Avios deleted on expiry without warning.

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Viewing 13 posts - 16 through 28 (of 28 total)

  • bombayteddy
    Participant

    Thank you Fclass. My point exactly. I couldn’t agree more.


    bombayteddy
    Participant

    I am happy to say that a call to the British Airways Executive Club contact-centre in India led to an almost immediate reinstatement of my Avios.
    Thank you to those who advised me to speak to a customer-service agent.
    And, of course, a heartfelt THANKS to British Airways; and the very understanding, pro-active lady I spoke to.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    Inquisitive
    Participant

    A bit off topic: Marriott removed all my accumulated points without any notice.
    Hilton at least gave some notice.

    I argued that during COVID travel was restricted and I can understand that status may not be maintained, but the points accumulated could be extended for use say until end of this year. But no. Marriott highlighted the T&C and decline any restoration.


    Chris in Makati
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1352920]

    I had something similar happen with Accor. I’d accumulated two free stays under their Accor Plus program. When Covit hit many of their hotels were closed, and international travel was almost impossible. They still took away those free stays when they expired, citing the terms and conditions. Two nights in the top of the Accor range (Sofitel, Pullman etc.) is worth quite a lot of money, so I wasn’t at all pleased to lose that.

    I declined to renew my Accor Plus membership when it expired.


    bombayteddy
    Participant

    It is high time that airlines and hotel companies realise that “loyalty” is a 2-way street!


    ASK1945
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1353412]

    Booking.com, whom I used frequently, refused to reimburse me £40 I had to pay for a taxi, even though I had paid them for a pre-booked, pre-paid taxi in Santiago, Chile when the driver went home without picking us up as he said he couldn’t find us. He didn’t realise that my mobile phone did not have a Chilean SIM.

    Since then we have never used them, nor have our (adult) children. It has cost them thousands.

    Likewise, we were always a “Samsung house”, with almost everything Samsung. Then, a machine went wrong just before the end of a 5-year warranty which they refused to honour, as they said it wasn’t registered. I showed them proof that it had been and that the error was theirs. They still declined to honour it. Since then we have bought nothing more from Samsung (except my mobile) and so far have paid a couple of thousand to other companies.

    But hey, multi-billion pound firms do not have loyalty to their clients.


    cwoodward
    Participant

    I have stopped using Accor membership as I became totally exasperated with there points system that never worked properly and ALWAYS scammed me with great efficiency.
    If I do stay at a Accor I completely ignore both membership and points….. it all becomes so refreshingly simple – and perhaps I will ditch some other troublesome hotel programs also.

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    rogernorwich
    Participant

    Seems like EVERYTHING on BA expires these days…..I have AMEX 2 for 1 vouchers and GOLD UPGRADE vouchers that expire soon. I have been trying to use them for months but I get the impression that their computers are set to frustrate any redemption….whatever you ask for is unavailable even many months ahead. Another example of suck you in and blow you out. Strange how seats are available for the same requests if you want to give BA more cash. Feels like a complete scam but when you consider the general service, all the late departures and shocking in-flight service this is unsurprising.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    I have never been able to use my GUV pre or post covid for longhaul BA flights, which is where I guess most of us want to use them.

    However, for short haul economy to business they can be quite easy to use, admittedly, you are not getting the same value.


    ASK1945
    Participant

    [quote quote=1354195]I have AMEX 2 for 1 vouchers and GOLD UPGRADE vouchers that expire soon. I have been trying to use them for months but I get the impression that their computers are set to frustrate any redemption….whatever you ask for is unavailable even many months ahead. Another example of suck you in and blow you out.[/quote]

    I have received 241 vouchers every year since they were introduced in January 2003 and have never failed to get two Business Class seats for when and where I want to go (always long distance). For popular routes with limited daily flights, such as Sydney, Cape Town, Miami, Barbados etc, you do need to book the two (or four) released Avios seats literally as they are released at midnight 350 days before travel. A couple of weeks ago I booked two seats using my 241 voucher on a Caribbean flight (yet again) in Business Class, for next February, without a problem.

    Premium Economy seats are usually available much longer and Economy longer still. For routes with multiple daily flights, such as New York, seats have been available to book much nearer the time.


    rogernorwich
    Participant

    ASK…..that’s all very well but booking anything 350 days in advance is not possible for people who are busy running companies….maybe a lot easier for people who earn their points as employees or who are retired but for most people it’s not a starter….so lucky you if you can do that. Also those of us who earn all our points in Business and First don’t want to ruin their leisure travel by going in the back.


    ASK1945
    Participant

    Roger – I spent my whole career self-employed, running my own companies. I never used my Avios for my business travel, as obviously I got tax relief on my costs. I have used my Avios and 241 vouchers for one of my long-distance vacations annually, and pay directly to BA and various airlines for other vacations.

    So, whilst I sympathise with your personal predicament, I just don’t agree with your universal statement “their computers are set to frustrate any redemption”. It is inaccurate.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    As a Finnair Platinum Member, thankfully my points don’t expire. However, I am given a number of short-haul and long-haul upgrade certificates each year. Whilst the European ones are very easy to use, I find it impossible to use the long-haul ones due to zero availability. I inevitably end up converting them to additional European ones each year….

    Simon

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