Avios Points Boosting guide discussion

fi_earthling

I have a question about booking tickets for friends and family...

I've been a member of BA Exec Club for years but I can't book a ticket through this for my other half or his son to travel with me, as it's for the account holder only (we can't open a household account as you have to live at the same address)

There doesn't seem to be the same restriction through the main Avios site, so I could potentially book for both of us through this. Can someone confirm this is the case? I'm finding it hard to find the info on the site.

oasis1979

can you use your own avios number when booking a flight for someone else?

1Highlander

A question on what to do next about vouchers not being honoured.....

I have some of the original Air Miles vouchers that were sent out when it first started, to encourage saving - several 1 mile, 5 mile, 20 mile, 100 mile, etc.
I have queried with Air Miles a couple of times whether these were still valid and if I could exchange these for online points and was told that they were still valid and it was best just to wait until I booked and exchange them then.
Now Avios appears so I checked again.
This time I was told the vouchers are no longer valid.
I explained the history and confirmed I had not received anything with the Avios marketing or separate communication to say these would no longer be valid.
I was told there was something on the website and they were just telling people when than rang to enquire !! Bit late then.
Where do we stand ?

tulip12

Hi
I hope I have posted this question in the right place.

We have some points that we have had for many years and never used, about 6000. I have recently added a few points to keep the account from lapsing.

We don't really collect these any more and would just like to use them, then close the account.

My question is what would be the best value for money way of spending them?
Could I sell them?
Thanks for your help Tulip

worldtraveller

Please note that I have not had time to look into this fully, so please check it out thoroughly first, but if you need to purchase some Avios Points for your BA Executive Club account it may be worth buying BMI destination miles instead and transferring them to Avios Points.

With the recent purchase of BMI by IAG, it's my understanding that, from the 3rd July, BMI Diamond Club members will be able to transfer their destinations miles to Executive Club Avios Points at a rate of 1:1.

Currently BMI Diamond Club members can purchase 24,000 destination miles (maximum possible) for £303.00, but the same number of Avios Points, purchased as a BA Executive Club member, would cost £399.00. You can purchase less of course, but the percentage saving will not be as large.

(To complicate this slightly you can currently get a bonus number of Avios Points if you purchase them on the BA Executive Club site using a BA Amex Card and there is a similar deal on the Avios site using Lloyds TSB cards to pay, so I don't think that there is any benefit with the above if you have those particular cards)

richardw

Perhaps do full research worldtraveller before posting, disinformation is no good to anybody.

lfc84

you need to take into account redemption rates as well

budgetflyer

info seems to match what was said on http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bmi-diamond-club/public/en_gb

worldtraveller

richardw wrote: »

Perhaps do full research worldtraveller before posting, disinformation is no good to anybody.

If you have time to research it fully and read all the terms & conditions on both BA & BMI websites and all the other legalise about the takeover, please feel free to do so. There is absolutely no disinformation in what I posted and as far as I know it's totally clear & accurate and, IMHO I spent sufficient time on it before making the post, with a helpful link.

As a matter of course I've always made similar suggestions regarding the checking of all the details whenever I've made a similar post on MSE in the past and I will continue to do so in the future. Maybe I just shouldn't have suggested that people, to be safe, check it out fully first, and you would have maybe been a tad happier!

richardw

worldtraveller wrote: »

...There is absolutely no disinformation in what I posted and as far as I know it's totally clear & accurate and, IMHO I spent sufficient time on it before making the post, with a helpful link....

Well the 3rd July 2012 represents something that isn't clear in your post.

Bmi Diamond Club have e mailed.

"As part of the transition of bmi into British Airways, from 1 May 2012 British Airways is inviting you, as a Diamond Club member, to also join the Executive Club ......

You will also be able to transfer your destinations miles to Executive Club Avios points at a rate of 1:1. British Airways will also be offering Executive Club customers the ability to transfer from Executive Club Avios points into destinations miles at a rate of 1:1. For example 100 destinations miles could be transferred into 100 Avios points and vice versa."