JonWB

Correct, not through flying - although I do maybe one WT+ MFU every couple of years.

I effectively buy points in FF schemes. Something comes up that allows me to accumulate miles very cheaply, then I'll take it on a reasonable scale, bank the miles, then use them in future when I fly with the family. It's (a) less time consuming than flying to accumulate miles and (b) allows me to get miles in a range of schemes without even having to fly on those carriers (e.g. BMI).

Status then becomes irrelevant. If my family are flying F on BA, it doesn't matter if we are all BA Blue. For sure the surcharges and APD Tax are changing the game somewhat, but it really isn't a lot of work to fly like this at reasonable prices for annual holidays (I reckon it's now about £650 per longhaul BA F sector, so £1,300 return - it was around £500 per longhaul BA F sector, pre APD and fuel surcharges).

Most of the redemption tickets are extremely flexible, so you are easily beating the flexible economy prices ex-LHR anyway. If you get to know the route you need to fly, you can judge how likely it is that seats will open up and when, plus book roughly the dates you need and then nail the actual precise flights nearer the time.

There has been a lot of fair comment on FT about how BA isn't opening up any award inventory on some routes. They have a valid point, given stated terms of BAEC.

In your case, why redeem on BA to SCL? Surely you'd redeem on BMI and fly with a range of star alliance carriers in J. If you want to fly BA but are looking to use the miles to SCL, would crediting to AA be better, then you fly IB via MAD?

I can never understand why people look to use a 2-4-1 to Australia on BA. BA charges 300,000 miles for an F ticket, 330,000 miles for an F ticket with a stopover, whereas AA only charge 160,000 miles for F - plus the chances of being able to redeem for what you need around say school holidays make it virtually impossible.

On AA you can choose between BA/CX/FI/QF, don't have to all travel in pairs, can mix and match and don't get charged the YQ on some of those carriers etc. If you accumulate miles through flying on BA, credit to AA for a while to build them up.

Which is fine. I don't see a problem with asking, but then there should be no problem with accepting that it is the policy of the airline to decline, plus it would appear that BA agent's have little flexibility. What is unacceptable is abusing lounge agents for following company policy and some of the rants on here would suggest it can and does happen.

Honestly, I just don't think BA lose any non-premium family traffic from status holders as a result of this. The lure of some miles on revenue Y, plus seat assignment is enough to keep them doing it.

Is anyone who has status going to completely alter how they fly on business because they can't get their family into a lounge once or twice a year on a family holiday? Really, they are going to do that. It's not about accumulating the miles or the frequency of the schedules or the convenience of connections/local airports, or the hard product.

The airlines collectively leave massive opportunities for people to fly in comfort at low cost. You just have to be organised to make it happen and work within the rules.

747_not_777

That's exactly what I was thinking - what on earth stopped the OP going into Galleries Club like the rest of us do?

BAHumbug

^^

Totally agree. Asking if the rule can be bent and making it clear you totally understand if the answer is 'no' is one thing. Expecting the rule to be broken and kicking up when it's adhered to is quite another.

BAH

littlefish

... and, after all this I hope at least 2 or 3 posters actually do formally write and suggest how BA Lounge Access policies might be improved.

Funnily enough I'm happy enough with the BA Policy (its clear enough), and I consider it extremely rude to take things out on Lounge agents who are actually doing their job.

When I travel with MrsFish and BabyFish, I know we don't all get lounge access on status unless we're all in CW (or me and the wife in F ). We kinda just deal with it when no access. LGW in April will be a case-in-point. May put BabyFish into No.1 lounge or (horror of horrors) do a shopping tour of North Terminal; nah it'll be cheaper having her explore No.1.

Anyway ... this thread seems to have zero'd in on Children. But what if I have two other guests (eg. 2 work colleagues ; eg. Senior Fishes); are they too worthy of some better Policy?
I still think BA could work this BEST by having a limited number of guest vouchers per member per year (N for Silvers and 2xN for Gold or whatever) and NO AUTOMATIC +1 guest. The latter likely falls foul of OW, so its back to limited extra vouchers for GOLDs only then.

