Incomprehensible avios allocation via booking.com

[Jamie68]

I’m driving myself mad here. I’ve made several bookings lately through the BA exec club and booking. Com where the points do not tally with the spend. BA, avios and booking.com are all denying responsibility and refusing to assist further.

In brief, a recent spend of £6248 (on a BA amex) should equate to 37488 avios at the advertised 6x points/£1 spend, but my confirmation email says I have spent £6041 and allocated 36292 avios. I thought it might be exchange rate, or city taxes, or some such but these figures don’t correspond either. Booking.com tell me they have reported the full £6248 spend to avios, who simply deflect the issue as ‘contact BA’ (who tell me to contact Booking.com!). This has happened on three other transactions where the points allocated are lower than what I was expecting from the spend.

Any advice or info please?

[PeteM]

The BA shopping portal is, hands down, the most annoying c*shb*ck portal out there, only to be used in emergencies. I actually think you’ve done well to get the 36k Avios!

[Londonsteve]

I concur, you’ve done very well to get nearly the number of Avios you were expecting! The shortfall you report is actually minimal. It’s not only city taxes that’ll be excluded, it’ll also be local VAT charged on hotel rooms which can vary wildly between countries. I suspect the calculation of spend minus city taxes and VAT in your case is bang on.

[NorthernLass]

Definitely not worth the aggravation for what, 800 avios out of 37k? Sometimes there are things like tax elements which they deduct from the amount which is eligible to earn avios. As @PeteM says, you’ve actually done quite well, and keep an eye on your balance in case they try to claw any back, they’re notorious for this as well!

[Andrew.]

If I’d seen a difference of £207, I definitely wouldn’t have drawn attention to it.

Depending on the rounding, the currencies involved, and transaction break down, it really looks like someone has calculated the taxes as 2% rather than 20% and you’ll probably find anything between 6300 and 36292 Avios are clawed by in due course.

Which country are you visiting?

[Maples]

Along with taxes, are you sure it’s not taking into account currency conversion? Booking.com may use something different to what BA would show and I’ve had instances where the tracked £ being higher or lower.

[Londonsteve]

Andrew. wrote:

you’ll probably find anything between 6300 and 36292 Avios are clawed by in due course.

Exactly. I’d leave well alone.

[LittleNick]

Yh this is actually very good, don’t complain and draw attention to it, conduct your business quietly. It may be a little off what you’re expecting but not worth fighting over, move on

[John]

When using the BA portal my strategy is to expect 0 and be happy with anything more.