[Anonymous]

[TiredOldHack]

Have just booked three CW tickets to Buenos Aires (EZE) for the end of the year, and as before, we are starting the trip in Amsterdam because it works out at something like 50-60% of the standard fare from LHR.

So far, so normal. The interesting thing is that before committing to the tickets, the agent we use got in touch fast, to say that he had received a message from BA.

I quote: “I have had a communication from BA regarding your flights. They have said that unless passengers fly on all ticketed journeys, passengers may be liable for the full fare of each ticket which could be an exceptionally large amount of money.”

He’d never had a message like that before, and thought we ought to know. Fair enough. As it happens, we didn’t ‘abandon’ the AMS leg on our last recent journey and have in intention of doing so this time either (booked it on Air Miles anyway, so it’s completely free), but it does suggest to me that BA is aware that people are using this dodge more frequently, and perhaps also not using the ‘inessential’ LHR-AMS flights.

Thoughts, anyone?

Incidentally, we’re heading for Santiago as ever, with the EZE-SCL connection booked as a separate (ie: non-connection) flight. A slight risk there, I know, if flights get cocked up, especially on the return…

The interesting scenario would be if BA’s flight to AMS (Air Miles) got cancelled or delayed so we would actually have to try and board the LHR-EZE flight at LHR without making the non-essential leg. If that were the case, and BA tried to act the enforcer, I think I’d argue quite passionately that even though this flight is separate and not a connection, as BA had cocked up one flight, making us liable for the small print in the other is untenable.

[Bucksnet]

It might be wise to use another airline like easyJet to get to AMS in the first place. As LTN is closer to me than LHR this is a better option, not that I’ve done this ‘European shuffle’ before anyway.

[TiredOldHack]

It might, but the long-distance flight departs from LHR, so it makes sense to fly into that airport.

I live in SW London, and LHR is just over one hour away on an express bus (the amazing X26 service which runs all the way to Croydon for a fare of £1.40 each way!)

Gatwick is only half an hour’s drive for me, but there’s no similar cheap swift service. So it’s taxi (pricey) or long-term parking (ditto).

[Hippocampus]

This has been known about for a very long time and serial abandoning of the last leg by some pax has, I understand, resulted in action by the airline.

If BA offers to sell you a particular routing at a particular price and you complete all legs of the routing, then you should not have anything to be concerned about.

[Bucksnet]

Of course the long haul flight departs from LHR, but you need to get to AMS or whatever Euro airport you are ‘starting’ from. As Hippocampus says, abandoning the last leg and getting off at LHR is being watched more closely.

Maybe get an easyJet flight from LGW, or a BA flight on a different booking to be safe. Or if you want to chance it, as you live between LHR and LGW and take public transport, take a one way easyJet flight from LGW and get off at LHR on the way back.

[TiredOldHack]

Oh, agreed on all counts. The lingering concern is that events beyond my control might cause the abandoning of one leg, but if that happens, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[LuganoPirate]

Tired, I think in the event of not being able to take the AMS leg, BA would most likely regard each ticket as a separate contract and may wish not to pay out to “teach” you and others a lesson in the dangers of this type of cross border ticketing. I don’t know that they would, but it’s a thought as this type of operation does affect their revenue.

The opposite to that is of course, not doing this affects your hard earned capital!

In view of the savings you are making, I would seriously consider flying to AMS the night before. Staying at an airport hotel would cost a few hundred pounds but this is more than offset by the savings and would guarantee peace of mind.

[Hippocampus]

Having never done this, tier points and miles aside, is positioning for and completing an ex-AMS flight really worth it versus taking a direct flight in a lower cabin class?

Are four short haul sectors and a night at an airport hotel a price worth paying to fly in Club World versus a direct flight in World Traveller Plus (though I appreciate that, in this example, EZE is one of the longest flights on the network)?

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

If seeking value, why not take an ‘ex London’ flight with one of BA’s rivals?

I’ve used this in the past to pick up some very good fares from Swiss, whom to my mind are a very good airline.

[TiredOldHack]

Because the choice for South America out of London is severely limited.

Most involve changing at Madrid and then taking Iberia (which is a horrifically bad airline in my experience), TAM (not that much better and they’ve lost two aircraft in recent years), LAN (which is actually rather good), Aerolineas Argentinas (guess!).

I’ve hunted all the options for South America, and for biz class, BA (starting in Amsterdam) is the best.

[MartynSinclair]

ToH

I am constantly using ex Europe fares. Not only do you benefit from cheaper fares as you have found, but the ex-Europe tickets I use have the additional benefit of bein flexible.

Hence, sector 4, LHR-back to starting European starting point, I change (after my journey has commenced), to the date of my next ex-Europe trip.

So, next week, I am going to BKK. my first flight (next week) is in fact sector 4, of my previous flights a month or so back. Once departed from London, I will change the final sector, to become the first sector of my next trip which will be in December. There is a small charge if I stay in London more than 24 hours between sector 3, (long haul back into Heathrow and sector 4).

The earlier comment about staying in AMS the night before or taking another airline to AMS.

My ex-Europe generally start in Milan (used to be Dusseldorf, see later)

My intial London-Milan (either Linate or MXP) will be the flight returning 55 minutes later as the start of my new ticket. With no baggage there is plenty of time to get through the system.

The aircraft scheduled for the MIL-LHR flight is usually the same aircraft as the LHR-MIL. So if the aircraft goes tech and BA can not get me to Milan, as happened in December with the snow, I was permitted to use a ticket out of sequence.

For AMS, if the outbound aircraft goes tech, there could be an issue as BA may be able to divert another aircraft to AMS for AMS-LHR flight.

As far a the letter from BA to your agents are concerned. One of the reasons I stopped using Dusseldorf, for ex-Europe was becasue the local travel agent was told by their local BA sales agent that they have to stop selling non German residents ex Europe tickets from Germany. According to a legal source of mine this is against the principles of European law. However, I am not prepared to take BA on about this.

Ex-Europe fares are NOT illegal. You are playing the system and for the savings involved, for me, especially being semi retired, are SIGNIFICANT.

BA do have the right to re price your ticket if you do not complete all 4 sectors. Play the game ToH to the letter and you will not be penalised.

If BA ever find a way of closing this opportunity, will it bother me?- not really, I will just choose another airline. Its all about competition!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“Because the choice for South America out of London is severely limited.”

A quick look at a random Wednesday in November shows flights ex London to EZE available from Alitalia, KLM, United/Continental, Air France and Lufthansa, none via Madrid.

All in the price range £2.3-2.6k.

I must have been fortunate, as my (limited number of) flights with Iberia in Business Plus on the A340 have been very good. I can’t deny the amount of bad reviews on various sites, though.

[TiredOldHack]

Alitalia I’ve considered. I’ve ruled out the US airlines because (a) they’re crap IMHO, and (b) the journey time is considerably increased and it’s already long.

Air France and Lufthansa have also been pondered, I admit.

However, price for these three tickets, including the economy LAN flights to Santiago from Buenos Aires, have come in at just over seven grand, which really is a good deal (LAN’s EZE-AMS flights come in at around £150 per head). It was cheaper than the best online price I could find anywhere.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

£7K is certainly competitive and business class a must for a 13 hour sector.

I hope you enjoy our trip.

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