Aug 13, 2014, 4:37 pm
Last edit by: beltway
With US joining OneWorld in early 2014, British Airways' mileage currency (Avios) offer a potentially advantageous option for redeeming for award tickets, especially on shorter flights.
What are the relevant characteristics/rules for redeeming Avios?
What are the mileage bands in the Avios award chart?
The full chart for redemptions until April 28, 2015 can be found here. Starting April 28, 2015, a new chart will apply.
One enterprising blogger has created interactive maps showing potential destinations reachable on US in each of the mileage bands from DCA, PHL, CLT, and PHX.
What's an example of Avios being better than booking an award on US using Dividend Miles?
Credit: Much of this wiki is based on post #1 by SanDiego1K.
What are the relevant characteristics/rules for redeeming Avios?
- Avios is charged per individual flight segment. The cost for a single connecting itinerary AAA-BBB-CCC is the same as the cost of two separate tickets for travel AAA-BBB & BBB-CCC.
- Avios uses a distance-based chart. (See below.)
- First-class travel costs 3x as many Avios as coach. Unfortunately, this generally makes domestic F redemption unattractive with Avios. In general, US front-cabin seats are treated as first-class for purposes of Avios redemption.
- Effective April 28, 2015, first-class awards will cost 4x the coach award price.
- Business class travel costs 2x Avios. Some North American airlines consider the front cabin to be business for Mexico and Central America routes.
- Effective April 28, 2015, business-class awards for segments >2000 miles long will cost 3x the coach award price.
- You can redeem one-way awards with Avios.
- Avios is region-agnostic. (That is, a given distance costs the same regardless of whether it traverses one or more world regions.) Thus, Avios can provide great value when flying to Hawaii for those who fly coach and can do so in one segment.
- There is no ticketing fee for online booking. If you call instead of booking online, there is a $25 ticketing fee. (Some people have success in getting this fee waived when an itinerary cannot be booked online, making a phone call unavoidable.)
- There is no close-in ticketing fee.
- BA charges $55 to cancel or change a ticket. However, if you cancel online, your cost is capped at the amount of taxes/TSA fees paid; for domestic itineraries on US, this will normally be much less than $55. (This workaround does not apply to changing a ticket online, which will incur the full $55 fee.) You must cancel one day in advance to get the Avios redeposited.
- 1-650 mile flight: 4,500 Avios
- 651-1151 mile flight: 7,500 Avios
- 1152-2000 mile flight: 10,000 Avios
- 2001-3000 mile flight: 12,500 Avios
The full chart for redemptions until April 28, 2015 can be found here. Starting April 28, 2015, a new chart will apply.
One enterprising blogger has created interactive maps showing potential destinations reachable on US in each of the mileage bands from DCA, PHL, CLT, and PHX.
Consider the cost to fly from San Diego to Phoenix, a route under 400 miles. US charges 25K miles R/T, plus $38 (includes $25 ticketing fee), plus a $75 close-in fee for any booking within 14 days of departure. BA will charge 9,000 Avios R/T plus the TSA security fee.
If you live in a gateway city and can fly to Hawaii nonstop, investigate whether booking with Avios is more attractive. Example:
PHX-HNL is 2917 miles. A R/T with Avios is 25K miles (12,500 each way). A R/T with US is 40K miles.
What's the process for redeeming Avios?If you live in a gateway city and can fly to Hawaii nonstop, investigate whether booking with Avios is more attractive. Example:
PHX-HNL is 2917 miles. A R/T with Avios is 25K miles (12,500 each way). A R/T with US is 40K miles.
Go to the Avios award search page; log in; and enter your desired itinerary.
Great! That sounds easy! What's the catch?Unfortunately, there are several practical restrictions on redeeming Avios for domestic travel on US, especially when attempting to book online.
OK, I managed to make an award booking despite all these pitfalls. How do I get my US FF# into the reservation in order to enjoy my US elite benefits?- Most importantly, US "low/saver" awards must be available. (You can confirm award availability at the lowest level by searching on the US site directly or by using a third-party service such as Expert Flyer.)
