What every BA FTer needs to know - 10 reasons to fly AY
Sep 20, 2006, 5:01 am
#1
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What every BA FTer needs to know - 10 reasons to fly AY
For those of you that haven't yet flown AY, this is intended to highlight some of the many many reasons. I'll start with a few:
1. You get full BA miles, 125% in J, and they always post in 2-3 days.
2. You get TPs, which again post no problem. If you use AY for an onward connection to Russia, the Baltics or Asia, you'll get more TPs than if you took BA.
3. Changing planes at HEL is a dream, with just 5 gates (6, if you include the bussing gates downstairs) in the non-Shengen corner of the terminal. 35 mins is a legal connection.
4. Service on board in top month, really first class, and consistently so. The crew really go out of their way and are really nice. Without exception.
5. The food is delicious and a nice choice of wines from full size bottles.
6. The long haul MD11s are all fitted with flat beds, which are very comfortable and truly flat (no bumps) although at a slight angle, and you have a proper pillow and duvet-style blanket. They are already introducing new A340s and eventually A350s, to replace the MD11 fleet.
7. The short haul fleet of 320s are in standard 2-3 configuration. Seats are pretty comfortable and they very rarely fill the middle E seat.
8. The LHR services use T-1, so you get full use of Zone R and the lounges.
9. AY automatically takes your status and any preferences from your BAEC number, so things like seating preferences and special meals always work.
10. They offer some cheap J fares, such as £900 in J to SVO and you can often find fares of £1200 or so, to some of the Asian destinations.
1. You get full BA miles, 125% in J, and they always post in 2-3 days.
2. You get TPs, which again post no problem. If you use AY for an onward connection to Russia, the Baltics or Asia, you'll get more TPs than if you took BA.
3. Changing planes at HEL is a dream, with just 5 gates (6, if you include the bussing gates downstairs) in the non-Shengen corner of the terminal. 35 mins is a legal connection.
4. Service on board in top month, really first class, and consistently so. The crew really go out of their way and are really nice. Without exception.
5. The food is delicious and a nice choice of wines from full size bottles.
6. The long haul MD11s are all fitted with flat beds, which are very comfortable and truly flat (no bumps) although at a slight angle, and you have a proper pillow and duvet-style blanket. They are already introducing new A340s and eventually A350s, to replace the MD11 fleet.
7. The short haul fleet of 320s are in standard 2-3 configuration. Seats are pretty comfortable and they very rarely fill the middle E seat.
8. The LHR services use T-1, so you get full use of Zone R and the lounges.
9. AY automatically takes your status and any preferences from your BAEC number, so things like seating preferences and special meals always work.
10. They offer some cheap J fares, such as £900 in J to SVO and you can often find fares of £1200 or so, to some of the Asian destinations.
Sep 20, 2006, 5:18 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Absolutely! ^ When going to HEL I always try to get on the AY-operated flights rather than BA, even when travelling Y (which is the usual case due to company travel policy).
40 TPs for HEL-TLL-HEL the other week (on top of 40 TPs for LHR-HEL-LHR) for a 2x97 mile trip was very nice!
40 TPs for HEL-TLL-HEL the other week (on top of 40 TPs for LHR-HEL-LHR) for a 2x97 mile trip was very nice!
Sep 20, 2006, 5:28 am
#3
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I concur (of course) ^ And a few more...
11. The lounge at HEL is nice too, especially the longhaul/Emerald section. Rarely overcrowded and plenty of varied snacks and drinks
12. They carry Port on shorthaul up front still! ^^^
13. If you book under the BA code you get your tier bonus too - i.e. you get the same points flying on the AY flight as if you flew on the BA ones so no disincentive there
14. Generally, the AY flights are more punctual than the BA ones (especially the last 2 of the day - the 18:05 AY LHR-HEL one invariably leaves on time and by that time of day the BA one at 18:15 is often showing some delay picked up elsewhere)
15. Menus on shorthaul J still - 'feels' nicer.
On the downside, they seem to offer decent J fares LHR-HEL-xxx and return but never the I class equivalent LHR-HEL-LHR which BA do IME (~383.00 on this route which can often be the same or little more than Y)...so what I always do is book through BA on BA codes at BA prices and then take up my 1C on AY
11. The lounge at HEL is nice too, especially the longhaul/Emerald section. Rarely overcrowded and plenty of varied snacks and drinks
12. They carry Port on shorthaul up front still! ^^^
13. If you book under the BA code you get your tier bonus too - i.e. you get the same points flying on the AY flight as if you flew on the BA ones so no disincentive there
14. Generally, the AY flights are more punctual than the BA ones (especially the last 2 of the day - the 18:05 AY LHR-HEL one invariably leaves on time and by that time of day the BA one at 18:15 is often showing some delay picked up elsewhere)
15. Menus on shorthaul J still - 'feels' nicer.
On the downside, they seem to offer decent J fares LHR-HEL-xxx and return but never the I class equivalent LHR-HEL-LHR which BA do IME (~383.00 on this route which can often be the same or little more than Y)...so what I always do is book through BA on BA codes at BA prices and then take up my 1C on AY
Sep 20, 2006, 5:30 am
#4
Join Date: May 2003
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Originally Posted by Smirnoff
6. The long haul MD11s are all fitted with flat beds, which are very comfortable and truly flat (no bumps) although at a slight angle, and you have a proper pillow and duvet-style blanket. They are already introducing new A340s and eventually A350s, to replace the MD11 fleet.
