British Airways launches a flash flight sale in economy from London Gatwick

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• mark says:

  2 Nov2 November 08:32

  OT …… Reward flight finder seems to have stopped the Virgin search for flying club redemptions?
  Has the website changed or am i doing something wrong?
  Thank you

• Roger says:

  2 Nov2 November 08:42

  An insider question

  How do airline pay each other for miles redemption using partner airlines?
  Is it fixed cash or number of miles for a sector /route?

  • Rob says:

    2 Nov2 November 08:55

    Honestly no idea.

    • Roger says:

      2 Nov2 November 09:46

      Let’s say I am using AA miles for trip to Asia using QR flights but the booking is obviously by AA.

      I was led to believe AA books using QR miles on QR on behalf of the AA customer.
      Not sure how true this is.

      • Nick says:

        2 Nov2 November 10:55

        Absolute rubbish. How would AA be able to book using QR miles? Why would they even want to? What use is QR miles to QR?

        The airlines pay each other cash for customers making redemptions. The rates are negotiated amongst themselves, with some substantially higher than others. Occasionally (but not always) it’s tiered based on seasonality/peak demand.

        With BA/IB there’s an added complication in that there’s an internal third party (AGL) also involved.

        • RussellH says:

          2 Nov2 November 11:24

          Roger’s description does look a little simplistic to me, but surely there is a clearing system, run by, or at least managed by, Oneworld?

          On a simple level, someone’s booking using AA miles on QR will be offset against someone else booking with QR miles on AA.
          But I imagine that there is a single clearing house for the whole of Oneworld, another for StarAlliance and so on.
          After, this must have been what happened in the “good old days” before the invention of Apex tickets and all plane tickets were fully flexible across airlines as well as dates and times.

        • Nick says:

          2 Nov2 November 18:01

          Payments between airlines are made through the IATA clearing house, that’s true. There’s nothing equivalent at a oneworld/alliance level. Oneworld rules say that carriers have to make redemption inventory available across the alliance, but there’s no central process for managing it. (Incidentally this is why BA will never book onto easyJet/Ryanair in disruption, because the latter two airlines refuse to work to IATA standards and therefore there’s no way of paying them.)

          The process for redemption coupons is no different really from a standard interline coupon, it’s just the rates that will vary. And I think you’d be surprised how high they can be…

  • Lady London says:

    2 Nov2 November 12:47

    It would have to be cash – or cash netted off and paid between thé Airlines each Quarter or year – as each airline charges different numbers of miles for same route. It might be based on the interline rates though – which IIRC used to have some connections to an IATA rate per mile.

• Shoestring says:

  2 Nov2 November 09:52

  @Cat re your sis + tot – Princess mentioned getting the bulkhead seat + cot

  Make sure your sis reserves this *at time of booking* (free of charge), certainly possible with BA – the cot will make all the difference with a 10 month old tot but there are limited numbers so the early bird gets the cot

  • Cat says:

    5 Nov5 November 21:53

    Thanks Harry, she’s on it! Sorry, only just spotted this. Much appreciated, as always m’dear!

• Kyle says:

  2 Nov2 November 09:56

  There are a couple of flghts for as low as £16! I got one in March to Jersey.

• Shoestring says:

  2 Nov2 November 10:33

  Turn on Virgin auto tip conversion from Tesco Clubcard again for another 1000 bonus Virgin miles later on this quarter, says first timers only but you never know

  • BJ says:

    2 Nov2 November 17:12

    Never got mine last month.

• Novice says:

  2 Nov2 November 12:24

  Some advice needed if anyone can help. Looking to redeem a Lloyds on London – Toronto, which I understand from HFP has at least one A350 on the route with the new BA club suites. However looking at April/May next year I can only see 777 and 787 flights?

  • Rob says:

    2 Nov2 November 13:25

    No A350 flights are timetabled for the Summer season yet (starting 29 March)

• Jon says:

  2 Nov2 November 13:36

  Lovely jubbly, extra 1750 avios. Thanks!

• Londonsteve says:

  2 Nov2 November 14:45

  I guess it speaks volumes that when I mentioned the latest BA flash sale to my other half, a propos of a cheap city break for about 60 pounds return, she said she would rather fly Ryanair…

  Although I’m mildly better disposed towards BA than her, I’ve learned to check BA Source and if the route is served by a Neo I’d rather walk. Almost…. SOF is now an exclusively Neo route, so I’ve routed via IST on TK for more money. 6.30 instead of 3.30 but a hell of a lot more comfortable. Looking forward to the superlative TK food and service, not to mention a peek at the beautiful new airport. 5 years ago I used to enjoy BA on the SOF route, 31 inch pitch ‘down the back’ and a tasty hot meal. It was a civilised way to fly, now I’d seriously rather fly Wizz from LTN. Greater comfort and smiling service, no wonder they are cleaning up in the European LCC market.

  • Rhys says:

    2 Nov2 November 14:55

    On the other hand, my parents who were due to fly Wizz to Sicily had their flights cancelled and some VERY poor communication re: their options…..

    • Londonsteve says:

      2 Nov2 November 15:02

      Swings and roundabouts. LCCs were and are always poor in this situation, unfortunately. It also can’t help that Wizz maintain only skeleton staff in the UK. I’ve taken in excess of 300 flights with Wizz over the years and other than the very occasional delay in the realms of 1-3 hours, I’ve never had a problem. Their fleet is almost new which helps avoid the risk of going technical. They’re not in the EZY league but are RYN priced and a cut above them in terms of product. We are comparing pretty low rent options and BA should be miles above both of them for experience, yet I would choose Wuzz over BA on the SOF route even if the tickets were identically priced, which is unfortunate.

      • Tudway says:

        2 Nov2 November 16:55

        I flew with Whiz from LTN to SOF last year. It felt like a school minibus. Coming from the the East Midlands Luton is marginally more convenient that Gatwick, so price swung it.

        • Genghis says:

          2 Nov2 November 22:15

          Flew Wizz for the first time yesterday. Never again.

        • Londonsteve says:

          4 Nov4 November 16:49

          In what way does BA Euro Traveller not feel like a school minibus, to adopt your analogy? I find the hard product near identical while Wizz staff are more eager to please than their BA compatriots on these short haul sectors.

        • Lady London says:

          4 Nov4 November 21:07

          Hi @Genghis,

          Why never again ?

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