British Airways fare classes explained
Every fare class (RBD — reservation booking designator) on British Airways, what it means for award booking, and which classes are most useful to know.
Fare classes by cabin
First
| Class | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| F | First Class revenue | Standard revenue first |
| A | First award | Avios Award redemption first class |
Club World (Business)
| Class | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| J / C | Business revenue | Standard revenue business |
| I | Business award | Avios Award business class |
World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy)
| Class | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| W | Premium economy revenue | Standard revenue premium economy |
| T | Premium economy award | Avios Award premium economy |
World Traveller (Economy)
| Class | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Y / B / H / K / M / L / V / S / N / Q / O | Economy revenue | Various revenue fare classes |
| X | Economy award | Avios Award economy |
Award fare classes you should care about
For award booking, these are the British Airways classes that show inventory:
A (first)I (business)T (premium economy)X (economy)
Notes
BA Avios award fare classes are A/I/T/X depending on cabin. These are the 'reward' fare classes — partner programs (AA, Alaska, Cathay) need these classes to be available to book BA on partner miles. Note the high fuel surcharges on BA-metal long-haul awards.
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