iqbalt80

BA Avios is great for short US hops on AA or AS.
Just made a reservation for two on AS OAK-HNL (50K Avios).

GH83

Yeah, there's a ton of value in Avios. I have very little reason to buy shorthaul flights anymore. It's great.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

It's also been reported that there are no surcharges when redeeming Avios for travel on AB -- even on TATL flights.

gil123

Will add my two pence. Have gotten as much as 6 or 7 cents per mile value on BA short haul flights on partner airlines. And if you read the blogs carefully, they point that out as the sweet spot. Nobody in their right mind would redeem for jumps over the pond on BA metal with all the surcharges. So to me, one Avio (Avios?) is worth far more than one pence.

Regarding Delta, never gotten anything remotely close to that value per mile. But then again that's perhaps because Skypesos suck so bad that I try to avoid accumulating many of them. Just booked a one-way for double the miles and got about 0.9 cents per mile value because the options are so pathetic and they actually had a flight I need. And since one Mexican peso is worth about 8 US cents, the term Skypesos is in fact way too generous.

So I will not shed any tears if they move to some kind of revenue based model because for me, it can't get much worse. But yes I have heard that their sweet spot is partner redemptions for premium travel.

You just need to know what you got and know how to use it.

AlohaDaveKennedy

OK, I happen to have one of those "highly valuable" BA companion passes I am selling on eBay for a minimum bid of 500.

But all I have been offered so far is 500....in Greek Drachmas.

So, Deltafolk - is there any value using SkyPesos on anything but Delta flights? Say I wanted to go night clubbing in the hotspots of Riyadh or Kuwait City? Or maybe take a camel out for a spin? Are there hot deals on KLM or other metal?

Happy

It is also valuable on AB and HG (NIKI) intra-Europe short haul flights because BA does not charge YQ on AB and HG.

It is somewhat valuable on CX intra-Asia flights if you dont want to fly the Air Asia and the like but prefer to stick with CX and KA.

It is definitely not worth it if you intend to use it for Coach longhaul to Europe. You would be better off to buy a coach ticket that earns you miles.

Even a business class ticket is marginally acceptable because BA has good sale in business class at least twice a year for the past 4 years.

As for DL - the skypeso is a bad rap but in all reality, it actually is a program that works very well IF you do not try to include the domestic hop on your TATL or TPAC long haul redemption.

Great availability to Europe for Summer peak season from multiple domestic hubs to multiple European hubs in business class. Try this on AA you would cry a river when all you see is the expensive BA to LHR.

benzemalyonnais

Just like BA miles are best used on AA short hops, SM are best used on trips around Asia where one can get 3/4 cpm on Y redemptions. Of course, no one on FT is Asia based....

leftpinky

What's AB?...Edit, Air Berlin!

And how can no one have mentioned west coast to Hawaii for 25k and $21.80 in taxes and fees. This Feb will be the third time we're going in 10 months!

AlohaDaveKennedy

So lets see if I understand this all. You want to use Avios for anything but British Air, making the Companion Pass a real stinker as it can only be used on BA metal. In fact you want to use that British carrier for American flights or intra-Asia flights. For domestic carrier, Delta, you want to go TransAtlantic but never American flights. Lemme guess, you also use Delta for intraAfrican flights? Is that the key to getting those bargain flights to the pristine beaches of Somalia?

Hey doesn't Delta offer a companion pass, too? Oh no, let me guess, it is only for American flights, right?

amolkold

Delta partners with Saudia and Middle East Airlines, as well as Kenya Airways!

Only for CC holders on revenue fares, though I have saved ~$300 each time I've used one.


The key with Skypence and Skypesos is to not fly on the home airline.

AlohaDaveKennedy

Ummm...ain't these supposed to be "loyalty" programs? I'm not the sharpest Crayola in the box but this makes about as much sense as selling me money on a credit card at face value.

Happy

I am surprised that you dont know the BA companion cert does not worth to get. The horse has been beaten to pulps since 2009 when the first BA offer came around!

It only worked, somewhat, for west coast folks as theirs are truly longhaul and BA often had excellent non-stop availability so you paid for convenience.

It never works for folks live on the East Coast... not in the $ and Cents sense analysis you and I would perform!

BA's sub offers excellent redemption value for intra-South Africa.

Kenya is in Skyteam.

Know your alliances' route maps and you would find great usage for both SkyPence and SkyPesos.

Happy

Well with the greed from both the airlines and the banks, these days the loyalty is defined in how much one can get from the loyalty program's CC, not the loyalty program operator's operation!

I have not flown a single revenue ticket on either BA or DL but have been very happy to redeem their awards.

akcae

^

pinniped

I've heard this too, but whenever I run a query through AwardNexus I *never* see any kind of AB option pop up. So it's one of three things:

(a) They simply don't make partner awards available too often.
(b) They don't make partner awards available online with QF or BA in a manner that AwardNexus can find them.
(c) I've just been unlucky on the routes I've searched. I usually begin my award searches ex-ORD (to eliminate MCI-ORD as a variable), so I'm surprised to have never seen them.

I've thought that before as well... My hunch is that the name originated with the "old" peso in mind.

Yes, you're getting the hang of it. ^

Actually, they do! @:-) But it's just for domestic flights, has a cost of about $130 R/T, and is to be used in conjunction with a paid ticket - not award. That makes it actually useful if you need to fly an expensive route. It does not pull from any kind of award inventory. My wife gets one each year and we don't spend a lot on the DL Amex, so I think it's a base benefit. (Not a spending-threshold benefit.)

Not so much anymore. They've taken on a bigger life than their original marketing purpose. FFP's no doubt originated as a cost center. Now they're a profit center.