Kalman36 - 06/12/2011 13:37 GMT
I’ve been collecting BA miles for the last ten years. For the last three years I’ve always booked our family summer holiday in Spain over Christmas. Each year I've used BA miles and never had any problems, there has always been availability.
For this summer I tried to book in November 2011, i.e. a month earlier than normal, and surprise surprise there’s no availability at all for the whole of August for Avios miles (is it miles or points?) to Spain. I thought with the new Avios scheme there would be more availability not less. If there’s no availability for flights taking place in nine months there’s not much point me accruing Avios I can’t use them for the one flight I need them for. Having said all that I have now used the points for car hire for my family holiday in August, but Avios miles go don’t go as far, in terms of the monetary amount, for car hire compared to flights.
Now that I have used up all my Avios points I’m asking myself what now? Should I continue with Avios or change? Through my own experience and speak to others it seems that with Avios there appears to be less opportunity and availability not more. What do people recommend? What are the best schemes (Star Alliance, Air Miles etc) out there to earn (on flights and credit cards) and spend on flights and car hire?
Do you hold the view that the change to Avios has reduced the value value of your Air miles or feel bullied into making the change? This action group may interest you.
http://www.fighttheairmileschange.co.uk/index.php/willie-walsh-iag-ceo
RichHI1 - 13/02/2012 21:10 GMT
I am not a member of the BA scheme butI do belong to 3 other airline schemes. I am noticing much less availability partiuclarly in first than in previous years. Less is being replaced a long way out with many seats onyl being released at last minute. JAL have always worked this way and I think other carriers are trying this to sell more seats for money. Of course these comments relate to the lower mileage rate awards. The full rate awards are not affected.
Binman62 - 13/02/2012 22:23 GMT
I have burned over 500,000 in the last week for trips this summer. Like you have become very irritated by the changes in availability . Last minute availability is the norm and I saw at new year this in action. SFO LHR had zero availability for months and yet 34 f seats released on Dec 28 for the period 1-4 jan. 14 alone on Jan 1st.
As RichH1 points out this is to restricted to BA so my strategy is now to look for the cheapest seats rather than provide loyalty to any particular airline. LHR recently undercut BAs ex EU fares and there is always BAs ex EU fares as fall back. EK offer excellent deals and ex Greece right snow fares are very competitive indeed.
On another forum one suggestion was to focus collection on hotel points and so get free accommodation, free from taxes fees and fuel surcharges.
This may be a better strategy.
My recent experience with Avios has been favorable if looking for flights inside 3 - 4 weeks, whilst less favorable if looking to book anything over 2 months away (for longhaul). If you are comfortable using code share metal, i.e. it gets easier.
I collect whatever points are going, hotels, airlines, stores (especially Tesco's!!).
If I was not using them for business related travel, I am not sure I would value them the same.
The con though are the taxes............and supplements!!!
