Help – Costa Rica flights – new to BA Avios

[kelliea1]

Hi,
Firstly apologies if this has been answered but couldn’t see anything in the previous topics.
I have a BA Amex Premium Plus companion voucher and roughly 120,000 points. I am looking to book 2 return flights to San Jose, Costa Rica for March-April 2024. I know that there is a direct flight from Gatwick but can never see business class seats available. Did look at LHR-MAD then MAD-SJO on Iberia but didn’t read many good reviews about Iberia business class.
Can anyone please advise the best way to find these seats (if they exist!) as it’s driving me crazy!
Thank you

[jek]

I am doing this trip in February 2024. Flying from/to MAD makes is *much* cheaper. Fly to MAD a day earlier, spend the evening with Tapas & Wine. We will be staying at the Airport Crowne Plaza with a relaxed breakfast in Iberia’s lounge.

I liked Iberia’s Business class when I flew their A350, however, this route has an A330, so I don’t know if the experience will be different.

[kelliea1]

Thanks for the advice. Can I book both legs using my companion voucher?

[kelliea1]

Sorry if I’m not getting this but when I looked up just economy flights the redemption was as below:

50,000 + £350.60 for Madrid to SJO
60,000 +£300.00 for Gatwick to SJO

So don’t see how it’s way cheaper from Madrid?

Thanks

[kelliea1]

I’ve just found 42,500 +£175.30 for one person with Iberia. Is that similar to what you had?

With my voucher it’s 42,500 +£300.00

If I wanted to do a Madrid to London booking can this be added to the 2 for 1 voucher?

Sorry for all the questions

[jek]

kelliea1 wrote:

Sorry if I’m not getting this but when I looked up just economy flights the redemption was as below:

50,000 + £350.60 for Madrid to SJO
60,000 +£300.00 for Gatwick to SJO

So don’t see how it’s way cheaper from Madrid?

Thanks

It’s a different world in Business. With your 241 and 120,000 Avios, the LGW departure is between 62,500 + 2x 1,916.30 to 108,000 + 2x 1,206.00 (the other Avios options are out of reach for you). For comparison, with MAD departure it was 85,000 + 2x 231.00. So MAD saved us around 2x 1,400!

I would suggest that you get a trial for Seatspy to research options, but then use your 241 for the actual availability.

[kelliea1]

Thanks for all your help. It makes a bot more sense now. I just need to be able to find the Business Class flights for the dates I want from Madrid. I’ll get a trial for Seatspy as suggested and also give BA a call to ask if Madrid economy flights can be added on using 2 4 1 voucher.

[qc]

If you add on the seats to MAD on BA you’ll pay UK Taxes

[kelliea1]

Right so if flight originates from UK higher taxes but if lands back in UK no higher taxes?

[zio]

Correct.

[kelliea1]

Thank you!
Also if I can only see the outbound flight at the moment as dates not released yet can I book it, wait and book return leg and then cobntact BA to refund Avios as will be using my 241 voucher?
Thank you

[memesweeper]

zio wrote:

Correct.

caveat: no higher real taxes…BA may add higher taxes, fees and charges if they choose, and there’s nothing you can do it they do so other than end your journey in MAD and fly onwards on another ticket.

[jek]

Adding the flight MAD-LON to MAD-SJO-MAD via the call centre may cause a huge addition of BA fees (1,800 GBP in our casee). For reference here are the baselines (for simplicity I assume 100 Avios = £1):

MAD-SJO-MAD:
86,000 Avios + £231 * 2: £1,312

Booking two trips:
Outgoing
MAD-SJO
42500 Avios + £114.10 * 2: £653.20

Incoming
SJO-MAD
42500 Avios + £242.80 * 2: £910.60 (+ £653.20 = £1563.80)
SJO-LGW
90000 Avios + £182.03 * 2: 1264.60 (+ £653.20 = £1917.80)
SJO-MAD-LHR (BA)
62500 Avios + £215.50 * 2: 1056.00 (+ £653.20 = 1709.20)
SJO-MAD-LHR (IB)
55250 Avios + £193.30 * 2: 939.10 (+ £653.20 = 1592.30)

Splitting the outgoing and incoming will add £251.80 in fees alone. Flying SJO-MAD-LHR with both legs with Iberia adds further £28.50. However, with the last leg with BA it adds further £145.40 and flying SJO-LGW direct further adds £354.00.

So it will cost at least £280.30 to split and fly SJO-MAD-LHR.

[kelliea1]

Thank you for that. I’ve booked the MAD-SJO leg now need to wait to book the SJO-MAD leg. I’ve read that some people usw a US phone line to book as the UK line closes at 8pm. Where do I get this number please? Thank you

[kelliea1]

I have also signed up for Seatspy but could not see Iberia as an airline to choose on there and could not choose Madrid as a return airport? Thanks

[e14]

kelliea1 wrote:

I have also signed up for Seatspy but could not see Iberia as an airline to choose on there and could not choose Madrid as a return airport? Thanks

Iberia doesn’t generate any public API that seatspy can use so they aren’t on there. When are you looking at as IB is about 341 days out on releasing seats and there are often only two J seats released

[Scott]

e14 wrote:

When are you looking at as IB is about 341 days out on releasing seats and there are often only two J seats released

IB release award seats around D-360, they are about five days ahead of BA.

[kelliea1]

Looking for 9th April SJO-MAD. Do I still look on BA Executive Club for these flights? I was told by the BA call centre that they wouldn’t be out until 19th April?

[Scott]

kelliea1 wrote:

Looking for 9th April SJO-MAD. Do I still look on BA Executive Club for these flights? I was told by the BA call centre that they wouldn’t be out until 19th April?

As you are using a BA 241 voucher, you have to book on the BA website (Even if you choose IB flights) so unfortunately reward flights will already have been available for 5 days on the Iberia site before you get a chance to book them,

[kelliea1]

So do I stand any chance of getting any class flight with the BA website? If not I will have to cancel my outbound leg.

[kelliea1]

Thanks Kiley. So iot’s 1am our time and I do it online as I have the avios then call BA Executive line at 8am next morning to get avios refunded for 241?

[kelliea1]

Sorry another question! If I only have enough avios to book economy but would have enough if BA booked it and linked it to my 241 voucher straight away would I be better to book via a BA Exec Club phoneline? Thanks

[0 post]

kelliea1 wrote:

Sorry another question! If I only have enough avios to book economy but would have enough if BA booked it and linked it to my 241 voucher straight away would I be better to book via a BA Exec Club phoneline? Thanks

I’m not sure about this procedure, in principle yes, but not sure ( I suspect knowing BA ” the computer will say no”) if ba have to make the booking first, using full avios, then refund after the booking is made when applying 241.

U could always buy some avios as it still a great redemption.

[kelliea1]

Morning

I keep getting this message when I am searching for SJO-MAD flights:
British Airways and its partners do not fly this route. Please consider alternative destinations or contact your executive club service centre

I know that they do fly this route as Iberia do, I am looking on the Executive Club page, redeem with Avios. Any ideas? Thank you

[Reney]

kelliea1 wrote:

Sorry another question! If I only have enough avios to book economy but would have enough if BA booked it and linked it to my 241 voucher straight away would I be better to book via a BA Exec Club phoneline? Thanks

I’m confused on what class you want to book? If you want to book club and you only have enough avios to do so if you use a 241, and you already booked the outbound then the only way to book the inbound is calling. If you book economy online and call back to get half avios back that’s ok too. What is a risk would be to book the economy, call and hope you can upgrade to club, as there might not be anything left, but it does at least mean you have a seat home.