Originally Posted by
Nikko5
You do also get a checked baggage allowance when booking under the BA code, which probably explains the price differential. Also of course it counts as one of your 4x qualifying flights under the BA code, which may be useful to some.
On the random date in January I looked it was £24 to add a checked bag, so it would still be cheaper to book direct with EI than as a BA codeshare although if you needed a checked bag this would certainly narrow the gap.
As you have mentioned for some people getting a BA coded flight to be one of the four required for status might also be another reason to pay a bit more rather than just the TPs or avios themselves..
I suppose another potential reason could be to use up BA e-vouchers, as they can be used when booking under the BA code.
I've travelled a couple of times on this route under an EI booking, and once under a BA code. When travelling under the BA code I was worried that it might be a problem downloading a boarding pass on the EI app, but there were no issues.