Do you have a BA _only_ flight policy?
Mar 29, 2015, 5:43 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Do you have a BA _only_ flight policy?
We see a lot of suggestions here that many folks are bound to fly BA because their corporate policy mandates they must use BA and no one else.
Is this a widespread policy? I am rather skeptical—I'd have thought the smaller players would not get a deal with BA and the larger players would get deals with several carriers.
Prove me wrong.
Is this a widespread policy? I am rather skeptical—I'd have thought the smaller players would not get a deal with BA and the larger players would get deals with several carriers.
Prove me wrong.
Mar 29, 2015, 5:48 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,536
I don't have a BA-only flight policy and in fact, of the many frequent flyers I know who work in a large variety of places, I don't know a single one who has.
I might imagine such a policy for very small companies, but as I mentioned in other threads already, all the experiences that I am aware of are of places which tend to have multiple corporate contracts (global, route based, and/or class based) with a large variety of airlines.
I might imagine such a policy for very small companies, but as I mentioned in other threads already, all the experiences that I am aware of are of places which tend to have multiple corporate contracts (global, route based, and/or class based) with a large variety of airlines.
Mar 29, 2015, 6:06 am
#5
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Yes, and applied with brutal efficiency.
When BA is fully booked (this happens frequently on the LHR-HKG) our only option is rearrange meetings to work with available flights or to waitlist
When BA is fully booked (this happens frequently on the LHR-HKG) our only option is rearrange meetings to work with available flights or to waitlist
Mar 29, 2015, 6:11 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: BQH
Programs: BAEC GGL, Taylor Street Baristas
Posts: 130
Absolutely not and just posted something very similar on another thread. We have deals with pretty much everyone. BA is rarely in policy in any direction unless you can find the loopholes.
Mar 29, 2015, 6:12 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: NCL
Programs: FB Plat; BAEC Gold
Posts: 930
We often favour the cheapest however I have final say and can use a variety of excused to choose who I like as long as the price isn't drastically different.
The only requirement we have similar is that it has to be a recognised airline. I couldn't take a local flight from Tibet to Nepal where your likely to be outnumbered by livestock on the manifest, if they had one. Same applies for taxis, we are not allowed to take Uber and has to be a recognised company.
Mar 29, 2015, 6:24 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, Melia Gold, Shangri-La Jade, BA Amex PP, Iberia+, Nandos Card
Posts: 1,523
Short answer no.
I'm interested reading other requirements for business travel in the private sector, working in Government we have a policy that you can only book J for flights over five hours, otherwise Premium Economy is the way to go. No F under any circumstances, even if you get an Op Up you have to notify them...
I'm interested reading other requirements for business travel in the private sector, working in Government we have a policy that you can only book J for flights over five hours, otherwise Premium Economy is the way to go. No F under any circumstances, even if you get an Op Up you have to notify them...
Mar 29, 2015, 6:36 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,773
Never worked with a client who had a BA only policy even those which are BAs top 5 customers and getting substantial rebates.
Mar 29, 2015, 6:44 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
One of my previous ones did, but only for European travel. Transatlantic it was AA because of a global policy. On my Asia/Pacific travels, it was open to whoever I wanted, and I started out with Qantas, but once BA brought in the flat beds in Club World, I shifted most of my flights to BA. I say most because I enjoyed Qantas' meals more, so I'd start a flight out of Australia on QF and switch to BA for the overnight to London.
Mar 29, 2015, 6:54 am
#12
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Out of interest has the reasoning for this been explained to you? I suppose a preferential rate which blows the competition out of the water?
We often favour the cheapest however I have final say and can use a variety of excused to choose who I like as long as the price isn't drastically different.
The only requirement we have similar is that it has to be a recognised airline. I couldn't take a local flight from Tibet to Nepal where your likely to be outnumbered by livestock on the manifest, if they had one. Same applies for taxis, we are not allowed to take Uber and has to be a recognised company.
We often favour the cheapest however I have final say and can use a variety of excused to choose who I like as long as the price isn't drastically different.
The only requirement we have similar is that it has to be a recognised airline. I couldn't take a local flight from Tibet to Nepal where your likely to be outnumbered by livestock on the manifest, if they had one. Same applies for taxis, we are not allowed to take Uber and has to be a recognised company.
I believe it is possible to deviate from our corporate policy but the process was engineered to be so blinkin’ protractive its just not worth the effort. That said, we do fly on other airlines when our routing takes us beyond BA’s reach.
Mar 29, 2015, 7:08 am
#13
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,163
I once had a customer who insisted on buying me BA tickets, even when the prices I was seeing were easily favouring other carriers. Turns out they received an annual rebate from BA which was a minimum of 10% but increasing dependent on spend. Obviously in their interest to channel as much as possible BA's way. This was 6 years ago and has since changed though.
Mar 29, 2015, 7:10 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,536
There is a fare discount - it’s not much, 10% I think and only applicable to long haul. There is also an annual rebate plus two Prem cards. Sadly, neither are assigned to me
I believe it is possible to deviate from our corporate policy but the process was engineered to be so blinkin’ protractive its just not worth the effort. That said, we do fly on other airlines when our routing takes us beyond BA’s reach.
I believe it is possible to deviate from our corporate policy but the process was engineered to be so blinkin’ protractive its just not worth the effort. That said, we do fly on other airlines when our routing takes us beyond BA’s reach.
Mar 29, 2015, 7:11 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL (but soon to lose the GL :-(), IHG Spire Amb, Hilton Dmnd (and pleb/pleb-plus in 1001 others)
Posts: 771
Certainly not. I can book anything I want as long as its nearer the cheaper end of the range of prices (too far from this end of the range needs justification by times, less/better changes etc). I started flying mainly BA because we used to have a premium economy policy and that limited choice somewhat. Since the policy has been improved I've stuck to BAEC but most of my flights are now on other OW metal.