Avios changes 8: oneworld partner redemptions may be cheaper via Iberia Plus

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• pauldb says:

  2 Feb2 February 10:27

  Not without a hefty devaluation I think. You can move them to SPG 2:1 and then to a choice of airlines 20k:25k so in blocks it’s a 37.5% haircut.

  Are you eligible to apply for a Gold card. Free for a year and 20k for spending £2000 (or 22k if you take a referral).

• pauldb says:

  2 Feb2 February 10:43

  It looks like the deal gets better at greater distance, and when combined with low fuel surcharges. CX LHR-HKG-AKL would be about 23k miles = 270k, not too bad with £370 of taxes (less if you went ex-EU).
  What do they mean at the end of the pdf by the “Multicarrier” table. There’s an existing partner chart but it doesn’t explicitly say Multicarrier. Given it’s grandfathered and probably 2x for J / 3x for F it may now have more appeal.

  • Rob says:

    2 Feb2 February 11:48

    The multicarrier chart is the one for 2 or more oneworld airlines excluding Iberia. It was a pretty scary chart but I need to look at it again in light of the changes.

• Ian says:

  2 Feb2 February 12:02

  Could I ask for a bit of advice? Which would be a good destination to use the BA 2-4-1, taking into account miles redemptions and taxes. Not interested in USA destinations or UAE.

  Thanks

  • Choons says:

    2 Feb2 February 13:12

    Moscow

  • Rob says:

    2 Feb2 February 14:52

    How long is a piece of string? Excellent coverage in Asia, you can fly to loads of places so seats are not an issue and then hop around cheaply. China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia now, Thailand etc. I have a soft spot for Mexico with a twin centre city and beach holiday covering Mexico City, Oaxaca, Merida and then a drive down to the coast. Latin America is harder outside Brazil / Argentina (Iberia covers it but no 241) to reach as is Africa apart from SA. Caribbean is also an option.

    • NP says:

      2 Feb2 February 17:44

      Been looking at Asia to use up 2 x 2-4-1’s for a family of 5 before the devaluation kicks in. Can I ask are any of those locations particularly suitable for 11-15 yr olds? We’ve done quite a bit of travel in the states, but there appears to be more availability going east in Jul/Aug.

      • Rob says:

        2 Feb2 February 17:57

        I’ve always thought that we would take our kids to Thailand when we got around doing a proper Asian trip. A mix of Bangkok, Chiang Mai (preferably with some elephant riding) and a beach trip to Phuket etc would work well.

        If you want to break them in gently you could have a few days in Singapore first and then get a cheap flight across.

        • NP says:

          2 Feb2 February 18:44

          We were looking at Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Singapore. A few days by the beach also maybe, although none of us are huge beach fans. They’re also keen on Hong Kong and Japan and it looks like there are plenty of options for getting between all of these with cash or avios. Great site by the way, the information and tips I’ve picked up here have been invaluable.

        • Rob says:

          2 Feb2 February 21:28

          Kyoto is worth a visit. Tokyo is a bit, well, odd, with few major tourist sites – it is more of an anthropological experiment, because (due to the closed nature of the country for much of the last millennium) everything about the people and culture is different to what you know. Not much for younger kids who can’t appreciate this.

      • RT says:

        3 Feb3 February 21:58

        If you had 2x 241 tickets – can you redeem these at the same time using 1 lot of avios?

        • Rob says:

          3 Feb3 February 23:01

          Yes, a family of 4 can redeem 2 x 241 at once.

  • Mark says:

    2 Feb2 February 21:18

    The best value we’ve had in terms of miles on a 2for1 was an F return to Singapore in the days when F was 240k avios return. That was booking within hours of the return availability being released, nearly a year in advance.

    Of course it really depends on where you want to go…. And the savings compared to a cash fare are not necessarily greatest on the longest routes.

• RT says:

  2 Feb2 February 12:16

  Out of interest… I’m planning on heading to Tokyo in October/November. I have c.250k avios and a BA 2-4-1 voucher.

  I could fly BA business/first for and pay c.£530 tax… is there an alternative way I can go business/first for lesser airmiles and less tax??

  • RT says:

    2 Feb2 February 12:21

    Oh – this would be for 2 flying…

  • Rob says:

    2 Feb2 February 14:49

    With a 241 you have to fly BA so there is no alternative. You can avoid the APD by starting in Jersey but then you have to pay to get to Jersey.

    With no 241 I would suggest Cathay Pacific AMS-HKG and then a connection on Cathay or JAL. Cathay AMS-HKG is only £91 tax compared to £500+ on BA.

    • RT says:

      2 Feb2 February 17:03

      Jesus… that’s a huge difference… But I guess I’ll need to double up on Avios for 2 of us? These BA charges are quite stupidly high!

      • Mark says:

        2 Feb2 February 21:35

        You will but the avios you have won’t get two of you to Tokyo without flying BA on the 2for1.

        If it were me I’d pay the tax and go in F if you can get seats…. In the end you’re saving more in the value of the avios saved through the 2for1 than the BA taxes and fees anyway, even at £500+ each.

        • Polly says:

          3 Feb3 February 03:02

          I agree, we are in Bali now with a 241 via HKG F, and CX with adios, £57 return for 2 in taxes, brilliant deal, priced up normal F to HKG, huge, so def worth using the voucher, and taking the hit on taxes for convenience. However as I said earlier IB now looking good even without the 241, if heading to South America.

      • Polly says:

        3 Feb3 February 03:40

        Yes you really have to be avios rich to go this way. I guess that’s why the 241 is so useful, even if we do have to take the hit in taxes. But, as rob says, if fuel duty reduces along the way, we may have even better value with the 241.

    • Gordon says:

      2 Feb2 February 22:09

      How do you check cathy availability on this route? Dipo you have to ring to book?

      • Polly says:

        3 Feb3 February 03:04

        Look it up on ba.com BAEC, it will show the partner options.

        Meant to say Rob, thanks for all this effort you have put into this, great holiday reading for us her! Really appreciated. That’s why I am posting in the middle of the night!

    • Polly says:

      3 Feb3 February 16:19

      Rob, today when I was booking our 241 long haul. I tried to book it starting in Jersey to avoid APD, and a red warning came up saying, the 241 voucher must start in the UK, thus, the taxes were still the same. Weird, or did I do something wrong?

      • Rob says:

        3 Feb3 February 16:53

        Interesting, I wonder if this is new?

        • Mark says:

          3 Feb3 February 18:47

          And Jersey is not actually part of the UK, it is a British Crown Dependency.

          So on that basis if it has been possible in the past it was probably an oversight.

  • RT says:

    3 Feb3 February 12:14

    Thanks for the responses all. Looks like its 241 BAEXC F tickets then. Convenience is king to me. I’d gladly pay a “full” price Economy ticket to travel in F =D.

    I have another 241 voucher coming – guess that’ll be for America/Canada next year!

    • Polly says:

      3 Feb3 February 16:13

      Good luck, hope you get F tickets where you want to go. Having read Robs suggestion about Mexico City, that’s one we will now consider to use up for our second 241 later this year. Got our F for next Jan today, so plenty of holiday homework going on here. For those of you frozen ones in the UK. It’s 30 degrees and balmy here in Bali… Sorry!

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