Rogue RFS pricing or a stealth increase? [Avios increase confirmed]
Jun 8, 2021, 9:08 am
#46
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
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Is it now the only way to avoid being scammed on the poor Avios conversion rate to cover the RFS is to go into other options then choose the Avios value of the old chart, then pay the old RFS versus the current 1 GBP rate?
Jun 8, 2021, 9:15 am
#47
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,785
Yes. You should definitely click on the option closest to the 4750 or 5250 Avios + whatever cash shows. The new default of £1 fees + a lot of Avios is definitely a poor option. There are two reasons you may wish to consider taking this new default option: 1)If you are Avios rich and they were earned from flights paid for by someone else eg your employer. or 2) You are not certain you will actually fly as you will only pay £1 to cancel. BA will not charge you the standard cancellation fee.
Jun 8, 2021, 9:21 am
#48
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Yes. You should definitely click on the option closest to the 4750 or 5250 Avios + whatever cash shows. The new default of £1 fees + a lot of Avios is definitely a poor option. There are two reasons you may wish to consider taking this new default option: 1)If you are Avios rich and they were earned from flights paid for by someone else eg your employer. or 2) You are not certain you will actually fly as you will only pay £1 to cancel. BA will not charge you the standard cancellation fee.
I wish BA bring back the online cancellation option though versus now you have to call and with no BA status everyone is calling into a single number which I had to do a few days ago and was on hold for close to 60 min before getting an agent. Sigh.
As for 1), The Avoios are all earned by my own spend, so if I actually fly the itinerary I would definitely look into the other options to pick the old Avios chart amount.
Again, thanks for the great suggestion!
Jun 17, 2021, 4:13 am
#49
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The new default of £1 fees + a lot of Avios is definitely a poor option. There are two reasons you may wish to consider taking this new default option: 1)If you are Avios rich and they were earned from flights paid for by someone else eg your employer. or 2) You are not certain you will actually fly as you will only pay £1 to cancel. BA will not charge you the standard cancellation fee.
Ah, the concept of 2) I have not thought about. That is a Very Good Point!
I wish BA bring back the online cancellation option though versus now you have to call and with no BA status everyone is calling into a single number which I had to do a few days ago and was on hold for close to 60 min before getting an agent. Sigh.
I wish BA bring back the online cancellation option though versus now you have to call and with no BA status everyone is calling into a single number which I had to do a few days ago and was on hold for close to 60 min before getting an agent. Sigh.
Jun 17, 2021, 7:01 pm
#50
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Currently, there's a refinement to reason 2, about which your comment about call waiting times reminds me. If you have an award booking and you have only paid £0.50 per person per sector cash element, you can cancel online into an FTV. This could save you a lot of time now. With an FTV of this kind, you have the option of calling later to cancel it fully for a refund, and at that point you will get back all the Avios and forfeit only the £0.50. You can therefore postpone your call until some suitable moment when waiting times are shorter, as they sometimes are.
Indeed this can be very useful as right now I have made exactly such booking not knowing if I could even make it to UK 3 months from now with the Delta variant currently causing a fresh lockdown.
Jun 17, 2021, 8:22 pm
#51
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Thanks for the FTV info. I have no clue on this method. When I had to cancel an Avios booking about a week ago I did not remember seeing the option of getting the FTV. Or I totally missed it. Is the FTV good for a year from time it generates? meaning you could call long pass the original departure date but within the validity of the FTV?
Indeed this can be very useful as right now I have made exactly such booking not knowing if I could even make it to UK 3 months from now with the Delta variant currently causing a fresh lockdown.
Indeed this can be very useful as right now I have made exactly such booking not knowing if I could even make it to UK 3 months from now with the Delta variant currently causing a fresh lockdown.
Jun 18, 2021, 12:48 pm
#52
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Apr 12, 2022, 6:49 am
#53
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,173
Can we expect a further price increase before too long? Looking at LHR to BUD Off Peak, using the £35 and it's certainly a fair bit more than I remembered, even after the stealth increase - 7250 each way in Economy!
Apr 12, 2022, 7:01 am
#54
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That's always been the price (ignoring the 750 Avios price increase imposed 18 months or so ago on all short hauls).