[PREM FARE GONE] BA/oneworld US to Europe for ~$1.4k on Biz
Oct 18, 2015, 9:19 pm
#422
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: san francisco.
Programs: Marriott Ti, OW Ruby
Posts: 1,852
Non of my tickets have become "sales" on my credit card.
They are all still listed as "pending" and they were made on 10-15.
Anyone else seeing this lack of "completion"?
Flights are all listed as "confirmed" and have E-ticket numbers issued. But still, slightly concerned.
They are all still listed as "pending" and they were made on 10-15.
Anyone else seeing this lack of "completion"?
Flights are all listed as "confirmed" and have E-ticket numbers issued. But still, slightly concerned.
Oct 18, 2015, 9:33 pm
#423
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MYF/CMA/SAN/YYZ/YKF
Programs: COdbaUA 1K MM, AA EXP, Bonbon Gold, GHA Titanium, Hertz PC, NEXUS and GE
Posts: 5,838
At the risk of sounding slightly self-centered, I actually think these sorts of sales may be specifically targeted at folks like FTers. In the past, a lot of MR types earned their miles on cheap tickets, then redeemed/upgraded using miles to fly in premium cabins. That took looking around quite a bit and planning. Here, the same folks see $1200-$1600 TATL fares as attractive propositions for spending money, and so we end up booking these and paying the airline money for seats that they were previously getting little in the way of revenue for.
Not a bad deal for either party.
Not a bad deal for either party.
Oct 18, 2015, 9:57 pm
#424
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,664
One additional observation (that I recognize might somewhat undermine my premise above). An occasional two day flash sale probably doesn't result in all that many tickets being sold. These are not heavily advertised, and the average person doesn't follow "The Blogs" like travel junkies here on FT. I also don't know how many people are truly prepared to make leisure travel decisions in that short of time frame. Some friends that I referred the deal to could not even comprehend thinking about school holiday periods next year. Others with no kids, plenty of disposable income, and significant foreign travel experience, seemed freaked out about making choices without all kinds of forethought.
Oct 18, 2015, 11:28 pm
#425
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 810
We are such a small minority. I often forget that to many people, flying is still a pretty big event. My travel has increased ten-fold this year compared to any previous year. It wasn't so long ago that I didn't know how to pack efficiently, that I'd worry about not being at the airport two hours prior to departure (hah!) and wondering just how the hell these people ALWAYS got an exit seat. I can't imagine that more than 10% of the flying public has made it to a status level on any airline past 25k miles. I would bet even that is a stretch.
People come to me all the time with what we consider super simple questions - the whole process of travel is incredibly confusing and fraught with minutiae for someone who doesn't have the time to pay attention like we do. If I tell someone 'I was booked on an EK 77w in J from LAX-DXB' they are going to have no idea in hell what I'm talking about unless they are borderline obsessed like we are. That string of gibberish means absolutely nothing to probably 95% of the population. So I can easily understand how pulling the trigger on a 'cheap' 1.5k business class fare to London is still a big deal for almost everyone except people who frequent these boards and blogs.
As mentioned upthread, I don't even think most people are aware of AA/BAs fare hold policy. It blows people's minds when I tell them this. At the very least, just mess around with fares and get a 24 or 72 hour hold, then think about it!
People come to me all the time with what we consider super simple questions - the whole process of travel is incredibly confusing and fraught with minutiae for someone who doesn't have the time to pay attention like we do. If I tell someone 'I was booked on an EK 77w in J from LAX-DXB' they are going to have no idea in hell what I'm talking about unless they are borderline obsessed like we are. That string of gibberish means absolutely nothing to probably 95% of the population. So I can easily understand how pulling the trigger on a 'cheap' 1.5k business class fare to London is still a big deal for almost everyone except people who frequent these boards and blogs.
As mentioned upthread, I don't even think most people are aware of AA/BAs fare hold policy. It blows people's minds when I tell them this. At the very least, just mess around with fares and get a 24 or 72 hour hold, then think about it!
Oct 19, 2015, 7:46 am
#426
Moderator: Avianca, Travel Photography, Travel Technology & USA
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Far western edge of the La-La Land City limits
Programs: Emeritus VIP Fromins Deli Encino grandfathered successor program - UA MM & HH Diamond
Posts: 3,729
Well one of my semi-predictions was wrong. AARP and BA have extended the business class discount for another 17 months at the same rate, per Lucky.
