Starting a reward flight outside the UK

[CookieBobs]

Hi,

I’m very new to Avios and have never booked a reward flight. I was talking to an experienced traveller last week who said that if I started my journey outside the UK I would save a lot of the UK departure tax. I checked and he was correct. Just looking at Amsterdam would make significant savings.

The specific question I have though is if I book to start in Amsterdam, and fly via Gatwick, could I just travel directly to Gatwick and board there? After all I would have to collect my bags in Heathrow anyway and get to Gatwick somehow, drop the bags and go through security anyway. I’m guessing BA will have some rules on this and stop me boarding if I haven’t taken the Amsterdam leg of the journey.

Any advice or guidance will be very welcome.

Many thanks,
Graeme

[ChrisBCN]

No, you can’t. If you don’t take the first flight, your entire booking will be cancelled as you are a no show. You could have a night or two break in Amsterdam first though.

[Jacob]

No, regardless of the ticket type (reward or cash), when you skip a leg you become a no-show and the rest of the itinerary gets cancelled (there are exceptions when flying from Italy).

[davefl]

If you don’t board in AMS your entire ticket will be cancelled.

I’d suggest picking up a cheap easyjet/ryanair etc flight to AMS with your savings, spending a night there and enjoy the city (it’s only 20 mins from the airport by an excellent train service) and then start your holiday the next day. Think of it as a holiday extension, especially if you’ve not visited Amsterdam before. And Schipol airport is an experience in itself.

[SamG]

Depending on where you are going you might be better off just booking a flight with Iberia and making your own way to Spain, especially if they fly direct. Then on the way home book straight to the UK

[ChrisC]

The savings are due to BA not charging their outrageous fuel surcharges rather than eliminating the APD.

To reiterate you need to fly the AMS-UK leg else the ticket gets cancelled (some exceptions but that involves there being irrops that can’t be planned for)

So fly to AMS and stay the night before starting your trip the next day. There are 3 landslide hotels within walking distance of the terminal rather than staying in the city itself. I recommend the Citizen M.

[CookieBobs]

Thanks everyone for the info. I didn’t think I’d get away with it. If I want the saving its a KLM city hopper from Teesside (only 6 miles away) then. As you say a night in Amsterdam is no bad thing.