Boost Your Airmiles Discussion Area

blindman

zippy08 wrote: »

Nice! So is there any pattern here, or just a case of pumping the BA website with different routes until I strike gold?

Relatively new blog Head for Points (by a seasoned FTer Raffles) gives details on how best to use Avios in all their forms.

Some cheap TATL fares can be got via Iberia-though there is hassle involved.

NonGeographicalMan

blindman wrote: »

Relatively new blog Head for Points (by a seasoned FTer Raffles) gives details on how best to use Avios in all their forms.

Raffles seems much too excited about how much better a deal the Reward Saver fare is for former BA Exec Club miles collectors wanting to travel in Club to destinations qualifying for the 34GBP return fare but seems to have forgotten how Avios has now brought in redemption charges where none previously existed for Air Miles collectors and has made redemption for long haul flights in Economy more or less pointless financially.

He also fails to mention how there is virtually never any seat availability at all on some routes (eg LCY to PMI in Economy) but virtually always availability at all times on other routes (eg LHR to ABZ and LGW to MRS). So whether Avios is worthwhile actually depends on where you need to fly, unless of course you are an apparent jetsetter like Raffles who flies to somewhere new perhaps at least twice a month.

I think Raffles is also insufficiently critical of why the Reward Saver concept does not extend to all of BA's destinations worldwide and does not also cover BA Exec Club collectors (especially given that they can now move their points to avios.com at the drop of a hat) given that we all know that BA's fuel surcharges and passenger departure tax charges are a complete and utter ripoff that are way above their real per passenger per flight cost on these long haul routes. In fact they have only been introduced quite deliberately in order to render the bulk of Air Miles and BA Miles collected over the last 20+ years virtually worthless.:mad:

blindman

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

Raffles seems much too excited about how much better a deal the Reward Saver fare is for former BA Exec Club miles collectors wanting to travel in Club to destinations qualifying for the 34GBP return fare but seems to have forgotten how Avios has now brought in redemption charges where none previously existed for Air Miles collectors and has made redemption for long haul flights in Economy more or less pointless financially.

He is entitled to his opinion and how Avios suits him

He also fails to mention how there is virtually never any seat availability at all on some routes (eg LCY to PMI in Economy) but virtually always availability at all times on other routes (eg LHR to ABZ and LGW to MRS). So whether Avios is worthwhile actually depends on where you need to fly, unless of course you are an apparent jetsetter like Raffles who flies to somewhere new perhaps at least twice a month.

This is true with ALL FF programs. Why give seats away when the airlines can sell them ?

I think Raffles is also insufficiently critical of why the Reward Saver concept does not extend to all of BA's destinations worldwide and does not also cover BA Exec Club collectors (especially given that they can now move their points to avios.com at the drop of a hat) given that we all know that BA's fuel surcharges and passenger departure tax charges are a complete and utter ripoff that are way above their real per passenger per flight cost on these long haul routes. In fact they have only been introduced quite deliberately in order to render the bulk of Air Miles and BA Miles collected over the last 20+ years virtually worthless.:mad:

What he does, though is give information as to how there are other ways to ean and burn AVIOS.

redemption for long haul flights in Economy more or less pointless financially.

Every FF program is the same in this respect. (AVIOS weren't-Now they are-Get Over it )

Yes -we ALL know Avios have undergone a change from being bad (No taxes\feee-BUT no seats! )to now worse.

Get that chip off your shoulder about how AVIOS have been adulterated- move on and contribute in helping others to either decide not to save them or spend them wisely.

Eurostar trip anyone :cool:

NonGeographicalMan

blindman wrote: »

Yes -we ALL know Avios have undergone a change from being bad (No taxes\feee-BUT no seats! )to now worse

There were seats often available on some routes and for these routes it was good value. For instance on July 5th last year I was able to book a return flight to Orlando on July 7th to see the final shuttle launch on July 8th. Due to the level of cash fare of £920 I chose to pay £320 plus 2500 Air Miles but I could have booked it cost free for 6500 Avios if I had as many of them as Raffles clearly does. Those seats came up on the day but I booked even if they hadn't become available I would have flown to Tampa (40 miles down the road) instead as that airport had Air Miles seat availability on almost every day only a few days ahead of booking.

The point is that even though they have now added massive charges long haul the availability on routes where AirMiles/BA Miles seat availability was formerly bad (the two old schemes had slightly but not hugely different availability pools) the availability situation still hasn't got any better under Avios. This makes it an unacceptable trade off.

Now I suppose you are only some boring MBA businessman type not prone to campaigning but only to deal making and accounting so you can't see why a company shouldn't screw its customers if it can get away with it. However to those of us with more campaigning zeal than yourself it does seem immoral and reprehensible.

In any case I suspect your own salary may be so large that the elimination of a few additional side benefits of your company paid business travel may perhaps not make any real world difference to you. To those of us not earning or in employment it does make a very big difference.:eek::mad::mad::mad:

blindman

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

The point is that even though they have now added massive charges long haul the availability on routes where AirMiles/BA Miles seat availability was formerly bad (the two old schemes had slightly but not hugely different availability pools) the availability situation still hasn't got any better under Avios. This makes it an unacceptable trade off.

Life sucks-Your winghing is not going to change it.

Now I suppose you are only some boring MBA businessman type not prone to campaigning

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


but only to deal making and accounting so you can't see why a company shouldn't screw its customers if it can get away with it. However to those of us with more campaigning zeal than yourself it does seem immoral and reprehensible.

