Questions and Answers

is it just me or is british airways executive club just plain nasty. is thier a way to use ba miles without using ba? i have been collecting miles with them for over a decade and have yet been able to secure an award ticket. they are control freaks. it would take 3 minutes to book a ticket on united. but ba is horrendous. i was able to secure a one way award ticket to europe on ba once but the heathrow airport tax was like 300 dollars. that is not an award ticket. i wonder if one can fly to europe on ba avio miles. and not go thru heathrow or any english airport, maybe by flying over on american or the spanish ba partner?

Yes, you can fly on AA or Iberia. AA doesn’t release much space on their own flights, unfortunately. Iberia flights go through Madrid and while they do incur fuel surcharges, it’s not usually as onerous as the one BA imposes (though it can be) – plus, as you point out, you don’t have to pay the UK departure tax. Also look for flights on Aer Lingus via DUB.

Of course the best uses for Avios are usually for short-haul, non-stop flights but it all depends on your needs.

BA Avios are troublesome in many ways but the LHR airport tax is not something that BA controls. This article should be helpful in getting a better understanding of the tax and some potential work arounds:

[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2011/08/23/understanding-the-uk-air-passenger-duty-and-how-to-minimize-it/[/URL]

The absolute worst thing about AA is its alliance with BA. I feel your pain….