[Anonymous]

[CrazyCanuck]

Dear all,

Does anyone know when the next BA Miles 50% offer or Sales redemption will take place?

Regards.

[FCTraveller]

There was one recently but I think it may be finished. It did not include CW or F class. I wouldn’t hold my breath, they don’t come around very often. The previous one (in all classes) was November 2008.

[ecbatana]

Agreed. I’ve heard reports that the November 2008 promotion was driven primarily by sluggish market conditions brought on by the economic melt down that started earlier that year. Those conditions were exceptional – as was the promotion. However, with the change in the BAEC to Avios, perhaps they will market that with a supporting sale or promotion of sorts. I’m sure others will have ideas on that.

[FCTraveller]

I agree about the reasons for the original sale in 2008. But as we seem to be heading towards another precipice with a number of countries about to default on their debt and the world economy heading south, we may yet see another one in 2012.

[VintageKrug]

BA held a 50% off Mileage sale in 2008, across all classes.

This was a true “fire sale” as premium cabins were otherwise flying empty and it was a good way of covering expenditure from the fuel surcharge income, exposing people to better cabins than they might perhaps have considered using (hopefully encouraging them to “trade up” in the future) as well as rewarding loyal customers.

I personally redeemed a considerable number of tickets during this sale.

This was followed, as I recall, in 2009, with a similar 2for1 sale on Club World, but this time for purchased tickets. I went with a group of friends to Cairo for a spontaneous weekend; the flight cost each of us little more than a Club Europe return to Rome.

Last month, August 2011, saw a mileage sale for World Traveller Plus, World Traveller and all shorthaul destinations, with 50% off the required mileage for redemptions.

Less good value than previous promotions, but still worthwhile. That ended on 12 August (I’m sorry I can’t reproduce the promo without including personal data, but the email reminder arrived in my inbox August 8th).

I wasn’t aware of any such promo in 2010, though happy to be corrected if that was the case (might have been only in economy).

The best way in which to get a bargain redemption is to earn the miles as inexpensively as possible. Tesco used to be good for this, though I personally prefer to shop elsewhere. There is currently a promo offering 25,000 BA Miles per flight bonus, as well:

There was recently a 30% off “buy BA Miles promo” and while purchasing is rarely great value, it can be helpful if you’re a few thousand miles short. That ended on September 5.

The precipice may indeed recur in 2012, but premium traffic (as of July) seems to be growing modestly, but steadily, and particularly in the markets to which BA flies which are less effective by current economic woes.

I’d also say that BA is better prepared for any “precipice”, with a significantly reduced cost base (excluding oil) since 2008, and that any economic upset is likely to be much shallower than is widely anticipated. BAEC has a far larger constituency able to redeem on key transatlantic routes, and the Olympics will have a significant effect bolstering sales next year and for a while afterwards. I do think, as ecbatana states that the situation in 2010 was exceptional, and is unlikely to be repeated across all cabins, if at all.

The shift to Avios may be an opportunity for similar largesse, but having only very recently run a 50% off promo, it does seems strange that this wasn’t either broadened to include all cabins, or delayed until Avios comes into effect, which is why I don’t anticipate another all cabin 50% off sale. The promo seems to be limited to the above-linked incentive to earn 25k bonus for paid flights.

I wouldn’t base my redemption plans on a 50% off sale; they really are not scheduled regularly and the two we have just experienced are very much an aberration from typical form.

Having said that, there is always an exception to every rule!

BA is trying to drive paid purchases in premium cabins, especially for the premium leisure market. I have been surprised we haven’t seen a repeat of the 2for1 Club/First sale fare for purchase, and so that may well be a good way of launching Avios, and making it more affordable for BAEC members and whatever-Iberia-call-theirs people to actually buy a ticket, which for a whole host of reasons would be better for BA than reducing redemption rates in premium cabins.

[FlyinJK]

Slightly un-related, but I’ve been meaning to say this for some time…

While the offer was fantastic, am I the only one who was totally annoyed at the BA Fuel Surcharge? Surely that should be included within the miles element…?

It actually made the deal pretty bad value as far as I’m concerned.

