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Your guide to spending Avios | 2021 edition

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Your guide to spending Avios | 2021 edition

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Old Jul 1, 2021, 1:41 am
  #121  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: DTW
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO
Posts: 1,719
Originally Posted by tatterdema
It used to be a pretty straightforward process using Avios to book an Alaska airlines flight in the US. I could use the American AIrlines chart, find the flight, call in and book it. I can no longer figure out how to find ANY flights that are available, let alone the ones at the lowest level SSA. Any suggestions of how to find a non stop flight from KOA to SEA on Alaska using Avios? I suppose I could call them, but do not want to waste their time searching, lol, not even sure if they would.
There are hardly any domestic AA or AS flights bookable with Avios anymore. If that's your main use as a USA flyer Avios are next to worthless now.
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Old Jul 1, 2021, 1:42 am
  #122  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,949
Originally Posted by vxmike
I think I messed up bad here. I requested a cancellation online for a miles booking and received a voucher. I tried to make a fake booking to see what this voucher is worth and the code is invalid. Ughhh what a mess. Have a sneaking suspicion I just gave up 16500 Avios I haven't canceled an Avios award online in years and got tricked here. Not sure it even matters though since my 200K remaining Avios are next to worthless since AA partner availability has gone to near zero these days with their dynamic pricing.

Any tips to recover this value at all?
A reward booking FTV will always be an offline FTV and you would have to call to use - you can't use them online unfortunately.

You FTV is fine and the avios and cash are still on it. They are available to use towards a new booking for travel up to April 2023, You haven't lost anything. If you really want, you can still cancel the FT and get a refund, minus a £35/$55 per person cancellation fee, again this would need a call.
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Old Jul 1, 2021, 10:44 am
  #123  
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 9,677
Originally Posted by vxmike
There are hardly any domestic AA or AS flights bookable with Avios anymore. If that's your main use as a USA flyer Avios are next to worthless now.
I disagree but YMMV.
Just depends on where you are going and when.
Of course, like any award search, you need flexibility.. but I wouldn't give up on it.
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Old Jul 3, 2021, 2:54 pm
  #124  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: DTW
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO
Posts: 1,719
Originally Posted by KARFA
A reward booking FTV will always be an offline FTV and you would have to call to use - you can't use them online unfortunately.

You FTV is fine and the avios and cash are still on it. They are available to use towards a new booking for travel up to April 2023, You haven't lost anything. If you really want, you can still cancel the FT and get a refund, minus a £35/$55 per person cancellation fee, again this would need a call.
That's great to know, thanks! Super inconvenient but better than losing the miles. BA awards used to be so easy to cancel online
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Old Jul 4, 2021, 11:30 am
  #125  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 47
Hello! I have skimmed this thread and don't think I saw anything related to a question I have. I booked a Club World cash ticket on BA.com on BA metal but have put my American Airlines # on it to credit to AA for regaining status purposes. However, I have an Avios account and was wondering if its possible to use my Avios to upgrade this ticket to F or if cash upgrade will be only option? Many thanks and apologies if I missed this somewhere in the thread.
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Old Jul 4, 2021, 1:53 pm
  #126  
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Originally Posted by chitown85
Hello! I have skimmed this thread and don't think I saw anything related to a question I have. I booked a Club World cash ticket on BA.com on BA metal but have put my American Airlines # on it to credit to AA for regaining status purposes. However, I have an Avios account and was wondering if its possible to use my Avios to upgrade this ticket to F or if cash upgrade will be only option? Many thanks and apologies if I missed this somewhere in the thread.
Yes if booked with BA and on a BA ticket, and you booked a BA flight on a BA flight number, then yes you can do a UuA subject to reward availability in the higher cabin. I suspect you have to changed your frequent flyer number to your BA one and then call to do it - you can change it on the Finnair MMB site. Once it is all processed and new ticket issued you can always go to the Finnair MMB to change it back to your AA number.
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Old Jul 11, 2021, 8:35 pm
  #127  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 39
CDG - LHR
Trying to book a flight using avios from CDG -> LHR. The flight is 216ish miles non-stop so expecting zone 1 pricing. For some reason all of the awards are showing off peak but pricing in the 9250-9250 range. What am I missing here? Why aren't the flights 4750? If I look at flights on avios.com CDG -> Dublin I'm seeing 4,500 avios on Aer Lingus.
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Old Jul 11, 2021, 8:57 pm
  #128  
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,813
Originally Posted by act0fgod
Trying to book a flight using avios from CDG -> LHR. The flight is 216ish miles non-stop so expecting zone 1 pricing. For some reason all of the awards are showing off peak but pricing in the 9250-9250 range. What am I missing here? Why aren't the flights 4750? If I look at flights on avios.com CDG -> Dublin I'm seeing 4,500 avios on Aer Lingus.
Have you clicked through to see more pricing options? The 4750 avios option should show up then.
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Old Jul 12, 2021, 5:00 pm
  #129  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 39
Originally Posted by jerry a. laska
Have you clicked through to see more pricing options? The 4750 avios option should show up then.
Thank you. They did.
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Old Jul 12, 2021, 8:04 pm
  #130  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
Originally Posted by izzik
I disagree but YMMV.
Just depends on where you are going and when.
Of course, like any award search, you need flexibility.. but I wouldn't give up on it.
Thanks. I am not giving up on them altogether, but definitely harder to use. I cannot figure out now HOW to book them. I was told you could book them on BA website, but I cannot find any US flights that are bookable there. Even tried SEA-LAS and it still saysIn the past, I used AA website to find flights on AS using their calendar that showed the saver flights, but now I cannot find it anymore, so I have no idea what the low point is. I have always been able to book to Hawaii by going out to the end of the schedule there was always availability here and there. Any suggestions on how to find exactly which flights are eligible for the lowest Avios bookings on AS before calling?
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Old Jul 14, 2021, 1:57 pm
  #131  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,785
Originally Posted by tatterdema
Thanks. I am not giving up on them altogether, but definitely harder to use. I cannot figure out now HOW to book them. I was told you could book them on BA website, but I cannot find any US flights that are bookable there. Even tried SEA-LAS and it still saysIn the past, I used AA website to find flights on AS using their calendar that showed the saver flights, but now I cannot find it anymore, so I have no idea what the low point is. I have always been able to book to Hawaii by going out to the end of the schedule there was always availability here and there. Any suggestions on how to find exactly which flights are eligible for the lowest Avios bookings on AS before calling?
I just used the BA rewards app and clicked on the spend icon which takes me to the reward flight booking page. If you click on the "more ways" tab:

and then click the flights icon it takes me to the BA mobile site and the Book with Avios page. I entered SEA and LAS in the from and to fields and randomly selected 15 Dec 2021 one way:


and the following direct flights on Alaska Airways came up:


So it is possible to spend Avios on US flights.
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Old Jul 14, 2021, 10:42 pm
  #132  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG100, Hyatt Globalist, MGM Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 636
I'm booking a PE LAX-LHR round trip. Was deciding whether to book AA or BA on AA or BA and when I looked at upgrading to business it seemed I have a choice of 25K miles and $350 on AA or 17K miles on BA. Does that seem right? Easy choice if so
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Old Jul 15, 2021, 1:33 pm
  #133  
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Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 569
Trying to book FRA-HEL-ARN on AY using Avios. I realize AY doesn't make for the most efficient routing here, but I have a well-stocked avios account and I've never flown with Finnair, so I'd like to try this.

When searching for this routing on BA.com, I get a message

"British Airways and its partners do not fly this route. Please consider alternative destinations or contact your executive club service centre "

What's going on? I googled before posting here and HFP says that you can do the usual avios booking for AY flights online on BA.com, no problem
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Old Jul 16, 2021, 5:00 pm
  #134  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: AA EXP, DL Plat, VX Gold, VS Gold, HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Marriott Gold
Posts: 238
Possible to UUA on a CHase Ultimate Rewards (Expedia) booking
I'm looking to make a r/t Premium Economy booking using chase ultimate rewards, meaning it will be like a revenue booking made by Expedia.
Does anyone know if this will let me use MMB to upgrade using Avios once ticketed by Expedia?
Thx
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Old Jul 16, 2021, 5:06 pm
  #135  
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,949
Originally Posted by 8mh
Trying to book FRA-HEL-ARN on AY using Avios. I realize AY doesn't make for the most efficient routing here, but I have a well-stocked avios account and I've never flown with Finnair, so I'd like to try this.

When searching for this routing on BA.com, I get a message

"British Airways and its partners do not fly this route. Please consider alternative destinations or contact your executive club service centre "

What's going on? I googled before posting here and HFP says that you can do the usual avios booking for AY flights online on BA.com, no problem
Can you search for availability for the two sectors individually? Sometimes ba.com freaks out with connections, so if there is availability on each flight you can call to book as one ticket if that happens.
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