Aggressive BA Business Class fares to the USA and Canada from £1,150 from Dublin

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• TeesTraveller says:

  29 Apr29 April 08:04

  I’ve been looking at these prices for a couple of weeks to either MCO or TPA but doing it as a holiday booking adds £1200 on (and no one pays that for a car if Florida).

  Booking the final leg LCY-DUB gets your luggage back at LHR.

  Tip for regional flyers is to do a multi city booking (eg DUB-LHR-USA/USA-LHR-NCL/LON-DUB). Of course you need to get to DUB in the first place but you end up back in NCL/MAN/EDI/GLA etc and then “forget” to take the final leg to DUB.

  • Gordon says:

    29 Apr29 April 08:47

    If you are booking a hire car in MCO,TPA,MIA, etc. I’d recommend the below hire company, based in the UK, contact, Andy

    https://www.discountfloridacarhire.co.uk/

    Had a booking to MCO in November, and saved £200 on the same Alamo car and rental office by booking through them, for a 2 week hire,once booked If the hire charge reduces before you go, you can rebook at the new price. I’d recommend them.

    • TeesTraveller says:

      29 Apr29 April 09:07

      Thanks but I was looking to add a car so that I could delay paying for the flights until early next year 🙂

      • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

        29 Apr29 April 09:38

        You only need one night of a car / hotel to make it a holiday – use the CUSTOM TRIP feature – and get the pay a deposit option.

        And that night could be at DUB the night before you start the flights (where you might need a hotel anyway) or somewhere in Florida during the trip that last minute change of plans prevents you from using …

      • Diane says:

        29 Apr29 April 12:36

        Book a car on BA holidays for 5 days gets you the tier points etc then book a car for the remainder of your holiday thru any other car hire company at the cheaper price. The change over of cars is usually in the same area

        • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

          29 Apr29 April 13:08

          You don’t get the double TPs for a booking that doesn’t start in the UK (or US)

• Linda says:

  29 Apr29 April 08:08

  Can you use a Companion voucher for these flights and avoid high taxes?

  • Nancy says:

    29 Apr29 April 08:29

    Yes

    • Rob says:

      29 Apr29 April 08:42

      No, these are cash tickets.

      In any event, since BA moved to fixed taxes on redemptions, you pay the same in addons regardless of where you start.

  • WorldTraveller says:

    29 Apr29 April 10:22

    No because these are cash tickets and also because they don’t start from the UK. Completely irrelevant

    • Rob says:

      29 Apr29 April 10:37

      Companion voucher no longer requires flights to start in the UK (the Barclays voucher does, but no longer the Amex one).

      However, apart from First Class redemptions you don’t save any money with this and the F benefit will soon disappear when it moves to RFS.

      • Alex says:

        29 Apr29 April 10:41

        When is F moving to RFS?

        • Rob says:

          29 Apr29 April 11:19

          Don’t know the date.

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

      29 Apr29 April 10:40

      I wouldn’t be too assertive if I were you.

      AMEX 2-4-1s can be used when starting outside of the UK

      https://www.headforpoints.com/2024/01/03/how-do-british-airways-american-express-2-4-1-vouchers-work-2/

• Paul says:

  29 Apr29 April 08:58

  Time for them to slash the ludicrous “taxes & fees” portion of redemption bookings.

  • Rob says:

    29 Apr29 April 09:02

    BA loses money now much of the time. A one way long haul in Business is £175 of addons. The APD alone is £216 from 2025, Heathrow charges are another £40 and that’s before you get to all the other addons.

    The only ‘ludicrous’ thing is that BA set the RFS fee below what it has to pay out.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      29 Apr29 April 09:14

      Let’s not forget they made a direct swap for their ridiculous YQ for Avios at a favourable rate to them. Avios aren’t free … you forgot your “we are paying for points” article already?

      • TeesTraveller says:

        29 Apr29 April 10:45

        Indeed. They get to release money from their balance sheet to the P&L when avios are redeemed so they are hardly doing badly on redemption bookings.

