What is the difference between Avios flat fee vs taxes – flight not ticketed

[OfficerDibble33]

Hi
We have used a companion voucher and booked the return flight from Tokyo to Heathrow in Business class.

We booked this through the webiste using the companion voucher and paid whatever the webiste showed.

We have now called to add the outbound flight on from heathrow to shanghai and was told that it was 35k avios and £100 each, which agreed to what the webiste shows when doing a manual booking.

I was first told that they couldnt complete the booking because the ‘payment system was down’ and to call back in a few hours (this was a lie). They did however take the 35k avios and I can see the flight on my booking with a booking ref, but it is not yet ticketed.

I was unable to call back that day, so called back another time and was told that the issue was that my card details werent saved on my profile so they couldnt take payment. I gave them my details over the phone and they said they would take payment within 72 hours.

72 hours passed, nothing taken however a few days later I get an email from BA asking them to ring them regarding the booking.

I ring them, they say the issue is that they cannot charge me the £100 per ticket as I cannot combine 2 types of paying. They said both flights need to be paid the same way, either avios flat fee or with taxes.

I have never come accross this before and have booked plenty of open jaw flights with BA before.

Can anyone explain what is going on because I have no clue!

They said again they would get back to me within 72hrs as the team need to reprice the Heathrow – Shanghai flight as they cant charge the £100 each, but I still havent heard anything from them.

Thanks in advance

[Scott]

When you book a reward flight you are offered a number of payment options, i.e. different combinations of Avios and cash.

For a companion voucher to be applied to both the outbound and inbound elements of a flight, the same cash+Avios option must be selected on both legs, e.g. you can’t have most Avios+least cash outbound and least Avios+most cash on the inbound.

It sounds like this could be what the agent is referring to – could you detail which payment choice you have opted for on each of the legs?

[OfficerDibble33]

Hi
I didnt do any option of avios plus cash.
I paid 100% using avios points and just paid the taxes shown.

I honestly have no idea what the agent is telling me and why the amount I need to pay isnt just the amount showing on the BA webiste when you go to book a reward flight using avios?

These are my fare details:

GBP0.00 + Tax/Fee/Charge GBP390.80 = GBP 390.80

Hope that makes sense

[Scott]

For clarity, I’m not talking about part-pay with Avios/Upgrade Using Avios or anything like that.

For a standard reward booking you have a number of choices to flex the Avios and cash (i.e. Tax/Fee/Charge) components.

Here’s an example for a one-way in Club World

88500 Avios + £ 97.50

More pricing options
You can select when paying

77250 Avios + £ 222.50
62250 Avios + £ 377.50
51000 Avios + £ 522.50
39750 Avios + £ 667.50
28500 Avios + £ 807.50

When using a companion voucher, if the 1st option is selected on outbound, you must pick the 1st option on outbound, if outbound was the 2nd option then inbound must match, etc.

I wonder if this is what the agent was trying to explain to you. You should check if the £390 cash component on inbound is the same option number as the £100 fee on outbound.

[JDB]

@OfficerDibble33 – it’s very confusing, but I think the sum of £390.80 you are referring to may be an accounting entry with actual costs, for BA’s internal purposes, which may be at variance with what you actually paid.

In the examples highlighted above by @Scott the cash element is lower than the actual disbursements BA pays for the APD and Heathrow PSC, so on the ticket, while you pay whatever cash you agreed to pay, BA accounts separately for the disbursements which don’t form part of BA’s revenues.

[NorthernLass]

How are you managing to add an outbound sector to an inbound you have already booked with a companion voucher? This isn’t normally allowed AFAIK; the first journey you book is considered to be the outbound leg.

[JDB]

NorthernLass wrote:

How are you managing to add an outbound sector to an inbound you have already booked with a companion voucher? This isn’t normally allowed AFAIK; the first journey you book is considered to be the outbound leg.

That’s a myth you have mentioned here a number of times and various people have previously confirmed it to be inaccurate.

