India - Why is there such a difference
 

I was wondering if anyone has an insight into reward travel either in Business or First Class to India.

Just have noticed after researching various European Carriers that there is such a huge point difference when redeeming a First Class ticket on a 3 Class Seating arrangement.

BA - 125,000 from US to India roundtrip. I presume BA probably has the best to offer and its offer the best service in the air.

Lufthansa - 240,000 miles again on first class. Wondering what is it that is offered here from the US to India that is so much better than BA that it requires so many more miles.

Air France - 200K plus - This seems totally absurd, since I dont know how they justify such a reward for travellers to India.

My main concern is why is BA's award so much cheaper and has no blackout dates etc. Just seems that for those folks that fly to India. It makes sense to accumalate all your mileage on BA rather than take even a Delta(100K) or NW/KLM(120K) to India. Cause you travel in a true first class cabin and its the same mileage that is required. On the other hand with US based airlines its a Business First Cabin.

Cheers

That is just how the award tickets work. I am most familiar with the AA program, and know that the award tickets to Australia have a very wide range. All of these are planAAhead first class from the USA to Australia.

BA: 260,000 miles
CX: 140,000 miles
Qantas: 105,000-115,000 miles

Most would argue that CX first class is the best in the world (I used this award last summer). It doesn't make much sense to use the BA award unless you want to stop in London on the way. I went ahead with the CX award just to be able to see their legendary first class and the wing.

As for your case, you can't go wrong with BA. The difference in miles required is not based on the quality of the service given, but rather on some formula derived by the airlines.

I would not touch BA http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif award travel/or not.
Even when BA has introduced sleepers on their JFK/LHR run, the LHR/BOM was still the old crap http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif My LH experience is too old to comment meaningfully. DL's BE is essentially an SWU for me, so I use it or I have to lose it every year.

They have full sleeper seats now in First and club class. Service sucks though

BA definitely has excellent redeeming opportunities. However, they seem to be very restrictive on which fares are eligible for earning miles. A lot of the consolidator tickets from UK to India on BA don't earn any miles.

Sandeep.

BA has such ridiculously high rates for award tickets (using AA miles) between the US and India/Far East that you'd think BA didn't have transatlantic flights.

For AAdvantage members who want to fly BA FC to India, it'd be far more economical to just pick up a cheap upgradeable fare to the UK and get the UK-India award for 100k fewer miles than US-India.

[This message has been edited by Plato90s (edited 02-06-2002).]

Using AA miles on Asiana in F- 120K
Using America West miles on BA in F- 125K
Using ANA miles on ANA in F- 130K

Using AA miles on CX in Bus- 90K

Thats my research

Flew Delhi to LHR in December.
The planes were the old config , ie NO sleeper beds in Biz.
FC is good, but not worth the difference in points IF you get the sleeper beds.

Flew ORD-LHR-BOM, and return in June '01, in F.
Actually, one of the better F trips I recall. Service was excellent; an extremely attentive staff. Nice sleeper seat.
Haven't done LH's F yet, but have heard from reliable source (father) that it was OK. He liked BA more.
IMHO, compared to the other non-F cabins (KL and NW's WBC), the 125K for BA's F is worthwhile.
If you go by BA, make sure to access the Molton Brown Spa in Departures Lounge at Terminal 4, in LHR. Quite a way to spend the few hours in LHR.