Calling BA at midnight to book reward flight – tips from anyone who has done it?
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Hello,
I thought I’d add another data point for you all.
I rang +1 (800) 452-1201 @ 00:40 on 6th April and went to new bookings with voucher (Barclays Cabin Upgrade)
I was put through to a lovely women from Manchester who was finishing at 1am. She asked me what I was after and I explained this is my first time trying to book a redemption and that I wanted LHR-HND.
She told me to call back as she wouldn’t wait 15 minutes but she changed her mind after saying this, I don’t know if it was my clear hesitation or what but she stayed on the phone with me until about 1:10!
Not only did we grab it first time, but she also adjusted it to MAN-LHR-HND for me as I am in MAN.
So my experience for a first time redeemer has been brilliant. From what I gather though this might be a bit out the ordinary.
For anyone wanting to add the free leg from a connecting airport, get it done after. They won’t charge you anything.
From reading the various threads and my own experience trying the other night (and failing but managing to get my flight out online), I think it will be totally hit and miss regardless which number you call as I think ultimately you are getting put through to a call centre which appear to be either UK or India. Whether they will then help you or not presumably depends on which agent you get through to and if they really understand what you are trying to do and want to help.
But which country’s line you call may determine whether you manage to get through to someone. From what I’ve ascertained, if you don’t manage to get through to someone on the US line by 0055 BST, you will get cut-off with a message saying that the office is closed. Monday to Friday, the Australian line will be open over 1am BST (it opens 12am BST) but the person I got through to in India on that number said they couldn’t help me and then gave me the US number instead which then cut me off at 0055. I tried Australia again after US cut me off but was still holding by time 0100 ticked over and booked the flights online instead. I will need to call to add return flights though as I don’t have enough avios to book that online.
In case helpful, for calling the Australia number, I downloaded the Rebtel app. They charge £4 a month for unlimited calls to Aus but first 7 days is free and can cancel free anytime in that period. Call quality was very good (better than I got on Skype to US). I think you could do same thing for Japan too (but my understanding is that Japan line only opens at 1am BST so may be too late to actually secure seats you want).
The system is a bit of a joke – any chance of it changing soon?
Nope – BA is not remotely interested in making it easier for you to redeem your avios for high-value flights!
The system is a bit of a joke – any chance of it changing soon?
The system for booking Avios flights is just fine if you book them in the ordinary way. It’s only those insisting on booking at T-355 and trying to circumvent the terms that are having to go through these midnight calling shenanigans etc. In this instance, it’s not BA that has made the system a joke.
It’s remarkable to see after all that apparent effort, just how many of those bookings then get cancelled in the following hours, days or month.
The system is a bit of a joke – any chance of it changing soon?
The system for booking Avios flights is just fine if you book them in the ordinary way. It’s only those insisting on booking at T-355 and trying to circumvent the terms that are having to go through these midnight calling shenanigans etc. In this instance, it’s not BA that has made the system a joke.
It’s remarkable to see after all that apparent effort, just how many of those bookings then get cancelled in the following hours, days or month.
I’d be happy for those initial T-355 reward seats to be non-refundable to be honest.
The system is what it is.
When people sugegst what they think are improvements really aren’t improvmenets or are just ones that will help that particular person.
Changing the midnight BST time to say 11am would still lead to people calling just before then and the same issues.
I don’t have an AMEX so no vouchers and there are plenty of changes I’d suggest but most people won’t like them.
I’d probbaly start with only making them available online.
Not sure making them non refundable would work as there is a US regulation that means airlines have to offer a 24 hour cooling off period.
Agree make it an even playing field, online only
Hello,
I thought I’d add another data point for you all.
I rang +1 (800) 452-1201 @ 00:40 on 6th April and went to new bookings with voucher (Barclays Cabin Upgrade)
I was put through to a lovely women from Manchester who was finishing at 1am. She asked me what I was after and I explained this is my first time trying to book a redemption and that I wanted LHR-HND.
