Reward flights to Caribbean, advice please.
Feb 17, 2019, 6:24 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Reward flights to Caribbean, advice please.
I'd value any advice you might have on a redemption I'm trying to make work to the Caribbean next winter.
I have about 250,000 Avios and a 2for1 voucher which will be triggered any day now from my BA credit card. My goal is to take myself, my wife and our son (will still be lap-infant age) from London to the Caribbean for some winter sun in 2019/2020. We are open to being flexible on which island but I really want to book into Business / Club World. We are also semi-flexible on dates, a week somewhere between Dec 27th and Jan 5th.
rewardflightfinder.com points to pretty much no availability at all right now business, I've set up lots of alerts so I'll know if something comes up.
I'm interested to know:
I have about 250,000 Avios and a 2for1 voucher which will be triggered any day now from my BA credit card. My goal is to take myself, my wife and our son (will still be lap-infant age) from London to the Caribbean for some winter sun in 2019/2020. We are open to being flexible on which island but I really want to book into Business / Club World. We are also semi-flexible on dates, a week somewhere between Dec 27th and Jan 5th.
rewardflightfinder.com points to pretty much no availability at all right now business, I've set up lots of alerts so I'll know if something comes up.
I'm interested to know:
- Am I crazy to think there is any likelihood whatsoever of reward seats becoming available for this kind of redemption to be possible?
- Are there any alternative tactics I could play? I'm mindful I need to use a 2for1 voucher which limits options a lot I think.
Feb 17, 2019, 6:28 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,235
Welcome to Flyertalk Paul! I suggest you have a good read of the companion voucher thread, excellent FAQs and lots of tips. Long story short, but you’ve likely missed all the guaranteed seats for that time frame and so will be relying on a further release which is a maybe or maybe not and hard to make plans around especially with a little one. I’d suggest not trying the voucher on this occasion and looking at cash options / alternative destinations?
BA American Express 2-4-1 Voucher Discussion
BA American Express 2-4-1 Voucher Discussion
Feb 17, 2019, 7:52 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Lincoln, England
Programs: BAEC Silver, HHonors Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Silver
Posts: 256
Do you need to go over the busy Christmas/New Year period? If not you could look 355 days ahead as there is still plenty of winter sun in February and March.
Feb 17, 2019, 10:22 am
#5
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Welcome to Flyertalk paul_brad, welcome to the BA forum, I hope that we will see plenty more of you in the future.
This will be a tricky one since that is peak season for that part of the world. The one suggestion I can make is that if you accept the Ł35 per non-toddler person change fee, the Avios and 2-4-1 are fairly flexible. So you could book your second best option (Mexico? Oman? UAE?) and keep checking for options once a day thereafter. There are quite major shifts in availability over time, so don't give up hope.
This will be a tricky one since that is peak season for that part of the world. The one suggestion I can make is that if you accept the Ł35 per non-toddler person change fee, the Avios and 2-4-1 are fairly flexible. So you could book your second best option (Mexico? Oman? UAE?) and keep checking for options once a day thereafter. There are quite major shifts in availability over time, so don't give up hope.
Feb 17, 2019, 10:42 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
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As Yellowbelly notes, the 355-day criterion is key to getting 2-4-1 availability. I have a degree of nervousness growing, as I need to put iWife (and me!) on a Caribbean beach for our 40th Anniversary on 1 March 2020. I shall be living on the computer and ‘Reward Flight Finder’ in a few weeks’ time!
Good luck with your searches and planning.
Good luck with your searches and planning.
Feb 17, 2019, 12:28 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Spire, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 83
The other option is to fly somewhere 'somewhat random' in the US that has connecting flights out to the Caribbean (bonus points on the selection if you wouldn't mind a night or two there to extend the holiday). Then fly down with AA either with points or just cash. I think with a 2-4-1 smashing so many AVIOS out of the transatlantic segment you'd have enough points yet to make something work along these lines and probably what I'd do - you might even be able to make it work with the TA in First. There seems to often be a lot of availability in First these days for random TA flights for some reason (I guess they sell out business more easily so have learnt not to make too much availability for points flyers).
Feb 17, 2019, 12:32 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Thank you for the advice and the warm welcome to FT.
Yes, I appreciate I've missed the 355-day criterion. While I've made plenty of short hall redemptions this is my first attempt at long hall and frankly shocked my the pace with with which availability gets taken, I can see why so many people moan about avios redemptions. It makes using the 2for1 on a return flight super hard as by the time the 355-day date ticks round for the return leg the outbound availability has been taken.
The reason why Feb doesn't work so well is my son actually turns 2 in Jan, my hope is to be away for his birthday - he will be a lap infant on the way out and then BA provide him a seat on the return leg but for a lap-infant fare. I've checked yesterday and this also applies to reward seats.
@corporate_wage_slave : agree that I will be OK to swallow the Ł35 cancel charge by booking the first thing that comes up that I'm OK with and canceling if something better comes up. You say there are major shifts in availability, given your experience could I push you for a % chance that biz class availability comes up for that time frame at some point this year? I literally have no steer on if it's 1% of 50%. Thank you.
Yes, I appreciate I've missed the 355-day criterion. While I've made plenty of short hall redemptions this is my first attempt at long hall and frankly shocked my the pace with with which availability gets taken, I can see why so many people moan about avios redemptions. It makes using the 2for1 on a return flight super hard as by the time the 355-day date ticks round for the return leg the outbound availability has been taken.
The reason why Feb doesn't work so well is my son actually turns 2 in Jan, my hope is to be away for his birthday - he will be a lap infant on the way out and then BA provide him a seat on the return leg but for a lap-infant fare. I've checked yesterday and this also applies to reward seats.
