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I’m flying out to LA and I booked a one-way first reward seat for 85k Avios + taxes, around £450.
Was this a bad redemption?
I’ve booked one way because I don’t know when I’ll be flying back. I’m thinking I will be there for 3 – 4 weeks. I know I’ll need to show a return ticket so I’ll book an estimated return that I can change according to my plans.
How would I even work out the redemption value of that ticket? A one-way first ticket is currently showing as £8k, return is around £5k.
I’m looking into redemption value because next year I’ll want to use a companion voucher for another first class flight, probably to U.S. west coast again or a similar distance.
I would want to book a first-class return for this trip. They’re showing at around £3,500 each at the moment, but with a companion voucher, it would be £3,500 for both. Would I be an idiot to book this return using Avios? I can afford this in cash.
How do you even book a first-class return rewards seat? I used SeatSpy and I could only book tickets in isolation using their links.
Very confused and lost!
- This topic was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
I’d start with this recent post by Rob on valuation of an avios.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/01/04/what-is-an-avios-point-worth-6/
Anything you booked within the last 24 hours can be I booked for free. Call YouFirst.
There’s nothing wrong with the one-way price you’ve paid if you’re happy to pay it (compared to a flex one-way for cash it’s good value IMO)
Returns (as oppose to two one ways) are going to attract lower taxes/fees. This is the reason to book a return if you can.
You need to use seatspy to find dates but use the ‘return’ booking feature on BA.com directly, don’t follow the links in seatspy.
F redemptions are usually good value – especially just now as they are very few and far between. However, there’s an issue with the surcharges on return legs from the US which means you’ll be severely overcharged if you book two single sectors. There’s an article somewhere on here about this, and plenty of comments.
You can cancel the outbound leg within 24 hours of booking, as mentioned, but if you’re intending to return with BA you could also call You First when you’re ready and ask them to add the return leg and recalculate the taxes, even if F isn’t available (which it’s not guaranteed to be) They generally do this, but the last time I did it the CSA refused to recalculate the taxes so I had to cancel and rebook from scratch.
One way cash tickets are always very expensive on BA, so it’s better to either go for the whole thing on avios or on cash, but don’t mix them.Thanks all for your replies.
I booked this a couple of weeks ago so probably not eligible for re-booking. I am settled on my departure date.
So, if I were to add an economy return to this booking would this reduce the taxes I initially paid? Because at the moment I can’t see any F returns but there are some business seats available.
I have noticed that lots of F rewards seats have been popping up within 72 hours of departure however, so that would fit with my plans of a relatively sporadic “when I feel like it” return to the UK.
What’s the rate for an F off-peak return in Avios to West Coast U.S.? Is it 85,000 Avios each way?
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
So, if I were to add an economy return to this booking would this reduce the taxes I initially paid? Because at the moment I can’t see any F returns but there are some business seats available.
No, the taxes/fees/charges are not recalculated unless you cancel entirely, and book a fresh return. And it is the fees that actually change, and these are subject to arbitrary and opaque rules. Adding an economy return most likely will not reduce them at all. You want a First and/or Business return, in one booking, made in one go.
So, if I were to add an economy return to this booking would this reduce the taxes I initially paid? Because at the moment I can’t see any F returns but there are some business seats available.
No, the taxes/fees/charges are not recalculated unless you cancel entirely, and book a fresh return. And it is the fees that actually change, and these are subject to arbitrary and opaque rules. Adding an economy return most likely will not reduce them at all. You want a First and/or Business return, in one booking, made in one go.
Ah, I see. Lesson learned for next time I suppose!
If I were to cancel, would that reward seat immediately become available to re-book?
Also, is it the case that a companion voucher can’t be used for a cash booking? Only an Avios one?
There’s some really good beginners guide to using 241 and avois why don’t you start with them they are very simple to understand. Just put in site search engine for links.
Ah, I see. Lesson learned for next time I suppose!
If I were to cancel, would that reward seat immediately become available to re-book?
Also, is it the case that a companion voucher can’t be used for a cash booking? Only an Avios one?
Possibly, it has happened with me before but no guarantee.
And yes amex 241 voucher only on avios bookings.
If I were to cancel, would that reward seat immediately become available to re-book?
It’s likely, it happens often, but there’s no guarantee. Have a plan B if it cannot be rebooked in F immediately.
Booking as two one-ways does make sense if you need full cancellation/rebooking options on both legs independently, and the value you’re getting is decent (versus flexible one-ways). It’s just not optimal if you wish to reduce taxes/fees/charges to the greatest extent.
One-ways from N America to Europe are often drastically better value on US carriers, if you have any points with any of them, or a transfer partner of theirs (eg Marriott), check this out.
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