She told me to call back as she wouldn’t wait 15 minutes but she changed her mind after saying this, I don’t know if it was my clear hesitation or what but she stayed on the phone with me until about 1:10!
Not only did we grab it first time, but she also adjusted it to MAN-LHR-HND for me as I am in MAN.
So my experience for a first time redeemer has been brilliant. From what I gather though this might be a bit out the ordinary.
For anyone wanting to add the free leg from a connecting airport, get it done after. They won’t charge you anything.
Congrats on bagging your seats! Also currently after LHR-HND with two Barclays upgrade vouchers to use.
I’ve not been getting northern Brits on my recent calls which is what I think has got me the seats on previous vouchers as they just seem to know what they are doing.
My first call a few weeks back the agent (in India?) put me on hold past midnight to find out how to do it! No luck online.
The second night I didn’t even get through on the phone, but managed to get all the way to payment online and it failed as the seats had gone.
Tonight I was too slow for the business or premium seats online as the page refreshed (arghh!!) and just economy was showing. The agent (in India again?) on the phone knew what to do but had no urgency and they had gone. Round four tomorrow… wish me luck!
I had luck with Barbados flights calling the Australia number – which was then answered by an Indian call centre. The agent wasn’t clocking off when the flights were released and knew what to do.
If I have to do this again, I’d definitely be looking for a country call centre number that doesn’t finish at midnight / 1am British time.
I thought I’d add another data point for you all.
I rang +1 (800) 452-1201 @ 00:40 on 6th April and went to new bookings with voucher (Barclays Cabin Upgrade)
I was put through to a lovely women from Manchester who was finishing at 1am. She asked me what I was after and I explained this is my first time trying to book a redemption and that I wanted LHR-HND.
She told me to call back as she wouldn’t wait 15 minutes but she changed her mind after saying this, I don’t know if it was my clear hesitation or what but she stayed on the phone with me until about 1:10!
Not only did we grab it first time, but she also adjusted it to MAN-LHR-HND for me as I am in MAN.
So my experience for a first time redeemer has been brilliant. From what I gather though this might be a bit out the ordinary.
For anyone wanting to add the free leg from a connecting airport, get it done after. They won’t charge you anything.
Thank you Eel8750 – very helpful and well done on getting your tickets.
Can I check – where you charged the taxes in £GBP (and the same amount as if booking online) even though technically this was the a US line?
I have booked a London-Tokyo return, somewhat painfully. Stayed up till 1am for the outbound leg and went through several numbers until I tried +1(800)452-1201 which was the one that got me to the correct person (and a £70 phone bill). All pretty straight forward, had to hang around for 9 minutes and make awkward small talk with the operator whilst we waiting for the release at 1am but she secured a business class seat immediately, completed the booking and then told me to call back two weeks later to book my return leg the same way.
Second time for the return leg not so easy. I stayed up again till 1am 2 nights ago only to be told that there would be a power outage at 1am so they wouldn’t be able to book it for me and then would be closing till 5am. I was instructed to either ring at 8am, at which time I knew there was no chance or try booking myself when the system was back up and running at 5:15am. I woke up at 5am and tried but there were no tickets to be seen.
Tried 1am again last night and again got told that the system would be down at exactly 1am. Now I’m annoyed that I’ve stayed up another night for nothing. There was something off about this particular operator on the second night though, like she really just didn’t want to deal with me. I decided to try the system at 1am myself anyway and it didn’t go out like she said/like it had the night before (I had tried then too) but I was obviously too slow as they were gone by the time I got to booking so I missed out again. I checked again today at 8am and did see a premium economy available so went ahead and booked it over the phone with the regular BA comparison in voucher line because I will not be doing this 1am business ever again. I think I might infact cancel my AMEX PP card because that was a massive ball ache.
You know you can use the voucher to go to other places as well?
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