@corporate_wage_slave : agree that I will be OK to swallow the Ł35 cancel charge by booking the first thing that comes up that I'm OK with and canceling if something better comes up. You say there are major shifts in availability, given your experience could I push you for a % chance that biz class availability comes up for that time frame at some point this year? I literally have no steer on if it's 1% of 50%. Thank you.
Feb 17, 2019, 12:40 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,235
@corporate_wage_slave : agree that I will be OK to swallow the Ł35 cancel charge by booking the first thing that comes up that I'm OK with and canceling if something better comes up. You say there are major shifts in availability, given your experience could I push you for a % chance that biz class availability comes up for that time frame at some point this year? I literally have no steer on if it's 1% of 50%. Thank you.
I don’t think you should hold out for this. There’s a chance you’ll get a good Xmas / New Year sale a lot later in the year covering many places, however Caribbean has not featured in this. Xmas just gone there were plenty of destinations at Ł2K for two. Which bearing in mind fees and taxes are now Ł1300 it’s not bad.
Finally, with a lot of LGW aircraft going down to 32CW seats I think it’s going to get even more unlikely.
Last edited by mikeyfly; Feb 17, 2019 at 12:46 pm
Feb 17, 2019, 1:25 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,413
Highly unlikely space will open up / that is the peakest period for long haul bucket and spade routes. Paid tickets can be scarce in this period, let alone awards, As others have said, look at US destinations and then pay for the onward ticket. Or get planning now for 2020z
Feb 17, 2019, 1:31 pm
#11
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Thank you for the advice and the warm welcome to FT.
Yes, I appreciate I've missed the 355-day criterion. While I've made plenty of short hall redemptions this is my first attempt at long hall and frankly shocked my the pace with with which availability gets taken, I can see why so many people moan about avios redemptions. It makes using the 2for1 on a return flight super hard as by the time the 355-day date ticks round for the return leg the outbound availability has been taken.
The reason why Feb doesn't work so well is my son actually turns 2 in Jan, my hope is to be away for his birthday - he will be a lap infant on the way out and then BA provide him a seat on the return leg but for a lap-infant fare. I've checked yesterday and this also applies to reward seats.
@corporate_wage_slave : agree that I will be OK to swallow the Ł35 cancel charge by booking the first thing that comes up that I'm OK with and canceling if something better comes up. You say there are major shifts in availability, given your experience could I push you for a % chance that biz class availability comes up for that time frame at some point this year? I literally have no steer on if it's 1% of 50%. Thank you.
Yes, I appreciate I've missed the 355-day criterion. While I've made plenty of short hall redemptions this is my first attempt at long hall and frankly shocked my the pace with with which availability gets taken, I can see why so many people moan about avios redemptions. It makes using the 2for1 on a return flight super hard as by the time the 355-day date ticks round for the return leg the outbound availability has been taken.
The reason why Feb doesn't work so well is my son actually turns 2 in Jan, my hope is to be away for his birthday - he will be a lap infant on the way out and then BA provide him a seat on the return leg but for a lap-infant fare. I've checked yesterday and this also applies to reward seats.
@corporate_wage_slave : agree that I will be OK to swallow the Ł35 cancel charge by booking the first thing that comes up that I'm OK with and canceling if something better comes up. You say there are major shifts in availability, given your experience could I push you for a % chance that biz class availability comes up for that time frame at some point this year? I literally have no steer on if it's 1% of 50%. Thank you.
Feb 17, 2019, 1:46 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 1,713
I used a companion voucher to go to Barbados for the cricket (cricket to forget, a holiday to remember!). I knew I definitely wasn’t going to get availability to Barbados so I got reward seats to Miami and flew on to Barbados from there. I know that’s a hassle with a nearly two year old but it might be the only way to make a Caribbean holiday happen.
Feb 17, 2019, 3:04 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,635
Doesn’t sound like it will help you now, but for future reference it is possible to get round this by booking the outbound as a one-way then calling one of the international numbers at 0000 GMT when the return seats are released to add them on. Or if you have enough Avios booking the one-ways separately then calling to merge the bookings later. Full details in the thread linked above.
Feb 17, 2019, 3:48 pm
#14
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Posts: 63,726
Well it's certainly more than 1% and certainly less than 50%. 25% seems a bit too high a figure too, and I'd have to research the precise route and flights to give a more informed view (which could easily be wrong anyway). Hopefully that gives an idea, but if you are flexible, will look at nearby islands, MIA etc, then your chances go upwards.
Feb 17, 2019, 4:03 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,579
Keep in mind also many half decent Caribbean resorts enforce a minimum stay policy of between 7-14 nights over the festive period with many requiring you stay for both Christmas and New year. Also many private villas operate on a strict Saturday - Saturday basis over the same period and may require a 2 week rental. These may also restrict your redemption possibilities.
For the fact your 2-4-1 isn't already in place and for the fact you've missed the T-355 dates for the relatively restricted date range you have given, I don't hold out much hope in your plan coming together or for additional redemption seats to open up in premium cabins. Inbound premium cabin seats in early January will be the busiest sector with many flights already showing either full or only available high/expensive booking classes. Given the demand for these dates, the situation is unlikely to improve as time goes on.
For the fact your 2-4-1 isn't already in place and for the fact you've missed the T-355 dates for the relatively restricted date range you have given, I don't hold out much hope in your plan coming together or for additional redemption seats to open up in premium cabins. Inbound premium cabin seats in early January will be the busiest sector with many flights already showing either full or only available high/expensive booking classes. Given the demand for these dates, the situation is unlikely to improve as time goes on.