Are BA's Milage Awards the Least Flexible

[man in black]

A family we know returned from a holiday with another great story. At the airport in Sydney, they overheard a conversation where a BA ticket salesperson was explaining a little know fact about BA milage awards. Unlike all the other airlines this writer knows which allow either the return of the miles for a fee after ticketing or allow the passenger to change the date for a given journey, BA permits no changes of any kind. As the story goes, the family flies to Australia for holiday. One of the children becomes quite ill and goes into hospital. As a result, the family misses their original return flight. They go to the airport having been told there are plenty of seats. There, they are told that their tickets are worthless as BA do not permit any change in the date. They are forced to purchase very expensive one way tickets home. I have used awards on almost every airline and frankly I cannot recall one airline which does not permit any change in the travel details (at least the date). Once again BA proves they are the best airline that the lack of competition can buy!!!

[BRUpax]

From my personal experience with BA (on two seperate occasions), I have no doubt that if proof of illness had been submitted the Station Manager would have accommodated them without penalty. You must understand that airlines are continually confronted by pax trying to bend the rules for no better reason than that they simply want to prolong or shorten their vacation. It is therefore only right that airlines seek some form of proof supporting the claim. Therefore, if you have to change plans because of illness, inform the local Station Manager immediately and obtain a note from the doctor.

[man in black]

That's a reasonable approach in the case of illness given the current program guidelines.

However, a broader question: why can many (most?) airlines, Cathay Pacific, SQ, JAL, UA to mention a few, permit a change in the dates of travel and BA not? The real world encroaching for a moment on BA would show that travel plans do change even after the ticket is issued. The marginal cost to the airline of spending a minute or two on the line with a passenger should be balanced against the goodwill value towards the group of passengers who are often the airline's biggest revenue sources. My spouse and I were Lifetime Members of the Marco Polo at CX and are flying as much now we are based in the UK. With so many other choices of airlines (and always cheaper ones at that!!) this policy will make us de-emphasize flying on BA (and to use our CX cards when we do). The awards with no flexibility on the dates won't work for us.

Penny-wise and pound foolish.

[This message has been edited by man in black (edited 24 June 2001).]

[Icarus]

I think you all perhaps need a lesson in yield management (and perhaps agreed some Airlines/Staff may need lessons in Customer Service) but you have to bear a few things in mind.
I guess you are talking about redemption tickets, which essentially will be handled in the same way as a mid-lower fare class ticket (I dont mean cabin class I mean fare class); whereas restrictions may/will apply, in order that the airline has space to sell higher fare class tickets in the same cabin and maximise its revenue. You cannot expect full flexibility unless you pay full fare.
However, having said that, perhaps 'on the night' when the flight(s) were closed for sale, the Station Manager would usually have authority to accept the ticket if there was space available.
Agreed it is not good to treat frequent travellers (or anyone essentially) so strictly in such cases, but the contract between the passenger and the airline should be a two way relationship with understanding/acceptance on both sides, something passengers (I am sorry to say) continue to forget.

[This message has been edited by Icarus (edited 24 June 2001).]

[man in black]

Still, the original question:


Why is it that most airlines (all??) other than BA permit the pax either to return the ticket for a fee (e.g., UA) or to change the dates (e.g., CX)?