As a British Airways Executive Club member, you may be used to racking up Avios points on your flights, but there’s a catch you should be aware of when booking with Cathay Pacific. Specifically, their Fare Class P can leave you empty-handed when it comes to earning Avios.
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The Catch for BA Executive Club Members
The issue with Cathay Pacific’s Fare Class P was initially brought to light by the Head for Points website, and it’s important to revisit the subject, especially for British Airways Executive Club members. The main problem with Fare Class P is that it earns no Avios points when booked through Cathay Pacific. This can come as a surprise to many BA members who are used to earning points on their flights.
Furthermore, the lack of Avios earnings for Fare Class P can lead to frustration and disappointment for BA members who have booked a more expensive ticket, expecting to earn more points, only to discover that their investment has not paid off. This discrepancy can be particularly frustrating for those who rely on accumulating Avios points to fund future travels or access valuable rewards and benefits.
Fare Class P: An Oversight or Intentional?
As a frequent traveller and someone who values my Avios points, I can’t help but wonder if this lack of earnings for Fare Class P is an oversight or an intentional decision by Cathay Pacific. It’s worth noting that cheaper ‘I’ class fares do earn Avios, as shown in the BA Avios calculator, which adds to the confusion surrounding Fare Class P.
However, recent discussions on FlyerTalk and a post dating back to before the Head for Points article suggest that this situation might be deliberate on the part of British Airways. Users have reported that they have tried to claim Avios points post-flight but had their claims rejected by BA.
Some forum members have tried to rationalize the situation, pointing out that Fare Class P appears on other Oneworld reward charts but not on BA’s, leading them to believe it could be an oversight. However, as another FlyerTalk post indicates, the evidence seems to lean more towards a deliberate decision by British Airways.
Given the ongoing confusion and the experiences of BA members who have tried to claim Avios points for Fare Class P flights, it seems increasingly likely that this is an intentional move by BA to exclude Fare Class P from earning Avios.
Comparing Fare Class P Earnings with Partner Airlines
Interestingly, Fare Class P does earn points with Cathay Pacific’s partner airlines, such as Qatar Airways and American Airlines. This further emphasizes the peculiarity of the situation for British Airways Executive Club members, as it’s unclear why Fare Class P should be treated differently by British Airways.
When comparing earnings across these airlines, it’s apparent that BA members are at a significant disadvantage when booking Fare Class P on Cathay Pacific flights. This begs the question: why are BA members left out in the cold when it comes to Fare Class P?
How BA Members Can Maximize Earnings with Fare Class P
If you find yourself booked on a Cathay Pacific Fare Class P ticket as a BA member, all hope is not lost. One workaround is to credit your flight to a Qatar Privilege Club account instead, allowing you to still earn Avios points. The earning rate with Qatar Privilege Club is identical to the Executive Club rate at 125% of miles flown.
By taking this approach, you can circumvent the Fare Class P issue and ensure you don’t miss out on valuable Avios points when flying with Cathay Pacific.
Conclusion
In summary, Cathay Pacific’s Fare Class P presents a potential pitfall for British Airways Executive Club members, as it offers no Avios earnings when booked through the airline. Whether this is an oversight or an intentional decision remains unclear, but it’s important for BA members to be aware of the situation.
As a savvy traveller, it’s crucial to stay informed and make strategic decisions when booking flights with partner airlines like Cathay Pacific. By understanding the nuances of fare classes and knowing how to maximize your Avios earnings, you can continue to enjoy the benefits of your British Airways Executive Club membership.
by doing so, I assume you loose all tier points which aren’t transferable between Qatar and BA?
Well technically Tier Points do not transfer across. However that said, you can only earn TP when flying on a OneWorld Member airline (with 1 or 2 exceptions) so if you could do it straight away and credit BA and the point of converting QR to BA would be redundant. transferring across would only make sense if you are flying on a partner airline that will give QR avios but not BA. similar to flying Vueling to IB (which earns avios) but not Vueling to BA