Not exact matches
You'll also be hit with a
high fuel surcharge for most flights to Europe, EXCEPT for
when flying with Delta.
You'll avoid
high taxes and
fuel surcharges when you focus on flights operated by a British Airways» airline partners.
These
surcharges stem from a time
when oil prices were
high, and airlines wanted to offset the cost of
fuel.
Keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic imposes rather
high fuel surcharges on its award flights, and you will also be subject to the
high government and airport taxes
when flying through the U.K.
You'll also be hit with a
high fuel surcharges for most flights to Europe, EXCEPT
when flying with Delta.
You'll also be hit with a
high fuel surcharge for most flights to Europe, EXCEPT for
when flying with Delta.
Generally,
when going to Europe it's recommended to use Avios on partner airlines in order to avoid the
high fuel surcharges that you get hit with on British Airways
when flying through London.
You should also be aware that
fuel surcharges and airport levies, which can be as
high as $ 200 for a flight, also eat into your CPM;
when planning a flight paid with reward miles you need to factor this in as well.
Remember there are no
fuel surcharges on domestic flights, but taxes and fees for visiting Hawaii or Alaska are a little
higher than you're used to
when staying within the contiguous 48 states.
If I really wanted to avoid
fuel surcharges on an award then the drop in points
when I transfer from Singapore Airlines to Virgin Australia might make sense in some circumstances where Singapore imposed
high fuel surcharges.
The real sweet spots are
when you fly British Airways partners, because the
fuel surcharges are so
high going to Europe.
However, Avios also incur some of the
highest fuel surcharges out there
when used on transoceanic flights.
Not only will you pay
fuel surcharges (albeit smaller than what you would
when crossing the Atlantic), but you will also get hit with the very
high Heathrow Airport taxes.
Aside from the deceptive short - haul fares, Air Canada's
fuel surcharges and fees will hit your award account the hardest
when flying Air Canada flights on long hauls, where the fees are naturally
higher and airport taxes tend to be as well.
Given the
high fuel surcharges on British Airways, the main other competing product for first class that actually offers award availability, Lufthansa first class remains the one to beat in terms of overall value,
when it comes to award bookings to Europe.
When programs have
high fuel surcharges it can be a better value to purchase a ticket (especially on carriers that have premium economy) and then upgrade.
In addition, the
high fuel surcharges often charged on award flights operated by British Airways make these points most valuable when used on partners like American Airlines, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, Aer Lingus, and others (see How to Redeem Avios Without Huge Fees and Su
surcharges often charged on award flights operated by British Airways make these points most valuable
when used on partners like American Airlines, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, Aer Lingus, and others (see How to Redeem Avios Without Huge Fees and
SurchargesSurcharges).