How difficult can it be to get OW Bonus with BA?
#1
Original Poster



Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Warwickshire, England
Posts: 616
How difficult can it be to get OW Bonus with BA?
I undertook rigorous planning to get the five-carrier bonus with BA (UK), AA and Canadian. Apart from one Finnair domestic segment that didn't go through automatically to Canadian, all is going OK with AA and Canadian. BA is another story however.
In order to ensure that my AA flight would qualify for BA (UK) Air Miles, I went through several hurdles:
(1) Two separate phone calls to BA Exec Club both confirmed that the terms and conditions they mailed me for the promotion were wrong. "Eligible fares" is defined in these as any flight operated and marketed by a OneWorld Alliance member. In fact, BA told me that they would also insist on the definition of "eligible" given in the terms and conditions of the Executive Club but not mentioned in the OneWorld promotion. This meant that tickets had to be "fully flexible economy, business or first".
(2) Taking this into account, I placed an option on AA.com on flights from Palm Springs to Las Vegas, via LAX. The web site gave the cheapest fully flexible ticket as one with a fare basis code of "K26". I got a printout showing that K26 fares are not restricted in any way. The ticket was fully flexible.
(3) A call to AA confirmed that the K26 ticket was fully flexible.
(4) A call to BA Exec Club in the UK confirmed that (i) if the ticket was fully flexible, it would qualify for mileage, and (ii) since October, K class tickets on American have qualified for mileage if you are a Silver or Gold member, which I am. [I have this week established that (ii) is not true; the person I spoke to was wrongly reading me the rules that apply to BA US members!]
(5) I confirmed the ticket and took the journey, using my BA ff for the PSP-LAX sector and my Canadian ff for the LAX-LAS sector.
The Canadian miles went through OK. But guess what, BA now says I can't have miles for PSP-LAS because it wasn't a Y class ticket. I have asked in vain for a copy of the rules that say that the ticket has to be in Y class. In fact, all the Exec club rules say is that the ticket has to be fully flexible. I have asked in vain in what way my ticket was not flexible. This is still with BA Exec Club, but it is not looking hopeful. It is particularly annoying as I could have paid just 60 more to get a Y class ticket, and would have done so had BA not assured me that my K class ticket would be sufficient.
Have any BA UK members managed to get mileage for these very rare fully flexible economy tickets that are not actually in Y class? (I suspect they have an advanced purchase requirement, but that doesn't affect their flexibility of course.)
In order to ensure that my AA flight would qualify for BA (UK) Air Miles, I went through several hurdles:
(1) Two separate phone calls to BA Exec Club both confirmed that the terms and conditions they mailed me for the promotion were wrong. "Eligible fares" is defined in these as any flight operated and marketed by a OneWorld Alliance member. In fact, BA told me that they would also insist on the definition of "eligible" given in the terms and conditions of the Executive Club but not mentioned in the OneWorld promotion. This meant that tickets had to be "fully flexible economy, business or first".
(2) Taking this into account, I placed an option on AA.com on flights from Palm Springs to Las Vegas, via LAX. The web site gave the cheapest fully flexible ticket as one with a fare basis code of "K26". I got a printout showing that K26 fares are not restricted in any way. The ticket was fully flexible.
(3) A call to AA confirmed that the K26 ticket was fully flexible.
(4) A call to BA Exec Club in the UK confirmed that (i) if the ticket was fully flexible, it would qualify for mileage, and (ii) since October, K class tickets on American have qualified for mileage if you are a Silver or Gold member, which I am. [I have this week established that (ii) is not true; the person I spoke to was wrongly reading me the rules that apply to BA US members!]
(5) I confirmed the ticket and took the journey, using my BA ff for the PSP-LAX sector and my Canadian ff for the LAX-LAS sector.
The Canadian miles went through OK. But guess what, BA now says I can't have miles for PSP-LAS because it wasn't a Y class ticket. I have asked in vain for a copy of the rules that say that the ticket has to be in Y class. In fact, all the Exec club rules say is that the ticket has to be fully flexible. I have asked in vain in what way my ticket was not flexible. This is still with BA Exec Club, but it is not looking hopeful. It is particularly annoying as I could have paid just 60 more to get a Y class ticket, and would have done so had BA not assured me that my K class ticket would be sufficient.
