[Matinée-Allstars]

If the Reward Flight Explorer doesn’t work then why is it still on the site ? If its faulty then remove it … maybe I should bill BA for the hours I have spent looking for flights on the Reward Flight Explorer part of the website that they know to be faulty and which they don’t tell people is faulty

second problem is…. the booking engine on your BA Executive Club homepage is also misleading

If you look for a return and one of the sector is unavailable it shows both sectors as being unavailable

i.e. look for LHR-GIG in Club on 22 Feb 11 returning 1 March 11. It shows both sectors unavailable. Look for the outward flight as a one-way and there IS availability

So the Reward Flight Explorer doesn’t work and you don’t rtell customers and leave it available AND the main BA miles booking engine gives misleading results

I think there needs to be a clear message to BA – this is UNACCEPTABLE

[BABenji]

The press and the police? I would hope that both have got better things to do with their time than concern themselves with the fact that someone can’t get a free flight (subject to taxes etc of course) to Rio for a couple of weeks on the beach.

What terrible times we live in…

[VintageKrug]

Quite right.

It depresses me when seemingly educated people lack a sense of proportion when it comes to things like this.

[Daniel9]

Thank you all, very useful.
I was getting very upset that neither Bermuda nor Mumbai were available for redemptions for anything other than the first day of the month.
I was just about to buy 48,000 miles as part of a household purchase on the 25% bonus miles offer and am rather hesitant to do so if I can’t be sure I am actually going to get by business class returns to either one of those places.
Now, through shared experience, it is clear something is most definitely broken – I will just wait it out before I do my purchasing and booking.
This is why I like the forum – all the spiteful, unhelpful personal comments elsewhere is why I don’t.

[VintageKrug]

Horror indeed.

I have called the Police, instructed Counsel and will take to my bed in anticipation of the arrival of my psychiatrist.

Never has such a disaster struck the VintageKrug household.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

All over reaction and joking aside, redeeming miles is a major incentive for many to book with one airline over another. The airlines sell mileage as a big benefit of their FF schemes and if they cannot be redeemed or the redemption is at unfair rates, then people will be upset.

There seem to be a few hacked off people on this thread – not clever to treat customers this way.

I have decided to give BA 7 days to respond with a sensible explanation as to why 4 x CW redemptions would cost over 20K€ and 100k miles and involve a connection, but I could buy them (same date and departure times) for 5K€ less for cash, with a direct flight.

Totally unacceptable – if nothing is forthcoming or the answer is not satisfactory, I’ll cancel 3 full fare CW returns between now and the year end and rebook with *.

[continentalclub]

Just out of interest, DisgustedofSwieqi, I’m interested to know which country is your BAEC account registered, and/or do you happen to know which Executive Club Service Centre your call was routed to?

This really does seem like the most peculiar set of circumstances and, since calls are for the most part recorded, it should be reasonably straightforward for BA to get to the bottom of what’s happened. At face value, it sounds like a very inexperienced agent has simply processed a direct request, without having the knowledge or training to know that there may be another way to ‘skin the cat’.

I wish you luck and would also be most interested to learn of the outcome to this.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Hi Continental Club

Registered in Malta, call centre is in Germany.

However, this quote came from ba.com (logged in) and I have just check it again, to find it cheaper by about 1€ 🙂

So the audit trail is in black and white (literally, as I printed the screenshots as PDF files, with a date stamp.

I’m in JNB presently, without fast broad band access (i.e. no Skype) and thus don;t wish to have a long call with Bremen on my ‘phone.

[Binman62]

Thanks to everyone who has added a sensible comment to the forum. It now seems clear that BA’s on line is giving out the wrong information and it can be sorted with a simple phone call. It is not the end of world and a sense of proportion is required. However a simple message on the BA web site, stating there is a problem would demonstrate that BA is on aware, cares and is taking action to resolve. Sadly, and speaking entirely from personal experience this year, this small matter is symptomatic of the general lack of awareness, care and proactive approach that was once the hallmark of BA. Pity.

[Cedric_Statherby]

Binman62

Coming in a bit late here but if it is any help I have faced exactly your dilemma and I have found that:

The “pay double” option for gold card holders really works, saves time and hassle and IF you earn miles at a rate that makes it a feasible route, go for it. One call and you are done.

Failing that I have often found it much easier to redeem BA miles on a OneWorld partner. It doesn’t always work, and relies on a partner airline being on your chosen route, but I am off to Hong Kong with my son later this year, and while BA had no seats on the days we wished to travel, Cathay had the full range of seats in First, Business and Economy.

Good luck with your hunting.

[Binman62]

Sad to report that the 1st of month problem still aflicts the BA mileage redemption site. Just tried LAX and SFO for next year and both returned availability only on the 1st of each month. Whatever the problem is with the site, it is being ignored by BA.

[Binman62]

Can anyone explain these fare variations.

2 x club europe to IST in Feb £950.

2 x m class with miles upgrade £1202 plus 40000 miles!!!!!! Are they mad…

2 x m class using miles 40000 plus about £140 taxes

2 x club 80000 plus £180 taxes

2 x m class £286 good deal

[continentalclub]

Quite simply, discounted Economy fares on British Airways cannot be upgraded with BA Miles, and it is rarely (though not always) efficient to use BA Miles for Economy redemptions.

That is the beginning, middle and end of the explanation, and it’s one that applies to very many other carriers too – though not to a few such as Emirates.

The examples that you provide are merely a small sample of the real-world implications of the choice of fares and options available to passengers; to which very many more could be added when all permutations of advance purchase, length-of-stay and flexibility are included in the consideration.

Now, try to redeem your flybe Rewards4all points, and see what you find…. 😉

[MorleyJS]

I often use my BA miles to upgrade to Business Class. Maybe I am just lucky but I have never had any significant problem with finding seats; as long as you plan far enough ahead (a few months) and have some flexibility with the dates.

Compared with Virgin Atlantic, BA is a breeze to redeem miles.

[JordanD]

Wise ones, anyone able to assist? I’m looking to redeem BA miles and have checked availability with regards the route/class I wish to travel in, however I wish to split my booking – outward in one class, return in a different one.

On the BA Exec Club website, is the only way to do this to do it by making two single bookings? Or is there a way to do both legs in one booking?

Advice most welcome (VK – I’m sure you’re an expert on this).

[Author]

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