Dec 8, 2022, 6:26 am
Dec 2022 Changes to British Airways taxes and fees on redemptions
Dec 9, 2022, 4:48 am
#181
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,727
Dec 9, 2022, 4:58 am
#182
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,302
What I take from this (as a UK-based member) is 2 things:
1) BA F is harder and harder to get on Avios. Availability is close to non-existent on some routes. The industry is moving that way though, you see what AF did with La Première (FB Platinums only), and how LH and LX don't publish F awards to other FFPs either. I have a feeling BA will be getting rid of F awards altogether at some point, or maybe reduce availability to only Golds, and at a high uncompetitive price (IMHO).
2) The devaluation was always going to come at some point, they've been too generous on CC bonuses recently. BA have decided they would rather sell Avios to CC companies than reward flyers. Their business, their choice. Let's see how they implement the whole spend-based scheme next year, but the writing's on the wall from my point of view.
1) BA F is harder and harder to get on Avios. Availability is close to non-existent on some routes. The industry is moving that way though, you see what AF did with La Première (FB Platinums only), and how LH and LX don't publish F awards to other FFPs either. I have a feeling BA will be getting rid of F awards altogether at some point, or maybe reduce availability to only Golds, and at a high uncompetitive price (IMHO).
2) The devaluation was always going to come at some point, they've been too generous on CC bonuses recently. BA have decided they would rather sell Avios to CC companies than reward flyers. Their business, their choice. Let's see how they implement the whole spend-based scheme next year, but the writing's on the wall from my point of view.
Dec 9, 2022, 6:15 am
#185
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: YUL
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 129
I have a NCE-YUL booked for 2023 in CW that costed me 65k Avios and 447$. The same booking would now cost me 95k Avios and 351$. I understand from previous posts that I could change the date and keep the old pricing structure. What if I change it to a MRS-YUL? Would this be considered a new booking or can I keep the old pricing structure as it would replace an existing booking?
Dec 9, 2022, 6:40 am
#187
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,563
Ttmex, you missed my point, it was aimed squarely at the "rah rah" bloggers who seemingly spend hundreds of thousands of Dollars (GBP, whatever), but then sound skint regarding fees that they need to pay. You wither are wealthy enough or you are not, if you are playing this game especially when you claim that Avios are so easy to earn...........I think everyone else got what I was saying?
Dec 9, 2022, 6:50 am
#188
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,563
What I take from this (as a UK-based member) is 2 things:
1) BA F is harder and harder to get on Avios. Availability is close to non-existent on some routes. The industry is moving that way though, you see what AF did with La Première (FB Platinums only), and how LH and LX don't publish F awards to other FFPs either. I have a feeling BA will be getting rid of F awards altogether at some point, or maybe reduce availability to only Golds, and at a high uncompetitive price (IMHO).
2) The devaluation was always going to come at some point, they've been too generous on CC bonuses recently. BA have decided they would rather sell Avios to CC companies than reward flyers. Their business, their choice. Let's see how they implement the whole spend-based scheme next year, but the writing's on the wall from my point of view.
1) BA F is harder and harder to get on Avios. Availability is close to non-existent on some routes. The industry is moving that way though, you see what AF did with La Première (FB Platinums only), and how LH and LX don't publish F awards to other FFPs either. I have a feeling BA will be getting rid of F awards altogether at some point, or maybe reduce availability to only Golds, and at a high uncompetitive price (IMHO).
2) The devaluation was always going to come at some point, they've been too generous on CC bonuses recently. BA have decided they would rather sell Avios to CC companies than reward flyers. Their business, their choice. Let's see how they implement the whole spend-based scheme next year, but the writing's on the wall from my point of view.
Spend-based is a matter of time and I'm confident in my bet that BA will introduce some kind of min spend levels for Silver and Gold in the future.
Dec 9, 2022, 6:57 am
#189
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: BA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,261
This has always been a requirement for RFS earlier(short haul) for all BAEC members. Transfers from Amex/Chase etc. activates RFS instantly.
Dec 9, 2022, 7:05 am
#190
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,363
I am not sure if everyone here understands that whether one views this new order as good or not for the US/UK is immaterial to what it means for the other 40-50% of BA fliers, it is a SEVERE devaluation, of up to 50%. This is ridiculous, and in fact if unchanged will be one of the worse devaluations in the history of FF programmes. Made worse by the fact that a couple of Bloggers are pushing it as wonderful because they are getting a slight break when using 2 for 1 vouchers............ Unfortuantely big FF blogs generally are not done out of BRU, IST, HKG, CDG, or anywhere but the US and UK, which is perhaps why this message is not getting out there. Just look at "Godsavethepoints" who sort of acknowledges this problem, but from the comments cannot seem to understand that this may effect half of BA's top clients!
Dec 9, 2022, 7:29 am
#192
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,684
What I take from this (as a UK-based member) is 2 things:
1) BA F is harder and harder to get on Avios. Availability is close to non-existent on some routes. The industry is moving that way though, you see what AF did with La Première (FB Platinums only), and how LH and LX don't publish F awards to other FFPs either. I have a feeling BA will be getting rid of F awards altogether at some point, or maybe reduce availability to only Golds, and at a high uncompetitive price (IMHO).
2) The devaluation was always going to come at some point, they've been too generous on CC bonuses recently. BA have decided they would rather sell Avios to CC companies than reward flyers. Their business, their choice. Let's see how they implement the whole spend-based scheme next year, but the writing's on the wall from my point of view.
1) BA F is harder and harder to get on Avios. Availability is close to non-existent on some routes. The industry is moving that way though, you see what AF did with La Première (FB Platinums only), and how LH and LX don't publish F awards to other FFPs either. I have a feeling BA will be getting rid of F awards altogether at some point, or maybe reduce availability to only Golds, and at a high uncompetitive price (IMHO).
2) The devaluation was always going to come at some point, they've been too generous on CC bonuses recently. BA have decided they would rather sell Avios to CC companies than reward flyers. Their business, their choice. Let's see how they implement the whole spend-based scheme next year, but the writing's on the wall from my point of view.
The TFC’s may seems much less of an issue once people realise the real problem is their inability to earn Avios.
Only time will tell, but I’ve always thought BAEC was excellent and it certainly drove me towards BA/OW, but that’s now going to need further consideration, particularly once I see how revenue based earning plays out for me, although I already know the answer will be badly.
Dec 9, 2022, 7:55 am
#193
Join Date: Jan 2020
Programs: BAEC (Gold) , Accor (Gold) , IHG
Posts: 687
Dec 9, 2022, 7:56 am
#194
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,712
US members cannot effectively get 100% of old pricing so lets drop this statement. Before US members could avoid the higher ex-US surcharges by booking one-ways from non-US locations. We cannot effectively do that anymore unless we register our BAEC account outside the US (which has its own set of complications as I understand it). Surcharges on one-ways from the UK and EU back to the US are now a couple to several hundred dollars more than they were prior to this change (at least in my limited testing). For UK members getting uniform pricing is great since their surcharges are lower than for US members but for us it is a net loss. And yes I have earned many 1000s of Avios in the past 12 months so I am seeing the "old" pricing.
Dec 9, 2022, 8:03 am
#195
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,592
US members cannot effectively get 100% of old pricing so lets drop this statement. Before US members could avoid the higher ex-US surcharges by booking one-ways from non-US locations. We cannot effectively do that anymore unless we register our BAEC account outside the US (which has its own set of complications as I understand it).