The best Miles&Points forum
Dec 27, 2014, 9:50 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,139
Broadly agree with HIDDY. I'm not interested in how wonderful some airlines are that serve the Middle and Far East, as I don't go there. When/if they do TATL, my view may change. Likewise I'm not hugely interested in what Euro-carriers are doing,nsince its too inconvenient to get to their hubs to use them. So I'm broadly stuck with LHR/LGW offerings on a westerly heading.
Dec 27, 2014, 10:32 am
#17
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,126
I think the BA Board has moved on leaps and bounds from even when I joined nearly 7 years ago.
Just take a look at the incredible detail contained within the Dashboard and all the work which has went on there since the revamp with the extremely useful Widgets. (Truly appreciated to all those which made that happen, Moderators, past and present, Ambassadors, past and present and the many others ^)
All this talk of Tesco Tourists is a false one and a red herring imo as no doubt many folks on here, regardless of status, took advantage of the old offers including phones, toilet rolls etc. and even more recent ones (but would never admit it on here?
)
Why not if it allows someone (and their families/friends) to travel in a premium cabin or the incredibly useful RFS flights?
As HIDDY quite rightly pointed out many people used to do the BAH-DOH-BAH for peanuts and accrue 360 TP's as it was then.
The BA Board/BAEC is for everyone and not just for FFr's whatever the 'definition' of that may be. Many folks on here would never have status if it wasn't for their jobs or clients funding it, topped up to higher levels by their own personal spending.
In general, as well as all the very useful information about all things BA/OW related there is more fun and more diversity on here now (as the increase of the Do's confirm) than there has ever been, in my humble opinion.
I still don't like the compensation culture thing though, not just on here but in general.
Just take a look at the incredible detail contained within the Dashboard and all the work which has went on there since the revamp with the extremely useful Widgets. (Truly appreciated to all those which made that happen, Moderators, past and present, Ambassadors, past and present and the many others ^)
All this talk of Tesco Tourists is a false one and a red herring imo as no doubt many folks on here, regardless of status, took advantage of the old offers including phones, toilet rolls etc. and even more recent ones (but would never admit it on here?
) Why not if it allows someone (and their families/friends) to travel in a premium cabin or the incredibly useful RFS flights?
As HIDDY quite rightly pointed out many people used to do the BAH-DOH-BAH for peanuts and accrue 360 TP's as it was then.
The BA Board/BAEC is for everyone and not just for FFr's whatever the 'definition' of that may be. Many folks on here would never have status if it wasn't for their jobs or clients funding it, topped up to higher levels by their own personal spending.
In general, as well as all the very useful information about all things BA/OW related there is more fun and more diversity on here now (as the increase of the Do's confirm) than there has ever been, in my humble opinion.
I still don't like the compensation culture thing though, not just on here but in general.
Dec 27, 2014, 11:02 am
#18
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR/Lifetime Gold, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 561
Whilst I've been a member for a long time, I'm a relatively infrequent poster. I do however read the board virtually every day. Personally, I think this is an amazing place - well informed, balanced and at the same time humorous. I marvel at the goodwill shown by some members who take the time to welcome people and answer questions that have been answered many times before.
In my travels, I have benefited so much from the collective knowledge, tips and tricks. My original status came from short haul work travel in J (those were the days!) and long haul premium leisure travel. Now I do a global role, my learnings from here are invaluable - my team spends Ł1.5m p.a. on flights, so optimising this spend is important. So, I challenge the last minute bookings and the habitual use of BA when an indirect routing is significantly less expensive, and those that may be status chasing themselves!
And I write from Australia, where the three of us have travelled here in F (using GGL joker), all internal flights using Avios, and many Hyatt points spent at Park Hyatt Sydney over Christmas. I'm very grateful to Flyertalk, in general!
In my travels, I have benefited so much from the collective knowledge, tips and tricks. My original status came from short haul work travel in J (those were the days!) and long haul premium leisure travel. Now I do a global role, my learnings from here are invaluable - my team spends Ł1.5m p.a. on flights, so optimising this spend is important. So, I challenge the last minute bookings and the habitual use of BA when an indirect routing is significantly less expensive, and those that may be status chasing themselves!
And I write from Australia, where the three of us have travelled here in F (using GGL joker), all internal flights using Avios, and many Hyatt points spent at Park Hyatt Sydney over Christmas. I'm very grateful to Flyertalk, in general!
Last edited by brightstar100; Dec 27, 2014 at 3:55 pm
Dec 27, 2014, 12:19 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Malta
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 671
As is customary in one of these threads, allow me to be the person who points out it used to be much better back in the day when the forum was populated by real frequent flyers not Tesco tourists/Silver card holders/CCR card holders by dint of TP running* .
Happy New Year!
* select the current bęte noir as appropriate
Happy New Year!
* select the current bęte noir as appropriate
Dec 27, 2014, 12:22 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Malta
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 671
Whilst I've been a member for a long time, I'm a relatively infrequent poster. I do however read the board virtually every day. Personally, I think this is an amazing place - well informed, balanced and at the same time humorous. I marvel at the goodwill shown by some members who take the time to welcome people and answer questions that have been answered many times before.
In my travels, I have benefited so much from the collective knowledge, tips and tricks. My original status came from short haul work travel in J (those were the days!) and long haul premium travel. Now I do a global role, my learnings from here are invaluable - my team spends Ł1.5m p.a. on flights, so optimising this spend is important. So, I challenge the last minute bookings and the habitual use of BA when an indirect routing is significantly less expensive, and those that may be status chasing themselves!
