55k points for LON-NYC! What am I doing wrong?

[conguir]

Hi all

maybe this question has been answered before, but I’m a little bit baffled with the fact that every time I check the BA avios chart I see that to go to NYC from London it might be around 13000 avios off-peak per flight, however every time I’ve tried to checked how much it really is, BA website shows much more.

For example, LHR – EWR from 2nd Dec to 9th Dec is 55000 points + £247 , that’s more than twice the points it says on the BA avios chart. What am I doing wrong here??

Thank you

[drdan]

Not looking at higher cash less avios options.

[NorthernLass]

You’re looking at the “old” pricing, prior to BA introducing RFS fares on this route. It should start at 25k avios plus £50 each way, then there will be other avios plus cash options. Economy is rarely the best use of avios unless cash fares are very high, you’d probably get better value going for WTP, which would be 42,500 avios plus £175-ish each way.

[conguir]

How can I look at that? It doesn’t give me any option. And to be honest it’s high avíos high price, 55k avíos + 270 pounds….

[NorthernLass]

Ah – do you qualify for RFS prices? You need to have relatively recent avios activity (2 years?) to be eligible to book that rate. So I think you have to have earned at least 1 avios in that period.

Also, are you being shown BA flights? Other operators, e.g. Aer Lingus, have different pricing.

But if it’s a RFS fare and a BA flight, you should see a line saying something like “other pricing options” just underneath the quoted fare which you can click on.

[conguir]

Ah, that might be it, I have my points with Iberia and every time I checked it was giving options asking a enormous amount of avíos, therefore I created an account in BA but it didn’t help. Maybe if I transfer some avíos from iberia to BA? That might help?

[AJA]

Unfortunately transferring Avios from IB to BAEC does not count as earning.

If you have a Nectar account transfer the minimum 400NP to BA or transfer Amex MR points.

Otherwise I think you’re limited to buying the minimum Avios directly from BA though that might be cheaper than the price you’re currently being quoted.

You need at least 1 Avios earned in the last 12 months to qualify for RFS pricing

[conguir]

I think I’ll use my wife’s BA account and transfer there my IB avíos, she has points there and I can see the difference on avíos required per flight. Thank you!