[Anonymous]

[christopheL]

I’m sorry for what could appear to be a new BA bashing (which it is not). My problem is that I am desesperate to book reward tickets to fly from LHR to SYD in premium classes (i.e. C or F).

Even Premium economy is unavailable. Only economy tickets are available but it has to be noted that their cost is more expensive than half the price of a cash ticket which means that when you want to book a 241 Amex ticket (which I would like to), it is less expensive to buy it with cash than with avios !!! Stunning !!!

Does anyone ever succeded in booking reward tickets in Club or First from LHR to SYD ?

The funny thing is that it is not that difficult to find reward tickets from LHR to SIN (such a busy route !) but there are no availability at all from SIN to SYD (even if it is a less busy route for BA IMO).

If anyone can help, my dates are from 12/04/14 to 26/04/13 or around and I’m a silver BAEC member (not yet a gold).

[AnthonyDunn]

Have you tried on either QF or CX – both of which award and redeem Avios courtesy of their One World membership? I don’t believe that you are tied to using BA metal for Avios redemptions.

[SimonS1]

Not this old chestnut again.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Avios-to-SFO-and-LAX
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/BA-redemptions….1-year-on
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/FFP-redemptions…Hopeless
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/flight-map-availabilty-help-please
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/BA-s-Avios-find-a-flight-map-Grrr

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01cn7mr

[ImissConcorde]

Actually SIN -SYD can be extremely busy and don’t forget with two flights LHR – SIN to one SIN -SYD availability is going to be difficult to find.

[StephenLondon]

The trouble you may be having is trying to fly over Easter, on a Saturday, which may also possibly be over school holidays. No doubt any mileage seats offered on your preferred dates have already been snapped up.

There is Club availability on 15th/29th, for example, via a variety of points – SIN, HKG and TYO. QF also show their LHR-DXB-MEL/SIN flight on 15th. QF/BA show two seats available SYD-NRT-LHR on 29th.

You could book the above dates, and then see if more availability is released in the coming months on your preferred dates.

[christopheL]

Thank you to all of you for your feedbacks.

My problem is that I would like to use a 2for1 Amex coupon which means that I need to fly BA metal from LHR to SYD and return. A real challenge since all availabilities are a mixture of BA and QF, CX, JL metals.

[Papillion53]

ChristopheL

We were able to get BA avios reward seats in F using a 241 last year for travel to SYDNEY ex UK, and I have been looking for similar for next year and no luck so far. The best I can come up with is using our 241 to HKG or SIN and then using avios to get flights from there to Australia (Sydney or Melbourne). But of course that means more avios as you obviously can’t use your 241 on another airline, but look on the bright side – the taxes and fees for the flights ex Asia on CX, for example, are much less!

It’s almost a full time job searching for availability – my DH has no idea! LOL!

Good luck and keep looking! 🙂

[travelworld]

I think that the issue is that BA, in common with most other airlines, will not release seats for Avios bookings which it thinks it can otherwise sell. Peak holiday times will limit availability very considerably, if not eliminate it altogether. BA’s yield management software will look at the position constantly and so seats can be released at any time if bookings are lower than expected- or withdrawn if for some reason they are suddenly higher. Given the relatively low number of seats now available on BA between the UK and SYD I’m not surprised there is nothing. You can wait and see- as sometimes seats are released very close to departure date. But plainly you are taking pot luck if you do.

I’ve generally worked out when I can go and look to see what is available at that time. There’s good availability for Shanghai at that time, for example. Not much use if you have set your heart on Sydney. But I think that the approach to take is that you may well not be able to go where you want to whenever you do, and if you can, it’s a bonus.

[pdwtrip]

It can be done – just takes a little patience. Booked LHR – SYD in F using Amex 2/1 flying Feb 2012 via SIN. Have repeated booking for Feb 2014, still with 2/1 – checked each evening for about a week and one day it just came up – that was in March this year.
I guess the computer program works out when to release them, random – but possible.

[NTarrant]

Agree with what all have said so far, have done a couple of LHR-SYD both 241 and all avios. The 241 was out in June back July so not peak season but was booked 11 months in advance.

Went out LHR-SYD via MEL in F on QF and returned via FRA in C a few years ago. Always look at travelling in F as it will show C as well, there are some interesting routings too!

[HongKongLady]

This is confusing me, what are you trying to buy ?
How does 2:1 work with Avios…….. Does that mean 2 tickets for one lot of Avios ? Money ?

[cityprofessional]

Flame me if you like, but personally I don’t think 241 redemptions should be allowed on popular long haul routes with limited availability like SYD. It favours (a) people who can spend their whole time waiting for availability to materialise and (b) couples – reducing availability for the rest of us

BA would make a lot of people a lot happier by taking the best bits of Diamond Club, like cash + miles, stopovers, and plentiful premium redemptions on decent airlines like SQ… But one can dream!

[Andrew66]

HKL , you can use an Amex 2 for 1 voucher which allows you a free flight with only taxes fees to pay and then purchase the other flight with AVIOS only and pay just taxes and fees , it is avaiable once a year and is based on spending X amount on your BA Amex card , you get a companion voucher , which can be redeemed for any flight as long as the other one is paid for in full with AVIOS

Sorry sounds confusing !!! Been a hot day and now had one to many !!

[MartynSinclair]

christopheL – you would get a lot of info reading through every post contained in the threads detailed by SimonS1

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