Have any BA UK members managed to get mileage for these very rare fully flexible economy tickets that are not actually in Y class? (I suspect they have an advanced purchase requirement, but that doesn't affect their flexibility of course.)
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Half the World & More and then some.
Programs: BA, SQ, AA, QF, CX, VS
Posts: 1,202
In a few words...No.
I realise the gist of all the problems here with BA Exec Club - UK and just make sure that all my tickets are fully flexible full fare Y class tickets, or Business or First Class (which funnily enough, BA-UK will accept 'discounted' Business/First class fares for BA and other oneWorld partners).
I realise the gist of all the problems here with BA Exec Club - UK and just make sure that all my tickets are fully flexible full fare Y class tickets, or Business or First Class (which funnily enough, BA-UK will accept 'discounted' Business/First class fares for BA and other oneWorld partners).
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,190
I am still waiting for AA to do the same thing for a CX flight I booked and took on the basis of the "marketed and flown" rules that originally appeared when the promo was announced in August. They were changed in mid-December in the same fashion as BA changed theirs: a flight eligible for mileage accumulation. I sent my original letter, bording pass and copy of my ticket to AA in early December, they posted the change in mid- December. Sent a second letter in late January after hearing nothing, and seeing nothing on my AAdvantage statement. And like you, I had no such problems with Cdn+.
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Half the World & More and then some.
Programs: BA, SQ, AA, QF, CX, VS
Posts: 1,202
If OneWorld runs this promotion again, we won't have Canadian to come to the rescue anymore! And we'd have to deal with inconsistencies among the other airline partners.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB PLT again afater a decade as plebian
Posts: 22,936
Has anyone recieved their BA bonus miles yet? I have been checking my balance on BA Exec Club website and it doesn;t show any bonus despite 4 carriers. I've got my 100k on CP and AA
#7
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Chicago,IL USA
Posts: 447
BA bonus miles were posted today. But get this.My IB BCN-AMS miles were credited to my account but the IB segment didn't count for the 100k bonus.BA stated it was in IB's "M"
class so no bonus .I said if the miles were credited to account ,so should the bonus.The rep said they would investigate the matter.
Makes me wonder how the LatinPass will wiggle out of their commitment.I'am going in business class.
class so no bonus .I said if the miles were credited to account ,so should the bonus.The rep said they would investigate the matter.
Makes me wonder how the LatinPass will wiggle out of their commitment.I'am going in business class.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB PLT again afater a decade as plebian
Posts: 22,936
BA EC Canada is really slow on posting. Called the service centre in Toronto today and they told me that they hope to post it in a few weeks. On the plus side, my IB flights in early Nov. have apparently been credited. These flights were in M class which were not allowed as of 1 Nov. (no prior announcement of course as I had checked before I bought my tickets in October).
Hopefully I'll have the 100k added soon.
Hopefully I'll have the 100k added soon.
#9
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: HKG
Programs: CX DM, SQ, BA, TG, Sheba, VN, MPO since 1980
Posts: 1,058
My 100k bonus was posted early Feb as were the Passages kilometres converted into miles.
I noted in one post on Oneworld a comment from BA that they will have flat beds in Club World - having just flown from Johannesburg last week on CX I note that CX still has to upgrade their F class to sleeper beds, let alone business class. The QF and BA sleeper beds, choice of personal video tapes etc is the norm and I am afraid that CX need a kick up the corporate rump to catch up.
I noted in one post on Oneworld a comment from BA that they will have flat beds in Club World - having just flown from Johannesburg last week on CX I note that CX still has to upgrade their F class to sleeper beds, let alone business class. The QF and BA sleeper beds, choice of personal video tapes etc is the norm and I am afraid that CX need a kick up the corporate rump to catch up.
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB PLT again afater a decade as plebian
Posts: 22,936
BA Canada finally posted, overnight on 7/8 March. IB flights haven't appeared but these are supposed to. We'll see if I can squeeze the extra 50k out of them.
80K gets me off-season J YVR-LHR
80K gets me off-season J YVR-LHR

