When to Use British Airways' Multi-Partner Award Chart
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British Airways has a completely different redemption chart for redeeming flights on one ticket including two or more BA oneworld partner airlines. These "Multi-Carrier Awards" are hidden in the depths of the points enthusiast's arsenal, and while there are many instances where they don't offer much value, it is possible to maximize your Avios redemptions through this chart under certain circumstances.
With the recent news that Avios will make redemptions on partner airlines more expensive, British Airways has confirmed to TPG that Multi-Carrier Award pricing is not set to increase, and while the devaluation doesn't appear to be extreme, there may now be even greater value in these special awards.
With the recent news that Avios will make redemptions on partner airlines more expensive, British Airways has confirmed to TPG that Multi-Carrier Award pricing is not set to increase, and while the devaluation is not extreme, there may now be even greater value in these special awards.
Key Rules
- You must include two or more BA oneworld partner airlines on the ticket.
- Multiply the Avios cost x1.5 for Premium Economy, x2 for Business, and x3 for First.
- You must still pay taxes in cash.
- Tickets can only be booked via the BA call centre.
How Much Does a Multi-Carrier Award Cost?
British Airways usually charges journeys per sector when using Avios, but it prices these awards based on total mileage per the above chart. This allows multiple flights to be built into the ticket, and is likely to produce a very beneficial cost, especially if a number of shorter flights are included on the ticket.
Use Great Circle Mapper to input your routing and work out the total mileage, and apply that to the chart.
A great advantage can be gained on premium classes. BA usually charges x3 Avios for Business Class and x4 for First Class, but this chart maintains the old BA multiples, charging x2 and x3 for first and business, respectively, so there are huge savings to be found on these premium tickets.
How Do I Book a Multi-Carrier Award?
The most complicated part of the process is finding availability for all the separate flights, that then marry up in a neat ticket with dates within the desired range of each other.
You need to be methodical, patient, and have a sprinkling of luck as you search BA.com for award availability on the various flights.
For some flights, availability may not show properly on BA.com, and you may be better off checking that airline's own programme for award availability. For example, Qantas Connect flights do not show on BA.com, and rather than calling the BA call centre and painstakingly requesting different dates and times, you can use the Qantas website to search availability.
Once you have all of the flights lined up, call up the BA Executive Club call centre, list each of the flights one by one, and book away!
A Real Life Example
I booked one of these tickets and flew an epic trip last year, making huge savings on both what the cash price would have been (£20,000!) and the Avios cost had I have booked the segments separately. The routing was LHR-HKG-TPE-HKG-PER-LEA-PER overland SIN-LHR with a total mileage of 18,851.
The mileage falls in at the top end of the 14,001-20,000 band, meaning the cost for an economy redemption would have been 100,000 plus taxes and fees.
The actual pricing of a ticket can be hit and miss, and you can only be sure when you call up, but because my longest sector (SIN-LHR) was in business class, the entire trip booked at business class pricing, even though some segments were in first class. The total was 200,000 Avios + £549.77
At the time, I had also checked the price with the first leg as CDG-HKG to avoid some UK taxes. The Avios amount remained at 200,000, but taxes dropped to around £300, a savings of some £250.
In the end, because of flight times, the cost of travel and accommodation in Paris, and maximising days out of the office, I decided the extra cash was worth it to fly from from London. However it is always worth thinking about starting your journey outside of the UK to save on tax.
Here is each separate flight broken down, and the corresponding cost had I booked these outside the multi-carrier award chart:
| Route | Airline | Class | Regular Avios Cost (Cost post-30 May) |
|---|---|---|---|
London Heathrow - Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific | First | 120,000 (123,750) |
Hong Kong - Taipei | Cathay Pacific | First | 18,000 (24,000) |
Taipei - Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific | First | 18,000 (24,000) |
Hong Kong - Perth | Cathay Pacific | Business | 60,000 (62,000) |
Perth - Learmonth | Qantas | Economy (one-class aircraft) | 7,500 (9,000) |
Learmonth - Perth | Qantas | Economy (one-class aircraft) | 7,500 (9,000) |
Singapore - London Heathrow | British Airways | Business | 105,000 (no change) |
TOTAL | 336,000 (356,750) |
As this shows, the savings in Avios is significant at 200,000 for the Multi-Carrier Award vs 336,000 if booked separately. Even if the ticket had priced at x3 for First Class (300,000 Avios), it still would have been cheaper to book this way.
The difference is even more stark in light of the increase in Avios pricing for partner airlines. Booking all the separate flights above after 30 May 2019 will likely jump another 20,750 Avios to 356,750.
Bottom Line
The Multi-Carrier Award Chart may be one to avoid when booking much shorter Avios trips with multiple oneworld airlines. The end of the chart with lower distances is definitely less lucrative.
However, on much longer and round-the-world type tickets in premium classes, the savings can be significant, especially given the upcoming hike in Avios pricing for partner rewards. Always check the Multi-Carrier Award chart before booking this type of trip to see if a saving can be made, or consider building a trip specifically with this in mind (as I did) to maximise a large stash of Avios.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.