[Nakke]

Have some +1/2 million ba miles and was looking some options ORD-SYD-ORD.
Looking 1st class seats, the site requests to look affiliates, since ba don't fly to SYD from ORD. Punching the same information again and again there are some
1st class (in deed, 1st class answers) options, AA 1st class to LAX but LAX -SYD-LAX comes in ECONOMY and LAX -ORD with AA again in 1st.
Is this BA definitiation for 1st class tickets oRD-SYD?
But the best is to come, they, the BA, has implemented "fuel charge", "BA fee", "other bs fees" that count as much or more than ehe cheapest coach ticket, so f.e. a coach tickect with BA miles COST SAME THAN PURCHASED ticket + the MILES. What a joke.
Who in the hell will "collect" BS, eh BA miles, they are useless, worthless and I think if not criminal at least deceit, treachery.

[pkats]

I too have a half million BA miles. I am trying to book flights a YEAR from now (355 days according to the website). I am flying from Vancouver, Canada to London and I want to fly in August. No flights either way. Then, for "fun", I tried booking flights in April, May, June, July, August and September of next year. NOTHING! I emailed complaints and the reply was dismissive and finally they even told me to call customer service. As any of you know, customer service, based out of the US, usually takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to pick up. However, to their credit, today they picked up fairly quickly. I politely stated that I wasn't able to get flights and asked why for at least 5 months I couldn't use my points (for any class). The customer rep was dismissive, flippant and tried to make me sound like an idiot. Bad move. I very strongly criticized the program, her handling of my call and the poor, poor customer service I have received on this. Then guess what...she found flights albeit not when I wanted but relatively close. But like the other poster I am disgusted by BA and am going to talk to my bank about trying to recover some or all of those points. I'm pretty sure I won't succeed but if there is even ONE BA employee with any sort of conscience, they will read this and other postings on the subject and try to contact us, the loyal, Executive Club members who can fly NOWHERE! By the way, I'm going to find every consumer website I can and make the same complaint.

[RedScopeAlpha]

I've had exactly the same experience. I've been trying to book four tickets to Calgary for this summer. Been trying since August last year.
On the phone I was told that they would rather take the cash paying passengers and that my points mean nothing.

[jimworcs]

All frequent flyer schemes are a waste of time and bordering on fraud. They promise much and deliver little. Better to just fly the best and most convenient rather than give your "loyalty" to any airline, it is never reciprocated.

[anonymouscomments]

As a BA agent i am very aware that availability is hard to come by and exec members checking availability is something i deal with several times a day. Truthfully it is as frustrating for agents because while we have no control over when avios availability is released we are the ones that have to deal with unhappy and angry executive members. I have experienced some executive members talking to me although it is personally my fault asking me why there is never availability and demanding that i give them dates for when it would be released. Unfortunately in this situation there is not much an agent can do! My experience is that economy is always released first along with premium economy then club after that. Honestly first is just like absolute gold dust to find and is maybe only ever 1 or 2 seats . Believe me i do have a conscience but as all BA staff i have to work within BA policies. There is a department that have all the control over releasing these seats and they carefully monitor and look at how many seats are going to be sold commercially before releasing avios. Other than this there is no set date or time for avios to be released. However the reality of this is that there are a lot of members of the executive club and it is growing all the time. Therefore avios availability is always going to be highly restricted because otherwise executive club members could take all or nearly all the seats on a plane with avios in theory. Its harsh to say this but i believe this is the reality of the situation. Also it is in the terms and conditions that avios is subject to availability unfortunately. As for the cost i appreciate that BA has a fuel surcharge however they have nothing else to do with the taxes you pay for an avios flight. The UK does have some of the highest airport taxes though. I recently was talking to an executive club member who was travelling from Dublin to Heathrow on avios. When i looked at departure from Belfast instead the cost more than doubled! Lastly these are my personal views and dont represent BA so everyone is clear about that!

[RedScopeAlpha]

I totally get it but releasing 2 seats on 1 flight out of hundreds in a time frame period of 3 months on whole continents? That's just taking the biscuit! OR perhaps BA should have more transparency and release on a regular basis. Let the masses fight it out.
They worked when they weren't open to everyone but now, demand outstrips supply therefore they are antiquated and pointless. I have now boycotted the use of BA.