Using AA miles for BA seats

[CJEMNMAC]

Wondering opinions on BA business or first CDG to SYD ?? needing 3 seats

Is it any good ?........ searching availability, do I just look on BA site because there seems to be alot of seats June / July 2018 on the site ( CDG-LHR-SYD )

Looking to redeem some AA miles.



I cant find availability for Qatar or CX so I thought about trying BA

Any suggestions appreciated

 

[grussellt]

Be very careful to check that all segments are in F or J. A lot of these awards seem to have the QF leg in economy. Use Awardnexus for some free searches on CX and JL. They both fly from Paris to Tokyo and on to SYD. To book you will have to call AAdvantage.

 

[Mattg]

British Airways does not have a great product in any cabin class, and their fuel surcharges are astronomical. I would be looking for flights on ABBA (anyone but British Airways)...

You can fly CX, QR, JL etc. using AA miles but the seats don't show online. You have to call up. You can use the British Airways website to check for availability, but it doesn't necessarily correspond 100% to what's available for booking with AA miles (especially for flights on BA itself).

 

[trooper]

Etihad seems to have LOTS of availability... but again... you need to call. I wish I'd known that before booking my upcoming trip.... ( managed AY/QF coming home from CDG...but its QF/BA going over... I quite like BA's Business class seat..so I'm not too fussed...but yes...the fees are pretty high!)

No personal experience but word has it if there is availability at the lowest level on the Etihad Guest site, then it can be booked with AA miles....

I would have seriously investigated cancelling and rebooking on EY...but my flight numbers had already been submitted for various permits etc.....all too difficult to change....

 

[Mattg]

Etihad seems to have LOTS of availability... but again... you need to call. I wish I'd known that before booking my upcoming trip.... ( managed AY/QF coming home from CDG...but its QF/BA going over... I quite like BA's Business class seat..so I'm not too fussed...but yes...the fees are pretty high!)

No personal experience but word has it if there is availability at the lowest level on the Etihad Guest site, then it can be booked with AA miles....

That's my experience also with EY availability. The only problem is that you have to book EY flights as two separate awards; Europe-Middle East and Middle East-Australia. This works out costing 122,500 miles instead of 85,000 for J class.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Etihad seems to have LOTS of availability... but again... you need to call. I wish I'd known that before booking my upcoming trip.... ( managed AY/QF coming home from CDG...but its QF/BA going over... I quite like BA's Business class seat..so I'm not too fussed...but yes...the fees are pretty high!)

No personal experience but word has it if there is availability at the lowest level on the Etihad Guest site, then it can be booked with AA miles....

I would have seriously investigated cancelling and rebooking on EY...but my flight numbers had already been submitted for various permits etc.....all too difficult to change....

That's my experience also with EY availability. The only problem is that you have to book EY flights as two separate awards; Europe-Middle East and Middle East-Australia. This works out costing 122,500 miles instead of 85,000 for J class.

That is why I was avoiding EY to be honest... 122500 miles compared to 85000..

I was going to go for Qatar but cannot find availability out of sydney / melbourne

thanks for you help

 

[Mattg]

That is why I was avoiding EY to be honest... 122500 miles compared to 85000..

I was going to go for Qatar but cannot find availability out of sydney / melbourne

thanks for you help

Have you looked for QR flights out of Adelaide and Perth?

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Have you looked for QR flights out of Adelaide and Perth?

Yes and will continue to check..

have done a bit more research on BA and those fuel charges....killer


On a different potential trip I have found F to DOH and J to LHR from Sydney..

BUT dam it is hard to get the reverse trip onto AUS..!

 

[Limewood]

We usually find our way to HKG and go from there to Europe, even the US too.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

British Airways does not have a great product in any cabin class, and their fuel surcharges are astronomical. I would be looking for flights on ABBA (anyone but British Airways)....

I don't think BA is all that bad... if you have any sort of oneworld status (ruby or above) you can select good seats in club 7 days out. The service isn't bad, and the food is reasonably good. I would rank BA club meals better than QF J, and on par with QF F. The club seat is very comfortable with soft padding (or maybe it's just sagging after all this time... but no matter, still works either way )

Theres supposedly a lot of cost cutting in economy, no second meal, and no galley snacks. I'd avoid that. Surcharges are high, but if faced by limited options, it's not a bad investment.