Want to go to Sydney? Good Avios availability just released in British Airways Club World

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• A Marks says:

  24 Jun24 June 12:32

  £1316 and 125K for 2 in club return on a companion, most definitely worth the £70 gamble. Booked 🙂

  • Amit says:

    24 Jun24 June 13:02

    Isn’t it 250k?

    • Paul74 says:

      24 Jun24 June 13:54

      I’ve just done a dummy booking and it came to £759.79 plus 275,000 Avios for 31/12-15/1. For comparison, on a quick search I’ve found an itinerary booked through Lufthansa travelling on a combination of Star Alliance airlines (inc ANA) for £3,072.24 (can be cancelled for the loss of £250). Equal or better flexibility starting in London was far more expensive with the other airlines I looked at.
      On the basis of that Lufthansa fare, this comes to roughly 0.8p/avios (haven’t factored in not earning points on a money fare which would be significant on such a route). Of course, there’s extra value in there only being a £35 cancellation fee with the avios option. On the other hand, having done it before, the possibility of going all the way from London to Sydney on an ‘eight across in Club’ 777 with inconsistent service isn’t terribly appealing (relative to other long haul business class options).

• Andrew says:

  24 Jun24 June 13:04

  Inevitably the route will be cancelled nearer the time as the borders remain closed – so at least people won’t have to pay the £35 fee. Also Club World really does seem the worst place to sit for social distancing facing your seatmate – perhaps they will allow the screen to remain up all the time to avoid this face to face contact.

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    24 Jun24 June 13:09

    London to Australia on an old 777, couldn’t think of anything worse!

    • Andrew says:

      24 Jun24 June 13:26

      With a salad in a cardboard box and a bottle of water!

    • Lady London says:

      24 Jun24 June 20:29

      747 was rumblier and worse if you were in the cheap seats.

  • Anna says:

    24 Jun24 June 13:57

    I was thinking that – is this BA trying to rake as much money in as possible from taxes & fees in the full knowledge that people will snap up the award seats and may be persuaded to accept a voucher when the flights are cancelled in a few months? It’s going to be interesting to see if the normal cancellation process is disabled indefinitely.

    • Polly says:

      24 Jun24 June 14:58

      Def a plan, why else would they open up those seats. J cabin practically empty on the dates we have booked. Might strike lucky with a half full cabin…but they will probably cancel it.

      • Rob says:

        24 Jun24 June 15:08

        It wouldn’t be a bad strategy in my view, except for the extra admin when the flights are cancelled and everyone has to ring the call centre!

  • Lady London says:

    24 Jun24 June 20:21

    I dont think it will be cancelled around the Christmas holidays.

    There’s freight and I’m guessing enough expats who will want to go home in both directions around then to see their families. The normal length of trip they’d make could accommodate quarantine or stretch a bit for that as it’s long anyway.

    • SydneySwan says:

      25 Jun25 June 05:47

      If quarantine is still in place then (and good chance it will be for UK residents given the current uncontrolled community spread in the UK) then expect it to fully negate any cash saved from these avios bookings. Quarantine costs are currently borne by the government but once tourists start arriving it will definitely be a user-pays system at full market rates (budget A$300 per day minimum for 14 days).

• Snorri says:

  24 Jun24 June 13:04

  OT: No article on Iberia offering 4x (or 2x if over 3k miles) Elite Points?

  • Rob says:

    24 Jun24 June 14:36

    Wasn’t planning to. VERY tight booking and flying deadlines, Iberia not running many routes, and BA’s reduced tier point thresholds make it more attractive anyway.

    I’ll look at it again if/when the UK announces a travel corridor to Spain.

• John T says:

  24 Jun24 June 13:23

  Its unlikely Australia will allow British nationals into the country this year. They have contained the virus by doing the opposite of what the UK has done when it comes to travel.

  • Joan says:

    24 Jun24 June 18:26

    @John T, thanks for the misery. Did you miss the bit about Avios bookings cancellable for just £35 per person? Getting seats to Sydney is normally like finding rocking horse sh.t so anyone looking to get to Sydney with Avios would be well advised to get booked while there is some availability.

    • Nick says:

      24 Jun24 June 19:01

      I think John T has hit the nail on the head!

      • babyg says:

        24 Jun24 June 19:40

        no john has totally missed the point…

    • Jeff 99 says:

      24 Jun24 June 22:03

      So a family of 4 would have to pay £140 in cancellation fees. Waste of money.

      Ignore and don’t book if you’re sensible.

      • Rob says:

        24 Jun24 June 22:05

        If BA cancels the flights, you don’t pay the £140 – which is likely is Oz isn’t letting people in. There’s not going to be much repatriation traffic left to do come December.

        Oddly, looks like Australia is going to be on the ‘air bridges’ list announced next week if you believe the papers.

        • TimS says:

          25 Jun25 June 04:52

          There is no way Australia will form an “air bridge” with the UK any time soon. Right now, Australia is worried about 20 community transmissions of COVID19 per day, and has called in the Defence Force to assist with containment in some Melbourne suburbs.

