Airmiles Company

[PAXboy]

I strongly suspect that there is a devaluation going on but until the full deal is available, one cannot know, apart from the obvious change to going back to paying cash for taxes.

I only have a few Airmiles left and have been looking for a chance to use them - except that they are poor value and it's often cheaper to go via a competing LCC. This is [most of] the email I received today:

Airmiles is changing to Avios on 16 November 2011
Why is this happening?
This year, our owners British Airways merged with Iberia. Together, we have decided to create a shared reward currency, Avios, for British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus and Airmiles members like you.

What is changing?
Apart from our name, sharing the same currency means:


We’ll turn every Airmile in your account into ten Avios
You’ll be able to collect Avios when you pay cash for British Airways or Iberia flights
We’ll take the airline taxes, fees and surcharges out of our Zone fares and you’ll pay them in cash instead. But regular collectors*, flying with British Airways or Iberia to Zones 1-3, will be able to get our Reward Flight Saver and only pay the Avios fare and £27 pp return
You’ll be able to get more flexible rewards – like one-way flights and flights in and out of different airports

The item of swapping miles/points for 1/10 just means they are moving to the other kind of scale. Rather than saving (say) 2,000 miles for a short haul, you will need 20,000 points - but it sounds better in the adverts. Most other loyalty schemes/FFMs have gone over to this method.

Yawn. :bored:

[V800]

I have been a member of Airmiles from the start over 20 years ago and have seen a few changes but suspect there will be some smoke and mirrors used to hide some sort of devaluation and overall Iberiaisation.

In the beginning flights were paid for using miles with genuine government taxes paid in cash. Howeve a big advantage was that a flight paid for in miles did not require a Saturday night stay as all cheap tickets did in the days before LCCs. I even managed to fly on the Deuche BA SAAB 2000 from Gatwick to Bremen which was supposed to be all business class for the standard economy miles, although the check in agent did write "no lounge access" on my boarding card. They also had out of season promotions on long haul routes.

The current system is good if you can find a destination you want to fly to with BA and only want a straight return ticket.

The proposed replacement will be like most FF schemes with mileage points valued like Zimbabwe Dollars with taxes, fees and charges based on the what we can get away with charging principle.

The big test for the future of the scheme will come when the retail and credit card partners contracts come up for renewal. The partner credit card will then probably be one issued by that bank known for fraudulent transactions that shares a name with a ferry port in northern Spain.

[PAXboy]

My thoughts entirely V800! The points/miles I currently have in the scheme - I have been looking for a suitable flight or hotel to use on for over four years and have yet to find one. That is one of the reasons I stopped collecting this brand quite some time ago. For example: I wanted two pax LGW~AMS (about 2008, I think), which was as simple as you could get.


Cheapest = EZY
Middle = BA
Expensive = the same BA flight using Airmiles

The Orange flag was good, as usual. I did email Airmiles to ask why their taxes/charges were more expensive than BA for the exact same rotation but they did not have a satisfactory answer. [Snigger] :rolleyes:

[crewmeal]

Simon Calder was briefing the Beeb last weekend by saying the new system will be subject to tax. Not only that but what a trip on airmiles would cost nothing now will cost £300 on the new system. Not only that Amsterdam and Paris will cost a small fortune.

Simon Calder: 'Free' flights that now cost a small fortune - News & Advice, Travel - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/simon-calder-free-flights-that-now-cost-a-small-fortune-2348214.html)

Oh well Blackpool has a new attraction in the tower!!

[ExXB]

YARWIABA (Yet another reason why I avoid BA)

They have been sending me e-mails ad nausium extolling the virtues of their "New" Club. Methinks they try too hard. But saying it and repeating it doesn't make it true.

[PAXboy]

The article by Calder is one I had missed and is spot on. I now have the matching post for BA Exec. I have annotated for those new to the world of FFMs.
=============================
We are creating a better, more rewarding Executive Club designed for the benefit of our members. The first step has been to rename BA Miles as Avios points, and make them a currency that will be easier for you to earn and spend.
We shall be reducing the benefits to our members.

These changes to the Executive Club are part of a wider endeavour to offer you an outstanding service in all aspects of your flying experience.
These changes are part of a wider endeavour to increase our profits.

This is why, over the last few months, we have set out to make enhancements and adjustments to our service. We're aiming for continuous improvement - and that means continuous investment - in new aircraft, better food, stunning lounges, technological innovations, inspirational staff training and smarter equipment.
We're aiming to now do all the things that we have previosuly said that we have been doing for the past 20 years.

We'll soon be launching a new advertising campaign which sums up our commitment to getting things right for you, our customers. So we'd like you to be one of the first to see it; you can find out where below.
We're launching a new advertising campaign that will cost us more than it should and will say all the old things.

