Happy to report back with some good news regarding our cancelled and rebooked British Airways Business Class award tickets next year.
Last week I shared a frustrating award booking story. Our return flight from the Ultimate Golf Trip To Where Golf Began was, sadly, cancelled and rebooked to a completely different day. If we didn’t realize this and make a chance in time, it would mean we’d miss playing a round of golf at St Andrew’s Old Course. Naturally, I wouldn’t go all the way to Scotland to NOT play St Andrew’s Old Course. So I stalk my award tickets for changes and thankfully caught this one in time.
Our return flight is an American Airlines award ticket booked on British Airways in Business Class. Since British Airways cancelled the Saturday afternoon LGW to MCO flight next year, they booked us in the previous day afternoon flight instead of the morning same day flight with plenty of availability.
Once I noticed this, I called American Airlines to have it sorted out. It seems I caught the change very quickly after it occurred, because American Airlines still didn’t have a solution. So they simply sent a message to British Airways asking British Airways to open up space on the same day flight.
First piece Of Good News
British Airways opened up availability on the direct morning flight on the same day we originally booked. So crisis averted and we can continue our plan to play a round at arguably the most famous course in golf.
Second Piece Of Good News?
It appears our British Airways flights will now earn Avios points for the award ticket.
Could it be this simple? Just add a British Airways Avios award number to the BA confirmation, or am I missing something?
Did American Airlines rebook us on paid tickets? No, the selling class is U, which is a BA Club World award ticket. 
I don’t get it. I understand this loophole was closed with American Airlines award tickets earning points with British Airways. But if U is an award ticket, why would they prompt for an Executive Club number to claim the rewards?
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The Weekly Flyer writes about travel from a business traveler perspective. He travels the world every week accumulating points and miles along the way.
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How much was your round at St. Andrews…how are the rounds priced out?
Thanks,
Hi Robert – The round at St Andrew’s was about $290 per person. For the other rounds, we did a package deal with a company that booked the entire (non-air) trip for us including hotel booking, rental car booking, and securing tee times through the application process at each course. Perhaps this warrants an entire post in and of itself.
…But it wasn’t easy to get the tee times. It is not like you can just pick up the phone and say “hey, I’d like to play your course on Saturday.”
There is a minimum two course booking at St Andrew’s. So that means you’ll have/need to play two courses there or just throw one tee time away on your last day. The courses require a USGA handicap (which is easy to get) and the application process may take a while.
Wow, so you’re at $600 per person, that’s pretty steep. But then again, you’d be play the Old Course…
I think a post would be worthwhile. I enjoy playing a round when traveling, and it makes a mileage run easier to explain to people!