Changes to redemption prices on partner airlines eff 30 May 2019
May 30, 2019, 7:29 am
#181
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Unio Europaea
Programs: BA GGL, AS, Hertz Cirque Présidentielle
Posts: 1,445
Two things still puzzle me:
1) Are partner awards outside OW now with AAnytime availability and not MileSAAver?
2) AS domestic First class redemptions: business or first redemption pricing? AA is with business pricing, but there's no recent datapoints in the AS Avios thread either.
For #2 I will probably have to call and have a quote, but #1 is based on AAnytime being confusingly mentioned in this thread.
1) Are partner awards outside OW now with AAnytime availability and not MileSAAver?
2) AS domestic First class redemptions: business or first redemption pricing? AA is with business pricing, but there's no recent datapoints in the AS Avios thread either.
For #2 I will probably have to call and have a quote, but #1 is based on AAnytime being confusingly mentioned in this thread.
May 30, 2019, 7:31 am
#182
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,997
Thanks. Yes just looked at another example (BOS-JFK) and it is still showing as 7500. I don't know whether they simply have not yet been updated to 9000, or that they stay at 7500. I suspect the former! I think the intention when US domestic rates were changed was that the band 1 distance flights should be priced at band 2 rates.
May 30, 2019, 7:50 am
#184
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Unio Europaea
Programs: BA GGL, AS, Hertz Cirque Présidentielle
Posts: 1,445
Last edited by Flying Yazata; May 30, 2019 at 8:01 am
May 30, 2019, 7:59 am
#185
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Switzerland/West Coast
Programs: BAEC Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 215
Data point: Just booked a redemption with BA on AS for SEA-LAX RT in Y over the phone, which under the old rules would have been 15k Avios; went up to 18k Avios. Not as bad as I thought, but yeah, not an improvement.
Do we know anything about how this affects pricing on stopover routes yet?
Do we know anything about how this affects pricing on stopover routes yet?
Last edited by OWBA; May 30, 2019 at 8:23 am
May 30, 2019, 10:22 am
#186
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 489
So I've done a preliminary check and some of the rumours on possible tariff appear to bear out, although the logic evades me a little. All quoted for U inventory:
SIN/KUL (under 651 miles)
Previously: 9,000 Avios
Now: 12,500 Avios (Rumours suggested this would be 12,000 Avios)
DCA/LGA (under 651 miles - but exceptions for USA)
Previously: 15,000 Avios
Now: 15,000 Avios (Rumour suggested this would be 16,500 Avios. Perhaps a concession by BA for eliminating the under 651 miles category for USA sectors?)
SYD/MEL (under 651 miles)
Previously: 9,000 Avios
Now: 12,500 Avios (Rumours suggested this would be 12,000 Avios)
MEL/BNE (651 - 1,150 miles aka sweet spot)
Previously: 15,000 Avios
Now: 16,500 Avios (As predicted by rumours, which in the scheme of things is not as bad. Another rumour had suggested it would be 18,000 Avios)
Looking forward to when Prospero updates the official Flyertalk Wiki.
SIN/KUL (under 651 miles)
Previously: 9,000 Avios
Now: 12,500 Avios (Rumours suggested this would be 12,000 Avios)
DCA/LGA (under 651 miles - but exceptions for USA)
Previously: 15,000 Avios
Now: 15,000 Avios (Rumour suggested this would be 16,500 Avios. Perhaps a concession by BA for eliminating the under 651 miles category for USA sectors?)
SYD/MEL (under 651 miles)
Previously: 9,000 Avios
Now: 12,500 Avios (Rumours suggested this would be 12,000 Avios)
MEL/BNE (651 - 1,150 miles aka sweet spot)
Previously: 15,000 Avios
Now: 16,500 Avios (As predicted by rumours, which in the scheme of things is not as bad. Another rumour had suggested it would be 18,000 Avios)
Looking forward to when Prospero updates the official Flyertalk Wiki.
May 30, 2019, 11:47 am
#187
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Okay then ..... so whilst not exactly welcome, the increases are live, and thankfully not as bad as some might have feared when that original strangely-worded announcement appeared, giving no hard facts.
Now that the new rates are known, all that remains is to look forward to the publication by BA of the new Avios earnings charts, along with the updated calculator on the official website. Any clues as to when we can expect it ....
