Using Avios at Airport to Upgrade - Trial 03-30 June 2019
Jun 6, 2019, 1:34 am
#31
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Hertfordshire, UK
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If only I could use this an an excuse to pop away! Don't think the Mrs would approve. 'So why are you going away'? 'Oh, just to find out what the cost is to upgrade a ticket using avios, but more like an AUP with Avios rather than a UUA'. The Mrs would reply something like 'Oh, of course
'
Jun 6, 2019, 2:31 am
#34
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,683
What are you inferring about blue BA Amex cardholders? I've been using mine for day-to-day spending for the last 3 months, because Amex offered me an earning rate of 2 avios per £, so it suddenly became the highest-earning card on the market, bar none. Admittedly I don't use it at the ticket gates because I'd then miss out on Railcard savings, but don't assume you know why someone is using a particular card...
Jun 6, 2019, 2:33 am
#35
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Three points though
- one anecdote only.
- Two class jumps apparently allowed
- The source revenue booking may have been in a non-upgradeable bucket - for Avios. So normal UuA may not be possible
Still you would have be fairly cash poor, Avios rich, to take this up.
[And this non 13 year old - I can't even remember being 13 - is still in Pakistan so I'm not well placed to find out more].
Jun 6, 2019, 3:59 am
#36
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,552
If BA uses their perceived cash value of Avios to effectively purchase a cash upgrade then I would hope that it’s treated as such and awards Avios and TP for the upgraded cabin. If treated as an Avios upgrade, ie. UUA but at a different rate, then of course you recieve based on the cabin you originally paid for. We willnot know until the beast is unleashed.
There is another way if equalising it. I will leave you to work it out and hope BA don't guess and implement it anyway.
Jun 6, 2019, 4:32 am
#37
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, ZSL Silver
Posts: 2,552
Wow - that is awful. At least with an AUP you end up with the extra Avios and TPs. The only thing I can say is that at least you have the option of a double cabin upgrade with Avios.
Jun 6, 2019, 4:55 am
#38
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Programs: BA Blue, Qatar Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott Gold
Posts: 494
We are assuming an AUP cost though. For all we know, this flight could have been very busy with 1 WTP seat left and £600 would have been the AUP cash cost. I think it would be good to know (in the future) what the cash AUP is and the Avios AUP. Hopefully after a few datapoints, we can work out what value BA are giving per Avios point....
Jun 6, 2019, 5:48 am
#39
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Just had a note from a HFP reader who was quoted 65,000 Avios to upgrade CW to F to AUH.
The standard 'gap' if F seats had opened up in advance and he had called to upgrade would have been 18,000 off-peak and 20,000 peak (plus change fee and any extra taxes). However, our man was on a 2-4-1 so the net cost for him, upgrading in advance, would only have been 9,000 Avios off-peak or 10,000 peak.
Quite a difference, to put it mildly. I am assuming this is driven off a £300 cash cost.
He was told at the upgrade desk that only TWO people have chosen to upgrade over the last 2 days.
The standard 'gap' if F seats had opened up in advance and he had called to upgrade would have been 18,000 off-peak and 20,000 peak (plus change fee and any extra taxes). However, our man was on a 2-4-1 so the net cost for him, upgrading in advance, would only have been 9,000 Avios off-peak or 10,000 peak.
Quite a difference, to put it mildly. I am assuming this is driven off a £300 cash cost.
He was told at the upgrade desk that only TWO people have chosen to upgrade over the last 2 days.
Jun 6, 2019, 7:25 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Just had a note from a HFP reader who was quoted 65,000 Avios to upgrade CW to F to AUH.
The standard 'gap' if F seats had opened up in advance and he had called to upgrade would have been 18,000 off-peak and 20,000 peak (plus change fee and any extra taxes). However, our man was on a 2-4-1 so the net cost for him, upgrading in advance, would only have been 9,000 Avios off-peak or 10,000 peak.
Quite a difference, to put it mildly. I am assuming this is driven off a £300 cash cost.
He was told at the upgrade desk that only TWO people have chosen to upgrade over the last 2 days.
The standard 'gap' if F seats had opened up in advance and he had called to upgrade would have been 18,000 off-peak and 20,000 peak (plus change fee and any extra taxes). However, our man was on a 2-4-1 so the net cost for him, upgrading in advance, would only have been 9,000 Avios off-peak or 10,000 peak.
Quite a difference, to put it mildly. I am assuming this is driven off a £300 cash cost.
He was told at the upgrade desk that only TWO people have chosen to upgrade over the last 2 days.
I am on BA9 tomorrow so will enquire what the cost is for W-->J (though seeing loads of J6W6Y6 I will not be buying as it's perfectly ripe for an opup)
Jun 7, 2019, 1:08 am
#41
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (for now)
Posts: 1,000
Probably will suit some
Jun 7, 2019, 2:50 am
#42
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland
Programs: BA gold
Posts: 3,902
I know I said upthread this seemed like a good idea, but not at those rates. I wonder if it will flucuate in the trial as BA finds the sweet spot where enough pax are prepared to stump up.
Jun 7, 2019, 2:54 am
#43
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: London
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Posts: 1,806
I have been reading through here and it seems that some people are interpreting this AUP using Avios differently to others (enquiring about taxes etc etc)
From all that I have read, (which is surely as much as others here have!) it seems to be exactly the same as a standard AUP but paid using Avios instead of cash (although the Avios and TP earning is still subject to speculation) with some predetermined exchange rate Avios to Cash.
So double class upgrades would be expected the same way that they would with an AUP and the tax change would be included within the cost of the upgrade just paid with Avios instead of cash.
happy to be corrected if I am wrong!
From all that I have read, (which is surely as much as others here have!) it seems to be exactly the same as a standard AUP but paid using Avios instead of cash (although the Avios and TP earning is still subject to speculation) with some predetermined exchange rate Avios to Cash.
So double class upgrades would be expected the same way that they would with an AUP and the tax change would be included within the cost of the upgrade just paid with Avios instead of cash.
happy to be corrected if I am wrong!
Jun 7, 2019, 3:13 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (for now)
Posts: 1,000
I have been reading through here and it seems that some people are interpreting this AUP using Avios differently to others (enquiring about taxes etc etc)
From all that I have read, (which is surely as much as others here have!) it seems to be exactly the same as a standard AUP but paid using Avios instead of cash (although the Avios and TP earning is still subject to speculation) with some predetermined exchange rate Avios to Cash.
So double class upgrades would be expected the same way that they would with an AUP and the tax change would be included within the cost of the upgrade just paid with Avios instead of cash.
happy to be corrected if I am wrong!
From all that I have read, (which is surely as much as others here have!) it seems to be exactly the same as a standard AUP but paid using Avios instead of cash (although the Avios and TP earning is still subject to speculation) with some predetermined exchange rate Avios to Cash.
So double class upgrades would be expected the same way that they would with an AUP and the tax change would be included within the cost of the upgrade just paid with Avios instead of cash.
happy to be corrected if I am wrong!
The rates seem very high (they may be, but so are AUP usually looking at that thread) but if there is no tax to pay on top they may not be as bad as they first seem.
The difference between WTP and J is a lot tax wise so simply comparing to the redemption chart is misleading.
Jun 7, 2019, 3:32 am
#45
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The Avios prices being mentioned are extraordinary! I've just had a look through some old bookings, where we used to fly a couple of times a year JER-UK-IAD and invariably did UuA from WT+ to CE/CW both ways. In 2010 the UuA to CE/CW was costing us 25,000 Avios each, in 2012 it had gone down to 20,000 each.