Help with JFK-SCL-IPC
 

Trying to include IPC into the Chile trip.

Running into SCL-IPC issues.
I have NYC-SCL booked on AA (will need to change the award anyway for a fee, so looking to add to it).
Also have SCL-JFK booked on BA.

NYC-SCL-IPC and return is available on BA and IB for 112K Avios in J.

SCL-IPC is not available on either BA or IB for the same dates they show availabilty when it's part of the JFK-SCL-IPC itinerary.

AA doesn't see SCL-IPC segment, and even if it did, they tell me it's a different zone and a separate award.

Alaska doesn't see the segment.

So...I can book IPC-SCL-JFK on BA for 112K Avios, but I am not sure if it's the best way to go....
And even so, it still leaves SCL-IPC segment that's not bookable on BA because they don't see it, and not on LATAM because they don't allow one-ways.
Cash for o/w SCL-IPC is the same as r/t, $450 for Y.

The really weird part is that the SCL-IPC shows as available on BA as part of JFK-IPC itinerary, but not from any other origin...I was looking to see if I can book IPC-SCL-LIM or something like that and throw away SCL-LIm, but it's not available.

Any suggestions?

Have you confirmed with BA that the space is really there to IPC from NYC via SCL? BA often shows phantom availability for LAN flights.

BA allows me to proceed all the way to payment. That usually means it's available, right?

Usually, when BA.com would show availability for LAN in F (which it doesn't have), it would error on the first page.

Not sure when it should or would error out. Why not just call BA and ask if the space is really there? I don't think there is married segment logic for these awards, so if SCL-IPC is available when starting in NYC, it should be there for booking alone and with other partners. I'm guessing it's phantom availability.

With AA, IPC is considered in their South Pacific region, rather than South America 2 so it would be a higher award amount.

I don't know for sure, but wouldn't be surprised, if the IPC leg you're seeing on BA is phantom availability even if you get all the way to the payment page. The last time I considered an IPC trip using Avios, I would go all the way to entering my payment and clicking to complete the purchase on BA.com and only then did it come back with an error or unavailability.

I'm once again looking to include IPC on a trip and am planning to just pay cash for the SCL-IPC roundtrip.

I called BA.
The online availability is correct.
NYC-SCL--IPC is available.
SCL-IPC alone is not.

:confused::confused:

Did the agent actually see if the space could be booked, or did they just look for availability? If LAN is using married segment availability for partner award bookings and making those segments only available to some partners and not others, I believe that would be a pretty substantial change from how things have operated in the past. BA is well known to show phantom availability for LAN awards, however, so unless the agent is able to book the space (or you are online), it's probably more likely that the space is not really there.

I didn't ask the agent to book it, but by all indications, she would be able to do so.