Sorry I come back to this thread.. things have been busy
Thanks for all the kind comments and thanks for the comments about the pictures first off!
Now lets go point to point...
Originally Posted by
cstead
As a BD Gold myself, my biggest concern is the increasingly difficult-to-use GUVs. Other than the lounge access, and the conversion of miles after 55K, we don't really have any other benefit. From what I understand, the BD ground experience isn't all that great, as confirmed by your trip report (making it even more difficult to use GUVs). Wish that I've tried it myself, so I'm only knowledgeable based on other's TRs, but PE is possibly the best Y+ product around, so maybe BD doesn't feel that it needs to do a lot more?
Alas, the way I fly, Gold is a very far off dream (20k a year - I know, low flying - unless I get my mega redemption in soon... in which case its a lot more this year). The BD ground experience at ORD is ... well... non existent almost. (I found the treatment at MAN on the way out MUCH better).
Should BD leave the PE product alone? If we're talking hard product, yes...
Should BD innovate further? If we're talking the rest of the product.. absolutely!
Originally Posted by
BA1321
I agree- it is a disgrace considering the volume of international traffic out of O'Hare. I travel BA out of ORD quite a bit, and if it weren't for the Terraces lounge, I would connect somewhere else for sure.
Bingo
BA1321. I had my father going through ORD a week before (on VS... and he's not a fan of the airport - he also had not kind words for the JAL Lounge there). Unfortantly, a lot of my journeys begin/end at ORD, so I'm stuck with that airport (unless I switch to UA)...
Originally Posted by
HIDDY
Thanks
Kevincm for the report. I see the break has done your state of mind a power of good - not, a wee bit grumpy I see.
I wouldn't give them £200 to upgrade for such a short flight,I don't see the value to be honest.
HIDDY... Moi? Grumpy? Next you'll say I got that from the UA IceQueen Express!
... Or that I go around Chicago looking for a shop called Pucci? (Over the bridge from the Wrigley Building on North Michigan Avenue and look up - I have the graphical evidence at home
)
Originally Posted by
UCBeau
Interesting report, I've never flown BMI but am thinking about it. I do wonder though, it seems like you got a pretty nice PE section for the $ paid to upgrade, but you want it nicer..Isn't that getting a bit close to the level of service in C? There still has to be clear product differentiation in order to have different pricing levels (ex: the difference between UA E+ and UA (new) C) If all the little things like amenity kits and real dishes start coming into PE, that devalues the business product..It is Premium Economy after all, not Business Class Lite..
The PE seat was excellent... the on-board crew were excellent (and comical when boarding)... but its the little touches and little features that have been chipped away... and that's what I suppose I'm getting at. The Hard Product itself (seat) is excellent and nearly unparalleled in most ways (until OpenSkies gets it 52" PE Seats), but little things are chipping away at that hard product (like the next to useless ground services, lack of amenity kit... )
(and yes, there was a amenity kit last time! In a nice padded blue bag as well!)
Originally Posted by
gsupstate
Nice, detailed report. Thanks for the pics! The PE seats on bmi look sumptuous, really. And, as for the catering, at least the glasses other dishware were nice looking. And, a proper coffee/tea cup (not some big honking MUG-I hate those).
I was reading a TR from someone who flew NZ in their PE, and it was on the Upper Deck of a 747 with the Business Class - same catering even (although meals were brought out altogether, instead of in courses)!!
Trust me.. proper coffee was appreciated... and it tasted like coffee, not brown water... (I don't do tea - my friend does - she's the person who will bring her own teabags to the USA, to teach some of our friends how tea should be served). Making a second round of coffee was also very much appreciated.
As NZ, BD brought the meal out in one tray - no issues there.. (Ice cream of course followed later...)
The filled glasses were good too...
Originally Posted by
Mofomat
Why do you think this is odd?
Great photos by the way. ^
Originally Posted by
TrayflowInUK
Atypical I'd say, but not odd. IME it's inbound on 6R about 1/6 of the time, and on 24R the rest of the time.
Mofomat and
TrayflowInUK, I'm used to coming in from the other direction normally - I haven't seen that sort of operation in Manchester before (of course from now onwards, every flight from MAN I have will take off from 6R...)
Originally Posted by
modularmayhem
Great trip report... Im a big fan on BD PE myself on the MAN-LAS route... when the price is right
... Come on down!
- a bit more on the money side in a mo...
Originally Posted by
restlessinRNO
Great trip report, Kevincm. I loved the photos. Personally, I thought the bmi PE seat looked quite adequate. Perhaps you're saying, just not worth $400 more.
I think that's where I'm heading to. Before the refit, it was $250 for quite franklly the good customer service, a Daily Mail, and a slightly better seat).
Last time it was $350 (post refit), and I considered it to be good value then (and after the weekend I had last time - very welcome). I suppose by pushing up to $400, I'm starting to feel the pinch. In addition, the lack of kits, and the dreadful ground handling at ORD made me feel a tiny bit cheated.
Its not the big things that are making me think twice - it's the little things... the $/£ next time will unfortunately dictate what I do.. (unless a bargain PE fare turns up... which on BMI is entirely possible...).
Saying that, I'm planning at trip to MSP next... so the next report might be a bit sooner (and with the fares where they are.. this could be my first redemption!
)