Today's weird BA prices
Sep 22, 2019, 12:32 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
Today's weird BA prices
Just booked two CE fares ZRH->LHR return. It offered me a car rental. This reduced the aggregate price by about 30CHF (i.e. it was cheaper to take the car and not use it than to book without the car). Selecting yet more expensive brands of car made it even cheaper. I think I saved 50 CHF in the end and now have a Mercedes for a couple of days I'm not sure I'll bother picking up. BA pricing is weird.
Sep 22, 2019, 12:59 pm
#3
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
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There are many threads - like this one - asking what will happen if they fail to pick up the car and the answer is 'nothing'. If people were getting fined we would have read about it here.
Sep 22, 2019, 12:59 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: BA Gold, Avis President
Posts: 436
I assume that this is with Avis...you'll need to make certain that you're not charged an early return rate if you don't take the car; since returning the car early can result in a higher daily rate. Not taking may mean early return...!!
Better check with the desk when you get there what their thoughts are about simply not taking it. You maybe better to take the car and park it up in a side street, before returning it at the appointed hour when you take the return flight.
The problem is that they've reserved a vehicle on your behalf...
Chris
Better check with the desk when you get there what their thoughts are about simply not taking it. You maybe better to take the car and park it up in a side street, before returning it at the appointed hour when you take the return flight.
The problem is that they've reserved a vehicle on your behalf...
Chris
Sep 22, 2019, 2:14 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
The vehicle is probably useful. I have another car I can use, and this is probably mildly convenient and save me a couple of cab fares to where that vehicle is located. I'm getting it for a negative amount of money, so this seems like a good deal.
My question is really how it can make sense for 2 flights to be cheaper with a car than without.
My question is really how it can make sense for 2 flights to be cheaper with a car than without.
Sep 22, 2019, 2:24 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 551
Are you sure the package doesn’t book in to a lower fare bucket with the car than without?
This happened to me the other week when booking a flight and hotel. The hotel + flight was Ł60 cheaper than just the flights! Once I’d booked, it booked in to O and G rather than L both ways.
This happened to me the other week when booking a flight and hotel. The hotel + flight was Ł60 cheaper than just the flights! Once I’d booked, it booked in to O and G rather than L both ways.
Sep 22, 2019, 2:31 pm
#8
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Regarded as total and utter snob amongst the BAEC community.
Posts: 971
I have found a similar issue before when booking through a BA holiday using the same flights and getting a hotel at no extra cost or in some cases a lower overall total cost.
Sep 22, 2019, 3:17 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
Are you sure the package doesn’t book in to a lower fare bucket with the car than without?
This happened to me the other week when booking a flight and hotel. The hotel + flight was Ł60 cheaper than just the flights! Once I’d booked, it booked in to O and G rather than L both ways.
This happened to me the other week when booking a flight and hotel. The hotel + flight was Ł60 cheaper than just the flights! Once I’d booked, it booked in to O and G rather than L both ways.
FWIW the screen was offering me ~180CHF discount on the car booking. I have no idea how much a Merc C/E class is for 2 days (guessing ~350 CHF).
Sep 22, 2019, 8:51 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,536
I had a strange one too, but maybe it's not. Booked LHR to LIS return. CE was 189 gbp one way and double that other way 378 gbp). It's still 4 months away. I paid 80 quid total for return hbo. Was then offered poug after 48 hours, offering 99 quid each way. Much cheaper than available price online. I took the return leg upgrade today, but not fussed about outbound as will fill up in CX first Lounge in t3 before. Just seems strange to get such a cheap poug so fast after booking when there is Still months to go until flight.
Sep 23, 2019, 8:16 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 118
I had a situation like that once, it was somewhere in Spain (can't remember the airport). Flight+car for a long weekend was cheaper than flight only. I wanted a car anyway so was very pleased, but a couple of days after returning I suddenly had a charge of €250 from Avis on my credit card and an invoice for the rental came through on my Avis account. I queried this with BA Holidays who did refund the money but apparently Avis's system was under the impression that the car rental was to be billed separately even though I had a voucher from BA. Just something to keep an eye on.
Sep 23, 2019, 11:21 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: BA Gold, Avis President
Posts: 436
Avis systems are very dodgy...
I'm a President club member and you're entitled to a free weekend voucher once per year...
However sometimes they forget to send it and other times they will even bill you for this free rental...so you have to keep an eye out for these things...
Also if you damage the car they will often just bill you the Euro 1,000 excess (assuming you didn't take out their insurance) even if the damage is subsequently repaired for less...Avis won't automatically refund the difference unless you chase it...
Sharp practice indeed...Chris
I'm a President club member and you're entitled to a free weekend voucher once per year...
However sometimes they forget to send it and other times they will even bill you for this free rental...so you have to keep an eye out for these things...
Also if you damage the car they will often just bill you the Euro 1,000 excess (assuming you didn't take out their insurance) even if the damage is subsequently repaired for less...Avis won't automatically refund the difference unless you chase it...
Sharp practice indeed...Chris
Sep 23, 2019, 11:39 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
I had a situation like that once, it was somewhere in Spain (can't remember the airport). Flight+car for a long weekend was cheaper than flight only. I wanted a car anyway so was very pleased, but a couple of days after returning I suddenly had a charge of €250 from Avis on my credit card and an invoice for the rental came through on my Avis account. I queried this with BA Holidays who did refund the money but apparently Avis's system was under the impression that the car rental was to be billed separately even though I had a voucher from BA. Just something to keep an eye on.
Sep 23, 2019, 12:30 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
I had a booking through ba.com for flight and car. I checked with Avis how long I had to collect the car before it was considered a no-show and they said 12 hrs. I collected the car well within the 12 hours but when I returned to the UK (it was in the USA) I was charged over 1400USD (IIRC) for a 1 week rental. I queried it and I was told that I was considered a no-show so my rental reverted back to walk-in rates! It took months to get my money back. I have to say that on that occasion BA Holidays were less than helpful... I had to deal directly with Avis even though I booked through BA.
Sep 23, 2019, 12:33 pm
#15
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The vehicle is probably useful. I have another car I can use, and this is probably mildly convenient and save me a couple of cab fares to where that vehicle is located. I'm getting it for a negative amount of money, so this seems like a good deal.
My question is really how it can make sense for 2 flights to be cheaper with a car than without.
My question is really how it can make sense for 2 flights to be cheaper with a car than without.
