Originally Posted by 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!

Originally Posted by 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.

Originally Posted by alex67500

Impossible bookings like this one are resolved in 2 steps. First BA's systems will rebook each cancelled sector individually and then it will detect that it is now impossible for you to connect. Don't drop anything, wait for the second step to kick in and then see what is viable. Don't accept anything without thinking it through, and certainly give yourself time to get closer to the flight. You only get one free rebooking. And in this case you may be able to move the whole booking by a few weeks if you wanted to. All that possibly without the need for redemption availability, depending on your dates.

If it is all on one ticket, BA will have to come up with a solution, which may or may not include an overnight in Heathrow.

On your question about restrictions in the UK, there are none at the moment other than, if you overnight at LHR, the need to book a day 2 test and fill in a PLF. Not sure about Portugal, that's a question for another board.

Originally Posted by david55

We have about 30K Avios points that I got notice will be expiring soon. I live in the USA. Because of health issues it is highly unlikely that we will travel again in the near future. ( or perhaps even this lifetime) Is there anything I can do with these points? Wine appears the only commodity we can redeem points for but is not available to us here in the States. Is there something else I am missing? Thanks.

Originally Posted by hectorb

A question about additional YQ charges when using Avios to upgrade from Premium Economy to Club World: I want to upgrade only the return leg of an LHR to USA round trip.

Is there any difference in the additional YQ fee if I do this as (a) a single round-trip booking (using Avios to upgrade the return leg only) or (b) as two separate single bookings (using Avios to upgrade only the second of these bookings)?

Originally Posted by hectorb

Is there any difference in the additional YQ fee if I do this as (a) a single round-trip booking (using Avios to upgrade the return leg only) or (b) as two separate single bookings (using Avios to upgrade only the second of these bookings)?

Originally Posted by leemair23

Hi all, I have about 36000 Avios in my account and wondering what would be the best use of them?

I usually holiday in the USA and fly from INV or ABZ via London. Planning early October for 1 person.

Any chance I can get an Avios one way Reward Flight or best booking WT+ return and upgrading one way on the flight to/from the States to Club World?

Usually travel to Florida, West Coast USA or Boston.

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by guv1976

Are you able to get to DUB cheaply? If so, you could transfer your Avios from BA to Aer Lingus, and fly one of EI's nonstops to the U.S. As an added bonus, you would go through U.S. pre-clearance at DUB, so your flight would arrive in the U.S. as if you were on a domestic flight.

Not sure how EI's carrier surcharges compare to BA's these days on trans-Atlantic flights.

One caveat: If you were to miss your flight from DUB to the U.S., you would not be protected, because your Scotland-DUB flight would be on a separate ticket.

Originally Posted by leemair23

Getting to Dublin won't be an issue for me thankfully as I have enough Loganair points to get the flight there and back!

I've heard the Charges on Aer Lingus could be cheaper.

I'll have a look, thanks!