I have had a lot of difficulty in paying for BT tickets using US-based credit cards and I wonder whether there are any other sites where BT flights can be booked without paying too much of a premium? I already tried Expedia & Opodo, but they do not seem to feature Air Baltic flights.
Programs: BA gold, BT basic, SK *A gold, PP prest., AX plat., DC prem., HH gold
Posts: 312
I have had no difficulties in paying with €-Amex. I do not recall, how much the booking fee was, but the savings can be expected mainly by booking well in advance, in the LCC style.
Programs: LH SEN, AY Gold, PC Plat Amb, HH Silver, Marriott Silver
Posts: 946
Quote:
Originally Posted by another_shot
UPDATE
Sitting in RIX lounge and just had a chat with lady at the entrance there (cannot use usual expression "lounge dragon", they are quite nice and friendly in RIX), she said on selected routes (SK codeshares I presume?) points will be still credited to EB. And even better news - EBG will still get lounge access in RIX when flying BT.
Even better news - AY Gold still gets lounge access when flying BT (I don't know if it's official policy or the ladies get confused with two flights to HEL leaving within a 15 min frame - 1 AY, 1 BT)
Even better news - AY Gold still gets lounge access when flying BT (I don't know if it's official policy or the ladies get confused with two flights to HEL leaving within a 15 min frame - 1 AY, 1 BT)
I very much doubt it is a policy but it just happens sometimes
I don't know if it is connected to the introduction of their new FFP - probably is - but I noticed that the absolutely cheapest (we're talking about <90 EUR HEL-RIX-Central Europe here) fares are now booked into the F fare bucket. Just a few weeks ago it still was T.
For EB the F booking class doesn't earn any miles - T the usual 25% (+ due to the well-known glitch in the system often much more ex-RIX ).
Update:
Sorry, I was too hasty. T appears to still be the lowest of the low bucket, but they introduced F between T and P. Interesting that you earn miles for the lowest and third lowest but not the second lowest bucket for EB...
Ok, today I got an email with my BT membership number and a link to activate the account.
The only problem is that apart from the subject line the whole mail is in Russian - a language I can speak about ten words of but for the life of me can't read!
Luckily the activation link did contain the language as a parameter so replacing "ru" with "en" I got it in English and the thing seemed to work. Let's see what happens next. Got my next BT flights coming up in two weeks, I'll try crediting these to this new program.
Flew on an award trip RIX-CDG on October 1. I was the only one in C cabin. The back was fully packed.
Nobody had a clue about BalticMiles in RIX. They even suggested to park miles to EuroBonus until November Couple of days and few e-mails later BalticMiles ladies refused to post BalticMiles for EuroBonus award trip. Fair enough.
BT still uses ICARE lounge at CDG. It is small but cozy. I do like the bubbly here
I'll see tomorrow flying out on paid ticket whether there are improvements on BalticMiles recognition in RIX. I doubt check-in staff has seen it elsewhere.
Programs: SK*G, AF Ivory, Hertz Five Star, HiltonHHonors Silver
Posts: 8
Flying to the Baltics and maintaining status will get complicated.
Estonia is still fine on Estonian. What's the reasoning behind awarding only extra points and not basic points on the code-shares to Riga? Lithuania is OK from Stockholm using Skyways where Basic Points are awarded. Before it was fine to use CPH transfer on the way back, but now Skyways or Estonian will be better (at least point wise).
I can fully understand that the cooperation with Air Baltic has to change, but as long as the only flights available from SAS are the code shares I think basic points on all code shares, regardless of carrier would make more sense.
From November 1, 2009 the partnership between airBaltic and EuroBonus will change.
You will earn Extra points and you can spend points on following routes, all other routes are excluded.
Riga Copenhagen
Riga Oslo
Riga Stockholm
Vilnius Copenhagen
Damn.. I will go VCE-RIX-ARn after 1 nov..so no pts a all then.... Although it was only 25% so not that much anyway...but still...points are always fun
Flying to the Baltics and maintaining status will get complicated.
