May 29, 2019, 7:12 am
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
Welcome to the Find me a good BA fare ticket clinic.
This is essentially for BA / BA codeshares and partner only. If your booking is essentially on Qatar, Qantas, AA or anyone else, please go to those forums and pursue the matter there. These forums have good subject matter experts to hand.
- Please avoid very vague questions. Specific questions get specific answers. Give exact dates, start point, end point, what flexibility you have.
- As a courtesy to the other forum members, please at least read some of the advice in the posts above, and find one fare as a start point. It's a lot easier to provide constructive feedback that way.
This is essentially for BA / BA codeshares and partner only. If your booking is essentially on Qatar, Qantas, AA or anyone else, please go to those forums and pursue the matter there. These forums have good subject matter experts to hand.
- Please avoid very vague questions. Specific questions get specific answers. Give exact dates, start point, end point, what flexibility you have.
- As a courtesy to the other forum members, please at least read some of the advice in the posts above, and find one fare as a start point. It's a lot easier to provide constructive feedback that way.
Find me a good British Airways fare - ticket clinic [Beta / draft: BA FARES ONLY]
May 27, 2019, 5:14 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
Thanks for doing what was very obviously a demanding task resulting in what I'm sure will soon become an essential feature of the BA board.
I must say that I'm pleased to hear that, like me, you use Skyscanner which I've always thought might be seen as a bit 'un-FT'!
I must say that I'm pleased to hear that, like me, you use Skyscanner which I've always thought might be seen as a bit 'un-FT'!
May 27, 2019, 7:07 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Blue, Hyatt, Marriot, HHonors
Posts: 378
...............
2.2) Multi-city
On BA.com by the main search area, above the From / To boxes, is a link to BA.com's Multi-city screen. You don't actually have to use it for a multi visit trip, you can even do it for just a point to point single trip. There are several big disadvantages, you can't mix cabins, and you don't get to see the fare until you have selected your trip, plus the system as a default connection time of 2 hours which is often well above the Minimum Connection Time. But if you know what you are doing and what the fare should be it can be quite quick to use. This module will also throw up some unusual routings too (e.g. London to Dublin via Newcastle), though they may well error on the pricing screen.
...................
2.2) Multi-city
On BA.com by the main search area, above the From / To boxes, is a link to BA.com's Multi-city screen. You don't actually have to use it for a multi visit trip, you can even do it for just a point to point single trip. There are several big disadvantages, you can't mix cabins, and you don't get to see the fare until you have selected your trip, plus the system as a default connection time of 2 hours which is often well above the Minimum Connection Time. But if you know what you are doing and what the fare should be it can be quite quick to use. This module will also throw up some unusual routings too (e.g. London to Dublin via Newcastle), though they may well error on the pricing screen.
...................
If you are trying to book a simple Destination Open Jaw, eg LHRJFK 01AUG and back BOSLHR 15AUG,
Suggest you originally do a quote for LHRJFK return using the same dates. Make a note of the Flight on the LHRJFK coming up cheapest.
Then do a quote for LHRBOS return using same dates. Make a note of the Flights on the BOSLHR coming up cheapest.
Now use the Multi City option and select the flights that came out cheapest from the previous two quotes.
This way you will ensure the cheapest quote.
If you want to to upgrade one half of Multi City, then you could always call within 24 hours and ask for it to be upgraded.
But make sure in the above quotes you have selected the flights with the lowest higher cabin quote.
May 27, 2019, 7:48 am
#20
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA, U2+, SK, AF/KL, IHG, Hilton, others gathering dust...
Posts: 2,552
3) More complex online tools to find fares
This section will give some pointers for where certain online tools can help you find a good fare. Now there isn't necessarily a free lunch here, these sites typically are trying to sell you something or other, and often the fares shown link through to their travel "partners". Moreover though they may show a number of these partners, they often are subsidiary companies of each other. So a healthy dose of sceptical thinking may be needed.
3a - Skyscanner
This is the one I use a lot, not least because it includes the low cost carriers too, which is sometimes useful. The initial search will be for all airlines, and then you can narrow down the output to just BA. The filter for oneworld flights is perhaps better and easier to find. Note that there is a one month view feature, however it is based on the site recording previous searches and may not be up to date.
