[G]

Have you ever tried to book a business class ticket to fly long haul with Avios?

Even if you do not have a preferred destination in mind, please, try. It’s very entertaining.

Even if you are a gold passenger, and “more seats are made available to you”. Well, there is just NOTHING. EVER. No business, not first. For months. And then, when you find one seat in the most unfavourable day (like Christmas day, to give an example), well, I bet you cannot find a return.

This is an incredible lie and another astonishing disservice from BA. How can they keep you close with the mirage of fabulous free flights when then they do not give you the possibility to book them.

I appreciate the scarcity of these reward seats, and it make sense, but recently this has become a farce. I am surprised that this topic has not been raised to regulators because it seems a very obvious way to cheat passengers.

Thanks BA.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Montysaurus

[Flagflier]

Yes. Plenty of times. JFK, YVR, SYD and SEA to name a few.

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mkcol74, Montysaurus, Flyboy18

[BugAdvisor]

I’m not sure why you would want to burn Avios for a long haul business ticket. Short haul fares are typically 4000 Avios plus £17.50 one-way for an economy ticket and that is good value. For a Long Haul flight:
You don’t earn tier points nor Avios
You have to pay a huge amount of taxes and fees
You have to spend upwards of 100,000 Avios – which would have been good for 20 short haul flights

I just put in London – New York in Feb 2019 and there was plenty of availability, although I do see more a Gold.

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Flyboy18

[capetonianm]

I frequently try to find redemption seats between CPT and LHR, even via JNB would be acceptable, and have never found anything despite being flexible on date and class.

Based on above comments, I’ve just tried to find seats LHR DUB/ORK for December over Christmas and can only find a couple, with bad timings (very late night) from LCY, and then only in C class and I do not feel inclined to waste Avios or money on BA C class for such a short journey.

I entirely agree with G’s comments above.

[Flagflier]

Yet G insists that,
“Well, there is just NOTHING. EVER”
Really Capetonianm? You agree entirely?

[capetonianm]

OK, a bit of hyperbole never did any harm.

How can they keep you close with the mirage of fabulous free flights when then they do not give you the possibility to book them. I appreciate the scarcity of these reward seats, and it make sense, but recently this has become a farce. I am surprised that this topic has not been raised to regulators because it seems a very obvious way to cheat passengers. Thanks BA.

This is the part I agree with.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Polly

[rferguson]

There are certainly some routes where it is difficult to find Avios availability, particularly long haul. Cape Town and Sydney come to mind.

In the past few years though i’ve been able to find availability to LAX, JNB, HKG and JFK. Admittedly, sometimes i’ve had to be flexible and in the case of JNB book WELL in advance.

I believe when a flights redemption availability opens -365 days before travel BA guarantees each flight will have at least two Club World seats available for redemption booking.

I’m not sure how this compares to other airlines availability. I enjoy collecting Avios but only ever really use them for one reason on BA metal (well longhaul anyway) – the 2-4-1 AMEX voucher. The fees and charges otherwise just turn me way off and I can often find a fare on another airline that is reasonable. I also redeem Avios for BA flights within europe and also CX/JL flights in Asia and QF flights within OZ all which represent good value.

[stevescoots]

Never found any on BA to HKG in J, but Avios has steered me to CX and found them on there, which I would rather fly anyway

[FDOS_UK]

The Avios scheme reminds me of the practices that created the need for the Truck Acts in the UK, the difference being that people join the BAEC on a voluntary basis and can leave it at any time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck_Acts

Effectively they tie the user to BA and commit them to spending more and more to earn and burn, especially ex the US, where the redemption fees are eye watering.

I managed to redeem in CW earlier this year – from JED-LHR, where there was loads of availability ‘cos BA’s security policy makes you check in your laptops/tablets etc and most people prefer to fly Saudia to London, so they can keep them onboard. On other routes, I really can’t be arsed to set my alarm for 00:01 and call a BA number in Timbuctoo to chase a redemption 300+ days in advance – to that extent, the OP has a point – however, it must be acknowledged that quite a number of people on Flyertalk seem to find this equivalent to having a hobby, so live and let live.

Shorthaul, as others have said, you can get some decent deals, though it must be said that these favour ex London routes, since BA happily charges the pax for the internal flight that is needed, since they disbanded their European operations from the regions.

As ever, the best redeeming options are CHC (cold hard cash) saved by shopping around and buying on value. BA can offer this, on some routes, if you get your buying window right.

Beware ANY airline bearing gifts!

[esselle]

It certainly doesn’t seem as easy to get decent reward tickets today as it was previously.

Concorde using 2-4-1, and CPT, LAX, DXB, JFK, BOM, etc all readily available in F but impossible to come by these days.

If only there was a market for Avios on eBay…….

[Bath_VIP]

I would like to remind everyone of this thread from last year that I started about part pay with avios.

The value of Part Pay With Avios

The era of “free flights” ended years ago and these avios should be thought of as a currency. A pure cashback scheme might make more sense but avios is basically a cashback scheme and therefore you have to figure out the most cost-effective way to exploit them.

[JasmineBear]

355 days in advance 0100AM onto website….Book outbound
When its 355 days in advance for inbound, onto website again at 0100AM

Not failed in past 4 years, and use 2-4-1 Amex for Longhaul predominantly, but shortfall as well

@FDOS_UK…..
It’s not a hobby, but frankly a function of supply and demand. There is way too much demand and as rferguson has inferred, very limited supply.
If it means I have to be organised, but I can use my Avios without problems, its something I am happy to do, as apparently are many others looking at the forums.

It should then come as no surprise for those who choose not to do this, that there is no availability as enough people are doing this to get the available seats of their choice

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=900165]355 days in advance 0100AM onto website….Book outbound

When its 355 days in advance for inbound, onto website again at 0100AM

Not failed in past 4 years, and use 2-4-1 Amex for Longhaul predominantly, but shortfall as well

@FDOS_UK…..

It’s not a hobby, but frankly a function of supply and demand. There is way too much demand and as rferguson has inferred, very limited supply.

If it means I have to be organised, but I can use my Avios without problems, its something I am happy to do, as apparently are many others looking at the forums.

It should then come as no surprise for those who choose not to do this, that there is no availability as enough people are doing this to get the available seats of their choice[/quote]

Enjoy your hobby, I prefer to do other things. Live and let live.

[CathayLoyalist2]

On the occasions I have planned to use my Asia Miles and the CX website shows no availability I have called the Marc Polo Club and more often than not a seat is found as they have said frequently “because of your Diamond status”. I have being flying with CX for 30 years now and certainly feel welcome and valued when I get service like that, accepting as I do, as others have said, that demand exceeds supply and the earlier you book the better. CX appears to be the most accommodating of all the OW airlines to other OW airline members, maybe to much so.

[FDOS_UK]

I would like to remind everyone of this thread from last year that I started about part pay with avios.

I do this, sometimes, too. The burn rate is poor compared to reward saver flights, but you are right it is a valid use of Avios and if you burn about the same amount of avios as you earn, it is effectively a cashback scheme, as you say.

[Author]

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