Estonia is still fine on Estonian. What's the reasoning behind awarding only extra points and not basic points on the code-shares to Riga? Lithuania is OK from Stockholm using Skyways where Basic Points are awarded. Before it was fine to use CPH transfer on the way back, but now Skyways or Estonian will be better (at least point wise).
It is a long time since a flew Skyways so I just checked EB site ref your comment. Interesting, ARN-VNO on Skyways is indeed earning basic points as from 1st of July this year, however it says nothing is extra points earned as well? Same time from 1st of July no points on any other JZ flights! (used to be extra points before).
I would dream they get a rid of Estonian rather than BT. OV is offering to enter your EB number at the time of the booking but most of the times it not automatically goes thru at check-in and you still need to present your card. Post-landing cabin announcment says "eurobonus members has earned points on this flight", what is the point if they don't give a .... about EBG members anyway. After last several flights in C with them I can say for sure OV is no longer serving hot meal in C on TLL-ARN and TLL-CPH (except breakfast).
Last week had to book a ticket at their call center due to some problems witn online booking. Asked for eco-premium return ticket and supplied CC details. 5 minutes later got confirmation email with M-class outbound (eco-no-frills) and S-class (eco-premuim) back. Phoned back to correct this. "Sorry sir but CC terminal was closed 5 min ago, I cannot take another payment, please call tomorrow". Anyway I asked to correct the booking to eco-premium subject to payment, I'm sure 100% it is possible at least at HDQ booking center. Next morning called back, again told all the story, supplied CC again, and 5 min got another email. Which was B-class instead of S-class, so I've paid some 50 EUR more than I would pay originally, and this wasn't a new ticket but endorsment "upgrade from M to B on TLL-XXX". And seat request was not honored or even lost, which happens also quite often with them.
It may look I'm always posting negative things but this is simply because I don't have a time to post good experience
Anyway, I've got a very friendly and nice treatment from SAS on CPH-GOT last week in Y+ on CRJ900 flight. Excellent service also last weej RIX-ARN, BT in C.
Interesting thing was on GOT-CPH, SAS A319. I was booked in Y+, and I believe this is 2-class service on this route, no C? Curtain was positioned behind row 4, I've got seat in row 5 (checked-in late) and plackard "economy class behind this seat row" was somewhere in row 8. They never closed or operated curtain and I've seen it was the same service in first 4 rows as well. So I looks they never bothered to move curtain to match seating arrangement and separated Y+ into two SAS Denmark, as usually
Ok, today I got an email with my BT membership number and a link to activate the account.
Have you got any extra material/info along with your membership?
I'm wondering about one thing: on BT website they listing points earned for business and economy class, nothing about low-class earning 25% or not earning at all. However when I read terms and conditions it says "Your will not earn miles for your account for certain booking or service classes".
Programs: SK*G, AF Ivory, Hertz Five Star, HiltonHHonors Silver
Posts: 8
[quote=another_shot;12525080]It is a long time since a flew Skyways so I just checked EB site ref your comment. Interesting, ARN-VNO on Skyways is indeed earning basic points as from 1st of July this year, however it says nothing is extra points earned as well? Same time from 1st of July no points on any other JZ flights! (used to be extra points before).
Skyways ARN-VNO is still awarding Basic points (600 for ecoonomy and 1200 for C)...so for some reason that code-share is more valid to SAS than the ARN-RIX version....
Damn.. I will go VCE-RIX-ARn after 1 nov..so no pts a all then.... Although it was only 25% so not that much anyway...but still...points are always fun
Why donīt you think you will earn EB points on the RIX-ARN segment?
(I don't know if it's official policy or the ladies get confused with two flights to HEL leaving within a 15 min frame - 1 AY, 1 BT)
Couple of days and few e-mails later BalticMiles ladies refused to post BalticMiles for EuroBonus award trip. Fair enough.
Although it was only 25% so not that much anyway...but still...points are always fun
