British Airways devalues (overnight) award tickets on JAL and Cathay Pacific

There are Correct loyalty programs that alert on time subscribers of the bad news coming, e.g. Cathay Pacific announced in August that as of October 1. would come a devaluation of Asia Miles points, and others who instead update, for the worse, without telling their users.

This is the case with the depreciation, which was unannounced and went into effect without any warning signs involving the use of Avios points from British Airways in booking award tickets with oneWorld partner companies: Japan Airlines e Cathay Pacific.

Coincidentally, this devaluation came the day before I posted about a flight I did just with Cathay Pacific using Avios points accumulated with BA.

What has changed

For the second time in less than 3 years BA is devaluing Avios points, that is, raising the price of award tickets on board the two Asian carriers.

Affected by this price increase are all routes operated by Jal and CX under 3000miles, very popular routes because they are the ones that allow people in Hong Kong, or Japan, to fly from to short to medium-range destinations, such as precisely my flight from Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong.

The increase in points required for a short-haul flight with JAL is 40%, to get an idea a flight from Tokyo to Osaka costs, in business, 10,500 avios points, the same flight in 2019 cost 6,000 points. At these point levels it obviously does not pay to book an award ticket.

After more than 3 years, one of the best lounges in the world has reopened: The Pier Cathay First Class

In my video released just this morning I flew from Tokyo to Thailand via Hong Kong, a ticket that had cost me 50k avios, or 25k for the flight from Japan to HKG and as much for the second flight to Bangkok. Today for the same ticket it takes 32,500 avios one way.

Of course the same Narita Bangkok flight, with Japan Airlines, would have cost me less, but I would not have been able to visit Hong Kong's first class lounges., and today that ticket costs 46,500 avios, while until yesterday 38,750 miles of BA's faith-fidelity program was enough.

Everything becomes more expensive

JAL will unveil new business and first class cabins to the world on Oct. 2

As I have had occasion to write in other pieces, it is normal that after the cash tickets even the prize tickets become more expensive, what is not correct (in my humble opinion) is that these devaluations are done quietly, without warning and without giving users time to plan for last use, pre change.

Fortunately, the devaluation has affected only these two companions and only the short/medium haul routes; they are the rules of this game and we can only adapt and find how to reduce the loss toward the next award ticket.

• Avios
• depreciation

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