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-   -   "£3 cash discount" when booking reward flight saver? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2020068-3-cash-discount-when-booking-reward-flight-saver.html)

Misco60 Jun 20, 2020 5:34 am

"£3 cash discount" when booking reward flight saver?
 
I just booked a Reward Flight Saver (RFS) from Berlin to London and was presented with the following screen.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d6c3e0690d.jpg
Has this already been noticed and discussed? If so, I've completely missed it (and a search produced nothing).

Leaving aside the messy spacing of the message, what is this "discount"? As far as I can see, I'm paying more than I did last time I booked an RFS, which was always 4500 Avios + £15.50.

The Show me the original price link did nothing, although that could be due to my security settings.

ECR Jun 20, 2020 6:03 am


Originally Posted by Misco60 (Post 32471220)
I just booked a Reward Flight Saver (RFS) from Berlin to London and was presented with the following screen.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d6c3e0690d.jpg
Has this already been noticed and discussed? If so, I've completely missed it (and a search produced nothing).

Leaving aside the messy spacing of the message, what is this "discount"? As far as I can see, I'm paying more than I did last time I booked an RFS, which was always 4500 Avios + £15.50.

The Show me the original price link did nothing, although that could be due to my security settings.

I've never seen this £3 discount before but at a guess it might be the difference between the full tax and charges you would pay if not eligible for RFS. I've tried a dummy cash booking and it was showing taxes and charges as just under 27 Euros.

It hasn't always been £15.50, although it probably was last time you booked. It used to be £17.50 + 4500 avios for the last few years, but when they introduced the 50p + 8000 avios option in the last year or so the 4500 avios option price fell by £2 to £15.50.

They recently over the last few months increased the number of avios required at the 50p price to 9000 avios and increased the cash element at the other avios price points meaning the 4500 avios went back to £17.50.

Misco60 Jun 20, 2020 6:29 am


Originally Posted by ECR (Post 32471246)
It hasn't always been £15.50, although it probably was last time you booked. It used to be £17.50 + 4500 avios for the last few years, but when they introduced the 50p + 8000 avios option in the last year or so the 4500 avios option price fell by £2 to £15.50.

When I said "always" what I really meant was that the price had been £15.50 + 4500 Avios for the last 20 or 30 RFS tickets I booked. I remember it being £17.50 before that. And now I realise I have absolutely no idea what is going on with the price of RFS tickets.

(And isn't a "cash discount" a reduction you get for paying with cash? Do they just mean "saving"?)

Tafflyer Jun 20, 2020 6:44 am

Yes, and now add in another flight from London connecting from your TXL-LHR and you‘ll find that they will always incorrectly charge you 9000 Avios for the short-haul. I have given up trying to get agents to correct it too.

megaloman Jun 23, 2020 2:50 am


Originally Posted by Tafflyer (Post 32471304)
Yes, and now add in another flight from London connecting from your TXL-LHR and you‘ll find that they will always incorrectly charge you 9000 Avios for the short-haul. I have given up trying to get agents to correct it too.

it's because BA adjusted RFS fee to £0.50 per segment and updated avios+cash prices, so their system shows 9000 avios as a redemption price while it should be shown as 4500 + RFS.

I recently had an argument with a GGL agent about this while booking a one way Gold Priority reward in Y to Warsaw. I was expecting to pay 15000 avios + £17.50, I was quoted 24000 avios plus £0.50. 9k avios for £17 savings is a bit too much I thought. Agent was having nothing of my argument till I asked for the supervisor... he put me on hold and when he came back he said "as an exception we'll charge you a lower value this time..." to which I replied asking when did the award pricing change? eventually agent confessed that their guidelines was to try to charge higher avios, but if customer was unhappy, they should offer ti charge the right value.

BA or bust Jun 23, 2020 4:40 am


Originally Posted by megaloman (Post 32478078)
it's because BA adjusted RFS fee to £0.50 per segment and updated avios+cash prices, so their system shows 9000 avios as a redemption price while it should be shown as 4500 + RFS.

I recently had an argument with a GGL agent about this while booking a one way Gold Priority reward in Y to Warsaw. I was expecting to pay 15000 avios + £17.50, I was quoted 24000 avios plus £0.50. 9k avios for £17 savings is a bit too much I thought. Agent was having nothing of my argument till I asked for the supervisor... he put me on hold and when he came back he said "as an exception we'll charge you a lower value this time..." to which I replied asking when did the award pricing change? eventually agent confessed that their guidelines was to try to charge higher avios, but if customer was unhappy, they should offer ti charge the right value.

