Should Club be renamed?
Sep 13, 2013, 11:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 946
Should Club be renamed?
Having just witnessed a rather unpleasant showdown between a Silver member in line before me at check in and an agitated pax who felt he should be next and who clearly had no idea what "Club" meant, I wondered if BA shouldn't rebrand their products along the line of Economy, Premium Economy, Business, First.
It must be very confusing for the infrequent flier.
It must be very confusing for the infrequent flier.
Sep 13, 2013, 12:02 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2013
Location: London, England, UK, Europe, The World, The Universe
Posts: 360
Having just witnessed a rather unpleasant showdown between a Silver member in line before me at check in and an agitated pax who felt he should be next and who clearly had no idea what "Club" meant, I wondered if BA shouldn't rebrand their products along the line of Economy, Premium Economy, Business, First.
It must be very confusing for the infrequent flier.
It must be very confusing for the infrequent flier.
Sep 13, 2013, 12:12 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
These names are utterly confusing.
What's magnifica (a coffee?) What's crown class (royals only?) What's club (annual fee required?) What's executive class (only airline execs admitted?) How about Quadra Smartium (don't want to be caught there) Or Dynasty? Or Cloud Nine (do they provide "entertainment")? Or Royal Silk? Or Cedar class (the smell is overwhelming)?
I refuse to call any of the above anything else than business or, on FT shorthand, J-cabin.
You can't figure out whether they are F, J, W or even Y-cabins from their name, and I think they would all do better in getting rid of their name and costs associated with the confusion that they generate. BA's J-cabins (both long and short haul) included.
What's magnifica (a coffee?) What's crown class (royals only?) What's club (annual fee required?) What's executive class (only airline execs admitted?) How about Quadra Smartium (don't want to be caught there) Or Dynasty? Or Cloud Nine (do they provide "entertainment")? Or Royal Silk? Or Cedar class (the smell is overwhelming)?
I refuse to call any of the above anything else than business or, on FT shorthand, J-cabin.
You can't figure out whether they are F, J, W or even Y-cabins from their name, and I think they would all do better in getting rid of their name and costs associated with the confusion that they generate. BA's J-cabins (both long and short haul) included.
Last edited by hillrider; Sep 13, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Sep 13, 2013, 12:20 pm
#4
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Since Euro Traveller, World Traveller, World Traveller Plus, Club Europe, Club World, and First are intrinsic elements of BA's brand, I don't see any need to homogenise these titles.
Sep 13, 2013, 12:22 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Heathrow
Programs: A variety of Platinums, Golds, Silvers and other fancy metals.
Posts: 1,985
They know they've got them listed wrong as on their website they have Premium Economy which magically changes to WT+ and next one down is "Business/Club", so they are fully aware.
Sep 13, 2013, 12:25 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2003
Location: DEL
Programs: Mucci du Miel d'Or
Posts: 2,374
These names are utterly confusing.
What's magnifica (a coffee?) What's crown class (royals only?) What's club (annual fee required?) What's executive class (only airline execs admitted?) How about Quadra Smartium (don't want to be caught there) Or Dynasty? Or Cloud Nine (do they provide "entertainment")? Or Royal Silk? Or Cedar class (the smell is overwhelming)?
What's magnifica (a coffee?) What's crown class (royals only?) What's club (annual fee required?) What's executive class (only airline execs admitted?) How about Quadra Smartium (don't want to be caught there) Or Dynasty? Or Cloud Nine (do they provide "entertainment")? Or Royal Silk? Or Cedar class (the smell is overwhelming)?
Sep 13, 2013, 12:25 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: BA soon to be Silver
Posts: 302
Should Club be renamed?
No. Take this to its logical conclusion and we might as well just have 1 (F), 2 (J), 3 (W) and 4 (Y). Everything is clearly labelled and if working out the classes on the plane is the biggest challenge somebody has while travelling, then they are doing pretty well.
Sep 13, 2013, 12:45 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SQ Gold, KQ Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,348
Sep 13, 2013, 12:56 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,145
Sorry? There are other classes besides "Club"? 
I do tend to agree with the OP, and respectfully disagree with Prospero. Those who are UK-based, and have a vague familiarity with the mysteries of BA/BAEC, may find it easy. Not sure that's a Global perspective, though.
Bling Marketing titles for "First" and "Business", which seems to be the norm now, doesn't help. Am I right or wrong?
I do tend to agree with the OP, and respectfully disagree with Prospero. Those who are UK-based, and have a vague familiarity with the mysteries of BA/BAEC, may find it easy. Not sure that's a Global perspective, though.
Bling Marketing titles for "First" and "Business", which seems to be the norm now, doesn't help. Am I right or wrong?
Sep 13, 2013, 1:07 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London, or 1A or 64K
Programs: MUCCI :D, BA Lifetime Gold, JJC (1980 the Leo Budd years) Hilton Gold
Posts: 559
.....and then there was the passenger who got on board a BA 747 going to some far flung arm of the empi..... sorry, ahem, of the world and said I must be able to sit in Club as I am an Executive Club member.......
Sep 13, 2013, 1:07 pm
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,209
Sep 13, 2013, 1:15 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: AA Plat, QF Silver
Posts: 288
I agree with the OP. The names airlines are coming up with are just plane silly. Sure I get that this is a brand, and branding is important but if the brand is not easily understood by the consumer, then its not working....
Given you have to be a regular customer to know the difference, that means the brand does not work.....
Imagine the brand "Business Nitro plus extreme" (or some stupid name like this, perhaps that was a shot a shell), at least people with no knowledge of the airline would know what it was trying to do....
Given you have to be a regular customer to know the difference, that means the brand does not work.....
Imagine the brand "Business Nitro plus extreme" (or some stupid name like this, perhaps that was a shot a shell), at least people with no knowledge of the airline would know what it was trying to do....
Sep 13, 2013, 1:29 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Londinium
Programs: BA Gold. Kangorucci. NZGE.KLM Gold. VS gold
Posts: 1,617