        BA are a massive outlier when it comes to YQ on redemptions.

    • LittleNick says:

      29 Apr29 April 09:26

      Rob, but you’ve not factored in the return journey say the USA where tax/airport fees coming back are much lower than the RFS fee so it nets off. Most of my long haul RFS return bookings have fees equally roughly the total tax amount, which is fair in my book. I object to airline surcharges on redemptions.
      Let’s not forget the YQ BA still demand to redemption partners on other O/W partners.

    • JDB says:

      29 Apr29 April 09:51

      When BA introduced RFS for long haul J, they also increased the number of Avios required fairly significantly eg NYC now 160k (+£350) off peak in J return vs 100k previously, plus c. £850 taxes/fees/charges so they added 60k Avios to save £500 so they aren’t really losing anything although BA has to pay away the APD and PSC in cash. This is mitigated per another comment above by the fact that the RFS is the same on the return sector when charges to pay away are generally much lower.

      • will says:

        29 Apr29 April 11:57

        It was nothing short of a significant devaluation, we’ve raised the cash portion but you can pay more avios to reduce it down to what it used to be. There’s still good value in avios, but holding a huge balance is not sensible.
        I’m reasonably satisfied that I cashed out as much to nectar as I could when the original rate was around.

    • mhughes says:

      29 Apr29 April 10:37

      but the fares in question are out of dublin so no APD and no Heathrow charge. Calling them fixed “taxes” only appeases BA’s preferred terminology. It is a fixed cash price.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        29 Apr29 April 11:55

        There is a Heathrow charge since the flights are via Heathrow … the actual Heathrow fees aren’t that much anyway. It’s YQ aka surcharges that make up
        The bulk of the fares BA charge

• Sarah says:

  29 Apr29 April 09:06

  Do you also get to do US customs in Dublin?

  • Ziggy says:

    29 Apr29 April 09:33

    Only if your flight is going directly from Dublin to the US. If it routes via London you can’t use pre clearance.

  • Rob says:

    29 Apr29 April 09:52

    No, because you are flying Dublin London USA.

• Mike says:

  29 Apr29 April 09:19

  I wish BA would sort out their multi city booking page though!

  • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

    29 Apr29 April 09:40

    It’s a bit clunky yes but I don’t have any issues generally with it.

    • Mike says:

      29 Apr29 April 10:10

      It only ever returns 4 flights to pick from for me, so if you want to do dub-lon, you don’t see most flights.

      • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

        29 Apr29 April 10:42

        gah sorry. I thought you meant the custom trip / multi city option when booking a holiday not flight only

        Yes there is something wrong with the flight only one.

        An optioon would be to use e.g. google flights and then call BA up to actually book it

• Binks says:

  29 Apr29 April 09:34

  Hi Rob, I have a question re BA companion voucher. I have seen this question answered in some respect several times. I have the premium BA Amex and banked my voucher about 5 months ago. I now want to cancel my card but the call agent insisting I cancel my card I will lose the voucher. I asked them to refer me to the specific ref number / letter re the conditions in the t and c’s without much luck. They were insistent I will lose my voucher if I can my card. I have two other Amex cards which I understand it is possible to pay the taxes / fees on once you book a ticket. I do not want to lose my voucher. Please can you confirm and point to any evidence ? Thank you in advance.

  • Gordon says:

    29 Apr29 April 09:41

    Rubbish! Once the voucher is banked, it is safe, and you are correct, you can use any Amex to pay the taxes and fees. Did you get the C.S agents name, as I would complain about receiving false information from them, One C.S agent is different from the next.

    • Simin CH says:

      29 Apr29 April 09:49

      Absolutely CORRECT.
      I have two banked, no Amex card.
      On my wife’s this year.
      Any Amex can be used.

    • Binks says:

      29 Apr29 April 10:01

      Thank you. I did say I wanted to speak with his manager to confirm but useless response. I will cancel the card – thx.

