LATAM Award flights no longer bookable with Avios?
 

Hey everyone

It seems to me that LATAM flights are no longer bookable with Avios, when searching for a reward flight on a route operated by LATAM through the BA website you now get an error message that states "British Airways and its partners do not fly this route. Please consider alternative destinations or contact your executive club service centre". Has anybody else experienced this?

It was noted a few days ago here too. I wonder whether it’s a temporary glitch or something more permanent?

https://loyaltylobby.com/2020/11/14/...s/?omhide=true

I believe they can be booked by phone - or has that facility also gone?

That was my understanding too.

They were bookable online until recently - beyond the point where they had left oneworld. I booked a LATAM flight online using avios back in May.

LATAM left one world, so no more online booking. They should be bookable by phone. I wonder however is there a way to search availability online, to be prepared...
Tried searching with Qantas's site, but it is unreliable, the calendar shows some availability, then when I click a date, everything changes completely and other dates appear, while the old ones disappear...

I tried booking today, by phone. I called the Gold line, the agent went out her way to actually verify I was Gold Guest List. Gave her the flights I wanted, which I confirmed were available. A sabre PNR was generated - ticketing was manual ( not instant)

My sense is BA doesn't want people to book these tickets, and are making it hard to do so.

Is there a cut off date for Avios redemptions on LATAM flights?

Thank you for sharing. How did you confirm reward availability in the first place? I am trying to book of few of LATAM flights myself....

I suspect that as far as BA is concerned this is business, and just right now any business is better than no business. Avios was never IAG's charitable service, it exists to make money. But where I suspect the truth lies is that BAEC can't justify investing to make their booking engines more reliable for partner airlines, or even more flexibile, since the return on that investment is going to be higher in many other areas. Moreover if there is one large airline group with even more ropey IT than IAG, it's going to be LATAM.

I am very grateful that I was able to do it - indeed its one fo the high value points fo the BAEC program for me.

The loss of Latam would be tragic, both earning and redeeming, though earning its not that hard to have this plated on OW carrier flight numbers, IB and QF especially, for tier points, since so many flights are codeshared.

LATAM is currently in bankruptcy, who knows how they will emerge. So in short, yes this can be done ( avois bookings ) please do your homework.

I booked in Oct-2020 a flight in Latam from SCL to MIA via BAEC call center. Had no problems at that time.
I called yesterday again to book a new leg (MIA-SCL) but was told that I coluldnt use Avios to redeem a Latam flight because they werent Oneworld anymore. I said that was strange since I booked a flight in October without any issues. The agent checked for many minutes and finally said that my October booking shouldn't have happened and that I was lucky that my ticket didn't get cancelled. He confirmed that they don't book anymore with Latam with Avios.
I'll try calling again today to see if I have better luck.

I’d be very interested in your update. Please let us know.

Called again and was succesful. Booked the flight I wanted with Latam. The agent didn't mention anything about there being any issues to book Latam with Avios. I would suggest to anyone who has issues, call again to get a different agent.