And I write from Australia, where the three of us have travelled here in F (using GGL joker), all internal flights using Avios, and many Hyatt points spent at Park Hyatt Sydney over Christmas. I'm very grateful to Flyertalk, in general!
In my travels, I have benefited so much from the collective knowledge, tips and tricks. My original status came from short haul work travel in J (those were the days!) and long haul premium travel. Now I do a global role, my learnings from here are invaluable - my team spends Ł1.5m p.a. on flights, so optimising this spend is important. So, I challenge the last minute bookings and the habitual use of BA when an indirect routing is significantly less expensive, and those that may be status chasing themselves!
And I write from Australia, where the three of us have travelled here in F (using GGL joker), all internal flights using Avios, and many Hyatt points spent at Park Hyatt Sydney over Christmas. I'm very grateful to Flyertalk, in general!
Dec 27, 2014, 1:32 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 809
Still, we bicker, mock, have pompous arguments but at the end of the day, make up in one way or another and I agree, it's a great forum full of invaluable information and friendly folk willing to help. Try asking simple questions in other forums and even if one passes the "which sub forum am I meant to ask this question in" test (which ain't an easy one), it's not exactly a flame free friendly place.
Over and above all the information, there are some very nice and friendly people behind the various handles and it's been great deepening friendships over the past year and meeting old and new faces at various DOs or on flights - planned or not - or at impromptu Miami South Beach get togethers.
Here's to a great 2015 for the BAEC Forum ^
Over and above all the information, there are some very nice and friendly people behind the various handles and it's been great deepening friendships over the past year and meeting old and new faces at various DOs or on flights - planned or not - or at impromptu Miami South Beach get togethers.
Here's to a great 2015 for the BAEC Forum
^
Dec 27, 2014, 1:50 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold & GGL & CCR, HH Diam, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Spire, Tastecard
Posts: 7,549
Writing from 2K on way to OZ and without FT, I wouldn't have GUFs to use, wouldn't know about exEU fares and would be cursing lack of UuA availability from my seat in WTP.
Dec 27, 2014, 2:04 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold & GGL & CCR, HH Diam, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Spire, Tastecard
Posts: 7,549
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger
There's a devastating critique on BA's future today that is well worth reading: http://www.headforpoints.com/2014/12...ngham-service/
Oh that's just Raffles having yet another dig at BA....a slow news day I suspect.
Quite frankly most of it is stating the bleedin' obvious and has been discussed numerous times before. I wish he would concentrate on what he's really excellent at instead of subjecting his followers to a Queens Christmas type speech.
Originally Posted by Roger
There's a devastating critique on BA's future today that is well worth reading: http://www.headforpoints.com/2014/12...ngham-service/
Oh that's just Raffles having yet another dig at BA....a slow news day I suspect.
Quite frankly most of it is stating the bleedin' obvious and has been discussed numerous times before. I wish he would concentrate on what he's really excellent at instead of subjecting his followers to a Queens Christmas type speech.
Dec 27, 2014, 2:31 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,046
There's a devastating critique on BA's future today that is well worth reading: http://www.headforpoints.com/2014/12...ngham-service/
Dec 27, 2014, 3:10 pm
#25
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
Broadly agree with HIDDY. I'm not interested in how wonderful some airlines are that serve the Middle and Far East, as I don't go there. When/if they do TATL, my view may change. Likewise I'm not hugely interested in what Euro-carriers are doing,nsince its too inconvenient to get to their hubs to use them. So I'm broadly stuck with LHR/LGW offerings on a westerly heading.
I also grow weary of endless comparisons to airlines with their roots in Eastern despotic regimes.
This is a superb forum for eking out the last drops of the BA experience. A lot of FT is very America-centric. The Hilton forum is particularly so, to the extent that many posters don't even want to acknowledge that Hilton exists in Europe...
Dec 27, 2014, 5:06 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,870
....
Dec 27, 2014, 5:12 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routičres, PCR
Posts: 13,609
Oh dear. I do seem to have upset a few by referring to another candidate for 'best miles and points forum'. 
Nah, I'm not going down that road.
Understood, and if I were 'stuck' (not a word I would use) with starting from JER and heading west, I might agree. As it happens, I need to fly in other directions and find the discussion relevant.Nice, even if Raffles's photo of an empty flower holder was in a Club World loo. Personally, if I'd removed the flower allocation, I think I'd also have removed the flower holder.
Nah, I'm not going down that road.I'm not interested in how wonderful some airlines are that serve the Middle and Far East, as I don't go there. When/if they do TATL, my view may change. Likewise I'm not hugely interested in what Euro-carriers are doing,nsince its too inconvenient to get to their hubs to use them. So I'm broadly stuck with LHR/LGW offerings on a westerly heading.
Dec 27, 2014, 5:38 pm
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
I actually started reading the BA forum before I was a regular BA traveller (I was at FlyerTalk primarily for information on KLM Flying Dutchman and bmi Diamond Club in the early days), but I enjoyed the uniqueness of this forum. It also meant when my BA flying started to increase (around 2010) I already knew the key points of the Executive Club.
Dec 28, 2014, 10:21 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,204
OTOH if the OP means the best Miles and Points Forum, step forward www.headforpoints.com organised by FTer Raffles, from which I have derived much info on more than just BA.
In one way, that's its strong point. I like the BA forum for the insights in brings and the people on here that make the forum what it is. I don't have time to follow the hotel and credit card forums anywhere near as closely. So Raffles every day provides an update on things that would be interesting to a UK audience. I kept missing all the Hilton and IHG promotions until I read his blog.
So Head for Points can't be considered the best forum because it isn't a forum. Just like Nando's can't be considered for the best fish and chip shop!
BTW chris1979 - Raffles says the flowers remain in F
