RedDevil83

What’s the latest/best advice for snagging a return avios reward flight at midnight on T-355.

gonna be trying to book some Club seats later this week for Xmas next year on a popular route. Booking the one-way outbound online at midnight is the obvious plan, just never done an inbound addition at T-355 before.

My preferred option would be to just book that as a one-way online too, then maybe try and merge them with the UK gold line at 8am? Is that possible and would they refund the extra taxes paid (it’s a Uk-USA trip so 2 separate one ways are showing around £300+ more expensive when compared to a round trip redemption).

If they can’t do that, what’s currently the best/most friendly line to call at 11:50pm that’ll give me the best change of snagging the inbounds to add to the outbound booking.

markmac

I have an ex EU booking in J for 2 people. I have noticed that there is one space available for UUA to first for the long haul leg.
Is it possible to just upgrade for one passenger and keep a lookout for a second reward seat becoming available. Or does it have to be for everyone on the same booking?

KARFA

you would have to upgrade everyone on the booking. you can split the booking and upgrade one person, but obviously the other person would now be on a separate booking and if there is only one status holder on the booking the status benefits would no longer apply to the other person.

KARFA

is there a 241 involved with this?

you can't really join up two existing bookings. with a 241 you can book two one ways and they will apply the voucher across both so you do get your avios benefit, but there is no recalculation of taxes/fees/charges. tfc for two one ways for a UK-US trip will be several hundred pounds higher than for a return booking.

flygod

May want/need to come home early. We have a 241 return from LAX in the middle of this month. No earlier availability in CW.

But there is avios availability from San Diego. Would BA be OK for us to change the return to this, despite having flown the outbound?

jerry a. laska

The inbound date on 241 companion voucher can be changed after the outbound has been flown.If you are merely changing date of the inbound after having flown the outbound there is no issue (other than the normal ticketing restriction that the inbound of a return ticket must occur within a year of the outbound).See for example these threads (among others):
Changing return airport after flying outbound (avios redemption)
Once a 1st leg comp voucher has been flown can you...
Inbound changes to amex 241 booking
If you want to change your departure city of your inboundthen things get a little more complicated -- the new departure city must be in the same zone (again, see the threads above). IIRC, LAX and SAN are in the same zone (zone 6) so you should be able to do this--you will need to call of course.

Colesmore

Does anyone have any intel on what the off-peak/peak dates will look like for 2023? I'm booking the return leg of a trip in the next month or so, and am somewhat flexible on the date. As I'll be booking at t-355 I won't be able to see what off-peak/peak looks like beyond the day I book, and don't fancy booking Peak only to find out the following day or two goes Off-peak.

Cheers

waldorfmuppet

I was looking at BA rewards for HEL->LHR. There is no direct BA availability but there is on Finnair business which is fine. However, having recently been stung by a Business Lite fare on Finnair I was wondering what class these book into - do they include checked baggage, seat assignments and lounge access or are these all extra?

I searched the forum and google but can't seem to find anything relevant.

Au4882

Question about change fees (if any):
- Currently booked w Avios on AA - CLT-CUN for 9k in Y (3 pax = 27k)
- Business has since opened on same flights for 16.5k in J
- I want to change to J, but cannot do it online, so must call BAEC

Should I expect a change fee from BA to change from Y to J? If so, might I be better off just canceling / redepositing and re-booking? Taxes/Fees = $34.50pp

If it's cheaper to just cancel/redeposit, I'll just do that online.

backdoc

I have a BA Avios booking that has suffered a cancelled leg on the return flight LIS-LHR of the LIS-LHR-LAX portion. They have auto-rebooked me on the only other BA flight from Lisbon that arrives after my 1st Class flight (in U) to Los Angeles has already left London . Before I call to fix this I have a question. With current Covid rules, with a negative PCR, can I now overnight at the airport hotel at Heathrow? I want to keep my 1st Class award flight back to LAX, it was hard fought, and change the LIS-LHR leg to the day before. I used to always book an overnight at Heathrow when I came through London, but haven't since Covid.
I haven't left for the trip yet. LAX-LHR-LIS-LHR-LAX

I think my choices are:
1) Do nothing and wait to see if another 1st Class award from LHR-LAX seat opens up near my original return date that I can switch my flights to. <minimal or no cost>
2) Have BA change my LIS-LHR flight to the day before and stay overnight at the Sofitel T5 and fly my original LHR-LAX flight home. <around $400 for hotel plus food>
3) Have BA remove the LIS-LHR flight and purchase a flight on another carrier to LHR on the same day and keep my LHR-LAX flight home. <around $200> plus some refund of Avios.

PUCCI GALORE

I am sure that this has been covered loads of times but I’m unsure about the validity of the Amex companion voucher. It is valid until some time in March. Must I have used it by that date for flights later in the year or must I have flown by the expiry date? Thank you in advance.

guv1976

I'm pretty sure that in your particular case, it would be cheaper to cancel and rebook.

Were you able to add your AA number to the existing booking, and select MCE seats in Y as an EXP?

Globaliser

If your Amex voucher is in your BAEC account in the normal way, then the normal rule applies: it is only valid for an itinerary on which travel on the outbound half is completed before the voucher expires; travel on the inbound half can be after the expiry date. (The expiry date is not a "book by" date.)

If the Amex voucher is used and then cancelled into an FTV, then it remains available for use within that FTV on a new itinerary on which all travel is completed by 30 September 2023.

bluegartons

Hi - just looking for some affirmation before taking action. Using Avios and Companion voucher I want to book an open jaw F return to US west coast. Availability is v limited, but I can see Outbound flight available for date I want. I can be very flexible on return portion (both city and date, it's a road trip).
Have tried to call BA to discuss and book, but got cut off after 90 mins on hold. I want to secure the outbound flight.

Am I right in saying I can book the outbound via the website, and just add a return using Economy (which is available) from same place (as a placeholder), then at my leisure (with regular checks on availability) alter the return portion via a call the Support Centre to get the return portion that better suits?

Is there a better way to do this, and will it just cost me an alteration fee (plus fare differences) for the call?

Many thanks as ever - don't want to do anything irreversible!

James91

Trying to book a flight through BA for Finnair with Avios - it's telling me there is an error. Will they be able to do it over the phone and will they waive the fee or is this an issue I need to wait out?