Finally we have enough miles to fly BC on British Air from LAX to Nice round trip. When I go to their website it says there are no available seats for NEXT August. We actually want to go next September (2012), so how do I snag two seats????

Call them; we find it well worth the service charge.

You wait until BA sets their schedules and starts releasing redemption seats for next September, which won't be for a while yet. Also don't expect a bunch of seats to come available right at the outset of the booking window; airlines release award inventory in dribs and drabs right up to the day of travel. You can monitor availability on BA's website.

PS: <s>Brit Air</s> British <s>Air</s> British Air<b>ways</b>.

I will call them. Would you book one award seat and hope to get another one during the coming year?

Too far out wait go on line after chistmas

Be warned about ba.com expensive fuel surcharges scam

that no one else charges my 400000 FF miles on CCs

did not seem to be such a great deal $2-300s surcharges

and taxes to NCE via LHR last year during the Iceland volcano

Was a nightmare in fact insuremytrip.com a must saved my bacon

They charge for seats per leg like $30 can add up so beware.

Usually do not opt for seat assigns to save hundreds.

AA.com only charged me 40000 miles on each CC $45 tax per leg

on my last booking honest fair easy to pick up on Citi CCs

you have time... Just booked into Paris via DFW non stop

Will then TGV down to Nice... 2 free RT just with AA CCs for

me for my wife and myself no fuel surcharges seat assign costs

Good luck you will need it with BA

I may be naive but if i can get 2 round trip business class seats on British Air, LAX-Nice for subcharges of $500, I consider it a bargain. The BC fare is $10,000 and we've used up our other mileage accounts on Myanmar-Laos-Thailand last Christmas, LAX to Greek Islands this past June and LAX to Buenos Aires-Rio-Lax this Christmas.
Thanks qouvidas for your pointers. Unfortunately we have few miles on AA. Have used up Alaska, Continental and United. Maybe our problem is we travel too much and hate to pay for airfare!

"<i> . . . on British Air</i>"

Note Gardyloo's post above.

>>PS: <strike>Brit Air</strike> British <strike>Air</strike> British Air<B><red>ways</B></red>.<<

<i>I may be naive but if i can get 2 round trip business class seats on British Air, LAX-Nice for subcharges of $500, I consider it a bargain.</i>

Although next year is a long way off, if it is similar to this year, the fuel fines and taxes will be closer to $800 per person, or over $1000 if you stop over in London on the return.

Meant to add, note BA has just announced a major make-over of its frequent flyer program, with changed redemption terms and conditions, effective this autumn. I would definitely review the BAEC T&Cs sooner rather than later.

Yesterday I booked 2 roundtrip business class tickets on BA from Atlanta to Milan for the end of October, with a stopover in London. I used only FF miles and the 2 for 1 redemption certificate from the BA credit card. I was amazed that the fees for the two of us were only $307.82.

Gardyloo, I'll check. Your experience is encouraging Marija. I wonder what accounts for the variations in surcharges (besides the fuel based on distance traveled).

I was able to score award tickets on BA using the following scenario.

1. Keep checking the site to see how far in advance you can order the tickets. I would click on the calendar and move it as far forward as possible to keep aware of when my desired date became available.

2. I was awakened by my neighbor's (false) burglar alarm at 3:00 a.m. CDT. on the day I wanted to get the seats. In the future I will make a point of being at my computer after midnight. I went through the process of booking award tickets and was told by the computer only two remained available. Perhaps I can be forgiven for my suspicion that only two were ever made available. In any event, I booked at once.

3. I then called BA, and advised them that we were AA Platinum. The person I spoke with agreed to make our seat assignments without fee in lieu of listening to a lot of my whining and begging.

Today I saw non-stop return availability on our previously booked flights (the business class FF tickets to Milan with total fees of $307). I knew I would have to pay $70pp to have a person change them since I couldn't do it online. The agent informed me that I would also have to pay an extra $650 per ticket since fees were incorrectly calculated online. I left the tickets unchanged!