BA domestic Club Europe – book with Avios today, check existing flights

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• Dan says:

  2 Mar2 March 11:32

  I had booked LCY-JFK in CW and then JFK-LHR in F as a redemption, including Domestic connections to/from MAN. The CW leg is U class and F is Z class, whereas the domestic connections were X class. Just checked MMB and as expected I’m in Euro Traveller for the MAN flights. Do you think there’s any hope of me calling BA and asking to be moved to CE? Presumably if I went to book the same redemption now, I’d automatically be in CE considering my onward class of travel, so it seems a little harsh!

  • Justin says:

    2 Mar2 March 11:35

    Yes – phone them and ask them to move you into Club Europe. Going by this thread, mixed reports and they may or may not charge a change fee but it worked for me.

    • Kinkell says:

      2 Mar2 March 12:24

      Right! I’m on it! I phoned yesterday and agent was having none of it! According to her I was staying in ET come what may.

• chris1922 says:

  2 Mar2 March 13:52

  Just to mix things up a bit, I’ve just called to move my long haul F redemption domestic shuttles to CE rather than ET, and was told it wasl possible, but additional taxes are due, cicra £88. No mention of avios or change fees. Sigh. No consistency what so ever.
  I’ll call again and try another agent I think.

  • chris1922 says:

    2 Mar2 March 13:53

    “was” possible

  • Martin says:

    2 Mar2 March 22:06

    £88 was what they told me also

• Adam says:

  2 Mar2 March 15:00

  UPDATE

  Just had a call from BA Customer Services saying that in fact they were wrong to charge me 7500 avios to upgrade – this should have been done free of charge as the booking was made before these changes came into place.

  So – if you have a domestic X class (redemption ticket) connection onto First / CW – you should get automatically upgraded in to CE for the domestic sectors with no additional avios, APD, or change fees.

  Hope this helps!

  • chris1922 says:

    2 Mar2 March 15:22

    Glad you’re sorted Adam, but I’m not holding my breath for when I call back. I’m also an X, and an O fare class for my two shuttles to/from an F redemption.
    I’ll report back later.

  • damian says:

    2 Mar2 March 15:30

    I have redemption flights GLA-LHR connecting to Boston next day (first class) in July, retunr flight BOS-LHR (club) then LHR to GLA.

    We have been upgraded to club europe on the return domestic leg, but still in euro traveller for the first leg GLA-LHR.

    I called and was told that my flights were the same as booked, they offered to check for upgrade with avios but then said there was no availability.

    Bit annoying as we would have been guaranteed lounge access in glasgow if in club europe. never mind – might try again in a few weeks.

    Seems as though different people getting conflicting advice

    • Artimus says:

      2 Mar2 March 16:03

      When I called, the customer rep did say she can provide the upgrade so long as there is availability and in your case there is none. She explained that in some cases, the automatic upgrades based on class have taken up all the CE seats. I suggest trying close to departure when some travellers might reschedule.

      • Kinkell says:

        2 Mar2 March 16:47

        Sorted! Phoned again.CS agent stated that it is now a standard instruction to any bookings made
        prior to introduction of the changes, where pax. have ended up in ET with CW,/F connections, will be upgraded to CE for free provided there is availability . Just my luck, no availability on o/b domestic, but now OK for I/b.
        I think I am a reasonably well adjusted Scotswoman, but by golly, the tartan knickers were in a real twist over this. It was the principle involved. Hope it all works out for everyone else

        • Damian says:

          3 Mar3 March 17:50

          So after being told there was no availability in Club Europe on that flight I decided to try a new cash booking and found i WAS able to book 4 seats in club europe….

          I remembered there is a dedicated first class customer support line and called them. What a breath of fresh air! Very pleasant gent on the phone completely understood the issue and sorted it all out for us. He was able to book us into club europe. Before he checked he was also able to reassure me that we would have had lounge access in Glasgow anyway even though our connection was the next day (as it was within 24 hrs).

          Absolutely delighted (And i had almost given up!)

• paul says:

  2 Mar2 March 17:23

  2nd change of seats for same flight and again am grateful to my flights app as BA don’t give a toss what you think and certainly wont communicate changes to the passenger. Their attitude is typical of a bloated monopoly who knows its protected from competition and the rigours such competition brings. The UK populace, and especially this living outside the bubble of the southeast have been really badly served by what this carrier has been allowed to get away with and people do need to vote with the their feet.

• PaulW says:

  2 Mar2 March 18:19

  Any comment on what WTP connections should end up. Kids have connected to ET whilst our J has connected to CE. Not really a problem but know on a pod booking we had made at Xmas last year the connections were closed in J. I also have another’s J connection that has gone to ET that was from avios.com so may have hassle changing it, have lounge access anywhere but some consistency would be good!

• Tony says:

  3 Mar3 March 16:25

  Phoned up customer service yesterday to ask for upgrades to Club Europe on our domestic connecting flights to Club World on a 241 redemption, but was told that Club Europe was fully booked on our flights. Checked availability last night on the BA site: wide open for outbound; fully booked for inbound. So I phoned again this morning explaining the situation, and the rep happily upgraded us to CE on the outbound. Not bothered aboun the inbound because we’re in the arrivals lounge at LHR anyway. Just have to see how we go on with out 241 redemption at check in now.

  • Kathy H says:

    4 Mar4 March 11:40

    Having read about other readers managing to change their 2-4-1 Avios bookings from ET/CE gave it a try and BA will not change my booking without adcol of Avios/tax and change fee. Yet again the lack of consistency is frustrating and annoying.

• Darren says:

  4 Mar4 March 11:55

  Free Upgrade to CE secured!

  I have a 241 redemption booked from Belfast to Chicago CW via LHR, and back F out of JFK in Sept. Domestic legs were in ET (as booked before CE seats announced)

  Called exec club yesterday (Friday) to request free upgrade to CE on domestic transfers from BHD to LHR. Agent really didn’t understand the issue, but as I had mentioned ‘upgrade’ he put me through to reservations.

  Reservations agent was helpful and confirmed that upgrade was possible and that CE seats were available on my connections. Then put me on hold to check costs etc and came back advising they would need to calculate taxes payable.

  I advised of the ‘standard instruction’ as noted in Kinkell’s posting, and the refund mentioned by Adam (thanks to both!) and was then put on hold for c. 5 mins while they checked with someone, poss. supervisor.

  Advisor Came back to advise the upgrade to CE was fine with no charges, taxes, or avios, and apologised for having got it wrong.

  Only fly in ointment was that my First booking got cancelled and reinstated in the process so I had to remember to go back in an select my seats.

  Thanks to all for your info.

  • Kathy H says:

    4 Mar4 March 12:05

    Great result Darren – as per my above post I also mentioned the standard instruction and the refund of avios to make a case for my U/G but no no avail.

• Robbie says:

  4 Mar4 March 12:58

  We (gold and silver) had two 241 redemptions with domestic legs booked some time ago – one done online in CW is showing as U in domestic legs; one booked by phone is U in CW but has come up as X in domestic legs. Call centre now saying that U redemptions should book into U domestic – but if prebooked is in X for whatever reason (manual booking), change fee will be charged. So charge is £70 for a gnt and blocked centre seats. Not good. Not generous. And worst of all not consistent…
  Have just switched away from BA Amex card since 241 vouchers are becoming too much trouble.

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