Now that the new rates are known, all that remains is to look forward to the publication by BA of the new Avios earnings charts, along with the updated calculator on the official website. Any clues as to when we can expect it ....
May 30, 2019, 12:12 pm
#188
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 489
Okay then ..... so whilst not exactly welcome, the increases are live, and thankfully not as bad as some might have feared when that original strangely-worded announcement appeared, giving no hard facts.
Now that the new rates are known, all that remains is to look forward to the publication by BA of the new Avios earnings charts, along with the updated calculator on the official website. Any clues as to when we can expect it ....
Now that the new rates are known, all that remains is to look forward to the publication by BA of the new Avios earnings charts, along with the updated calculator on the official website. Any clues as to when we can expect it ....
May 30, 2019, 12:18 pm
#189
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
I was hoping that there might be an increase in BA earnings (as a reward to loyal customers) to offset the additional costs of partner redemptions. But perhaps I’m whistling in the wind .... ?
May 30, 2019, 1:53 pm
#190
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 328
May 30, 2019, 3:55 pm
#191
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
Posts: 1,752
May 30, 2019, 7:58 pm
#192
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: USA and UK
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Silver, Alitalia Freccia Alata
Posts: 1,351
I've got to say this is extraordinarily harsh for BAEC members who redeem on AA. Typical journey prices are now well over what AAdvantage members would be paying Avios/miles wise. Most especially if you live in non-AA hub city. For example, IAH-DFW-NYC now costs 36,000 Avios return as a minimum (can also price at 37,000, depending on connecting city), while it would be standard 25,000 for AA members. shorter journeys continue to be a very bad use of Avios (i.e. IAH-DFW-OKC) at 30,000 for a return in Y.
Guess the simple fact is that BAEC is really not setup for the "connections culture" that flying in the USA is, and frankly never has been since they removed the Band 1 pricing. But it's easy to see how the bean-counters at Waterside would've not grasped this fact, as most flying that goes on in Europe is direct. USA members have really taken a bashing it must be said between the fuel surcharge discrepancy, when comparing journeys that start in the UK, and a severe hike in award redemption rates on AA bookings when compared to the days when Band 1 flights priced accordingly. BAEC really doesn't look all that attractive to the person living in the USA now when comparing to other programmes.
Now let's see if the IB award chart updates to the BA ones now. The discrepancy is too wide for it not to be addressed:
BA Avios, IAH-DFW-OKC (as an example): 30,000
IB Avios IAH-DFW-OKC: 12,000
Do think the changes are reasonable if living in a hub city with access to direct flights, however. I'm glad I made quite a few bookings on the 28th
.
Guess the simple fact is that BAEC is really not setup for the "connections culture" that flying in the USA is, and frankly never has been since they removed the Band 1 pricing. But it's easy to see how the bean-counters at Waterside would've not grasped this fact, as most flying that goes on in Europe is direct. USA members have really taken a bashing it must be said between the fuel surcharge discrepancy, when comparing journeys that start in the UK, and a severe hike in award redemption rates on AA bookings when compared to the days when Band 1 flights priced accordingly. BAEC really doesn't look all that attractive to the person living in the USA now when comparing to other programmes.
Now let's see if the IB award chart updates to the BA ones now. The discrepancy is too wide for it not to be addressed:
BA Avios, IAH-DFW-OKC (as an example): 30,000
IB Avios IAH-DFW-OKC: 12,000
Do think the changes are reasonable if living in a hub city with access to direct flights, however. I'm glad I made quite a few bookings on the 28th
.
May 30, 2019, 8:24 pm
#193
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
Someone living in one of many European cities wishing to use BA for a redemption would need to make a connection ; connection requirements are not unique to USA
Attractiveness of a scheme is going to be impacted by where one is and where wanting to redeem to
I cannot imagine that BA would be overly concerned about people realising that another scheme is better and using it
Attractiveness of a scheme is going to be impacted by where one is and where wanting to redeem to
I cannot imagine that BA would be overly concerned about people realising that another scheme is better and using it
May 31, 2019, 12:47 am
#195
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 489
DCA/LGA still costs 15,000 Avios in U rather than than 16,500 Avios as suggested in your table (correct as at 0630h BST 31 May 2019).
Is this an administrative error by BA or inconsistent by design?
If its an intended exception, does that mean there needs to be a seperate annex to these unofficial award tariff tables published on Flyertalk? As far as I know BA doesn't publish award tables? Happy to be corrected.