts there.
AA are fine [never flown CW or AA PE, so can't offer a comparison] - though the 788 J seats used on LHR-ORD have a comical rocking issue but that's not too annoying for a day flight. It will be rather harder to upgrade the AA flight though, I believe.
All WT+ should be upgradeable.
Apr 17, 2019, 8:25 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Southampton UK
Posts: 48
I think I've seen mention of it being possible to book revenue tickets at the end of system range - effectively with a dummy return held and a note in the PNR - such that when the time comes to add the return no change fee is charged. This would have to be done with a call. I'd also be worried about getting an agent at one in the morning who manages to hold the Avios space, change the inbound to the correct date and upgrade it - but you might be lucky.
You might like to sign up to ExpertFlyer to see if BA are releasing E or T availability that far out though - I know some routes don't open all the buckets at first [though that might just be shorthaul stuff where the likes of U2/FR aren't selling the competition yet]. Regardless, you're probably going to pay more for your WT+ base fare than you could, but obviously waiting would mean a lottery as regards upgrade space.
Extra space is in the hands of Revenue Management - so nobody knows, but it's certainly possible for more to release - EF or rewardflightfinder subscription recommended for alerts there.
AA are fine [never flown CW or AA PE, so can't offer a comparison] - though the 788 J seats used on LHR-ORD have a comical rocking issue but that's not too annoying for a day flight. It will be rather harder to upgrade the AA flight though, I believe.
All WT+ should be upgradeable.
You might like to sign up to ExpertFlyer to see if BA are releasing E or T availability that far out though - I know some routes don't open all the buckets at first [though that might just be shorthaul stuff where the likes of U2/FR aren't selling the competition yet]. Regardless, you're probably going to pay more for your WT+ base fare than you could, but obviously waiting would mean a lottery as regards upgrade space.
Extra space is in the hands of Revenue Management - so nobody knows, but it's certainly possible for more to release - EF or rewardflightfinder subscription recommended for alerts there.
AA are fine [never flown CW or AA PE, so can't offer a comparison] - though the 788 J seats used on LHR-ORD have a comical rocking issue but that's not too annoying for a day flight. It will be rather harder to upgrade the AA flight though, I believe.
All WT+ should be upgradeable.