3b - Kayak
Before Skyscanner impoved its website, Kayak was a good alternative and it still has a value. In some ways it has a better interface, but it is more likely to steer you to a consolidator company (see section below), it is more tied in to its travel partners than alternative airlines. Use the More tab to see BA's own fares. The area above the main fare provides information on baggage allowance.
3c - FlightConnections.com
This website isn't so much about fares but gives guidance on who flies where and what connections may be needed. Nice maps! The main oneworld website also shows where BA and partners fly.
3d - Online travel agents
So here we mean Expedia, Opodo, Orbitz and so on. They are sometimes easier to work with than BA.com but if you find a good fare from these places, it is worth calling BA to see if they can also find the same fare. The problem is OTA is when there are problems! We regularly hear from other FTers who have found themselves struggling to get rebooked after (e.g.) cancelled services or flight time changes.
Note that Flyertalk has a Travel Tools forum, under Travel&Dining.
This section will give some pointers for where certain online tools can help you find a good fare. Now there isn't necessarily a free lunch here, these sites typically are trying to sell you something or other, and often the fares shown link through to their travel "partners". Moreover though they may show a number of these partners, they often are subsidiary companies of each other. So a healthy dose of sceptical thinking may be needed.
3a - Skyscanner
This is the one I use a lot, not least because it includes the low cost carriers too, which is sometimes useful. The initial search will be for all airlines, and then you can narrow down the output to just BA. The filter for oneworld flights is perhaps better and easier to find. Note that there is a one month view feature, however it is based on the site recording previous searches and may not be up to date.
3b - Kayak
Before Skyscanner impoved its website, Kayak was a good alternative and it still has a value. In some ways it has a better interface, but it is more likely to steer you to a consolidator company (see section below), it is more tied in to its travel partners than alternative airlines. Use the More tab to see BA's own fares. The area above the main fare provides information on baggage allowance.
3c - FlightConnections.com
This website isn't so much about fares but gives guidance on who flies where and what connections may be needed. Nice maps! The main oneworld website also shows where BA and partners fly.
3d - Online travel agents
So here we mean Expedia, Opodo, Orbitz and so on. They are sometimes easier to work with than BA.com but if you find a good fare from these places, it is worth calling BA to see if they can also find the same fare. The problem is OTA is when there are problems! We regularly hear from other FTers who have found themselves struggling to get rebooked after (e.g.) cancelled services or flight time changes.
Note that Flyertalk has a Travel Tools forum, under Travel&Dining.
This can be caused by something as innocent as technical restrictions on how often the cache updates into the comparison site, or the less scrupulous agents using “bait and switch” tactics to advertise a lower fare, then say it’s unavailable once they have your money, offering an alternative at a higher price. The prevalence of the latter is sometimes overblown, and many times the advertised fare is available, but it’s something to be aware of (I won’t get into which agencies have more of a reputation for the less scrupulous practices).
Great piece of work overall, reminds me that I should use the low fare finder tools on BA.com more frequently than I do, when I have some flexibility about travel dates and times.
May 27, 2019, 11:12 am
#23
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Accor Live Limitless Gold, Hilton Honours Gold, Avis Preferred Plus
Posts: 1,807
Congratulations to c-w-s and all others involved in yet another great thread here on the BA forum.
I am happy to quickly throw together a bit of information about Google Flights and shall do that now, I hope that it can help.
I am happy to quickly throw together a bit of information about Google Flights and shall do that now, I hope that it can help.
May 27, 2019, 11:23 am
#24
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 44
Brilliant idea, and tonnes of useful info here. Huge thanks, CWS!
I use GF a lot, so am happy to contribute to the section. I’m currently on holiday, so would write up when I’m back at the weekend, assuming someone else hasn’t beaten me to it.
Also, might be worth flagging rewardflightfinder.com in the section on keeping an eye on redemptions. I find it a super useful and inexpensive tool for narrowing down the options of combining paid and reward flights.