- The BA search tool cannot generate partner itineraries that include more than one connection. (You can still book each segment as an individual ticket, although doing so will create problems if you wish to check luggage all the way through and/or if you miss a connection owing to flight delays.)
- Even where US has low-level award availability, the Avios search tool will often fail to display it. This is especially true on routes with numerous flights in a single day (such as the DCA-LGA, LGA-BOS & DCA-BOS shuttles), but occurs regularly on numerous routes. There is no workaround except calling BA reservations.
- Recommendation: Always search for one-way awards. The BA search tool is known to display no availability in either direction on round-trip searches when awards are in fact available in one direction but not the other.
- The BA search engine will accept metropolitan area pseudo-codes (WAS, LON, PAR, NYC, etc.) as well as individual airport codes. For better results, try both (e.g., DCA, BWI & IAD as well as WAS).
The American Airlines Twitter team (@AmericanAir) can modify a reservation to enter your US or AA FF#.
Several FTers also report success using the Finnair website ("Choose manage booking and put in your BA confirmation code"). However, this method allows the FF# on a given itinerary to be changed only once; it will not allow subsequent changes.
I want to change my seat but the BA site never gave me a US record locator. What's the solution?Several FTers also report success using the Finnair website ("Choose manage booking and put in your BA confirmation code"). However, this method allows the FF# on a given itinerary to be changed only once; it will not allow subsequent changes.
Look up your reservation on the US site using the BA record locator.
How can I accumulate Avios?- Fly British Airways.
- Credit OneWorld flights to British Airways.
- Open a Chase British Airways credit card, ideally with a generous sign up bonus.
- Move Chase Ultimate Reward points (CSP, Ink Plus, Ink Bold) to your BA account.
- Move AMEX Membership Rewards points to your BA account, preferably during the 2-3 times a year when a bonus is offered.
- Move SPG points to your BA account. 20K SPG points yields 25K BA Avios, and bonuses have been offered once a year.
- Form a household account (see BA forum for discussion) so that miles can be pooled.
US Airways Award Bookings Using BA Avios, as low as 4,500 Avios one way
Sep 9, 2014, 10:23 pm
#211
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,422
Cross posting here about a ticket on US airways from BA board (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ho-call.html):
In short, I booked US airways flight SFO-LAX and it has changed to AA code now. So it was marked as cancelled
.
Now there is no award available on the route on that day (no SJC/OAK options either).
So what is my best choice? BA phone is notorious for its long wait time.
It has been
Flight US2692 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5387 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5534 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
in the past.
In short, I booked US airways flight SFO-LAX and it has changed to AA code now. So it was marked as cancelled
.Now there is no award available on the route on that day (no SJC/OAK options either).
So what is my best choice? BA phone is notorious for its long wait time.
It has been
Flight US2692 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5387 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
Flight US5534 to Los Angeles on Wed 26 Nov 2014 08:00
in the past.
Sep 9, 2014, 10:58 pm
#212
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
Programs: US DM, UA MP
Posts: 78
US Not Ticketing When Booking With BA Avios
Hello! Last Thursday, I redeemed BA Avios for a DCA - MCO award ticket, traveling outbound in Economy Class and returning in First Class. As is standard practice when booking with Avios, the points were deducted from my account almost immediately.
Yesterday (Monday) I called BA to obtain my US confirmation number so that I could select seats online, and after obtaining the necessary information I went on the US website only to learn that my flights had not yet been ticketed. I then called US and spoke to a very pleasant, and helpful, agent who confirmed that my reservation had not yet been ticketed and it was likely "working its way through the queue". She was, however, able to assign me seats.
Fast forward to Monday night, when I go to check on my reservation on the US website and learn that it is has been cancelled. Overnight, I received an e-mail from BA asking them to call me regarding my reservation. I did so, and was told it was because I did not enter my date of birth when making the reservation online (which is true: I was having problems with this). The agent enters this info, and cheerily informed me that the reservation had been re-activated and that it would receive an e-mail once it had been ticketed.
Well, it is almost 24 hours later and this still has not yet occurred. I am just concerned because in my experience, using Avios to travel on both AA and US has resulted in the operating carrier ticketing almost immediately. I was wondering if any of you have some advice/experience to share.
