“What the heck are y’all doing in Houston for a weekend?” I remember this question, posed by the Uber driver as he skilfully navigated the maze of short-term parking around George Bush Intercontinental Airport, for a couple of reasons. First, because you don’t forget your first-ever Texas “y’all”. And second, because there was no good answer.
A city break in Paris or Prague, why not? Even New York is doable if you don’t mind the jet lag or $30 Big Macs. But the sprawling, business-oriented capital of the southern US? That is sure to invite a sceptical eyebrow, not least from the locals.
I wish I could have told the driver that I was a consultant for one of the oil majors or a glutton for Texas barbecue. But on the basis that I’d never see him again and the truth is the easiest thing to remember, I blurted it out: “This was the only destination for which British Airways still had Avios availability.”
And this is how I came to celebrate my 30th birthday surrounded not by friends or family, but in downtown Houston with 40,000 or so Astros fans, eating hot dogs and trying to establish the rules of baseball.
Trust is earned, respect is given and loyalty is demonstrated
I’m not sure who to blame — Jimmy Carter or my brother-in-law. One of them signed the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 into law, granting carriers greater freedom to compete on price, which in turn drove American Airlines to launch the first frequent flyer programme, AAdvantage, in 1981.
The other merely introduced me to the concept of Avios, British Airways’ loyalty currency, around a decade ago. I forget which is which. Either way, I got hooked, joined the BA Executive Club (far less exclusive than it may sound to the uninitiated), signed up for the credit card, smashed the sign-up bonuses and watched the [for legal reasons, definitely not a currency] currency roll in.
The system rewards obsessives as well as those who excel in the grey zone, finding sweet spots and working to the letter if not always the spirit of the terms and conditions. You can skip the next part if you like — the granular detail is both unnecessary and also kind of the point.
The heart of the gospel is redemption
Say you want to book a flight to Cape Town using points? Well, given that BA generally only makes two business class seats per flight available for redemptions, you’ll have to either be flexible or fast. For instance, did you know that BA makes flights bookable up to 355 days in advance? So, if you want to snag a popular destination such as Cape Town, you’ll need to book on exactly that day.
And I mean at 12:01am. So you should just head to the website? No, stupid. A normal punter placing those flights in their online basket doesn’t actually put a hold on them. And so by the time you hit ‘book’, having spent 15 minutes inputting all manner of personal details, they will be gone. Instead, you have to ring the call centre.
But the UK phone line isn’t open at one minute past midnight, you rube.