Probably the BA agent was incorrect. I do not know enough about the BAEC programme to be certain. I expect to upgrade it would have to be a BA-issued ticket, and the segment has to have a BA flight number and be operated by a BA aircraft.

Yes - Europe/Middle East is one continent (this is defined in the fare rules)
Re-writing your itinerary slightly - CAI-LHR-IAD-DFW-SYD-WLG-AKL-KUL-CMB-MLE-HKG-SGN-xDOH-oWAW-xLHR-oMCT-DOH
(x = transit, meaning no longer than 24hrs; o=stopover, meaning longer than 24hrs)
So you are correct, you will have just the two stopovers on your return. BUT what about the start of your journey - was it CAI-xLHR-IAD or CAI-oLHR-IAD? If the latter, then you can have only one stopover on your return

You can masquerade as your dog if you want to. We are non-judgmental here on flyertalk;)

It was CAI-oLHR-IAD. So, the only way I can see out of that is to finish the ticket in Muscat. That will do the trick. Thank you !

I think if I get the ticket into a form where it complies with the rules, that will sort out the upgrades issue - we'll see...

AA and BA allow flights operated by any of AA, BA, IB and sold as any of AA, BA, IB to be upgraded using Avios or AA miles, regardless of who issued the ticket. BA does severely limit the booking codes that can be upgraded, but D is permitted. However, whenever I've tried to upgrade BA segments using AA miles or Avios on a DONEx, I was told that BA prohibits this via some unpublished rule. I haven't tried in a few years (mostly gave up flying BA except for short intra-Europe flights). You can of course upgrade AA flights.

I don't think who issued the ticket or whose code is on it matters, because as I mentioned above, both AA and BA have published info on upgrades using Avios/miles that say it's OK to have codeshares (provides the flight is operated by any of AA/BA/IB and sold as any of AA/BA/IB). I suspect the problem is BA's non-published ban on upgrading DONEx tickets.

In my limited experience, I find that who issues the ticket does matter, as I have had no problem upgrading flights on a BA issued DONEn to first using Avios. Whenever I plan to upgrade DONEn BA segments to first I book the DONEn through BA. For example, most recently on a BA issued DONE3 I upgraded LHR-IAD to first and my upcoming PVG-LHR has also been upgraded to first, in both cases using Avios.

If there is a non-published ban, then your statement should probably be modified to read "the problem is BA's non-published ban on upgrading DONEx tickets issued by other airlines".

Discussion in BA forum on Avios upgrade

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...el-agents.html

I've never had BA issue a DONEx, so that might very well be why I have never been able to upgrade a BA segment to first. Thanks for the info.

I called BA asking to use gold upgrade for 2 on BA flights since the upgrade was going to expire. they denied because the ticket was not on BA stock.

QR has the same policy. I tried to upgrade DOH-SYD J -> F last year into an empty F cabin. Answer from several different people/departments at QR was that the ticket had to be on 157 stock to upgrade.

To join in, BA limits the use of avios, Gold Upgrade vouchers (GUF), and other upgrade instruments to 125 (BA) ticket stock.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29235586-post7.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28823617-post3.html

BA does indeed have a policy that TA issued (on BA stock) booking cant be applied to booking with other carriers.

In practice, I dont think it is enforced. I contacted propeller and they were able to upgrade
BKK - HKG (stop) - xLHR - AMS - xLHR - HKG (stop) BKK from PE to J on the 4 BA operated legs. BKK HKG BKK is on CX E class and left untouched.

Also, I dont believe it was issued in the country of my parents BAEC membership as well.

Propeller?

https://propellertravel.com/guf2/


If you use upgrade voucher on BA, it is upgraded to award booking class. (U for business). but booking via propeller needs only I class, more seats and better earning.
(it is slightly more expensive than buying from BA website, but it is worth it)

I'm certainly no expert on using Avios to upgrade. I will note that just the last few posts in this thread are confusing, since they seem to equate upgrading using Avios with upgrading using other more specialized instruments. I am familiar with AA, and their rules on using SWUs (specialized upgrade instruments for top-tier and million-milers) are much more restrictive than are the rules for using AAdvantage miles (e.g., SWUs cannot be used on codeshares).

I did check the BA EC web site to see what it says. I cannot find any text regarding ticket stock or codeshares. It does say:

• Upgrade on British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines flights.

The section on Travel Agent booking likewise doesn't mention anything about codeshares or ticket stock:

The few times I have attempted to upgrade BA flights on RTWs, I was told (by AA when I tried to use AA miles, and by BA when I tried to use Avios) that it wasn't possible to upgrade on xONEx fares. I'm not saying the agents who told me this were right and FTers are wrong, just that the situation and any actual rules do not seem to be clear.

From the BA Trade Support website:
https://www.britishairways.com/en-nl...es-using-avios

To upgrade using avios (UuA) the flights you are upgraded must be on BA ticket stock as a condition precedent. This applies to any ticket, rtw or otherwise. If that condition is met then there are a number of other conditions that may or may not apply.