Calchas

It is worth remembering that BE is going through a difficult turn-around process at the moment. http://centreforaviation.com/analysi...olidate-172325

My guess is that the change to Avios is straightforwardly to reduce costs.

Wouldn't it be nice if BA Regional still ran a full service domestic airline between numerous city pairs?

I would be astonished if BE saw any value in joining oneworld.

nordic

But their subsidiary company in Finland has joined in OW. Probably AY has paid all the fees so AY could outsource their Embraer operated (and some of the ATR operated) flights including HEL-MAN.

layz

I did a dummy booking on avios.com for December and GLA-BRR is 9,000 Avios + £24.96 for a return flight which is something of a bargain if you want to experience a beach landing.

As the aircraft only seats 9 passengers (so would be ideal for LHR-LBA if BA had any ) then availability might be hard to find, but I managed to find some days.

Calchas

Yes, but FC is not BE. The market conditions are different and BE (in the UK) don't have a 50% partner in ow telling them their integration with the big airline must be seamless.

If BA wanted to take a 50% ownership stake in BE I am sure they would be happy to become a oneworld affiliate as well.

Skipcool3

I think the twin Otter can carry about 19 passengers.
Barra certainly worth a pop, when we flew back there were just two of us!

kitbag1984

After an earlier thread, this gives us an excellent way to use avios at BHX.

Whilst the earn rate is negligible, the redemptions are worthwhile. it isn't quite the same league as an RFS you need to look at the following:

To use a BA RFS you spend £35 plus £50 (average) cost to get there. So as long as the tax price is <£85 it makes sense to fly with BE. Particulalry since you cut out the 2+hours it takes to navigate your way through to London.

A great addition to the Avios portfolio.

meles

The aircraft used to Barra is a Twin Otter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havi...C-6_Twin_Otter so 19 seats, and not an Islander - perhaps you are mistaking the Western Isles with Orkney, where an Islander is used on the interisland flights - both operated by Loganair

Hope this helps

S

meles

Also been trying to get official confirmation about the premier lounge access card also - seemingly - ending.

I should have known that the last year of free bacon sandwiches at EDI, MAN BHX etc was too good to be true!

The lack of Flybe comment thus far, makes me feel it is indeed stopping, but so unhelpful to regular customers to not make that clear, nor clarify when/how/if those of us with some 100+ unused points can get one final such card.

With recently upping the number of points required to 70 (over subscription?), there must be a significant number of card holders out there so surely they deserve some openness and putting in the picture?

Ending the scheme is bad enough now we've got some much better lounges - intentionally making it hard for people to know what to do is just plain rude and disloyal in my view.

Anyone got an official comment on what's happening with lounge access?

S

meles

Latest update from a call to Flybe when changing a rewards for all ticket this morning:

1 - Current Premier card lounge passes are stopping

2 - Avios have a "similar" scheme to use points for lounge access, so that's what to use now.

As I'd been waiting on the phone listening to the messages about the changes to the R4A scheme and the "you find all you answers at flybe.com" - which plainly isn't true re the premiser card - I asked whey there was no information in this respect on the website. The answer I got from a supervisor was that "they had forgotten about it" - I suggested it may be helpful to put that on the website! Personally my suspicion is that they have left it off on purpose as it's a significant loss, certainly in my case.

When I look at the Avios lounge scheme: http://www.avios.com/gb/en_gb/spend/lounge-pass followed up by a confirmation phone call Avios, the scheme is not like the premier card, as you have to book each lounge visit separately.

So on one of my currently typical return flights, eg KOI-EDI-BHX and return, I’d now need to book 3 separate lounge visits. And with flying some 90 UK sectors a year, that's a lot of hassle and points.

Must admit, I was also put off by the website's "Want to mix with fellow VIPs?" "join the elite at over 150 airport VIP lounges". No thanks - I just want somewhere quiet to work while in transit and a few snacks. And anyone who thinks ABZ Servisair lounge is elite, is going to be rather disappointed!

The result as it looks now is that I'll try get my last premier pass this December, and then just buy a £259 unlimited priority pass, which also has the benefit that I can use it when flying with anyone else, eg on the KOI-EDI-LHR route.

The downside is for Flybe - but I guess they think this is a price worth paying - is that it means I'm more likely to fly with competitors now.

Hope that's helpful - any other ideas or comments welcome.

S

ajamieson

It was clearly written by somebody who has never been in a lounge - and probably not ever travelled for business.

meles

What still most amuses me - in a sad way - at the ABZ Servisair lounge is that the prepacked slivers of cheese are time limited so people don't over-indulge, yet the spirits and beer are not time rationed. I did once ask for cheese at 3pm one day but was firmly told it wasn't available at that time... Like there was some watershed time for cheese consumption or I'd asked for a porn channel to be put on the TV

layz

Oh yeah, that's the one. 19 seats too much for the LBA route though so I think they should use the Islander

flyaxa

I am not seeing any award availability yet on BA.com. I assume that will come on line on the 27th?

layz

This is avios.com, Flybe are not a BAEC partner and so won't be able to book via there.

If you're a UK resident (needed to join avios.com) you can move Avios between these schemes free of charge.

flyaxa

Ahh...thank you, I did not realize there were two flavors of Avios (three counting Iberia, I guess). Now a number of posts in this thread make much more sense. Unfortunately, I am not a UK resident.