We are excited and optimistic about the future, and can confidently say that you have a lot to look forward to. We'll be in touch again soon to tell you more.
You do believe us - don't you?

You'll be pleased to know that, amid all this excitement, we haven't forgotten about your regular range of tempting offers, and you can find them as usual at ba.com.
We are desperate to make our part of IAG profitable, so that we can get our bonus'.

Warm regards,
You do love us - don't you?
Your Executive Club Team
ps, what's the Spanish for a load of old codswallop?
=============================
I know that might seem cynical but I have seen other collecting schemes be devalued over the years and since I'm collecing for a trip to OZ in C, this could scupper the whole trip.

[Espada III]

In reality, they are only changing to the system used by Lufthansa (and Star Alliance) for Miles & More. I never fly BA and usually Lufthansa or Swiss and have always had to pay taxes on top of redeeming points. The taxes also seem to be higher than the same flight purchased for cash.

It was ever so - there is no such thing a free lunch.

[Diver_Dave]

You can pay taxes and fees with Miles

Miles & More - Carry on paying your taxes with miles (http://www.miles-and-more.com/online/portal/mam/ch/spend/flight/offer?nodeid=2548011&l=en&cid=18003)

BA are still writing to me asking why I'm not using them anymore.

Well...

Manchester Malta / Frankfurt and Southampton are no longer there so
maybe that's why....

[Businesstraveller]

My experience of One World miles is that unless you have a lot (like >100,000 miles), then they aren't much use. Reason being that you will only afford domestic/Europe flights - thereby meaning that a One World reward flight works out as the same sort of cost as an advanced purchase Easyjet flight (for example). This is bearing in mind that your reward flight still incurs taxes/charges. The only time I found a short reward flight to be worthwhile with BA was when they covered the Loganair Scottish Island flights up until a few years ago. As an aside, BA is very tight with awarding miles, so collecting miles is no mean feat.

Therefore switching to collecting Star Alliance miles has proved far easier and less costly and resulted in a number of intercontinental F class reward flights on my part. Something that I wouldn't have got close to with BA.

[manintheback]

I dont believe anyone was aware of this when the airmiles sale happened last month.

Good for longhual upgrades if you can ever find an available flight - thats about it

[fincastle84]

I agree that it is difficult to use BA miles, but that's no different from any other airline system. The secret is to plan ahead & book VERY early.

Because I only fly for pleasure on BA I always use BA miles to either upgrade from WT+ to Club or pay for my wife's companion flight when using my BA Amex annual free voucher. I've been doing this successfully for 6 years & have managed flights to NBO, GND, JNB(twice) & CPT(3 times). One of the CPT flights was even over Christmas/ New Year. Yes, I paid taxes but each time still saved several £1,000 over paying the full fare. We fly to DEN next week (upgrade) & CPT in March (Amex voucher).

I'm more than happy with the system.:ok:

[PAXboy]

The system (inc the AmEx voucher) can work but it depends on your circumstances. When I was travelling regularly on business, it was a doddle. Now I am self-employed and can rarely plan more than three months in advance, so most of the long haul upgrades/purchases have gone, or are on dates I cannot use.

Airmiles has been uselss for many years and I fully expect BA Exec Miles to follow them. As to paying taxes with cash - I have no complaint about that - OTHER than that they inflate them and then prevaricate. It's a simple cheat that many companies have been using and not just the LCCs but no UK administration has yet tackled. Too many free flights and upgrades? :*

[PAXboy]

Thought I might try and use the Airmiles before they wither.
Thought we might go to a place not been before.
Thought about Stornoway, Tiree and other outlying islands of the realm.

YES, said Airmiles, 750 miles each for the round trip from LHR, changing at GLA/ABZ as required. Then it said 'no full miles tickets available for your dates' and quotes me £400 or so. I check all the destinations and multiple dates AND at unusual times and, guess what? No redemption tickets available on any of the sectors. My, my surprise has overwhelmed me. :*

[ceeb]

Is it possible to book an airmiles flight before you have all of the airmiles? (as mentioned above it pays to book well in advance).

Just wondering if it was possible to do that because I know I will have the required airmiles before I travel

[Haven't a clue]

Two (or was it three) years ago I had 24080 Airmiles, and got a letter saying that because of the lack of activity on my account they would be cancelled in six months. Went on the website and lo - 24000 bought a First Class return ticket (no cash needed) to HKG, and my dates in June (when no one in their right mind wants to visit except me) were available. I let the 80 miles go....

Moral - if you want to travel when everyone else does, you have no chance of availability. If you are willing to go when no one else wants to then it is usually not a problem. Flexibility is the key.

[PAXboy]

ceeb The answer is No. But you will be offerred a chance to book part miles / part cash.

[ceeb]

Cheers PAXboy, thought that would be the case!