irishguy28

Oh dear - that's the feedback mentioned in the email then.

Seated in First

I got the email and am a little disappointed too. It had its uses for me personally as quite a few BA lounges within the US are available for those travelling other carriers. Particularly on *A where the equivalent lounges are well, not equivalent!

For all those of you who are emailing in threaten to, er, cancel your bookings with other carriers if Open Doors isn't reinstated. That'll get 'em

For Gold's sake?

Gaz

For me it was a big benefit. I didn't use it much (2-3 times a year) but I liked having it.

Not sure what major advantages Gold offers me now are. F lounges across the oneworld network is the only main one, but the J ones usually are nearly as good anyway, and in a lot of places like most of the US, there are no F lounges.

I'll probably still make Gold this year, but if it comes down to the crunch and I'm not going to hit the top tier in all three alliances, BA probably won't be where I'll be stacking my flights. BA Gold is without a doubt more useful than KL/AF Plat, which offers basically nothing over Gold (equiv BA Silver), but AC Super Elite gives you unlimited redemptions for more or less the same miles even when the flights have no redemption seats - a benefit really worth shooting for.

arcticfox

Talk about the law of unintended consequences!! Just a couple of hours, amd already the first "bright spark" has highlighted an easy work around!!

So:

- BA has p!ssed of a fair proportion of its most lucrative customers;
- Made minimal true cost savings and probably destroyed a fair bit of value, loyalty and reputation
- Within hours, customers have proposed a "work around" which will net BA no money, but will have a significant "penalty" in admin costs.

I call that a "good result" for your average Harvard-educated consultant!

stimpy

You keep on about London pax which is pointless. You are missing the VERY important business issue I noted above in post #165. BA still regards gaining market share in Europe as critical to its business. That is what the focus should be on. This benefit has little to offer most UK passengers.

sunrisegirl

You'd be very surprised then!

Prospero

Consider this, if you possibly can...

BAEC Silver Card Holders, BA Club Europe/Club World/Business UK customers jolly well do have a say in this matter as they are the ones sharing the very same lounges BA GCH's use when flying on non-oneworld carriers, no?

Many BAEC Blue and Silver Card holders may also be aspiring Gold Card holders, so the policy change may be highly pertinent to them.

Jimmie76

Well speaking as a Blue member who lost the desire to attain premium status after the seating fiasco, the only comfort is that BA can't take away too many benefits as we don't have that many. If anyone thinks this has encouraged me to think about going for status again is sadly mistaken.

irishguy28

Not the first time it's been mentioned! First time in this context, though, as previously GCHs had no need to do this.

arcticfox

Even if it is true, BA should be asking itself why pampered, well-paid EC Golds are choosing to fly the budgets rather than BA (clearly their offering is no longer compelling) rather than removing one of the few remaining incentinves to keep their HIGH VALUE business travel with BA rather than the many other very capable full-service airlines.

arcticfox

How true. To go further, I'm starting to see that now that the so called "premium" products and FF benefits are now so minimal, I might just as well always find the cheapest, best timed flight with any acceptable carrier and use my "savings" to have a damn good meal and drink in one of the many good restaurants at most major airports. If this continues, it really will be a rapid "race to the bottom", and BA is certainly not well placed against either the low costs for "Short Haul" or the Singapore Airlines & Emirates at the premium LH end.

moral_low_ground

Why should BA give you access to their lounge when flying MXP-IST.

It is very unusual to get benefit when you buy a product that has NOTHING to do with those giving out the benefit. It's reasonable to assume some association necessary (such as Oneworld)

Does Delta accommodate you in their lounge when flying BA ?

In the end BA are just clearing up an exception that is little used by most and is reasonable (if not welcome).

Like most NIMBY's people are protesting just for the sake of it when in reality the effect is minimal.

adl73x

Having a bit of deja vu here. Exactly the same outrage several months ago when QF dropped the the same benefit. The effect there, along with other "enhancements" was a massive upswing in business for the domestic competition, DJ.

I've only been BA Gold for 2 months, so I will probably never get to use this benefit before it disappears on virtually no notice at all.

I agree with others that the outrage is inversely proportional to the degree of difference left between BA Silver and Gold. If you don't live near a First lounge, there is no incentive left for the extra 900 tier credits. Might as well give that revenue to another carrier, say one with a lifetime status benefit?

Some members have spoken of "unpublished" benefits of gold. Well, when you are travelling domestic H class and want to take an earlier flight, as a Gold Card Holder you can pay an extra GBP183 for GLA-LHR one way on top of what what you already paid, or wait 6 hours for the flight you originally booked - just like everyone else. No unpublished benefit there. No benefit at all, actually.

irishguy28

I must book a flight to LGW on June 18th then, to inspect the deserted BA lounge!!!

Hubbabridge

Think of it positively, many people complaining now have also complained about too many people being in Galleries First Lounge: now there are going to be less because you won't be going in there