Forums › Frequent flyer programs › British Airways Executive Club › Calculating taxes, fees and surcharges on reward bookings
-
Do BA make up the taxes, fees and surcharges as they go along?
I initially booked a one-way biz class reward flight at t-355 days online from the UK to BGI for 2 adults and 2 children on peak days for £1741.04 total.
Then all on the same day a week later, I checked the one-way inbound cost online, which was £1184.60 total debating whether to wait on the phones or not at midnight. I also checked a fully return biz class reward flight online from the UK for 2 adults and 2 children which was £2706.84 total and clearly cheaper then buying two one-ways.
At 1am I called up BA to have the return flight added to my existing booking. I re-checked the full return price online and that was now slightly more expensive £2726.44 and I was expecting to pay the difference between my initial one-way ticket (as you do with Avios) and the new full return cost. Instead the agent worked out a completely different figure somewhere between the new full return cost and the cost of two one-ways.
What is the best way to calculate taxes, fees and surcharges?
Do BA make up the taxes, fees and surcharges as they go along?
Yes.
I initially booked a one-way biz class reward flight at t-355 days online from the UK to BGI for 2 adults and 2 children on peak days for £1741.04 total.
Then all on the same day a week later, I checked the one-way inbound cost online, which was £1184.60 total debating whether to wait on the phones or not at midnight. I also checked a fully return biz class reward flight online from the UK for 2 adults and 2 children which was £2706.84 total and clearly cheaper then buying two one-ways.
At 1am I called up BA to have the return flight added to my existing booking. I re-checked the full return price online and that was now slightly more expensive £2726.44 and I was expecting to pay the difference between my initial one-way ticket (as you do with Avios) and the new full return cost. Instead the agent worked out a completely different figure somewhere between the new full return cost and the cost of two one-ways.
What is the best way to calculate taxes, fees and surcharges?
For a kick-off, if you book an Avios booking in two parts you should expect to pay the Taxes Fees & Charges of two one-ways. The return fees are irrelevant.
Further complicating this is that it is the TFCs of the outbound when you booked it, and the inbound when you booked that, which may not equal the sum of two one-ways on any day you may check that.
The TFCs for one ways can be seen in a dummy booking on ITA Matrix for a cash fare, however, just to keep us on our toes, sometimes (rarely) BA charges a different amount of TFCs for Avios redemptions versus the amount shown in Matrix and charged to cash customers.
Do BA make up the taxes, fees and surcharges as they go along?
Only the surcharges are made up by BA.
Taxes are set by Governments. Fees by airports and governments.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
New to Head for Points?
Welcome! We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Got any questions? Ask them in our forums.
Latest Forum Posts
- Aston100 on Tokyo reward flights
- Aston100 on Travel Republic – any experience?
- Michael C on Chat thread – Thursday 28th March
- pog2005 on Post your British Airways Premium Plus retention offers!
- Professor Calculus on Amex have cancelled all my cards!
- SteveJ on Amex have cancelled all my cards!
- Alex G on BA car hire – recommended?
- JDB on The ‘How to book the return leg with 2-4-1 companion voucher’ thread
- qc on The ‘How to book the return leg with 2-4-1 companion voucher’ thread
- JDB on Amex have cancelled all my cards!
Check reward flight availability instantly for free!
Booking a luxury hotel?
Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.7 million of rooms to date. Click for details.