  • JDB says:

    29 Apr29 April 10:06

    @Binks – the relevant term is paragraph 32 which says you must remain eligible for the promotion at the time of travel which would be fine if you downgraded to the free card rather than cancelled. This term has remained in place despite various rewrites so the information the agent gave you is strictly correct but it hasn’t hitherto been applied. However, if they ever did apply this term, they have given you fair warning.

    The definitive contrary advice given by others should be more nuanced because the past is no guarantee of the future and while the risk may be very low it’s one you need to decide for yourself.

    • Gordon says:

      29 Apr29 April 11:14

      @JDB – I have read the T&C’s for the free card, sections 1-10, also the BAPP Card, sections 11-36, for companion vouchers issued after 1st September 2021.
      Including the “Rules and restrictions” section.

      There is also terms and conditions for companion vouchers issued before 1st September 2021, but that is not relevant in this case, as the voucher in the posters case was issued 5 months ago.

      There is no mention of having to retain the Amex card that the voucher was earned on at all, also no mention of the voucher being revoked under such circumstances.

      Under Section 31,
      it states, that 3 months notice will be given for any changes to the terms and conditions, so if this was to be introduced, the card holder would be notified.

      I have not heard of any card holder having Their companion voucher/Vouchers revoked for this reason!
      As I said @Binks was not given the correct advice by the C.S agent contrary to the terms and conditions.

      • JDB says:

        29 Apr29 April 11:27

        @Gordon I was referring to paragraph 32 of the current terms – there isn’t a paragraph 32 in the pre-Sep 2021 terms. The script provided by the agent is correct even if, as I acknowledged, that term is not currently. The agent is obliged to state the technical position and Amex senior management is fully aware that this message is being given out because I have challenged them on this specific point.

        Your suggestion that the OP should take the agent’s name and make a complaint is entirely pointless as the complaint could not be upheld.

        It’s fine if you say that the OP should be fine in practice but be aware it could change but to provide definitive advice that conflicts both with the written terms and the correct formal script from an authorised representative is irresponsible.

        • Gordon says:

          29 Apr29 April 11:57

          @JDB – I was referring to the terms and conditions for companion vouchers issued post September 2021, I am aware that there is no section 32 in the pre September 2021 terms and conditions, the pre T&C’s was mentioned for comparison purposes.

          Regarding your last paragraph, As I mentioned, any changes to the terms and conditions, would be given with 3 months notice. So at the present time, the OP is fine to proceed with his card cancellation.

    • AJA says:

      29 Apr29 April 11:33

      @JDB notwithstanding your point about what paragraph 32 states it is also true that you are not compelled to pay using a BA Amex card.

      This is set out paragraph 17 which states: The Cardmember is responsible for paying any Taxes, Fees and Charges relating to their Companion Voucher booking. Taxes, Fees and Charges apply per person. All Taxes, Fees and Charges must be paid for using an American Express Card.

      Note that it merely states you must use an Amex card. It does not specify that the card must be a BA one nor indeed that it must be in your name.

      That said I think the last voucher I redeemed in my BAEC account did actually default to pre-filling my name although I actually used the supplementary card on my OH’s account which means I wasn’t technically responsible for paying the card statement that the charges appeared on.

      • JDB says:

        29 Apr29 April 12:19

        @AJA – yes, the terms were changed to allow payment with any Amex but they didn’t take the opportunity to change para 32 at the same time although both could have been done without notice as it is deemed to be to the customer’s advantage.

        The issue is that it should be OK but it’s quite wrong to say as another poster did that an Amex agent’s name should be taken and reported when they are conveying technically accurate information. It’s also wrong to be so black and white in saying nothing will ever happen when that person doesn’t know and can’t know what might happen.

• Kevin says:

  29 Apr29 April 09:55

  I feel a TP Run coming on….. half a chance of GGL with some TPs not being wiped out come Nov 8th!

• George K says:

  29 Apr29 April 11:00

  Semi related question: Has anyone found any good deals recently ex-UK/JER/etc for the purposes of a BA Holiday-boosted TP run?

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