Forget the Avios changes for now – just get booking!

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• Andy says:

  28 Jan28 January 22:11

  Regarding the RFS add on scrappage with everyone expecting it now to be double avios and 2x £35 rfs fees. Maybe this isn’t the case. BA recently scrapped fuel surcharges on EU flights so I’m guessing most EU destinations taxes would be under £70 tax providing ba book it on one pnr. You would only pay the 2x £35 if taxes and charges were over this.

  Remember Raffles post the other day when he was even discussing that at times its cheaper booking 2 one ways and paying the normal taxes than paying the RFS fee.

  So this coupled with the lower off peak rates for EU might soften the blow a little once things settle down

  • Clarence says:

    28 Jan28 January 22:21

    After weeks of looking just booked a 241 from BHD to sydney in CW for me and my wife. We thought we would never be able to use the voucher but today put a big smile on our faces and our relatives in OZ who we will now meet for the first time. Thanks Raffles for the heads up.

• Mr Bridge says:

  28 Jan28 January 22:20

  when i compared the ‘per zone’ mile redemption, the new chart looks cheaper than the old chart, after a while i figured out the old chart is return the new chart is each way!

• @alastairtravel says:

  28 Jan28 January 22:24

  Worth noting BA have released lots of European reward flights as well as long haul.

  I’ve just booked some Naples flights in July that I’ve been keeping an eye on for a month or so.

  Interestingly reward availability has opened up on flights which are busy at the standard fares

• Adam says:

  28 Jan28 January 22:30

  I got 2-for-1 business to MCO late october which I’ve never seen available before. Awesome!

• DAZ says:

  28 Jan28 January 22:46

  To say I am having a “sad-on” at this moment in time is an understatement.

  Since starting last March I’ve mange to accumulate 200000 Avios, a BA 241 voucher and a Lloyd’s upgrade voucher. That email coming out today has been carnage to my holiday plan this year. Not 3 seats to be had to any decent long haul location, I am seriously thinking of trading my daughter in as she has become a liability when booking redemption flights!

  I will be getting a pro rata refund on on my BA AMEX and Lloyd’s Avios card tomorrow. All I ever wanted to do was fly business to Singapore! The only time I have ever been upgraded was flying on Royal Brunei when I was in the Army, they don’t do alcohol you know!

  Looks like a few euro holidays this year instead.

  • Andy says:

    28 Jan28 January 23:04

    Before you cancel your BA Amex, just check that it doesn’t cause a problem with the 241. I know Raffles has advised on this in the past but I cannot remember what the advice is.

    However, your problem seems to be lack of availability rather than the cost of the flights. The news today suggests that there will be a bit more availability, so perhaps it’s not all bad news for you? Although I suspect that we will see people who want more than 2 seats in premium cabins will be sorely let down as the “minumum of 2 Club World seats on each flight” becomes “Only ever 2 Club World seats on each flight”.

    • DAZ says:

      28 Jan28 January 23:21

      No it’s safe, made sure of it.

      • Polly says:

        29 Jan29 January 03:43

        Just for others getting refunds, make sure you drop down to the free BA card until you book and pay for your 241 flight. But you can use any amex to pay the extra fees.

• Jeff says:

  28 Jan28 January 22:50

  Is it just me or is this not only (terminally) bad news for the many hobbyists amongst us, but also for HfP and similar sites?

  Raffles, you’ll be ok, you’ll find a new niche…I hope.

  • DAZ says:

    28 Jan28 January 23:20

    I wish Texaco would start the fuel coupons again so I could get some nice high quality, nuclear proof wine glasses from my local station with a full tank; ahhh those were the days of real points collecting.

  • Andy says:

    28 Jan28 January 23:43

    I think this site covers a lot more than avios. I actually find the articles on the other airlines really helpful, as are the posts about hotels.

    These things do get devalued from time to time. It happens. I imagine the original air miles to avios conversion was a mich bigger devaluation.

    I’m a hobbyist and I actually have mixed feelings about it. I feel sympathy for the hundreds of genuinely loyal BA customers who, as mere silvers who dare to live outside of London have just been told that they are not wanted. But as a pure hobbyist who would never pay cash for a BA flight, all it means is I have to work a bit harder on cost-free avios generation to get the flights I want. And, as I only need two tickets when I book, it looks like availability is going to get better. With the 241 voucher I always found the old price chart very cheap really, especially as it is possible to build up big piles of avios very cheaply and very quickly with the various credit cards. As far as I can tell the latest changes don’t reward loyalty, but they do reward those of us who “game” the system.

    • RIccati says:

      29 Jan29 January 00:36

      50% increase in the amount of Avios where it matters (CW and Partner redemptions) is pretty radical.

    • Jeff says:

      29 Jan29 January 01:00

      Absolutely, HfP is a lot more than just discussion about Avios. However the other topics flow from the principal topic…Avios*.

      * Other points schemes do exist 😉

  • Rob says:

    29 Jan29 January 01:19

    Yesterday was the biggest day ever for page views! I’m on a roll ….

    I don’t think it will change noticeably. Perhaps more KLM if people jump that way. And if the readership becomes 100% City financiers then I can put up my advertising rates many-fold!

    I have, on purpose, never gone after the ‘total beginner’ market. My ideal HFP reader is someone who already had some Avios via work and wanted to know more about using and earning them. Nothing will change there.

• Andy says:

  28 Jan28 January 22:57

  There is nothing modest about spending £5k on personal flights with one airline in a year. I really feel for you actually: a silver member in the regions is the one demographic that BA have really stuck two fingers up at.

  BA want Londoners who fly on expensive tickets – as you say, on business accounts. The problem they face is that there is no point in targetting them anyway. Some of them have to fly BA because it is company policy and they have no say in the matter. Those that do have a say in the matter would probably want to fly with another airline as the product is better. That’s my experience, anyway. I’ve worked for organisations where the internal travel agent automatically booked staff on to BA flights, but some people cancelled them and booked different flights directly with better airlines. This was, strictly, contrary to company policy but they felt the risk was worth it. If BA have this as their target market, they’ve got it badly wrong.

  • Mick says:

    28 Jan28 January 23:26

    I shall continue my plan to save as many Avios for the next 12 months and see what Longhaul CW flights I get on the 2-4-1 and see what’s left over for CE … If it doesn’t work out . Then il pack it in.

    I hope there is enough backlash (Cancellation of BA Amex/ less domestic flights being booked) for BA to retrospectively am mend some t and c’s ( can but hope)

• John says:

  28 Jan28 January 23:03

  As I live in the regions, and have to travel during school hols I have today joined the virgin scheme. And emailed a complaint to BA. Muppets. With their high surcharges they still made money from me. No longer. At least I shall not have to endure T5 security anymore.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.