B
Sep 20, 2006, 5:34 am
#6
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I agree about the lounge, especially the Emerald half. Very spacious and always room to stretch out, TB with BBC World, nice selection of nibbles, salds, meats, wines, beers, and ..now.. a fizzy drinks dispenser.
Also
16. Decent newspaper choice - Mail and Telegraph in the lounge. On board was offered the Telegraph, the Guardian or some foreign rag called the International Herald Tribune.
17. The 320s always have IFE screens, showing programmes with subtitles.
18. I love the cameras showing the runway as you take off and land.
Also
16. Decent newspaper choice - Mail and Telegraph in the lounge. On board was offered the Telegraph, the Guardian or some foreign rag called the International Herald Tribune.
17. The 320s always have IFE screens, showing programmes with subtitles.
18. I love the cameras showing the runway as you take off and land.
Sep 20, 2006, 5:35 am
#7
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Originally Posted by Smirnoff
10. They offer some cheap J fares, such as £900 in J to SVO and you can often find fares of £1200 or so, to some of the Asian destinations.
Sep 20, 2006, 5:36 am
#8
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Originally Posted by Brian_1
Death-Star's have always put me off flying them longhaul. Think I could be tempted once they get their new aircraft.
B
B
Last edited by Smirnoff; Sep 20, 2006 at 6:11 am
Sep 20, 2006, 5:39 am
#9
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Originally Posted by Smirnoff
They already fly the A340 on one of the routes.
Sep 20, 2006, 5:42 am
#10
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Originally Posted by csdf
What are the timings for the LHR-HEL-SVO route then? Are there comparable arrivals and departures?
LHR 1220 HEL 1715 (BA)
HEL 1845 SVO 2130 (SU)
Sundays:
LHR 1020 HEL 1515 (AY)
HEL 1600 SVO 1845 (AY)
Overnighter (exc Sat nights):
LHR 1815 HEL 2310 (BA)
HEL 0925 SVO 1205 (AY)
Sep 20, 2006, 5:45 am
#11
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Originally Posted by Traveloguy
Looks like the cheap AY J fares ex LON to Asia have gone since they introduced their new J. If you know of any offers and dates, please let us know as I would be quite interested if they re-introduced some of their bargain basement offers.
Sep 20, 2006, 5:52 am
#12
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Originally Posted by csdf
What are the timings for the LHR-HEL-SVO route then? Are there comparable arrivals and departures?
SVO 1250 HEL 1340 (AY)
HEL 1405 LHR 1515 (AY - not a legal connection, but easily made)
or
HEL 1600 LHR 1710 (AY)
or
SVO 1700 HEL 1755 (SU)
HEL 1930 LHR 2040 (AY)
Sep 20, 2006, 5:58 am
#13
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We are off to Helsinki next weekend, but outbound on BA 794 because none of the other flights are available in I Class and the first two AY flights are a little early for us, and the next ones after that on AY get into HEL too late for newbie visitors like us 
However, on the return we have the option of BA 799 or BA 6035 and running them both through the BAEC website to see how many miles we would earn as Blue members in Business Class, it seems we would get 1701 miles each on the outbound (BA) but only 1418 on the return if we chose BA 6035? Is this correct?
However, on the return we have the option of BA 799 or BA 6035 and running them both through the BAEC website to see how many miles we would earn as Blue members in Business Class, it seems we would get 1701 miles each on the outbound (BA) but only 1418 on the return if we chose BA 6035? Is this correct?
Sep 20, 2006, 5:59 am
#14
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If you book it as AY835 you get less miles...booked as BA6035 you get the same as BA799. Take the AY...that final flight of the day is great, they look after you very well IME
Sep 20, 2006, 6:00 am
#15
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Originally Posted by krich
We are off to Helsinki next weekend, but outbound on BA 794 because none of the other flights are available in I Class and the first two AY flights are a little early for us, and the next ones after that on AY get into HEL too late for newbie visitors like us
However, on the return we have the option of BA 799 or BA 6035 and running them both through the BAEC website to see how many miles we would earn as Blue members in Business Class, it seems we would get 1701 miles each on the outbound (BA) but only 1418 on the return if we chose BA 6035? Is this correct?
However, on the return we have the option of BA 799 or BA 6035 and running them both through the BAEC website to see how many miles we would earn as Blue members in Business Class, it seems we would get 1701 miles each on the outbound (BA) but only 1418 on the return if we chose BA 6035? Is this correct?