:eek: This is really sharp practice from BA. Gets a very BIG :td: from my perspective.

Tafflyer Jun 23, 2020 6:44 am


Originally Posted by megaloman (Post 32478078)
it's because BA adjusted RFS fee to £0.50 per segment and updated avios+cash prices, so their system shows 9000 avios as a redemption price while it should be shown as 4500 + RFS.

I recently had an argument with a GGL agent about this while booking a one way Gold Priority reward in Y to Warsaw. I was expecting to pay 15000 avios + £17.50, I was quoted 24000 avios plus £0.50. 9k avios for £17 savings is a bit too much I thought. Agent was having nothing of my argument till I asked for the supervisor... he put me on hold and when he came back he said "as an exception we'll charge you a lower value this time..." to which I replied asking when did the award pricing change? eventually agent confessed that their guidelines was to try to charge higher avios, but if customer was unhappy, they should offer ti charge the right value.

The problem is when you combine a flight which is normally sold as an RFS with another non-RFS flight. In this case, they charge you full end-2-end taxes, fees and charges, but use the increased Avios about for the connecting short-haul flight. For example:
TXL-LHR-JFK one-way in J is 75,500 Avios plus €368
TXL-LHR one way in J is 15,500 Avios plus €0.50 for the "new" pricing or 9,000 Avios plus €30.00 for the traditional RFS.
LHR-JFK one way in J is 60,000 Avios plus €516 taxes fees and charges (includes full APD not chargeable when connecting from TXL)

The "real" price of TXL-LHR-JFK in J should be 69,000 Avios plus taxes, fees and charges. There is no fees and charges discount given for the 6,500 Avios more being charged. The redemptions taxes, fees and charges are exactly that charged for a revenue ticket for the same journey.

I have found no way of getting BA to reduce the 15,500 Avios price down to 9,000 in conjunction with a booking like this. Always refusal. This is indeed sharp practice and IMHO a hidden Avios devaluation. BA have been practicing this for as long as the "trial pricing" RFS has been introduced last year. BA is effectively charging you the extra Avios for dropping all taxes, fees and charges, but then charging you them anyway.

megaloman Jun 23, 2020 8:32 am


Originally Posted by Tafflyer (Post 32478411)
The problem is when you combine a flight which is normally sold as an RFS with another non-RFS flight. In this case, they charge you full end-2-end taxes, fees and charges, but use the increased Avios about for the connecting short-haul flight. For example:
TXL-LHR-JFK one-way in J is 75,500 Avios plus €368
TXL-LHR one way in J is 15,500 Avios plus €0.50 for the "new" pricing or 9,000 Avios plus €30.00 for the traditional RFS.
LHR-JFK one way in J is 60,000 Avios plus €516 taxes fees and charges (includes full APD not chargeable when connecting from TXL)

The "real" price of TXL-LHR-JFK in J should be 69,000 Avios plus taxes, fees and charges. There is no fees and charges discount given for the 6,500 Avios more being charged. The redemptions taxes, fees and charges are exactly that charged for a revenue ticket for the same journey.

I have found no way of getting BA to reduce the 15,500 Avios price down to 9,000 in conjunction with a booking like this. Always refusal. This is indeed sharp practice and IMHO a hidden Avios devaluation. BA have been practicing this for as long as the "trial pricing" RFS has been introduced last year. BA is effectively charging you the extra Avios for dropping all taxes, fees and charges, but then charging you them anyway.

Reward Flight Calculator used to show standard (correct) redemption prices plus taxes - that was helpful to argue the price difference. Unfortunately, it's been taken offline some time ago:

https://i.imgur.com/aQRkDmW.png

Tafflyer Jun 23, 2020 10:36 am


Originally Posted by megaloman (Post 32478648)
Reward Flight Calculator used to show standard (correct) redemption prices plus taxes - that was helpful to argue the price difference. Unfortunately, it's been taken offline some time ago:

https://i.imgur.com/aQRkDmW.png

Yes, the cynics amongst us might wonder why.

I am sure that the miscalculation is actually an IT bug but unfortunately getting BA agents to believe this feels impossible. And, as previously stated, I do think BA agents have somehow been told to push the high-Avios, low cash option. I do not consider €30 a very good return for 6,500 Avios so never book these combination tickets any more. It leaves fewer and fewer good redemptions out there.


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