Revealed …. the peak and off-peak Avios redemption calendars for 2017

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• Owen Rudge says:

  15 Apr15 April 07:15

  In Scotland we’ve always had two weeks for the October holidays (the “tattie picking holidays”), and our summer holidays start at the beginning of July, so perhaps BA is just trying to cover all its bases… often the best time to get away is before the English schools go on holiday!

  • Erico1875 says:

    15 Apr15 April 12:33

    Im in West Lothian and Oct hss always been just a week

    • Sandgrounder says:

      15 Apr15 April 21:15

      I have often found cash fares in the last week of August which merit a three hour drive North.

  • Brian W says:

    16 Apr16 April 01:40

    Scottish School Holidays in the central belt have always been one week for as long as I can remember. My eldest is 9 and it’s been one week since before she was born. We’re in the West and Erico in the East so seems one week is the norm where the majority reside.

• harry says:

  15 Apr15 April 07:16

  another good reason to pinch the Friday (31/3/17) if you are taking the kids off on holiday at Easter next year (state schools) – saved us 4000 avios 🙂

  not sure why they didn’t make it peak

  • Genghis says:

    15 Apr15 April 07:20

    Do parents still get fined for taking kids out of school? Ie. Did you pay anything for those 4k avios? 🙂

    • Scott says:

      15 Apr15 April 07:25

      Depends on the school sometimes if you ask permission they allow it others refuse and you just go anyway lol

    • harry says:

      15 Apr15 April 07:31

      they’re more concerned about whole weeks off, not odd days at the end of term

      our kids go to 3 different schools so no pattern will emerge 🙂

      actually (Scott) – all schools have been guided to refuse permission for term time hols without exceptional circumstances – so it’s better to pull a sickie, sickies are authorised absences

      • Worzel says:

        15 Apr15 April 07:44

        I am reminded of the days when all you had to do was to hand in a form at the school office in order to take your kids away for a couple of weeks- 5 or more holidays in the Greek Islands!

        Surprisingly, having missed all that school time, our 3 have all turned out OK, are solvent and have decent jobs 🙂 .

        • pauldb says:

          15 Apr15 April 08:33

          In fairness the argument is not just about the impact on your children. They’ll have missed certain ground and the teacher will need to spend time helping them catch-up, even if it’s just arranging with you how you cover it. That time affects all the other kids in a way that, across the whole class/school, cannot be assessed or justified by your own children’s outcomes.

        • Worzel says:

          15 Apr15 April 09:57

          How would you quantify teachers time spent dealing with the Duffers/lazy parents v a couple of weeks away?

        • Fenny says:

          15 Apr15 April 20:17

          If the kid is not having any issues, a week off only affects their scores for the league tables. It has very little effect on anything else long term.

      • Callum says:

        15 Apr15 April 10:16

        They should be equally concerned by both, otherwise they’re breaking the law… Attendance is a legal requirement, and saving 4000 avios isn’t a valid reason to withdraw a kid from school (though it will most likely be justified by “they wouldn’t be doing anything anyway” or “but the holiday will be educational”!)

        (For the record I have no personal qualms with missing the last day of school, but the law is the law. It’s not there to protect your no doubt well looked after children, it’s for those with bad parents. The superficial difference between them not always being obvious).

        • Genghis says:

          15 Apr15 April 10:28

          Do you always drive at 70mph in a motorway’s middle lane?

        • John says:

          15 Apr15 April 15:43

          No, I keep left unless overtaking.

        • harry says:

          15 Apr15 April 10:48

          actually saving 4000 avios was just lucky, it was flying out on Friday vs Saturday that I wanted

          last day of term is a complete waste of time at Xmas & summer term, less so the other hols – and the schools are generally useless at announcing training days a year ahead of time, so they might end up not missing anything at all…

        • Boris says:

          15 Apr15 April 11:02

          In this case I’d say the law is there to make sure that parents whose children are not going to suffer are for politically-correct reasons given the same punishment as those whose children will suffer through absence.

          Appropriate judgement is not allowed any more if it appears to a crude aanlysis that it causes diskwimination.

• Flyoff says:

  15 Apr15 April 07:36

  This another devaluation of Avios for people with school kids as you can’t use the Tuesday/ Wednesday dates anymore. Avios now to the Far East isn’t good value anymore, and is even marginal with an Amex 241, due to the very cheap business flights currently both ex EU and occasionally the UK. Raffles, some state schools now have 2 weeks in October but I think February is quite unusual hence why BA haven’t put it as peak.

