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new lounge rules for gold? [End of Open Doors for Golds]

new lounge rules for gold? [End of Open Doors for Golds]

Old May 20, 2011, 8:31 am
  #61  
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And will they now clamp down on guests and not allow a member to bring his wife and baby in the lounge?
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:32 am
  #62  
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Originally Posted by DWFI
I read this and got a sick feeling to my stomach about Open Doors.
Yes, that was exactly my feeling when I read the title... only for it to be confirmed when opening the thread.

Originally Posted by HIDDY
Not surprised....it was a weird benefit to give.
KL used to do but AF put an end to this when they took over.
LH used to do it too until a couple of years ago.
It was not such a strange benefit but it was certainly a disappearing one.

I was one of those who used it every now and then, even when I had access to another lounge, primarily to have access to UK newspapers and, very occasionally better catering.

As others have pointed out, though, it seriously diminishes the incentive to be gold. Apart from access to the Flounge and the soft landing, benefits are minimal over silver.

It will probably mean that I won't bother requalifying for Gold every year (one out of two will be enough) and push more flights towards Skyteam in the off-year so as to retain status in the 3 major alliances.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:33 am
  #63  
 
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I'd be right royally pi$$ed if I was gold and this happened to me, but I do wonder what effect this decision will actually have on people's spend with BA.

We'd be daft to think BA hadn't considered the financial impact to them - almost as daft as believing the change was made due to customer feedback.

A number of people have said they'll be looking at their BA spend going forward, consider not doing that TP run they had planned, only going for Silver, look to spend elsewhere etc etc.

It'll be interesting to come back to this thread in say, a years time, and see who actually followed through with that line of thinking.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:33 am
  #64  
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This kept me loyal to BA whenever I could be - even brought me back to BA Gold.

Very very unhappy.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:34 am
  #65  
 
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Stop enhancing our benefits, for God's sake...

You're happy to take thousands from me every year in return for my Gold Card. Now the only lounge benefit of a Gold Card over Silver will be at a small number of airports with a First Class Lounge.

I maybe use Open Doors 4 or 5 times a year, often just to use the Wifi and have a quiet place to work. It costs BA next to nothing to provide this benefit for me but they're prepared to wind me up for no real benefit to them. It's madness...

If there is a particular problem with certain airports and terminals then by all means have local exceptions but don't make this a global change..
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:35 am
  #66  
 
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Originally Posted by stimpy
What address?

This is one thing that really set BA apart, and now it's gone.

I used to use this often at AMS since the walk to the crowded KL lounge is an extra 150 meters or so. And I made good use of it at several other airports from time to time.
You can click the "contact us" link at the foot of the email you received notifying you of the change.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:38 am
  #67  
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Originally Posted by FrancisA
I can't say I'm surprised at this change, said as someone who pays every single penny to get and keep a gold card out of my own pocket. I can understand those who get a gold card at work's expense, but use EZ when it's their money, being disappointed, but was this really a benefit that encouraged loyalty? Clearly BA thought not.
Another realistic post about this decision.

Lets face it...the customers who make BA money aren't the ones who fly Easyjet. They are the ones who fly direct or connect on to BA long haul flights at LHR. They will not be impacted on by this decision.

I can understand the stushie this announcement has caused to members on this forum but it'll all be forgotten about in a few weeks.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:41 am
  #68  
 
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Complaint email

This has now been sent to BA via the online web form. Suggest as many others as possible do likewise. Mine reads:


Today I received an email from the Exec Club stating that "...based on feedback we have received from Executive Club members, we have therefore taken the decision to withdraw Anytime Access from June 17 2011".

I would like to ask, what feedback? Which EC members have said they would like a benefit removed? To me this seems disingenuous. To pretend this comes as a result of feedback from EC members is insulting.

What's more, it seems that loyal Gold members are being treated as 2nd class citizens when compared to people flying with One World partners. This is, simply put, wrong. You should always value your own customers ahead of anyone else.

How dare BA decide that BA frequent flyers are less valuable that people that may actually never or only rarely fly on BA.

I would suggest that if there is an issue with lounge overcrowding in terminals shared with budget airlines then restrictions are put in place for those airports only.

You will find that there is wide spread unhappiness with this decision being expressed within the Flyer Talk forum.

I look forward to your response and a full answer to this.

Regards
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:41 am
  #69  
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Originally Posted by ukgooner
Who would have fed this back? "please BA, could you remove this feature. I don't want to be overwhelmed by benefits in an already generous programme."

I hate lazy cliches...
Well, there is an easy way to generate the customer feedback that you want. You could,for instance, have a questionnaire along the lines of:
Which features of the Executive Club do you like best:
1) ability to upgrade your flights using miles;
2) access to our lounges as a gold or silver member when flying BA or another OW partner;
3) ability to use our lounges as a gold member when flying another airline?

You can be pretty sure that 3) would rank lowest and that, therefore, you can say that customer feedback indicates that it is not one of the most valued features of the BAEC, especially if the questionnaire is given to BAEC members regardless of status.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:42 am
  #70  
 
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Originally Posted by squeeler
PS Please do not tell those buggers on Flyertalk about this special deal, they will just moan like hell.
The rep from BAIC (BA Imaginary Club) will be horrifed you've gone against their directive and reported your privilege, I see your username is appropriate.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:43 am
  #71  
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Originally Posted by HIDDY
Lets face it...the customers who make BA money aren't the ones who fly Easyjet. They are the ones who fly direct or connect on to BA long haul flights at LHR. They will not be impacted on by this decision.

I can understand the stushie this announcement has caused to members on this forum but it'll all be forgotten about in a few weeks.
To get Gold you do actually have to give BA a reasonable amount of wedge, even if you are Eurocheat travelling on R fares. Most Golds probably generate way more revenue than that as they aren't Flyertalkers. To take away a benefit which has no fixed cost saving and only a small variable cost saving seems pennywise and pound foolish.

Will this decision alone drive many away? No. Taken in the context of the other reduction in Gold differentiation, the increasingly crap nature of Club World etc and some wildly unrealistic pricing and it will. It has for me.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:43 am
  #72  
 
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Originally Posted by HIDDY

I can understand the stushie this announcement has caused to members on this forum but it'll all be forgotten about in a few weeks.
Why will it be forgotten about in a few weeks? If you, like me, have used this benefit in the past and planned to continue to do so, then it won't be forgotten by the lounge guardians when we try to access the lounges - so it won't be forgotten by Gold Card holders.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:45 am
  #73  
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Originally Posted by FrancisA
I can't say I'm surprised at this change, said as someone who pays every single penny to get and keep a gold card out of my own pocket. I can understand those who get a gold card at work's expense, but use EZ when it's their money, being disappointed, but was this really a benefit that encouraged loyalty? Clearly BA thought not.
I don't see whether someone "pays" for their gold card, or gets one "for free" (ie work travel), has any bearing on whether this is a disappointment or not.

All my BA travel is self financed (albeit at the lower European rate - I'm not a Euro cheat though) and this was a useful bonus in a number of occasions. I'll certainly miss it.
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Old May 20, 2011, 8:47 am
  #74  
 
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Received the e-mail with 'enhancement'. Don't remember being asked whether or not I found it valuable. I did only use it twice or three times but it was nice to know that it was there...

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Old May 20, 2011, 8:47 am
  #75  
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Originally Posted by Lolbert
You can click the "contact us" link at the foot of the email you received notifying you of the change.
I bet you're not laughing now, Lolbert!

Luv,
Nicola
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