JohnAx

Neither airline is in any kind of race to impress b/class pax, so keep your expectations low.

USdbaAA's wins 'most improved' b/c the previous offering was angled-flat, well behind the competition.

BA's wins 'most-unchanged-from-an-eclectic-design' so you know just what you're getting.

Since Emirates isn't on your candidate list, the A380 is just another big airplane. The lavs at the front of the u/d biz cabin are first-class lavs with showers on EK, but on BA are merely the largest lavs you've ever seen.

aussietosydney

Hi,

I'm currently trying to book a family of 4 on a flight from LHR to SYD on the 18Dec15. I've confirmed that the flights will be released at midnight GMT on the 29Dec14 with BA a few times and now that I need to book my return flight as a single and call BA up to amend the tickets post booking the return leg.

My question where are the flights? I can't see any available for the 18th Dec 2015.

Thanks

Mwenenzi

aussietosydney Welcome to FT
You are better to ask in the : British Airways | Executive Club forum

4 awards on the same flight a few days before Christmas is a tough to impossible ask. The reason you are not seeing any awards is possibly because there is none, and could never be any on that date. You are looking at a peak time.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...-trip-syd.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...stralia-f.html

MyPaperAnchor

Good morning and thank you for the work you do with this forum!

I might not be posting in the correct place, but have a question about OneWorld partners and services. I currently have two separate tickets, one flying from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong on Malaysia Airlines, and then one leaving from Hong Kong to DFW on American Airlines.

My question is, will MH be able to check my bags through to DFW on AA, because of the One World Alliance? Or will I have to get my bags in Hong Kong clear customs and then check in for my flight on AA to depart?

Thanks in advance for your time!
MPA

JohnAx

by present OW rules (supposedly posted on their site, you might want to have a paper copy) OW carriers will check your bags through onto another OW carrier even if they are on separate tickets. But the person at the check-in counter facing you has to know that and know how to accomplish it, so there is always a small chance that you'll have to argue your position.

sunszajn

Hi,

First of all happy new year!

I’m starting to plan my trip of a lifetime to New Zealand.
I’m looking to go end-December 2015 coming back mid-January 2016 (I live in London).
I’m looking to fly BA (OneWorld Alliance) in Business for the first time.
I have been gathering miles for a while and now have enough to upgrade return premium economy to business.

I would appreciate any advice on when to book, best routes, likelihood of upgrading with avios etc.

Thank you very much in advance

sunszajn

Mwenenzi

As your question is about use of BA avios the BA forum is the only place to ask.

The end of December out & coming back mid-January is peak time. A business class award will be hard to find. BA only flys to SYD. But CX goes LHR-HKG-AKL and MH LHR-KUL-AKL. UK to Australia is BA, CX, QR, MH, JL and QF. Australia to NZ is QF & LA only.

Starting in DUB or AMS will reduce the cost a lot. No APD

PJinNC

First post, though I've spent the better part of the past 3 days in angst over it!

Because I've booked FS tickets using ~110Kmi twice before with NO issue (and with just 3-4 mo notice, last on CO 3 years ago), I THOUGHT that my current 390K balance with US would get me 2 F tickets for my honeymoon in August (as US/OW award chart says I can). Absolute min is actually 220K/pp no matter WHAT time frame I try on the US site (tho our window is actually 9/15-11/1), and I'm absolutely sick about it. I got KVS (Diamond) yesterday morning, and it's not showing US flights that I know exist when searching via OW award (CLT>MUC or ZRH ... OR by leg, such as CLT>PHL>MUC, etc)... I just get "no award avail/engine error". Should I just face the lying music US/OW has been playing about F tickets to the Eu for 110K (and crushed our honeymoon dream?), and BUY a V (or econ) seat and TRY to use my miles for an upgrade?

KVS

Welcome to KVS Tool!

Which Method(s) are you using and are you certain that those flights actually have Standard Award Availability?

Mwenenzi

Welcome to FT

Better to ask in the US Airways | Dividend Miles (Pre-Merger) forum
My understanding is that upgrades & awards come from the same booking class/bucket

PJinNC

Thanks for the response! I'll try the other forum too, Mwemenzi!

KVS: Method = Awards/Oneworld, with a new QU acct. BA results come up with a + or - in relation to standard availability, but US is coming up completely blank (other than "no award avail/engine error"). I'm guessing this means all US flights have no award avail for ANY class (F-V)?

Gardyloo

I wouldn't assume that; instead I'd assume that the US and AA programs are so far from being integrated that queries for availability on US routes using AA miles (which they will become this spring) are subject to system glitches.

Also note that US doesn't offer first class on intercontinental routes; business class is the highest, so you'll never see FC available on US-operated intercontinental routes, either for awards or purchase.

I'd also observe that business class (or first class when available) often doesn't open for redemptions this early, and for the time being at least US/AA is being very stingy with premium award bookings. (Not to say you're not inside the booking window, just that award inventory often doesn't appear until quite close to the flight date.) This might change as the programs are integrated (or might not) but in the meantime I would definitely be researching alternative routes and/or carriers, such as Iberia, Air Berlin, or (lastly due to punishing surcharges) BA for award seats to Europe.

PaoloH

I have read that doing this can be much cheaper e.g. Start in Middle East rather than Europe. As well as cheaper you can then break your trip in your home continent. Obviously you have to add the cost of tickets to and from the start point. My question is though - how? Do the airlines permit this and do you have to book via an agent or search engine in the country of origin with all the language difficulties.....does this make sense !

Mwenenzi

PaoloH Welcome to FT

Are your referring to the continent based *ONE* RTW tickets? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...cket-faqs.html

You can buy airline tickets anywhere in the world, either on line or via a local travel agent. Many sites on line have an English option, even if English is not that countries language.

PJinNC

VERY helpful... THANKS! I'm studying the hell out of all available legs, and am finding I can make at least 2/3 of the legs in F... and the last in C (intercontinental, just as you said). That BA tidbit is VERY useful, as most of the US>EU flights using OW are indeed BA operated. I'll try centering the 2nd (long) leg on IB through MAD instead of LHR (and BA). THANKS AGAIN!