Jase76

I used BA's Reward flight calculator to check LHR - ARN in CE and was quoted 15,000 Avios + £0.50. When I went to book, the Avios jumped to 20,000 Avios plus £0.50. I know BA are making changes with their redemptions and I happened to be on the phone to the Gold Line at the time as a flight time change required me to cancel a booking, so I was looking at a one way Avios redemption. I was told to take a screen and send it to BA asking for 5,000 Avios to be credited. They declined this request on the basis that prices are subject to change until booked. I have two issues with this:

1. The Reward flight calculator still shows 15,000 Avios, so there has not been any change in the "price"
2. In the case of a 2-4-1 Amex Voucher, BA claim the Avios do not have a value, but are now claiming they are the "price" of a ticket

Having read the CEDR guidelines I'm not sure this falls within their remit. The Advertising Standards Authority is ambiguous if they would review a complaint.

Has anyone experienced this or have any thoughts?

Starship73

Jase76

Ummmmm, as per my post:

"I was told to take a screen and send it to BA asking for 5,000 Avios to be credited."

Oxon Flyer

This is what I see from the BA Reward Flight Calculator.

I read this as
"15,000 + £46.44"
or
"RFS (number of Avios undisclosed, click further for the actual number) + £0.50".

ajeleonard

I tried a random off-peak date and it quoted 17,750 avios + £0.50

Peal was 20,000 + £0.50

Seems like they're just making it up

Jase76

Not sure why you think the number of Avios is undisclosed. Click the RSF icon and you see the text below. It says if you are eligible for a RFS, "you pay a lower flat fee instead.". Nothing is mentioned that you pay a different amount of Avios to what is stated.

megaloman

Not exactly, it's:

15000 + tax
OR
15000 + RFS fee

Now, BA has introduced a new option where you pay the RFS fee using avios, so calculator should present:

15000 + tax
OR
15000 + RFS
OR
15000 + 5000 + £0.50

(£0.50, as BA cannot process 0.00 payments)

If you search for the reward flight, the correct price is still there, just not explained well:



or better on the next step:



with a correct RFS fee highlighted.

Please note £0.50 is added to all prices but RFS only price.

Oxon Flyer

Previously, the RFS price for a peak one-way LHR-ARN was 15,000 Avios and £25.

The changes which are discussed in this thread - Reward Flight Savers priced from £1 - trial begins 16 July 2019 - have introduced the facility to reduce the cash component. As the worked examples in the thread show, BA is not reducing the RFS cash component from £25 to £0.50 just from the goodness of their heart - it comes at a cost, which in this case is 5,000 extra Avios.

The presentation in the Calculator is ambiguous, but the bottom line is that the "correct" pricing is (your choice of) 20,000 + £0.50 or the old price of 15,000 + £25. This is clearly quoted when you actually come to book,

megaloman

While I agree, an option to pay for taxes is a nice welcome, the delivery of the new feature was far from ideal. My problem is pax are quoted by default a higher price which looks like an increase in reward price (20k avios instead of 15k) .

It also breaks RFS T&C's as now for some routes where taxes are lower than RFS fee, with the new 'avios for RFS' feature pax are asked to pay full RFS fee or avios, not the tax. Those who are ineligible for RFS, are still quoted a (lower) tax amount.

Seems like a feature introduced by a team who has no clue how avios pricing and RFS works.

Starship73

So in conclusion, BA.com is confusing but the OP has paid the correct price. It is worth the OP pursuing any further? Might the OP be able to offer to pay the additional £24.50 cash component and have 5,000 Avios refunded? Does the 24h cooling off period apply here, during which the original booking can be cancelled without penalty? I assume this is now beyond 24h...

Jase76

The presentation in the calculator is not ambiguous, it is misleading. Without being a FlyerTalk regular or having knowledge of the recent changes, how would your average consumer know there is an additional 5,000 Avios to be paid based on the Reward flight calculator? Even with my knowledge, I was told by the call centre to take a screenshot and then send in a complaint to have the 5,000 credited, which was subsequently declined. This is simple misleading advertising of a fare that does not exist.

Starship73

Misleading advertising is one thing, but unfortunately your case to receive 5,000 Avios back is somewhat undermined by the fact that you accepted the Ts & Cs when you purchased the ticket for 20,000 Avios (not withstanding a verbal 'suggestion' from the call centre that you 'ask' for the 5,000 Avios back).

Jase76

It is past the cooling off period, and to be honest, I am not that bothered about 5,000 Avios given my current balance. My underlying gripe is this is misleading - unless you are "in the know". Your average consumer should not need to read FlyerTalk or know about changes RFS. They should be able to make a decision based on the information BA have presented to them - which is not correct.

Jase76

Tobias-UK

Are you able/prepared to post the screenshot?