HIDDY

Indeed... A bit rich to moan about lounge access when they had a perfectly good lounge to use.

sunrisegirl

The only reason I prefer less children in the lounge is because so many parents couldn't care less what their children do and how much inconvenience, disruption and the like they cause. Parents are the only ones who never seem to hear it.

If children behaved well and were quiet and calm, absolutely no problem at all. I still belong to the children should be seen and not heard school - nothing wrong with that.

Like it or not (and I know parents don't) children are noisy and cause disturbance to others.

sunrisegirl

Wholeheartedly agree, especially with your first paragraph. ^^^


Wow you're lucky - I spend every day having to endure somebody's kids running around like demented banshees somewhere or other.

lancefan

Only just caught up on this thread, I'm I missing something but 3 status passengers, 2 x Gold + 1 Silver and 3 kids would gain entry into Galleries Club without any problems. Was the OP actually trying to get everyone into the Flounge ?

mfgr

I've never taken my kids in the lounge as when they are with me normally, the missus is too, so i never even bother trying to get access due to our pax.

However (as per my ill advised new thread i started ) I'm going to give it a whirl with the 2 kids next weekend. If I had any thoughts that they would be noisy or misbehave I wouldn't attempt to take them in full stop.

I've told them the rules and if they get in it's a privilege - and they should respect it that way.

I disagree that all kids are noisy and cause disturbance to others. I work from a home office, and my kids behaviour in the house after school is always with that in mind.

A bit of a generalisation there...

sunrisegirl

But why? You've already been told you won't be allowed two guests and will be refused admittance.

Don't you think your trying to blag something for nothing is a bad example to set your children? Don't understand why you ask a question if you're going to ignore the answer.

HIDDY

There isn't a hope in hell of not being allowed to have kids in lounges. The best that you'll ever get is having a separate quiet zone where kids and adults with communication devices are prohibited to enter.....doubt that'll happen either.
Must say I know I don't travel a lot but throughout the years I can't ever recall seeing many kids in lounges or in premium cabins when we've flown. It's great to be able to avoid travelling during school holidays and weekends.

CCayley

Of course the general rule of thumb is that one's own children behave like angels; it is only other people's children who behave like obnoxious brats.

I wonder if there issome real truth in that. Maybe parents become able automatically to 'tune out' darling Fifi-Trixibelle's crying or screaming over something or other; it is only other people nearby who experience a deafening noise....

Anyway, to be on point: if status PAX could take their entire families into lounges these would become zoos; especially at half term and school holiday time. Since one of the main points of an airport lounge is to offer a reasonably tranquil refuge from the hordes elsewhere in the terminal, BA wisely tries to restrict access to a single guest, thus at least keeping most of the economy passengers travelling in family groups out regardless of Daddy's status....

Three cheers to the current policy, I say (although personally I would be pleased to see guest access scrapped altogether, if only to put an end to the endless threads along the lines of 'I'm silver. Why won't the lounge dragon let me bring in my 25 fellow stag-do-goers', or for that matter, this one)!

lancefan

I'm not sure why some people are so against having kids in the lounge, I personally have no problem at all in kids been in the lounge. While I don't expect them to be sat legs crossed, arms folded and not to utter a word, kids are kids afteral. I would fully expect their parents to keep them under control and make sure they are well behaved. I would have a problem if the parents had total disregard for everyone else using the lounge and just let them jump around like kangaroos and ended up screaming the place down.

henkybaby

There definitely is a lot of truth in that. Parenthood does not come with the ability to objectively assess one's own children. There is however NO point in explaining this to any parent...

wombat185

Children should definitely be let in the lounge if they are flying in the right class or can go in with somebody with the right status, and the correct amount of guests. This is public transport and they have the same rights as everybody else who has paid for a ticket ( I realise they will not have paid, but I am sure you know what I mean).

Mick