new lounge rules for gold? [End of Open Doors for Golds]
#62
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,351
Yes, that was exactly my feeling when I read the title... only for it to be confirmed when opening the thread.
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.
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.
#63
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Near Edinburgh
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 9,034
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.
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.
#65
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,846
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..
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..
#66
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GGLfL
Posts: 1,342
You can click the "contact us" link at the foot of the email you received notifying you of the change.
#67
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,168
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.
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.
#68
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 16
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
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
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,351
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.
#70
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 641
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,360
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.
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.
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.
#72
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,846
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.
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,550
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.
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.
#74
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,676
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...
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,550