Bits: 15% off Iberia flights from the UK, craziest trip report ever?, Aeroplan devalues

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• Pommyboi says:

  27 Sep27 September 17:30

  gutted about the Iberia code. We spent £600 on two flights to MAD yesterday to link up with a flight to Cuba we booked using points (thanks to Rob). Still I think it was only £40 in charges for a business seat plus Avios for the Cuba flight at a peak time of year so it’s not a bad deal.

• harry says:

  27 Sep27 September 17:34

  Quite clear MR —> Avios will be devalued UK as well, timing uncertain.

  No point leaving MR points unconverted.

  • Brian says:

    27 Sep27 September 19:32

    Unless you want the flexibility of being able to convert to different programmes. If you are only interested in Avios, then maybe you’re right.

  • Rob says:

    27 Sep27 September 20:17

    No it won’t.

    The US devaluation was done for a specific reason – to make the official BA Amex, issued by Chase, more attractive than having an Amex and converting MR points.

    This is not an issue in the UK, because a) Amex issues both cards and b) the BA cards are already better deals than either Gold or Platinum – because of the annual fees – if you want Avios.

    • ABC says:

      28 Sep28 September 06:46

      This is nonsense. First off Chase issues BA card is by Visa.
      Second, BA is selling Avios. One would assume that BA increased the price per Avios. You now only earn 1avios/$ spent rather than 1.25 Avios/$ on Chase issues BA card. Approximately the same reduction as seen with the new MR to Avios conversion rate in the U.S.

      • RIccati says:

        28 Sep28 September 18:57

        Not quite the nonsense. You described the same story. If US BA Card (Visa) earns 1 Avios/USD (was 1.25 Avios/USD), then presumably, BA requested change to 5:4 for MR/Avios transfers (perhaps in the interest of Chase). Otherwise MR way would be more attractive than BA-branded credit card (in the US).

        It seems AMEX agreed to that. They have quite a leverage over the airlines because they are paying cash for points but they also need to offer a similarly attractive option, compared to airline credit cards.

        If the MR-to-airline rate is unfavourable then people stop transferring (and start spending on airline-branded card). Perhaps that is why they were so careful setting the rate as 5:4 (250:200) as opposed to 3:2 and things are approximately equal between US Amex MR and Chase BA Visa to acquire Avios.

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