BA Flight Taxes
Jan 15, 2020 | 7:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 3
BA Flight Taxes
Please excuse the ignorance, and apologies if this has been dealt with before.
As a novice who has yet to actually use Avios, but who would now like to use them up, it seems that flight taxes on flights (especially long haul) make the value of Avios pretty small. Am I right in thinking that there is no way of off-setting taxes/surcharges with more Avios?
And as a matter of interest, are the flight taxes a reflection of actual taxes levied or are they a charge determined by BA as part of Reward flight marketing as a function of the particular routes?
As a novice who has yet to actually use Avios, but who would now like to use them up, it seems that flight taxes on flights (especially long haul) make the value of Avios pretty small. Am I right in thinking that there is no way of off-setting taxes/surcharges with more Avios?
And as a matter of interest, are the flight taxes a reflection of actual taxes levied or are they a charge determined by BA as part of Reward flight marketing as a function of the particular routes?
Jan 15, 2020 | 8:09 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BOS, BWI, DCA, IAD
Programs: American, Delta, JetBlue, United
Posts: 2,401
Please excuse the ignorance, and apologies if this has been dealt with before.
As a novice who has yet to actually use Avios, but who would now like to use them up, it seems that flight taxes on flights (especially long haul) make the value of Avios pretty small. Am I right in thinking that there is no way of off-setting taxes/surcharges with more Avios?
And as a matter of interest, are the flight taxes a reflection of actual taxes levied or are they a charge determined by BA as part of Reward flight marketing as a function of the particular routes?
As a novice who has yet to actually use Avios, but who would now like to use them up, it seems that flight taxes on flights (especially long haul) make the value of Avios pretty small. Am I right in thinking that there is no way of off-setting taxes/surcharges with more Avios?
And as a matter of interest, are the flight taxes a reflection of actual taxes levied or are they a charge determined by BA as part of Reward flight marketing as a function of the particular routes?
There is a difference between taxes (levied by the government) and surcharges (imposed by some airlines). While I do not belong to BA's program, I have redeemed miles for transatlantic flights using AA's program. Surcharges are very high using BA for transatlantic travel, much more moderate using IB, and not imposed at all flying on AA. The surcharge using BA on to fly between London and the European continent is not that high.
In any case, both taxes and surcharges need to be paid in cash.
Jan 15, 2020 | 8:53 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,439
Yes, this has been dealt with thousands of times before. BA imposes very high fees, surcharges, etc on reward tickets. Nobody likes it but it is the way it is. There is no way to avoid this if you are based in the UK, but US domestic flights, and RFS flights in Europe are a bit of a sweet spot.
Jan 15, 2020 | 8:59 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 35,027
Yes, this has been dealt with thousands of times before. BA imposes very high fees, surcharges, etc on reward tickets. Nobody likes it but it is the way it is. There is no way to avoid this if you are based in the UK, but US domestic flights, and RFS flights in Europe are a bit of a sweet spot.