Oct 19, 2015, 8:13 am
#427
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: QF LTG
Posts: 1,200
Well one of my semi-predictions was wrong. AARP and BA have extended the business class discount for another 17 months at the same rate, per Lucky.
Oct 19, 2015, 9:08 am
#428
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,908
Well one of my semi-predictions was wrong. AARP and BA have extended the business class discount for another 17 months at the same rate, per Lucky.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...working-2.html
Oct 19, 2015, 9:10 am
#429
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: BA Gold; AA Lfe Time PLT ; Marriott Titanium, LFT GLD
Posts: 1,276
At the risk of sounding slightly self-centered, I actually think these sorts of sales may be specifically targeted at folks like FTers. In the past, a lot of MR types earned their miles on cheap tickets, then redeemed/upgraded using miles to fly in premium cabins. That took looking around quite a bit and planning. Here, the same folks see $1200-$1600 TATL fares as attractive propositions for spending money, and so we end up booking these and paying the airline money for seats that they were previously getting little in the way of revenue for.
Not a bad deal for either party.
Not a bad deal for either party.
The LAX-LHR return on AA I booked last week was 95% or more empty in J both outbound and inbound. So anyone they can get to book at sale prices in J is better than AA EXPs buying a $700 economy ticket and upgrading with SWUs.
I am having a hard time using my SWUs these days partly because I am getting these sale tickets in J and using the AARP deal in J when BA has sale prices.
I have already upgraded LAX-LHR trip to F, but still have 4 SWUs
Oct 19, 2015, 2:35 pm
#430
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NY
Posts: 13
Non of my tickets have become "sales" on my credit card.
They are all still listed as "pending" and they were made on 10-15.
Anyone else seeing this lack of "completion"?
Flights are all listed as "confirmed" and have E-ticket numbers issued. But still, slightly concerned.
They are all still listed as "pending" and they were made on 10-15.
Anyone else seeing this lack of "completion"?
Flights are all listed as "confirmed" and have E-ticket numbers issued. But still, slightly concerned.
If they are having whatever problem and let's say do not want to honor your booking, then they don't charge at all, except maybe $1 charge airlines do every time you book. My flights are all confirmed and my credit activity also still says "pending," which I'm pretty used to from past experiences with at least AA.
Oct 19, 2015, 2:44 pm
#431
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,963
By that I figure you must be seeing the flights as "ticketed" if looking at aa.com detail or something close to it if done through ba, right? Then it should be okay.
If they are having whatever problem and let's say do not want to honor your booking, then they don't charge at all, except maybe $1 charge airlines do every time you book. My flights are all confirmed and my credit activity also still says "pending," which I'm pretty used to from past experiences with at least AA.
If they are having whatever problem and let's say do not want to honor your booking, then they don't charge at all, except maybe $1 charge airlines do every time you book. My flights are all confirmed and my credit activity also still says "pending," which I'm pretty used to from past experiences with at least AA.
Oct 19, 2015, 6:19 pm
#432
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SEA
Posts: 2,021
I think that you are on target...
The LAX-LHR return on AA I booked last week was 95% or more empty in J both outbound and inbound. So anyone they can get to book at sale prices in J is better than AA EXPs buying a $700 economy ticket and upgrading with SWUs.
I am having a hard time using my SWUs these days partly because I am getting these sale tickets in J and using the AARP deal in J when BA has sale prices.
I have already upgraded LAX-LHR trip to F, but still have 4 SWUs
The LAX-LHR return on AA I booked last week was 95% or more empty in J both outbound and inbound. So anyone they can get to book at sale prices in J is better than AA EXPs buying a $700 economy ticket and upgrading with SWUs.
I am having a hard time using my SWUs these days partly because I am getting these sale tickets in J and using the AARP deal in J when BA has sale prices.
I have already upgraded LAX-LHR trip to F, but still have 4 SWUs
Oct 20, 2015, 9:51 am
#434
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: Delta Diamond/ Hyatt top tier(lifetime)
Posts: 652
Got in on this one ! Anyone know the current Avios cost for a cw->f upgrade on Lhr-SFO segment? can't seem to find availability for two yet to price it out versus the reservation.
Oct 20, 2015, 10:35 am
#435
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The KUL city
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, TK Elite+
Posts: 2,663
Z is pretty common on LHR-DEN/ORD/YYZ/JFK/EWR/BOS/IAD though (but you have to add another 2-5 hours in domestic F to SFO, which negates the value in BA F, but YMMV).