[NorthernLass]

It’s what other people have posted in the long thread and I have also been told by BA, most recently when I made a booking for next April. In the event it didn’t actually matter because I used a Barclays voucher for the “outbound” leg but there seems to be plenty of confusion around what different people are told.

[OfficerDibble33]

Hi
As mentioned I did not select any cash breakdown.

I paid the full amount of avios, not a reducuced rate plus cash.

I paid 110,000 avios which is the full amount

I then paid the taxes.

So im unsure why I am having problems booking the heathrow – Shnaghai flight when I did what I believe is a siple booking, full avios plus the associated fees.

If anyone needs any further info, I can provide/try to explain

But to confirm, I did not select any option to pay less avios and a reduced fee. I paid full amount of acvios being 110,000

Thanks

[OfficerDibble33]

Government, authority and airport charges Per adult
Passenger Service Facilities Charge (Int’L) – Japan GBP 15.60
International Tourist Tax – Japan GBP 5.30
Total government, authority and airport charges*
GBP 20.90

British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult
Carrier Imposed Charge GBP 174.50
Total British Airways fees and surcharges

GBP 174.50
Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person GBP 195.40

[OfficerDibble33]

So ive done a few dummy bookings on the BA website and I think I can now see what the agent means.

However what I dont understand is why there are 2 different pricing structures and how do I get my issue resolved.

So… (as mentioned I am selecting to pay the full amount of avios and not selecting a reduced option from the drop downs)

Doing a dummy booking from Heathrow to Shanghai
Avios required – 35,000
Price per person – £100
Taxes, fees and carrier charges per person – £0.00

I think this is what the agent is referring to as AVIOS FLAT FEE. As you are paying a price per person, but paying £0.00 for fees.

Doing a dummy booking from Haneda back to Heathrow
Avios required – 77,500
Price per person – £0.00
Taxes, fees and carrier charges per person – £166.10

This is where you are paying taxes.

Can you see the difference?

What I dont understand is why are there differences and what does this mean for my flight I am trying to book/get ticketed for Shanghai.

I have booked many open jaw before but never come accross this!

[JDB]

I think most posters above can see the difference and have also tried to explain the two different systems.

On your flight from Japan, BA has applied taxes/charges that reflect the actual costs and are lower than the RFS of £287.50pp.

I think you are creating additional confusion because the Avios of 110k you have quoted for HND-LHR is the peak Club fare + charges whereas the 35k + £100 is the off peak economy fare to PVG.

When you add the return flight, the whole booking will be repriced, so you will likely lose the benefit of the cheaper TFC’s you had owing to the flight originating in Japan.

[OfficerDibble33]

JDB wrote:

I think most posters above can see the difference and have also tried to explain the two different systems.

On your flight from Japan, BA has applied taxes/charges that reflect the actual costs and are lower than the RFS of £287.50pp.

I think you are creating additional confusion because the Avios of 110k you have quoted for HND-LHR is the peak Club fare + charges whereas the 35k + £100 is the off peak economy fare to PVG.

When you add the return flight, the whole booking will be repriced, so you will likely lose the benefit of the cheaper TFC’s you had owing to the flight originating in Japan.

Thank you. This makes a bit more sense.
When they re price the ticket, if it turns out to be more money, can I refuse the Heathrow – Shanghai ticket?

It might be cheaper for me to just book 2 flights using avios and not bothering with the companion voucher if the cost goes up substantially.

Frustrating that it took 3 calls to BA for them to tell me this. Why lie and tell me their payment syatem is down. I was told by 2 agents the cost would be £200. Only the third agent said it needs repricing.

Thanks

[JDB]

@OfficerDibble33 – yes, you should be able to revert your ticket to the original one way HND-LHR if the fare for adding the Shanghai leg doesn’t work price wise. You may risk losing the Shanghai seats in the process, but they may go back into inventory for you to rebook.