Originally Posted by
stevie
I presume cost savings not a motivation. Are you not BA's target customer now?
By the way I have paid premiums for decades to maintain status etc. No longer.
Cost is a factor but only in terms of perceived value. I will pay more if I get more for my money, but only up to a point. As an examp,e, I am looking at FAO-LGW-FAO and BA want €650 return in CE (and rows 1-8 from 12 are taken already) or €222 in ET/Basic. Redemptions available in both cabins for a GCH. Easyjet wants €257. Seat fees would come on top but neither BA nor EZ has any good seats still available. My status benefits dictate logically that I should book BA in ET. Previously I would have used the lure of further status to swallow the CE uplift for 70TP more based on the return trip, but no longer.
Originally Posted by
Infrequent117
I think it depends on your regular routes. BA seems more expensive from some, so with an inferior product there would be little reason to purchase it. I agree for the vast majority of SH routes but not all. However for LH YMMV. The routes I'm focused on are UK-KUL and UK-Oz. The LHR-KUL BA prices are competitive, BA WT/WTP is a good enough product and rates favourably with MH imho, Arguably even in J. QR has been fun but interrupted sleep and the ground experience is not joyful. However should BA raise prices or cease the KUL flight then I'd be tempted to look in other directions eg KL/SQ - these are currently a bit more expensive with a stop but with a better product. For east asia there are also plenty of competitors with better products in and outside of OW as others have said.
Apart from the route mentioned above, I also frequently use LHR-MUC, which can be very good value in CE in sales but very expensive at peak times or holidays, when LH is often significantly cheaper, as well as generally more reliable, especially in winter. Otherwise, I often use routes to MIA and SFO and my recent BA experience combined with the changes has definately pushed me away from BA and those trips will, for now, probably go to IB and AA, avoiding LHR at all costs. I will probably end up crediting to AY, but not sure yet, maybe QR.