Help booking an AA reward with Avios
Mar 1, 2020, 11:45 am
#1
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Location: Shoreham By Sea
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Help booking an AA reward with Avios
So I need to book a one way flight from GYE to MIA ideally in J.
On the BA website it shows 11k + £216 in Y. No availability in J
On the AA Website it shows 10k for Y and 20k for J with £81 tax for both.
Is The J reward fare possible for purchase with Avios?
On the BA website it shows 11k + £216 in Y. No availability in J
On the AA Website it shows 10k for Y and 20k for J with £81 tax for both.
Is The J reward fare possible for purchase with Avios?
Mar 1, 2020, 11:48 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 629
yes but needs to be the lowest category on aa site to book with Avios the milessaver option
Mar 1, 2020, 11:58 am
#3
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Mar 1, 2020, 12:01 pm
#4
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I'm a little surprised that taxes/fees on this route are higher with Avios. I was under the impression that BAEC did not collect surcharges for AA award travel within the Americas (North and South). Perhaps something has changed.
Mar 1, 2020, 12:16 pm
#5
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I just checked AA's GYE-MIA fares at matrix.itasoftware.com, and AA does not have any carrier surcharges on that route. So either BA is improperly charging certain taxes that don't apply to frequent-flyer award tickets on this route, or AA is improperly failing to charge certain taxes that do apply. I'd suggest taking a look at the taxes breakdown at ba.com, and comparing that to what AA is charging. See if you can find two or three items that, when combined, account for the difference.
Mar 1, 2020, 12:30 pm
#6
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GYE-MIA on AA Y as a cash fare on aa.com shows TFC of this:
As a reward on BA.com the TFC is this:
It looks similar to the India GST issue where the tax level is a percentage of the ticket value, but for a reward it isn't clear what that value is for the % calculation.
TRANSPORTATION TAX (UNITED STATES) £14.70 GBP
US APHIS USER FEE (UNITED STATES) £3.10 GBP
US CUSTOMS USER FEE (UNITED STATES) £4.60 GBP
US FEDERAL INSPECTION FEE (UNITED STATES) £5.40 GBP
AIRPORT AUXILIARY FACILITIES TAX (ECUADOR) £3.90 GBP
AIRPORT TAX (ECUADOR) £21.90 GBP
GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION / AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX (ECUADOR) £44.50 GBP
NON-REFUNDABLE TOURISM FEE (ECUADOR) £38.80 GBP
SECURITY FEE (ECUADOR) £4.10 GBP
-----------------------------------------------------
Total £141.00
US APHIS USER FEE (UNITED STATES) £3.10 GBP
US CUSTOMS USER FEE (UNITED STATES) £4.60 GBP
US FEDERAL INSPECTION FEE (UNITED STATES) £5.40 GBP
AIRPORT AUXILIARY FACILITIES TAX (ECUADOR) £3.90 GBP
AIRPORT TAX (ECUADOR) £21.90 GBP
GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION / AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX (ECUADOR) £44.50 GBP
NON-REFUNDABLE TOURISM FEE (ECUADOR) £38.80 GBP
SECURITY FEE (ECUADOR) £4.10 GBP
-----------------------------------------------------
Total £141.00
QITI GBP 3.90
Government Transportation Tax - GBP 136.60
Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA GBP 3.10
Immigration User Fee - USA GBP 5.40
Security Charge - GBP 4.10
Customs User Fee - USA GBP 4.60
International Tourism Fee - GBP 38.80
British Airways fees and carrier charges GBP 0.00
-----------------------------------------------------
Total £218.40
Government Transportation Tax - GBP 136.60
Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA GBP 3.10
Immigration User Fee - USA GBP 5.40
Security Charge - GBP 4.10
Customs User Fee - USA GBP 4.60
International Tourism Fee - GBP 38.80
British Airways fees and carrier charges GBP 0.00
-----------------------------------------------------
Total £218.40
It looks similar to the India GST issue where the tax level is a percentage of the ticket value, but for a reward it isn't clear what that value is for the % calculation.
Mar 1, 2020, 12:56 pm
#7
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Thanks for this detail. It explains the difference. Anyway around it?
Mar 1, 2020, 3:00 pm
#8
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The US government transportation tax of 7.5% applies to cash domestic tickets only. This is an award and international to boot. Thus, no such tax payable at all. The tax detail listed by KARFA for the AA cash ticket is what ought to apply to any ticket (because the 7.5% is not payable and could not be calculated in any event).
Apr 18, 2021, 7:24 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 1,349
Hi guys. I have an avios booking DCA-SAV in Aug. The flight was originally 14.00 but has been cancelled & I’ve been rebooked on one at 17.30. There‘s also a flight at 9am but there’s no avios seats on it (revenue seats available) but BA are refusing to book me on this. Is this correct?
Apr 18, 2021, 7:28 am
#10
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Hi guys. I have an avios booking DCA-SAV in Aug. The flight was originally 14.00 but has been cancelled & I’ve been rebooked on one at 17.30. There‘s also a flight at 9am but there’s no avios seats on it (revenue seats available) but BA are refusing to book me on this. Is this correct?