fudgeukraine

hope someone can help the best way to go about this booking (feel free to move to another forum if better suited)

I need to book 2 one-way tickets on 3/7/19 from UVF to MCO. The pricing for the MIA-MCO leg (best routing) is making it quite pricey so we're looking at the UVF-MIA option and then just driving up after an overnighter. Flight options for UVF-MIA are

AA1550 13:22 - 17:08 or AA2295 15:48 - 19:40

Both flights are coming up to around £500 for 2 with Baggage, but I'm wondering if there's a good way to use Avios/rewards to get this as AA are part of oneworld (the reward finder keeps trying to do UVF-LGW-MCO!). I think I've managed to get the AA avios flights on BA for 20k Avios + £296 but doesn't inc. baggage by defauly, but trying to see if theres:

1) a cheaper option with baggage
2) a way to get the MIA-MCO (or TPA if an option) let added

Got approx 48k Avios to use, but potential access to more if required.

Thanks

guv1976

The aa.com website is currently showing "MileSAAver" award-seat availability for two people from UVF to MIA (as well as UVF-MIA-MCO) on July 3. When ba.com is working properly, you should be able to book UVF-MIA for 10,000 Avios plus applicable taxes of about $110 USD, per person. (There should not be any carrier surcharges on such a redemption.) UVF-MIA-MCO should be 17,500 Avios per person, plus tax.

Checked-baggage fees would be additional.

If you did not want to fly MIA-MCO/TPA, there are ground alternatives such as one-way car rentals, discount bus travel (megabus.com), and even a couple of daily trains from MIA to Orlando (amtrak.com).

fudgeukraine

Thanks Guv!

I've checked the site again and it's now showing a few more options than it did last night; I've stll got the UVF-MIA options on 3rd Jul for Avios+£296, but it's now giving me an option to do UVF-MIA-TPA for Avios+£317 that wasn't there before so may do that to position ourselves; we didn't mind the drive option, but for the £20 diff it's going to be a bit better (and closer to gulf-coast beaches for the 4th!)

fudgeukraine

I've found the following 2 options for MIA or TPA, the Taxes is quite a bit from what you've said: £147.90pp for the UVF-MIA, is this standard or is there another way to get it down?

Thanks

SoggyDollar

These are the taxes shown on AA -

fudgeukraine

How have you sourced that? I've an BAEC which I used for flights, but don't have an AAdvantage account so not sure how to find the mile redemptions or use my BAEC avios for it.

thanks

SoggyDollar

You have to log in to an AAdvantage account to see the breakdown. You would need to use AA miles to redeem, (not avios) but I posted just to show the actual taxes. AA require more miles than BA for that sector - 15000 for your date

fudgeukraine

Thanks for confirming; I thought that may have been the case but I couldn't work it out. Don't have any AAdvantage miles but was hoping to use Avios due to OneWorld. However looking around, I've managed to source UVF-MIA-TPA for 2 people for 35k Avios + £316.80 which works out about £900 cheaper than direct through AA and better timings than most other alternates so will most likely take that option.

Thanks

JAXBA

The difference in taxes/fees/charges may be due to the BA quote possibly including the 7.5% LC tax which is calculated on the fare.

No fare equals no LC tax, but would need to call BA to have them remove/refund the incorrectly collected tax and report the error with BA.com.

fudgeukraine

Thanks all, in the end tried booking 13:22 UVF - 21:02 TPA via MIA but there was a glitch in the BA/AA system showing reward availability when there wasn't any. Fortunately managed to get the 15:48 UVF - 22:51 TPA the same day for the same price so all worked out in the end