Hawk777

More announcements today

For redemption bookings for those eligible for reward flight saver on eruo routes a new price point in place now for long haul trialing LHR JFK

LHR to jfk return in economy now 50000!!!!ptd plus 100£!!!!!!! Off peak (peak 60000k)
other options still available closer to original price
only valid on BA metal

WTP, BUSINESS ANS FIRST prices not impacted

wilsnunn

Thanks for sharing this Hawk777.

I am just wondering how much use this will actually be? It has been discussed a few times here on FT recently (albeit before the current COVID-19 situation) how you can get LGW-JFK-LGW/LHR for about £240 in economy and there has often been wide open availability for this price. Furthermore, I have in the past personally booked LGW-JFK-LGW return in economy for only a bit over £300 last minute (two days in advance), so there is not necessarily the "last minute fares are high" argument here.

I suppose if there is a Saturday night requirement on the cheap fares then this new RFS option may appeal to some but it seems to be quite a poor use of Avios?

Hawk777

totally agree I'd never use Avios in eco for this type of trip but sometimes people do only time it's really any use would be if you where only going one way or managed to get availability wjen prices are high

corporate-wage-slave

So for those not in with the significance of this, I'll do a verbose version. RFS = Reward Flight Saver, there is an Abbreviations Guide in the Dashboard, given we tend to be rather fond of shorthand around here. What this does, on BA metal only, and World Traveller for JFK only, is allow you to get a return fare to New York off peak for
£100 + 50,000 Avios
compared to the normal Avios booking of
£300 + 26.000 Avios (round terms)
And like with RFS in Europe and the handful of other shorthaul RFS routes, the taxes, fees and charges (TFC) is reduced by being silently subsumed into the Avios amount. You need to collect at least 1 Avios in the last year to get a RFS, otherwise you remain on the previous set-up.
AA flights between LHR and JFK are not eligible for this, nor BA services to Newark, which gives some flexibility to those with lower Avios balances. AA flights are always at peak rates regardless of travel date. Wheras LGW-JFK - which has different TFC - is currently:
£200 + 26,000 Avios

The cheapest revenue flights to JFK is
£268 - that's from LGW and BAEC members can earn up to 8,650 Avios on that.
It's not a fair comparison, the revenue flight is a Basic fare, non changeable, not refundable and with no checked luggage, where Avios bookings are changeable and refundable for a £35 fee and get standard checked baggage allowance. BA Blue members will also get poor seat options on Basic fares.

For those Avios rich, cash poor and/or not good at maths, the new RFS to JFK has some benefits. If you replace each Avios by one penny, the LGW-JFK Avios arrangement strikes me as the better deal, and LHR-EWR has various other factors for and against it. The new RFS implies a £600 value "fare" compared to £460 departing Gatwick. But if you can make a good Basic fare work for you, and you really will travel as booked, then that's still the best bargain out there.

FlyerTalker6823123456

Terrible deal, and what idiotic optics at a time like this to be spending time and money messing around with such a fringe offer like that.

wilsnunn

For completeness and reference:

Peak pricing:


Off peak pricing:

wilsnunn

So if we forget about whether or not this is a good use of Avios, given that one can now book LHR-JFK return in WT, for 26,000 Avios and £230 actually highlights where this may be a better offer then before - assuming there is Avios availability on the dates when cash fares are higher or for one way tickets. Potentially more easy to obtain value for a BAEC Gold member making use of the extra Avios availability in V class.

mikeyfly

The cheapest fare at £269 can be reduced to £172 + 18,900 Avios. This means using 31,100 to save £72!

Brisbane Road

On top of that the cheapest revenue fare would also net you avios back. Would probably be in the region of a couple thousand but technically it would therefore more be around £172 and 16,900.

The pricing structure of this initiative looks decent for a last minute trip though, or over peak times when fares can spike right up. Historically speaking now, of course

dddc

What if you threw in an Amex 2-4-2 voucher into the equation? I'm going to have 3 sitting in my account soon and not too many options for trips in the distant future. A cheeky few days in NYC might be a way to burn a voucher. Unless BA1 is flying, then I'd burn the extra miles for the experience of the babybus one time.

mikeyfly

…. using a 2-4-2 is the worst value

layz

There's no baggage allowance on the cheapest fare and no flexibility.
The Avios ticket gives you a baggage allowance, ability to refund for a fee (£35?) and if you don't have status you can select a seat for free at check-in.

dddc

D'oh!