Avios / Iberia booking – newbie question

[Mick S]

Hi – anyone able to answer this one?
just looking at some options for next year, and to cut the taxes I’m looking at Iberia (Madrid) to the US, using Avios.

I’m searching on the Iberia webpage for Madrid to Washington, as an example, and as I expected, reasonable taxes and avios. Some options are direct, some require going back to Heathrow. $542 for 2 people in Club.

However, as I need to start from Manchester I’ve also searched this and options are MAN-LON, LON-WAS – skipping out Madrid altogether, both flights operated by BA. Taxes are now sky high, $2175. I’m assuming this is because the journey is starting from the UK.

So my question – do I need to get from Manchester to Madrid on a totally separate booking?

[ChrisC]

Yes.

Also it’s not the proper taxes causing the huge increase it’s the BA surcharges.

[JDB]

In theory, if you stop over for more than 24 hours in Madrid you don’t have to pay the long haul APD (c.£190 each) – ie travel MAN-MAD-IAD which is rather more convenient. You also avoid it if you travel from MAD via LON on a short transfer but as per above post you are stuffed with BA charges.

[Thomas Atkins]

Yep, get to Madrid the before the Ex-MAD Iberia flight; treat yrself to a day and hotel there; u can do that from the savings in Ex-UK taxes/rip-off surcharges etc.