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Even though we as a family (2 Adults, 2 Children) take at least one long haul flight every year, we never joined any Airline Loyalty Programme. Always booked the cheapest available flight, every time with a different airline.
We recently took BA and liked their timing and Economy Basic pricing. So I signed up for the BA Executive club and became a Blue Executive Club Member. Also, discovered the Avios enhanced sign up bonus with companion voucher offer and applied for BA Amex Platinum Plus.
Now after reading all the T&Cs in detail, I am having second thoughts as Avios does cover the tax and surcharge portion, which in my case is usually the highest. For example,Adult 1
Fare 205
Total government, authority and airport charges 164
Total British Airways fees and surcharges 234
Total Adult Fare 603Child 1
Fare 154
Total government, authority and airport charges 77
Total British Airways fees and surcharges 234
Total Child Fare 465When I end up with 70000 Avios and a companion Voucher, how do I maximize Avios benefits if I am booking the above flight for 2 Adults and 2 Children?
Will the discount ever beat the 250£ annual fees?
Thanks in advance.
I meant Avios does not* cover Taxes, fees and carrier charges, which is the highest (more than the fare) in our case.
The main benefit of an Avios booking in any cabin is refundability, in my opinion.
Most experts (I’m a work in progress!) say that the rewards are better with Premium/ Club/ First bookings – more ‘bang for the Avios’.
Please have a look at the threads and articles here on HfP – they do explain a lot.
Edited to add: If your children are young, I would advise no higher than Premium (World Traveller Plus in BA-speak) as it is hard to mind them unless you get an aircraft with the old Club seats.
Thanks Toscin. I am also not sure about the Household account.
I have created one with all the members of my family to ensure that I don’t loose my kids Avios.
But will it be an issue while redeeming if one adult has say 70000 Avios and others have just couple of thousand Avios?If you are in a HHA then all avios are pooled.
Thanks Toscin. I am also not sure about the Household account.
I have created one with all the members of my family to ensure that I don’t loose my kids Avios.
But will it be an issue while redeeming if one adult has say 70000 Avios and others have just couple of thousand Avios?If you have 10,000 avios and your partner 5,000 then you have 15,000 in total on the HHA.
If you spend 3,000 for a flight, 2,000 will be take from your account and 1,000 from hers.
If you spend 6,000 then 4,000 from yours and 2,000 from hers.
You can spend a total of 15,000. Ever will you empty and account fully unless you spend all the avios.
Where are you looking to go?
As one part of evaluating the apparent value of using Avios and 241 vouchers, I would look at your pricing options specifically for reward flights to your preferred destination(s). For reward flights using Avios, you have a sliding scale of options where you can pay more Avios and less cash through to fewer Avios and more cash.
Other parts of evaluating the use of Avios may include your need for flexibility and where you like/want to fly (and whether BA and their partners fly there). Since the pandemic, I value flexibility much more than before.
Personally, we like to use Avios and 241 vouchers for business, but we also make frequent use of Avios to book flights with partner airlines (e.g., Malaysia Airlines, JAL, etc.) after we’ve already travelled out for shorter flights in the Asia region. For partner airlines, there can sometimes be very little tax to pay and the Avios charges are reasonable, but they’re still flexible. For instance, we’ve booked economy and business flights with partners for KUL-DPS, HND-OKA, OKA-ITM, GMP-HND, and PVG-HND routes and we’ve found these good value and we’ve also made use of the flexibility a number of times.
With only 70k avios and four of you, the best value you’re probably going to get is a RFS trip in Club Europe. While these are generally not considered the best use of avios and 241 vouchers, they can be excellent value if cash prices are high, especially if your kids are at school and you need to travel in the holidays.
With only 70k avios and four of you, the best value you’re probably going to get is a RFS trip in Club Europe. While these are generally not considered the best use of avios and 241 vouchers, they can be excellent value if cash prices are high, especially if your kids are at school and you need to travel in the holidays.
Thanks. This might work as we need to travel during school holidays.
But will I be able to use RFS, 241, and kids tickets in a single booking/ transaction ?RFS is simply a pricing option. If available it just means the £ bit of the fare is very low (and Avios quite high).
The 242 voucher can only be used for 2 people (second travels paying 0 avios).
As you are 4, you may need to book an adult and a kid with the 241 and then do another booking for the other 2. This is not an issue if you are all on the same family account.
I’d gently advise you to read the numerous other posts and asrticles on using 2-4-1s
Where are you looking to go?
Mostly Asia. We have a direct BA flight or can take Qatar Airways with a stopover in Dubai.
During school holidays, it can easily be 1000£ per adult or 3500£ for a family of four when booked few months in advance.Pre COVID, it used to be half this and was manageable. Now it’s really hurting, so thinking of playing the points game!
@Dollar, I agree re reading the other threads, but briefly, if your avios seats are tha standard ones released at T-355, you can put all four of you on one booking. If you’re drawing on the “extra” inventory the 241 unlocks, you can only have 2 on the booking, and would need a separate one for the other two.
The 242 voucher can only be used for 2 people (second travels paying 0 avios).
As you are 4, you may need to book an adult and a kid with the 241 and then do another booking for the other 2. This is not an issue if you are all on the same family account.
Is this right?
I certainly have used one voucher several times for bookings with three people (so we pay Avios for two people, but fees for three all on one PNR). The main downside we’ve found is that we lose access to the additional i-class inventory afforded by new 241 vouchers if using one voucher for more than two travellers.
Only three in our family though, so don’t know if anything changes with four or more passengers.
As above, it depends on which seats you’re booking.
Remember as well that companion vouchers last 24 months on the BAPP, so if you don’t mind waiting a year for the redemption you can have 2 vouchers to apply for all 4 of you – even in Economy Basic the savings this unlocks represents far greater value (since you only pay 2 lots of Avios for 4, only the taxes are payable)
If economy prices are that high, id definitely take advantage of 3x Avios boost.
This allows you to buy 3 times your monthly Avios earned for 0.9p each
I’m doing this to take all the family away this summer, saving 65% of cash faresThis isnt a hobby you join with minimal reading. It takes a lot of reading especially with using it for a 4 person family. Keep in mind that the Barclays upgrade would only work to upgrade 2x people one way leaving UK only! Or 1x person a return. So you would effectively have to book 355 days out, 241 then 2x separate Barclays vouchers.
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