AVIOS bookings for non-household account members
Back to Forum- This topic has 10 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 23 Jul 2012
at 09:38 by TheMidasGold.
-
- Author
- Posts
- Skip to last reply Create Topic
-
TheMidasGoldParticipantThere was an interesting post on here over the weekend about whether Avios can be used to book flights for someone who isn’t a member of a household account. Unfortunately, the post seems to have been deleted.
I had written to a fellow poster that it’s not possible to book flights for third parties but a couple of other members said I was wrong.
BA seems to have changed the functionality of the Avios booking site, and as far as I can see you can no longer tick the ‘Is the cardholder travelling on this booking’ box as this is now auto filled and will not allow you to change it.
Is there something I am missing, or was I right all along?
22 Jul 2012
at 17:45
VintageKrugParticipantHere’s the thread:
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Avios-booking#postn_61431
I last booked for someone outside my account in January, without incident.
I don’t use a household account for various reasons, and it may be (and I seem to recall this is the case) that if you do have a household account, you can’t book for people outside that account, though others will have more recent experience of this.
But if you don’t have a household account you can certainly book for anyone, even on oneworld partners.
There’s always the issue that the person you’re gifting the miles to *should* have the card with which the taxes were paid available at check in, so it’s often more sensible to let them “pay” for it, and reimburse the cash.
Perhaps this functionality has changed, but I think we’d have heard about it before now.
22 Jul 2012
at 18:24
KeaneJohnParticipantI made a third party Avios booking for someone on Friday using Avios in my sole account. I paid with my debit card and got the email sent to me. Double checked with the BA helpdesk they advised me clearly showed as that and the traveller would not need my card at check in.
22 Jul 2012
at 18:47
VintageKrugParticipantThis is sensible and pragmatic; I’ve always worried about getting caught out without the payment card, so that’s good news.
22 Jul 2012
at 20:17
KeaneJohnParticipantWhat did surprise me is that it printed off the BAEC Silver Luggage allowance and I mentioned this in passing but the agent said no the standard allowance applies.. Now this wont be an issue in this instance as it was to go to a funeral short notice where the flights would be stupid money but imagine you have an e-ticket with a luggage allowance printed on it you assume that to be the case and at check in are told that doesnt apply….
22 Jul 2012
at 20:22
LuganoPirateParticipantYou bring up a point VK about using a card for 3rd party bookings. I understand the reason but I would have thought it possible the airline could do a fraud check to ensure the card has not been stolen etc.
I frequently buy tickets for my elder children who live in Holland to visit me in either in Switzerland or S. Africa. It’s not even a question of reimbursing them, they simply don’t have the money to lay out in the first place!
With Swiss it’s never a problem but once my daughter wanted to go to Chicago with BA. It was quite a rigmarole as I was in Lugano and she in Holland, so no way could I be present with the card.
TAP was even more cumbersome, buying a ticket for our housekeeper to return to Porto for her holiday, I had to present my card at any TAP office, which would have meant going to Milan or Zurich. On phoning them they said they would make no exception. They did but only after telling them that we would move all out Portuguese business from them to Swiss if they didn’t make an exception!
Qatar booked in S. Africa make similar problems, as do SAA. Once between booking and travel my card had expired and I had a new one with a different number (till then it was always the same number, just the expiry and CCV changing). I didn’t think about it till I had a massive argument on checking in.
Do airlines do this on purpose with a view to cashing in on an unflown segment, and why does it differ between airlines?
A bit off topic but an important point I think?
22 Jul 2012
at 20:49
Gin&TonicParticipantMy wife recently flew J with Qatar and was asked for the credit card used at check in. It was on my card so she could not produce any. Eventually the check in assistant claimed she was overriding the system. No where do I recall on the booking page on QR www it highlights this, ok maybe in the T&C somewhere.
I have also bought a friend a ticket on QR using Travelocity, am wondering if the same issue will occur at check in23 Jul 2012
at 04:02
first_class_pleaseParticipantIf you are a sole member, then you get to book for anyone you wish.
If you have taken advantage of the Household account to pool all your avios together, then you can only book for one of these members.
23 Jul 2012
at 07:24
VintageKrugParticipantSo that is the key disadvantage of a HH account; thoiugh lost in the mists of time it must have been the reason I chose not have one.
23 Jul 2012
at 07:27
TheMidasGoldParticipantGreat updates all. Information gratefully received. I’m enlightened, but hate being wrong!
23 Jul 2012
at 09:38 -
AuthorPosts