In any case I suspect your own salary may be so large :rotfl: that the elimination of a few additional side benefits of your company paid business travel :rotfl:may perhaps not make any real world difference to you. To those of us not earning or in employment it does make a very big difference.:eek::mad::mad::mad:

Well you've made me smile-even though it's the usual axe you're grinding.

You are soooooooooooo far off your profile of me it's hilarious :D

Lets just say I'm the exact opposite.

NonGeographicalMan

blindman wrote: »

You are soooooooooooo far off your profile of me it's hilarious :D

Lets just say I'm the exact opposite.

If you do indeed suffer with the physical disability suggested by your forum name then I suppose I should apologise since very few blind people tend to suffer from an excess of financial riches.

However with regard to your "just move on and accept" it attitude I will only say "isn't that what the cybnical hard nosed MBA posessing BA board directors are relying on"? Namely that people like you will say "its not mine to reason why mate" and just put up with it. And its precisely because far too many members of the population react this way to outrageous corporate behaviour or even corporate manslaughter that cynical corporate executives usually get away with such bad behaviour.:eek::mad::mad::mad:

robin1989

I know this thread is a bit old but didn't want to make a separate thread.

i wanted to check i am doing everything i can to boost my miles with virgin. i tell you what ive done so far and would love any suggestions as to what other ways there are.

it started a 18 months ago with me going to america with my university and getting 8000 points for those flights. then last year we decided that we wanted to got florida as a family in 2013 so i started around september last year looking at the best offers. so i began to "Boost" my miles last october/november. it started with me as im 24 getting a virgin atlantic white card and by end of december i had boosted the miles i had to 13k i also go together around november all the tesco clubcards we had and linked them all up to the one account setting it up so that all my tesco points are converted into virgin miles. i also found out round about october (just before the cold cold weather set in) that your eon bill could earn you tesco clubcard points so i set that converting eon to tesco clubcard which in turn went to virgin miles. so by the end of december beginning of january i was up to about 14k-15k with what i had done so far.
then at the start of january i persuaded the parents to get a virgin atlantic white card also pointing at the same miles account which they did and we then used there virgin amex to pay for all our flights and accomodation with me paying them back with a bank transfer for my share. and as of today were currently on about 27k miles.

i have just found out that the bin of empty ink cartridges I've been keeping to either refill or recycle can be used with telco cartridge recycle so i hope to do that over the next few weeks (got about 50+ cartridges).

so thats where im at - me and my parents with virgin white cards, our eon bill going to tesco clubcards and our club cards going to virgin miles with me about to recycle a load of cartridges for points with tesco.

Is there anything else i can do that could help me boost my virgin miles or tesco points as were hoping to have enough to upgrade one or both legs of our journey to premium economy and failing that keep collecting towards a holiday to hong kong in the future.

SHEILA54

robin1989 wrote: »

I know this thread is a bit old but didn't want to make a separate thread.

i wanted to check i am doing everything i can to boost my miles with virgin. i tell you what ive done so far and would love any suggestions as to what other ways there are.

it started a 18 months ago with me going to america with my university and getting 8000 points for those flights. then last year we decided that we wanted to got florida as a family in 2013 so i started around september last year looking at the best offers. so i began to "Boost" my miles last october/november. it started with me as im 24 getting a virgin atlantic white card and by end of december i had boosted the miles i had to 13k i also go together around november all the tesco clubcards we had and linked them all up to the one account setting it up so that all my tesco points are converted into virgin miles. i also found out round about october (just before the cold cold weather set in) that your eon bill could earn you tesco clubcard points so i set that converting eon to tesco clubcard which in turn went to virgin miles. so by the end of december beginning of january i was up to about 14k-15k with what i had done so far.
then at the start of january i persuaded the parents to get a virgin atlantic white card also pointing at the same miles account which they did and we then used there virgin amex to pay for all our flights and accomodation with me paying them back with a bank transfer for my share. and as of today were currently on about 27k miles.

i have just found out that the bin of empty ink cartridges I've been keeping to either refill or recycle can be used with telco cartridge recycle so i hope to do that over the next few weeks (got about 50+ cartridges).

so thats where im at - me and my parents with virgin white cards, our eon bill going to tesco clubcards and our club cards going to virgin miles with me about to recycle a load of cartridges for points with tesco.

Is there anything else i can do that could help me boost my virgin miles or tesco points as were hoping to have enough to upgrade one or both legs of our journey to premium economy and failing that keep collecting towards a holiday to hong kong in the future.

Send your cartridges by Recorded delivery together to prove that they get them. I sent 100 before Christmas in separate envelopes and they have somehow lost over 60 of them :mad:

jackieblack

And be prepared that at least half will probably fail their 'test' and be worth nowt

robin1989

SHEILA54 wrote: »

Send your cartridges by Recorded delivery together to prove that they get them. I sent 100 before Christmas in separate envelopes and they have somehow lost over 60 of them :mad:

thanks will do that as soon as i find a tesco with the bags in. our local one has ran out of bags.

i hope most of them pass as if they do thats one way upgrade for one of our family as its 12500 point for economy to premium economy on our flight.

on a side not i was very pleased with the call centre girl for tesco clubcard as i was ill and wanted her to convert a £1.30 clubcard voucher i found back into points and instead of making me read out the voucher code she said she will just credit me 250 points and to get well soon. made my day