• Will says:

  15 Apr15 April 08:05

  well this is a shame for me. My wife is a prep school teacher- we typically go away during the private sector extra weeks of holiday because flights have historically been slightly (although really not much) cheaper. Given that my only use of Avios is going to be go away wth the wife on holiday the Avios devaluation has hit us hard.

  • Mikeact says:

    15 Apr15 April 08:16

    “Hard”?
    “Flights have historically been slightly (although really not much) cheaper.”

    • Will says:

      15 Apr15 April 08:38

      merely pointing out that teachers as well as those with kids are effected by this. If anything teachers more so. That said I am well aware it’s my wife’s chosen carrier and as such, as with all jobs, there are positives and negatives. It’s just a shame.

      And yes historically it’s been slightly cheaper to fly when the private schools are on holiday than the state sector. any price differential though has been eroded in last ten years as, quite unsurprisingly, travel industry pricing models have become more sophisticated.

      • Genghis says:

        15 Apr15 April 08:42

        Perhaps your wife needs to change her chosen carrier? 🙂

        • Dave says:

          15 Apr15 April 16:27

          And who is hopefully teaching future public school boys and girls the difference between effect and affect

        • Mikeact says:

          16 Apr16 April 15:50

          Carrier or career?

• Liz says:

  15 Apr15 April 08:15

  I am currently watching flight availability from LHR to ORD as we want to book for the end of next April so I am pleased that week is showing as all off peak – it’s great having kids at Uni age so we can travel off peak! The two flight options we have are 11.20 am on a 747 or 4.00 pm on a 777 – looking to book CW and need the connecting flight down from EDI. As we haven’t yet flown our first CW long haul flight which aircraft is the better option?

  • Mikeact says:

    15 Apr15 April 08:17

    The iconic 747.

    • Scallder says:

      15 Apr15 April 08:57

      Also if flying 747 get the seats upstairs. Nice mini CW cabin with c20 seats in it all in 2-2 formation. There’s 2 cabin crew as well so get pretty attentive service!

      • Simmo says:

        15 Apr15 April 10:01

        Agree – If you can get the upstairs of a 747! in my opinion it’s not far from the BA First cabin (apart from the seats, and some snazzy PJ’s)

• Billy Buzzjet says:

  15 Apr15 April 08:29

  Hi Liz.
  Definitely the Upper Deck of the 747 if you can (or are prepared to pay to reserve) seats. However , be wary that these super High J versions of BA ‘s 747’s are crazy busy downstairs and it feels more like a flying dormitory.

  • Liz says:

    15 Apr15 April 08:40

    Ok great – we are actually booked for Chicago this Aug on a 747 which will be our first long haul flight so we should enjoy that. Haven’t paid to reserve the seats – we don’t have any status but as we have the connecting flight from EDI we can book in a few hours earlier than those from LHR so I will look then. What are the best seat numbers to look out for. There will be 2 of us travelling.

    • Mikeact says:

      15 Apr15 April 08:49

      No, check in on line 24 hrs prior, to the minute, and then select your seats.

    • Colin MacKinnon says:

      15 Apr15 April 08:56

      Hi Liz,

      Have a look at paid Business flights from Madrid to St Maarten (SXM) in the Caribbean and return to Edinburgh.

      They seem an amazing bargain at around £1,070. The great trick is that you don’t need to spend all your time in SXM – you could visit just for the day and then break your journey in Chicago on the way back for the main stay!

      Suggest that as the outbound MAD-MIA-SXM is a good flight – and you have Iberia (with Avios) or Easyjet from EDI-MAD.

      Fares like these to the US and the middle eastern flights to the Far East make me think that the BA Amex is no longer a bargain and things like Hilton or SPG rewards are the way ahead.

      • Liz says:

        15 Apr15 April 09:26

        This trip for next year is a month long drive along Route 66 with several detours so not looking to add more to the journey by going via other airports – got plenty of Avios and a 2-4-1 so keeping our cash for eating out and shopping!!! Was hoping to get F on the A380 on the way back from LAX but there is never any availability! Keeping options open for San Jose or San Francisco.

        • luke says:

          15 Apr15 April 09:49

          yeap a380 F to/from lax is a unicorn for points availability

• Mikeact says:

  15 Apr15 April 08:51

  Forgot to also mention, check out SeatGuru for best seats.

• Billy Buzzjet says:

  15 Apr15 April 08:54

  Hi. Personally I think the best window seats are 62 A/K or 64 A/K on the upper deck, failing that i usually opt for the last row in Club World on the main deck so I don’t have to climb over anyone to get out of my seat, although you are usually last to be served , so can present a risk.
  Have a great time.

  • Liz says:

    15 Apr15 April 09:30

    Thanks – I was having a look at seat guru ! I didn’t realise it had an upper deck. Thanks for your help!

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