Time has faded my memory, but I remember looking to redeem flights to Dubai. Through this award, it came out at around £350 or so per person. For £50 extra, I could have flown direct with Emirates, on any dates I liked, and without spending a single BA Mile.

I ended up using them on flights for the family to Thailand (sadly only in economy), but even that worked out pretty poor value (again, memory faded, but recall paying approx £600 to BA for 3 of us plus a whole lot of miles), but could have bought tickets outright for not much more than that…

The fuel surcharge makes this deal FAR less attractive than it actually initially appears… Since it is part of BA’s normal operating costs, and not a Government tax or levy, BA should do the honourable thing and include this charge within their own cost base/ticket price.

Frankly, I’m surprised they are allowed to get away with that kind of tactic.

[craigwatson]

It’s not just BA, most other airlines have this practice as well, AA and emirates have their FS included in the fare, as some others may have as well, but the airlines that include the charge in the fare are by far in the minority.

Judging by your figures in your post above, you were flying in economy to DXB, and it is never good value redeeming miles for economy seats.

And in regards to you having been able to buy tickets for the 3 of you “outright” for a little more than £600, I think you would have found is was slightly more than “a little more”. try at least double that, at a minimum.

having said all this, I do agree that ALL airlines should have the FS included in the fare, but that ios never going to happen.

[FlyinJK]

Hi Craig – you’re right. It was more than a “little more” than £600 – but to be fair, not a huge amount more, when compared to the amount of miles I was using.

And trust me, I had every intention of booking club reward seats, but they weren’t included in the offer sadly. You’re spot on, they were economy, and again, spot on – awful value.

I can just about cope with airlines charging a FS – what irritates me most is when they segragate it like a tax. It’s not. It should be included in miles bookings. I understand why the Government must still get paid to bolster their coffers, but BA is already getting paid. This is outright damn cheeky!

Suspect it won’t be long before there is a food and drink surcharge, and an entertainment surcharge. ie., still redeem thousands of miles, but pay extra for everything else…

Fuel is a core part of your business BA. You can’t charge seperately for it!

[FCTraveller]

I’m not a fan of the fuel surcharge by all means. But let’s be fair here and consider that there has been virtually no miles inflation since BAEC came into being years ago. And we have just seen a drop of 20% in the miles required to fly to several US and Canadian cities. BA cannot afford to suddenly absorb the FS in redemption bookings any more than they can in their fares without imposing a corresponding increase in mileage levels. Issuing new reward charts every time the price of oil goes up would be completely unworkable. In fact, I think I prefer it this way. If mileage levels were increased, you can be sure that they would probably never come down again. At least with a separate FS, everyone would benefit if we were to see a large drop in oil prices. And don’t laugh, if we are indeed on a precipice, oil prices may very well take a tumble. In any case, judging by the recent move with Avios and Air Miles fares to have FS added on redemptions, your calls are likely to fall on deaf ears.

[FlyinJK]

Interesting perspective FCTraveller, never thought of it that way.

But my suspicion is just as you state that mileage levels would never come back down after an increase – has the FS ever come down? I’ve not followed it to be fair, so I don’t know… Does the FS even directly track the oil price? Or did BA just set it and forget it?

Oil is off it’s highs, and certainly not as high as it was in say 2008 – but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of the FS falling inline?

[craigwatson]

airlines buy their fuel years in advance, so the price they are paying never tracks directly with the price of oil, therefore i doubt you will ever see the FS decrease, they always have a built in excuse, as you never know how much the fuel they are using has cost them

[FCTraveller]

I think the last time BA decreased their fuel surcharge slightly was 2008. Not all airlines buy their fuel in advance, some will hedge when they think fuel prices are at a low but some airlines have been caught out with hedging in the past, locking in at higher prices only to see prices drop and becoming uncompetitive. If oil prices do drop significantly, what usually prompts airlines to lower the FS is competitive pressure.

[travelwell]

does anyone know if BA will do another sale this year ?

[FCTraveller]

travelwell, if you are referring to a sale of redemption bookings, please see thread beginning on 28/09/2011.

If you are referring to a seat sale, like the one that has just finished on 20th September, nobody knows for sure but my guess would probably be no. Perhaps in the first quarter of 2012?

[Author]

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