I use GF a lot, so am happy to contribute to the section. I’m currently on holiday, so would write up when I’m back at the weekend, assuming someone else hasn’t beaten me to it.
Also, might be worth flagging rewardflightfinder.com in the section on keeping an eye on redemptions. I find it a super useful and inexpensive tool for narrowing down the options of combining paid and reward flights.
May 27, 2019, 11:51 am
#25
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
Great idea, but I'm surprised that I didn't find a mention of the AARP discount nor the AmEx IAP for premium cabin ticket discounts.
Is Propeller Travel helpful for tickets with particular segments that are difficult to book?
On flights that are sold as codeshares, is there an advantage to checking the other airline's website for fares? For example, for a TATL flight, can one sometimes find lower fares on the AA (or IB) website versus BA since BA operated flights are likely to also be marketed under AA (and IB) flight numbers? Or do all of the codeshare fares show automatically on the BA website?
Is Propeller Travel helpful for tickets with particular segments that are difficult to book?
On flights that are sold as codeshares, is there an advantage to checking the other airline's website for fares? For example, for a TATL flight, can one sometimes find lower fares on the AA (or IB) website versus BA since BA operated flights are likely to also be marketed under AA (and IB) flight numbers? Or do all of the codeshare fares show automatically on the BA website?
May 27, 2019, 12:01 pm
#26
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,179
In all my time here at FT, I have never known such generosity as some of the members here present. You come here and without hire or favour provide us with genuine help in dealing with some of the Byzantine mazes of airline pricing. Of all, you dear OP are one of the most active. You and others give their time and one cannot ask for more than that, I for one follow these threads with interest, and am even going to do B2Bs out of Inverness thanks to you.
What a lovely man you are and I sincerely hope that this excellent resource that you have created will not be abused.
What a lovely man you are and I sincerely hope that this excellent resource that you have created will not be abused.
May 27, 2019, 12:37 pm
#28
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
This is from the DDS web site...
British Airways has become the first airline to pledge support for the Armed Forces Community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
The airline has strong links with the Naval Service, Army and Royal Air Force, employing many veterans and serving reservists, and is proud to add its support to our Armed Forces.
As part of this commitment, British Airways is pleased to offer a 10% discount to all members of the Armed Forces Community.
This discount applies to the whole British Airways operated network in Economy Standard and Business Class cabins (excluding Hand Baggage Only fares for Short-Haul and Long-Haul, World Traveller Plus (premium Economy) and First class).
*This discount can be applied to any fare before taxes, fees and charges and to all destinations operated by British Airways in Economy Standard and Business Class cabins (excluding Hand Baggage Only fares for Short-Haul and Long-Haul, World Traveller Plus (premium Economy) and First class).
The airline has strong links with the Naval Service, Army and Royal Air Force, employing many veterans and serving reservists, and is proud to add its support to our Armed Forces.
As part of this commitment, British Airways is pleased to offer a 10% discount to all members of the Armed Forces Community.
This discount applies to the whole British Airways operated network in Economy Standard and Business Class cabins (excluding Hand Baggage Only fares for Short-Haul and Long-Haul, World Traveller Plus (premium Economy) and First class).
*This discount can be applied to any fare before taxes, fees and charges and to all destinations operated by British Airways in Economy Standard and Business Class cabins (excluding Hand Baggage Only fares for Short-Haul and Long-Haul, World Traveller Plus (premium Economy) and First class).
May 27, 2019, 12:49 pm
#29
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
In all my time here at FT, I have never known such generosity as some of the members here present. You come here and without hire or favour provide us with genuine help in dealing with some of the Byzantine mazes of airline pricing. Of all, you dear OP are one of the most active. You and others give their time and one cannot ask for more than that, I for one follow these threads with interest, and am even going to do B2Bs out of Inverness thanks to you.
What a lovely man you are and I sincerely hope that this excellent resource that you have created will not be abused.
What a lovely man you are and I sincerely hope that this excellent resource that you have created will not be abused.
......and he takes excellent care of lost teddy bears too.
May 27, 2019, 1:14 pm
#30
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,179