Thanks so much for reading; I tried to keep it as condensed as possible
Yesterday (Monday) I called BA to obtain my US confirmation number so that I could select seats online, and after obtaining the necessary information I went on the US website only to learn that my flights had not yet been ticketed. I then called US and spoke to a very pleasant, and helpful, agent who confirmed that my reservation had not yet been ticketed and it was likely "working its way through the queue". She was, however, able to assign me seats.
Fast forward to Monday night, when I go to check on my reservation on the US website and learn that it is has been cancelled. Overnight, I received an e-mail from BA asking them to call me regarding my reservation. I did so, and was told it was because I did not enter my date of birth when making the reservation online (which is true: I was having problems with this). The agent enters this info, and cheerily informed me that the reservation had been re-activated and that it would receive an e-mail once it had been ticketed.
Well, it is almost 24 hours later and this still has not yet occurred. I am just concerned because in my experience, using Avios to travel on both AA and US has resulted in the operating carrier ticketing almost immediately. I was wondering if any of you have some advice/experience to share.
Thanks so much for reading; I tried to keep it as condensed as possible
Sep 10, 2014, 7:20 am
#213
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Here today, gone tomorrow
Programs: Nothing shiny :-(
Posts: 2,493
Well, it is almost 24 hours later and this still has not yet occurred. I am just concerned because in my experience, using Avios to travel on both AA and US has resulted in the operating carrier ticketing almost immediately. I was wondering if any of you have some advice/experience to share.
Sep 10, 2014, 8:29 am
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,475
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...g-dob-box.html
Sep 10, 2014, 2:52 pm
#215
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton HHonors Diamond
Posts: 1,203
Same here. If I manage to get my US # on the account it seems to stop. The flight drops off Britishairways.com but still remains on usairways.com. I'm just rebooked on the flight that replaced the original. Same seat and all, but without the BA panic red font nonsense.
Sep 15, 2014, 2:45 pm
#216
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
My concern now is linking BA award tickets on US to a paid AA itinerary, assuring bags are checked through. Is it worth trying to call EXP, ask of they can link the records?
Sep 15, 2014, 7:45 pm
#217
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 93
can I check the flight and hold the ticket first, cause there are not enough balance on my account. After I buy the point and ticket it? thanks
Sep 28, 2014, 12:08 am
#219
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,422
Cross posting here about a ticket on US airways from BA board (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ho-call.html):
In short, I booked US airways flight SFO-LAX and it has changed to AA code now. So it was marked as cancelled
In short, I booked US airways flight SFO-LAX and it has changed to AA code now. So it was marked as cancelled
I'm just not likely to watch my future date reservations like a hawk, so I can see the potential for woe -- "so sorry, your flight has been cancelled, and we have no way of getting AA to provide us with new award inventory."
Sep 28, 2014, 12:43 pm
#220
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP, lowly UA 1K; Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold; National EC, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,214
Anyone have luck using Avios to book Y and having it prompt you at some point when you find the res on the US site to do a buy-up to F?
Sep 28, 2014, 12:45 pm
#221
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,217
I actually did have the option to select a seat in F for something like $50 on a BA award flight from SDF-CLT in July. I didn't take it because I had an exit row seat, but it was an option.
Sep 29, 2014, 2:07 pm
#222
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: DC/NOVA
Programs: AA Gold, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 192
I just noticed the RJ website does not include the option to select USDM (e.g., for changing my BAEC FF# to USDM); are multiple steps required?
Edit: the Sri Lankan airlines booking management engine has similar limitations.
Edit: the Sri Lankan airlines booking management engine has similar limitations.
Last edited by picards007; Sep 29, 2014 at 2:28 pm Reason: Additional info
Sep 29, 2014, 2:31 pm
#223
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
Data point: changed my FF# using the RJ site, and noticed that there is now a Known Traveler Number field, but despite entering the information into the BA PNR, the US phone rep I spoke to did not see it on the US PNR.
Sep 29, 2014, 2:55 pm
#225
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: DC/NOVA
Programs: AA Gold, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 192