frustration with redeeming BA Miles

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 64 total)

  • Marsden
    Participant

    Forget trying to fly to South America using BA {Adios} miles.

    Although you can sometimes score EZE during their winter.

    Oh and the new ‘enhancements’ have increased the required mileages for many itineraries unless you live in the UK.


    TiredOldHack
    Participant

    Adios. Heh. I like that.

    Yes, I’ve noticed I can get EZE flights in June-July.


    Kalman36
    Participant

    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. For my summer holiday in August 2012 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 BA miles 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 for me to earn the points if I can’t use them for the one flight I need them for.


    TiredOldHack
    Participant

    I’ve been thinking about this, chiefly about the Air Miles rather than the BA frequent flyer miles.

    Air Miles have been going for…. what, 20 years, as near as? Maybe 15?

    And the rate at which you’ve earned them has been pretty constant – on my credit card, which I amassed mine on, one Air Mile for every £30 spent, or something.

    Well, in those two decades, inflation has taken its toll. A quick Google suggest the Retail Price Index nearly doubled over those 20 years. Effectively, people were getting nearly twice as many Air Miles for their pounds. Not to mention the other schemes that were offering them – Shell fuels, car hire, etc.

    I reckon BA pulled the panic handles. Lord knows how many Air Miles were out there un-redeemed. I did hear that there were as many as BA flew in a year, but that sounds like an Urban Miff. If I were in BA’s shoes, I’d want that liability off my books as well.

    If my own behaviour has been any yardstick, people will have been cashing them in by the bucketful before the deadline. An old family fried had a lot, like A LOT, and bought two first class round the world tickets with them.

    Let’s wait and see how things play out.


    Binman62
    Participant

    I think BA are hoping beyond hope, that they will see a surge in bookings for the Olympic period but in my view I think they are being hopelessly optimistic. Whilst there will certainly be an increase in traffic generated by those directly involved with the games, history tells us that tourist to Olympic cities in Olympic years plummet. Given that this is also occurring at a time of global financial meltdown few will be flying let alone coming to what was already one of the most expensive cities in the world. The national tourist boards are hoping to exploit the reluctance of people to go to London but even here I think they will struggle due to the poverty of connections ex LHR

    The £2012 deal for 2 tickets is further evidence that premium traffic, and in particular leisure premium traffic has vanished at what should have been a peak time for such traffic over the festive period. No matter how BA and their blinkered supporters try to market this, the bottom line is that it is being done because they cannot fill seats.

    The usurious fuel surcharge is thoroughly unpleasant and clearly no longer a surcharge. If you check most long haul WT fares the base fare is a fraction of the surcharge e.g. £78 return to JFK £43 return to CAI but surcharges are many times this. A true surcharge would simply be on top of the actual fare.

    My belief is that you will see more of the type of £2012 deal in the coming months which is useful to some and completely hopeless for anyone who would like to plan a trip. I will not for example, pay ludicrous ex LHR premium fares (recent quote of £38,800 for 4 First to SFO in DEC.) but would like to plan a trips for April and August. However there is now no incentive for me to do so, as fares are likely to be dumped to ensure some sales closer to date of travel. Redemption bookings will be the same.


    NTarrant
    Participant

    Binman, I think you have seemed to have forgotten that whilst London is expensive to us, with the pound against a basket of other currencies, the UK is good value compared to a couple of years ago. Also the UK has considerably more to offer than some other countries that have hosted the Olympics in recent times and there are opportunities for people to make more of a visit with other attractions.

    The £2012 for 2 is no evidence whatsoever that premium traffic has vanished. Its called marketing. By the way, have you looked on United for SFO? Prices for December are the same.


    BeckyBoop
    Participant

    Binman SFO and all of the west side has always been an expensive in First even with offers from LHR, why didnt you look at exEUR or fly CW instead if it was too much?

    Just looked using the ba low fare finder and first tickets going to the USA have shot up all year round. 🙁 xx


    TiredOldHack
    Participant

    “BA low fare finder”, eh?

    Where’s that, then?

    EDIT: found it!


    BeckyBoop
    Participant

    http://www.britishairways.com/travel/low-price-finder/public/en_gb

    VK introduced me to this its really good!! 🙂 xx


    TiredOldHack
    Participant

    Innit just? That said, I’ve been able to secure better deals on my own, but it’s still definitely worth checking on a regular basis.


    Cwyfan
    Participant

    It is even more difficult to solve this when the reward flight availability page has technical problems on the web site since avios day!


    Cecilia
    Participant

    I usually travel Club or First to Buenos Aires (February/March each year) from GVA, redeeming miles. Never ever a problem until Avios took over and now there’s no availability at all. Tried “book and upgrade”, same problem. Tried everything until I found the solution: if you pay full fare there are plenty of places available. Quite annoying, to say the least. And no, the only available partner, Iberia, either doesn’t have flights or offer economy. Don’t know what’s going on but since the new Avios scheme was put in place things became quite difficult.


    Kalman36
    Participant

    This is exactly the same issue I had with booking Spain for August next year, there’s no availability at all. I’ve instead used by Avios miles for the car hire in Spain. Regarding the subject of car hire using Avios I have noticed one thing. Had there been availability for flights in August for Spain I would have used circa 65k of Avios miles saving me circa £800 on flights. However, using the same Avios points (65k) allows me to book a car that would have cost me circa £350-£400!! it doesn’t seem fair.


    dutchyankee
    Participant

    We fly to EZE every February, admittedly never have used mileage for our flights to EZE. But now that BA has separated the Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires to both being nonstop, and putting a three class 777 on EZE, I have noticed the CW fare has substantially increased from what we paid last year (then we flew out in F and back in CW). I am surprised you can’t find availability on Iberia as they have twice daily flights from Madrid. Can you transit through the USA? If so, perhpas you can find availability on AA as they fly to EZE 4 to 5 times a day from JFK, MIA (used to be 2X Daily), ORD, and DFW.


    Swindoneric
    Participant

    We’d booked a CW return from Edinburgh to NY in Feb using the Amex 2 for 1 offer, and even getting the LCY service on the way out. My wife decided that she wanted to go for her birthday in October instead. Two observations:
    1. BA fully refunded the miles, Amex voucher and all but £50 of the taxes and charges which I thought was pretty good of them.
    2. There is hardly any availability for late October next year which I found pretty surprising and disappointing. Am I trying to book too early and is it likely that more seats are released nearer the time?

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 64 total)
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