          My guess is that Australia’s international border will re-open only to New Zealand before Christmas, but not to anywhere outside of Oceania before Easter 2021 at the absolute earliest (unless a viable vaccine is magically available in the interim).

          All you would be doing is loaning money to BA until they refund it, and tying up Avois that could be used elsewhere in the meantime (if you aren’t Avois-rich)

        • Jeff 99 says:

          25 Jun25 June 06:46

          “ which is likely is Oz isn’t letting people in”

          So what’s the point even booking it then? Use those Avios for a trip that’s actually going to happen rather than tie them up for this, as already mentioned.

• Polly says:

  24 Jun24 June 13:34

  Does anyone know what the max layover allowed is in Singapore. Just can’t seem to book when l accept the layover? Let’s me book when travelling straight through tho. Thoughts anyone.

  • marcw says:

    24 Jun24 June 13:53

    ATM no layover allowed at SIN. only connections.

    • Polly says:

      24 Jun24 June 14:51

      Tnx, just found that out after being on hold a while with BA. V helpful chap tried lots of dates for us. Finally settled on our original plan out end of Jan, ret end of February, but fully expect the flights to be cancelled!
      Now to cancel HKG in J for those same dates….

      • Lady London says:

        25 Jun25 June 00:03

        or you could wait and see if the HKG flights get cancelled nearer the time in which case a voucher extension might be given. might tie up your avios for too long though.

        • Polly says:

          25 Jun25 June 06:53

          True, good idea. Thinking someone might be able to use them too. Was really looking for KUL, but nothing appearing. Managed to get an F sector and layover in SIN on way back from oz, pleased with that. Will keep an eye out for other F sectors to upgrade to. And if it’s cancelled, will just go with the flow.

• Claire says:

  24 Jun24 June 14:40

  Thanks Rob! Booked 15/2 – 8/3. Outbound is last day our oldest 241 is valid. Think this is the 4th attempt to redeem it and second for SYD (amid uncertainty used your java workaround to get the cash refund on same route booked for this June when BA opened these up first time around – whenever that was, seems like a lifetime ago…) and third involving an Australia trip. Oh well got to be in it to win it… £1519 + 275k

  • Lady London says:

    24 Jun24 June 19:51

    Good luck Clare

• memesweeper says:

  24 Jun24 June 15:55

  Sydney isn’t the only destination with lots of availability all of a sudden on Seatspy — Tokyo and Vegas look much better than I’d expect.

  • Peter North says:

    24 Jun24 June 16:28

    Doh! (Hits head on wall) you won’t get in!!!

    • Andrew says:

      24 Jun24 June 16:35

      Yes BA are deliberately picking destinations that won’t allow U.K. passport holders in for the next 6 months at least – a good way to get some cash flow in from taxes/charges and from Avios (which as a separate company pay BA when they are redeemed).

    • Kathleen says:

      24 Jun24 June 18:28

      @Peter North, how exactly do you know now? You are talking absolute tripe. I’ve got First class flights to Miami booked for November and if I can’t go, I get a full refund or I can cancel for £35pp. What’s not to like. Get a grip man.

      • Amber Lynn says:

        24 Jun24 June 18:38

        How delightfully Middle class, “you are talking absolute tripe”

• Leigh says:

  24 Jun24 June 16:43

  Even if they do cancel it, I wonder what the chances are to be rebooked on QR who would be operating?

  • marcw says:

    24 Jun24 June 16:47

    There are two options really: BA will fly… but you won’t be allowed in. Or BA won’t fly, but you won’t be allowed in either.

    • marcw says:

      24 Jun24 June 16:47

      Third option, and desired, BA will fly and Austrlia allows you to enter the country.

      • Polly says:

        24 Jun24 June 19:06

        Ha ha!

    • Leigh says:

      24 Jun24 June 18:08

      I’m a citizen so will be allowed in, albeit with possible two weeks quarantine, likely at my own expense. So I’m more curious around BA’s rebooking policy especially QR who are flying to most capital cities

      • Michael Jennings says:

        24 Jun24 June 19:31

        I’m also a citizen. As things are right now, I would be allowed in (but required to spent 14 days quarantined in a hotel) but I would not be allowed to leave again, and I would not be allowed to cross certain state borders. Most of this isn’t going to change any time soon.

        • John says:

          25 Jun25 June 06:36

          You’d be allowed to leave if you had a specific reason for going to Australia temporarily and your home is in the UK.

          My reason for going would be “to escape the second wave in the European winter” so I suppose I wouldn’t be allowed to leave

  • Lady London says:

    24 Jun24 June 19:56

    Excellent chance but you prob will have to know and use your EU261 rights and it may be a fight.

    As other posters have said it’s up to you how you get yourself into Oz. It may be impossible or onerous but if the flight is flying then the airline is not responsible if you develop an immigration problem. Hence as Rhys says thisnis a way to keep it flexible.

    • Stuart says:

      25 Jun25 June 07:57

      Eu261 will not cover Uk to australia after 31/12…

      • Rhys says:

        25 Jun25 June 08:31

        Except the plan is that EU laws as they apply in the UK will be drafted into UK law

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