MSE News: Costs to soar in Airmiles revamp: use points before they devalue

On_The_Ball

IveBeenConned wrote: »

HELP - I need some good advice.

I've been ripped off!!!! by Airmiles and TESCO Clubcard. I fell for the Tesco LIE on its website "Use your Clubcard vouchers to get free flights with Airmiles".

I've exchanged £1,100 of Tesco Clubcard Vouchers (to date) for Airmiles (about 27,000) towards a big holiday (5 of us to the USA to visit family). Now, it's going to cost me (at least) an additional £1,500 in FEES to Claim my FREE Flights. The Airmiles are now completely worthless to me. I feel extremely ripped off by TWO big companies who should have given its loyal customers much more notice (as people save Airmiles for years not months). I have no intention of ever flying BA again, yet alone giving them an extra £1,500. As for Tescos, my wife has shopped there every week for 5 years. This morning, she went to Morrisons.

Blimey! You haven't been conned at all - and least of all by Tesco. If their partner changes their offer, what are Tesco meant to do about that? They'll probably keep the same advert as well - the flights will still technically be free as you're just paying the taxes etc.

I'm gutted about the changes as it means I won't be able to use Airmiles for long-haul flights any more. I'm going to squeeze in a trip to Hong Kong next year which I'll book shortly (under current conditions), then I'll review what I'm going to do with future Tesco vouchers. I may well still use Avios just for European flights, some of which will be good value (particularly Moscow). You can book up to mid-December, and flights are available to book up to about fifty weeks in advance.

marisAna

Have been using Airmiles each year to have a return flight to Dubai. Will now use up existing Airmiles and then switch to AA card for petrol and Halifax Clarity rewards card for the rest. Has been really helpful to read this thread for help in deciding what was going on. Thanks all.

theexplorer

Martin, can you please look into the legality of what Airmiles are doing. being as most of the airmiles have been "bought" and are not just loyalty scheme points, can Airmiles do what they are doing. Effectivley they are making millions of bought Airmiles worthless.

UK to NY 40000 avios points Pluas tax = £200 Tesco vouchers plus £300. Therfore an airmile collector will pay £500 for a flight which cab be bought on the BA site for £396.

People have altered thier lifestsyles to save airmiles. Switched shopping from sainsburys to tescos, when airmiles changed thier partner, paid £50 annual fee to get a permium lloyds duo card etc etc

Should they not be ring fencing the current Airmiles in the system and applying new points to the new system?

There is a facebook page to fight agaisnt the chage and a website

http://www.fighttheairmileschange.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/FighttheAirmilesChange

Please support them and help fight the change

Thanks

malkie76

Nothing illegal about applying their own T&C.
Airmiles aren't 'bought' they are a reward for loyalty to various companies.
If you've spent over the odds or bought goods purely for airmiles then you've been very silly.
You see people on PTS buying tescos items for points which is a very risky strategy.

Airmiles users need to appreciate the current climate and rising costs of travel - all they've done is bring the unrealistically generous airmiles programme in line with every other loyalty programme for flights.

theexplorer

malkie76 wrote: »

Nothing illegal about applying their own T&C.
Airmiles aren't 'bought' they are a reward for loyalty to various companies.
If you've spent over the odds or bought goods purely for airmiles then you've been very silly.
You see people on PTS buying tescos items for points which is a very risky strategy.

Airmiles users need to appreciate the current climate and rising costs of travel - all they've done is bring the unrealistically generous airmiles programme in line with every other loyalty programme for flights.

That shows how little you know. T&C can fail under the unfair contracts act. As we have already bought and paid for a service which they are now not going to provide, then they are in breach of the goods & services act.

Airmiles are 'bought', in fact airmiles even sell them on thier website. tesco vocuhers are also used to buy them. As they have a real value to them, that can be classed as a form of payment.

Airmiles is not loyalty programme.

I havn't been silly because Airmiles are good value so it is worth spending a little over the odds.

Airmiles users do realise that it needs to be brought up to date with the economic climate, however we have already bought the service, ie the Airmiles, so they should honour them.

malkie76

They are continuing to offer you free flights - some at lower rates than before.
Correct, they do have a value 0.0001p which you can cash out with them (in £25 minimum).
Hence your unfair contract law comment is nonsense, however I wish you luck with your court case.

I genuiely don't see the issue, but as a BA Miles user I'm used to the YQ.

[edit]

Of course it's a loyalty scheme;

As the UK's most popular travel loyalty scheme, we’ve been rewarding our customers with Airmiles for their everyday spending for over 20 years.

If you don't treat it as such then you run the risk of being seriously burnt. Its a bit worrying you've spent over the odds on a loyalty scheme.

malkie76

Your airmiles aren't being lost - they will still honour them, and even offer better rates on some popular routes

theexplorer

malkie76 wrote: »

They are continuing to offer you free flights - some at lower rates than before.
Correct, they do have a value 0.0001p which you can cash out with them (in £25 minimum).
Hence your unfair contract law comment is nonsense, however I wish you luck with your court case.

I genuiely don't see the issue, but as a BA Miles user I'm used to the YQ.

[edit]

Of course it's a loyalty scheme;


If you don't treat it as such then you run the risk of being seriously burnt. Its a bit worrying you've spent over the odds on a loyalty scheme.

Nope, no free flights, will have to pay taxes etc

Wrong a £2.50 voucher is not worth 0.0001p it is actually worth £2.50!

I take it that you are qualified to state that my unfair conttarct act statement is nonsense?

They may call it a loyalty scheme, however a loyalty scheme is a scheme that rewards people for errrr loyalty. As airmiles do not give us airmiles for free and we have to buy them, it is not a loyalty scheme, it is paying in advance for a service. Much the same as buying futures in a commodity.

theexplorer

malkie76 wrote: »

Your airmiles aren't being lost - they will still honour them, and even offer better rates on some popular routes

no one said that are being lost, they are however being made next to worthless as it is cheaper tojust buy a flight from BA

theexplorer

Oh, and you say you dont see an issue, may i suggest you have a look at the sites mentioned above and see why there is an issue. Basically if someone loses thousands of pounds worth of flights, its an issue