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The cat is out of the bag. Expect this deal to end any moment now because it’s likely a mistake:
US Airways is not collecting fuel surcharges on British Airways award flights like British Airways’ other main partners do.
This is huge news because:
- British Airways flies to more American cities than any other foreign airlines.
- British Airways has the best route network throughout Europe and Africa.
- British Airways has gold mine availability on a lot of routes in economy.
- British Airways has a fantastic Club World (business class product) I’ve flown three times.
- British Airways looks to have a fantastic First Class product I haven’t yet had the pleasure to fly.
I expect this deal could die within hours or days or weeks because I do think this is a mistake. I am only sharing it because two other major blogs covered it today, and if they’re killing it, I want MileValue readers to have a shot at it first.
- How much are US Airways awards that include British Airways flights?
- How do you search for British Airways award space?
- How do you book it with US Airways miles?
How to Search British Airways Award Space
The easiest place to search British Airways award space is aa.com. Here’s how to search aa.com.
Ignore the miles prices listed on aa.com.
US Airways phone agents will have access to all the same British Airways flights, but the prices for them will be determined by the US Airways award chart, which is different than the American Airlines award chart.
How to Book British Airways Award Space with US Airways Miles
Once you have the dates, cabins, and flight numbers with award space figured out, call US Airways at 800-622-1015 to book. Feed the agent each flight segment.
The price will be determined by the US Airways award chart. You’ll also pay government taxes plus a $50 award processing fee unless you have US Airways status, but no separate phone fee.
Remember that award taxes are extremely expensive when departing the United Kingdom, especially in a premium cabin. (This only applies if you’ve been there more than 24 hours. Connections of less than 24 hours incur much lower taxes.)
Pricing Out US Airways Award that Include British Airways Space
Award space is wide open between New York and London and London and South Africa in economy class on British Airways flights.
Booking a roundtrip award would cost 70k US Airways miles + $276 in taxes and fees.
Award space is wide open in First Class between New York and London in British Airways First Class. The award would cost 125k US Airways miles + $415.80 roundtrip in taxes and fees. (American would charge almost $1,200 out of pocket for the same award.)
By the way, pay these taxes with the Barclaycard Arrival(TM) World MasterCard®, and you can redeem Arrival miles to remove the charge from your statement. Currently meeting the spending requirement on the Arrival card gets one over $500 in free travel including paying award taxes and fees.
British Airways/US Airways Sweet Spots
British Airways award availability is the best in oneworld to Europe and Africa, so being able to book it with US Airways miles without paying fuel surcharges opens those two continents for US Airways awards.
US Airways has sweet spots to North Asia in economy and First Class and to Australia in all cabins. British Airways flights can be included on awards to those places if you want to go via Europe to get more flights in premium cabins.
Share how you’ve taken advantage of this likely mistake (or plan to) in the comments.
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From the USAirways perspective, is there a distinction (for awards) between Business and First?
I don’t know if I understand your question. If you fly BA First, US Airways will collect the first class miles price. If you fly BA biz, US will collect biz class miles price.
My point is: where do you see separated Business and First awards on the US chart? I see Main Cabin and Business/First. There is no distinction between Business and First award points (it seems). So what would be the low business to UK? What is the low first to UK?
Scroll down to the bottom of the page below:
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/usemiles/awardchart.html?c=micro_FFP
click on oneworld chart.
Doooohhh! Thanks!
I really like how you twisted it into “I want MileValue readers to have a shot at it first” rather than saying that since they’re doing it you want a piece of the traffic it generates as well …
This makes no sense. If I wanted the traffic, wouldn’t I have posted it first?
You would have if you had known about it first….
Haha! You think my Award Booking Service hasn’t been booking these awards for the last month…
Excellent timing of this information.
I am scheduling an’OPEN JAW’ trip ORD > LHR > ATH
Then DXB > LHR > ORD.
I usually fly Economy to earn miles then use my AA miles to upgrade.
I also have 100 K. UR points that I can transfer to BA in order to use 40 K Avios miles to upgrade to premium seating, on DXB>LHR and ORD>LHR portions.
I am a non status with USAir (35K) but Plat with AA.
Question is….should I transfer UR points to USAir or to BA for the upgrades, then book thru USAir ?
On US AIRWAYS AWARDS, there are currently no fuel surcharges on BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHTS.
You need US AIRWAYS MILES to take advantage. You don’t have enough US Airways miles, nor do UR transfer to US miles. You cannot take advantage.
Great info, thanks Scott. Ignore the haters. Not even sure why they bother to read the blog if just to criticize you passing along really helpful information to your readers.
Couldn’t agree more. TY Scott for your good info/posts.
It does NOT bother me that Scott gets something for applying thru his link or the the generated web traffic. Can’t he get something for all the time and energy it takes to maintain/post/share etc…
Kicking myself for not picking up miles during the past couple of promotions :(. This would have been really useful for a trip I am planning now.
[…] Read the original: US Airways is Not Collecting Fuel Surchages on British Airways Flights […]
Will the AA MileSaver dates apply when booking BA through US Airways ( for example, reduced mileage of 20,000 each way to Europe starting in October)?
No. If you use US Airways miles, you use the US Airways chart.
[…] Tuesday news broke that US Airways is not collecting fuel surcharges on British Airways flights on award tickets, which is surprising since American Airlines and British Airways have long collected fuel surcharges on British Airways flights. […]
So how do you book award flights from Australia, say BNE or SYD to LHR or other Europe airport using US Airways points. All the award chart wants to show me is Alice Springs and then says no such flights avail. Would appreciate a quick rundown on how to go about this , Thanks John.
The award chart is showing you Alice Springs? The award chart doesn’t show any cities.
You sound very confused, like you could really benefit from my Award Booking Service.
I will assume that you are searching usairways.com for award space. You should be searching ba.com for the space then calling US Airways because usairways.com doesn’t show all US Airways’ partners and ba.com does.
Thanks for your reply Scott. I do intend to use your award booking service at some stage. In the meantime I find your posts very informative. John.
[…] Tuesday news broke that US Airways is not collecting fuel surcharges on British Airways flights on award tickets, which is surprising since American Airlines and British Airways have long collected fuel surcharges on British Airways flights. […]