EC changes : will you switch ?
Jan 30, 2015, 10:51 pm
#151
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,598
In which case could include a 5th method getting it status matched too ( or any other non standard methods such as getting Concierge Key status and getting EP status by virtue of it ) but seemed irrelevent based on the post being replied to - I was just detailing the standard published methods of attaining/retaining status
Jan 30, 2015, 10:55 pm
#152
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
In which case could include a 5th method getting it status matched too ( or any other non standard methods such as getting Concierge Key status and getting EP status by virtue of it ) but seemed irrelevent based on the post being replied to - I was just detailing the standard published methods of attaining/retaining status
Jan 31, 2015, 12:15 am
#153
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Near LHR
Programs: Marriott Plat, BAEC Silver, Thai Silver, Bangkok Air, Krisflyer Blue
Posts: 646
EC changes : will you switch ?
will I switch - no. After 21 years in the EC and now retired with no business travel, will soon drop to Bronze but get back to silver later this year with a QR business class flight to BKK which cost less than the BA direct flight in the sale and a nice topcashback bonus as well. These changes take the EC back to roughly where it was when I joined in 1994 and so they seem to me to be what we should have expected with the changes in the FFP world in recent months. In fact I might even fly CE now rather than ET if I need the TPs.
Jan 31, 2015, 12:49 am
#155
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Helvetia
Programs: AS; BA Silver; UA; HH Gold; Sprüngli Connaisseur
Posts: 2,912
At least BAEC still gives something for all flights. My other option is LX/LH, M&M is truly worthless, so I credit to UA, and even then there are a lot of flights I get NO miles.
Jan 31, 2015, 1:19 am
#156
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 222
Same here!! BA have lost my business on most occasions now. As an economy traveller I earn less avios and pay more for reward flights. Poke it!
Jan 31, 2015, 1:23 am
#157
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR/Lifetime Gold, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 562
I will be staying. I will do 8,000 tier points this year, virtually all in premium cabins. As I often book last minute and end up with expense fare classes, I will probably earn more Avios.
Jan 31, 2015, 1:58 am
#158
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 834
I'm personally sad as have been studying the art of maximising BAEC thanks to flyer talk and only recently had the time to indulge my interest in leisure travel and was looking forward to creatively achieving and enjoying status for years to come along with seeing new parts of the world such as Far East, south Am and South Africa. Happily I snuck in as the door was about to close on the IL28 sale and have my first TP run booked in November just after my new year starts. Wondering now how easy it will be to make up the 160 points I'll need to achieve gold as my regular LON-AGP flights will be affected.
I realise I'm probably not a great customer for BA but it probably means I'll look at Virgin for Barbados ( we go every couple of years) and start using Ryan air and easy jet for no frills flights to Europe, particularly on my hops back to london in the summer for work where I've often paid £400 plus for a discounted economy ticket as opposed to say £200 on the lo-cost airlines.
but as I say, I realise I am plankton in this vast pond and the loss is all mine! Shame!
I realise I'm probably not a great customer for BA but it probably means I'll look at Virgin for Barbados ( we go every couple of years) and start using Ryan air and easy jet for no frills flights to Europe, particularly on my hops back to london in the summer for work where I've often paid £400 plus for a discounted economy ticket as opposed to say £200 on the lo-cost airlines.
but as I say, I realise I am plankton in this vast pond and the loss is all mine! Shame!
Jan 31, 2015, 2:34 am
#159
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
£219 return, 80TPs return, and proper Avios earning if that bothers you.
Jan 31, 2015, 2:47 am
#160
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Spalding
Programs: BA Bronze,Accor.Flightdiary.net/liamvad
Posts: 667
I am doing my 'bucket list' of places to visit,so far,all on BA,but after this announcement,I wont use them anymore,just booked a return to Moscow on easyjet for 60 quid,including seat reservation,so bye bye BA.
Jan 31, 2015, 3:04 am
#161
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
Where? How? Please.
OK, in that case not much different from BA's 24 months.
I don't do 100k bum on seat miles a year (more on that below). I do get 100k Avios a year but that includes the tier and cabin bonuses. I also do some flying outside of BA, TATL occasionally with VS and US domestic on smaller carriers like Southwest, Jetblue- not many miles but probably 30 segments a year. I do about 50k bum on seat with BA/AA and probably another 10-20k with others. I would not be able to reach 100k bum on seat.
So, I've been looking at AAdvantage.
To get Sapphire (BA Silver/AA Platinum):
-with BA, 3-4 US trips (BA WTP + AA Eco is around 200 Avios per return trip)
-with AA, 3-4 US trips based on points (10,000 miles = 15,000 points). Interestingly, the x1.5 points applies to not just WTP (only BA) but any full fare Eco on BA, AA, US. Since Business does not have a higher rate (it's the same x1.5) there is no possibility of point maximizing by doing one TATL leg on Eco and the other Business if it made financial sense.
- with AA, 4-5 US trips based on miles (about 10,000 miles x 5). If I changed hotel loyalties and earned miles outside of flying, I could probably reduce by 1-2 trips. I'm considering the 25% elite bonus from AA Gold (Ruby) and the 10% WTP cabin bonus in my average 10,000 mile number.
So, earning Sapphire is a similar requirement. Reaching BA Silver isn't a challenge but AA does offer some better benefits:
- 100% mileage bonus (as was the case with BA until the recent change, and I imagine AA may change this)
- complimentary upgrades- need to read details on this, don't know if this is anything different from the BA upgrade benefits (sometimes free, available at cost)
Things generally seems similar to BA Silver otherwise with 2 bags, seat selection, etc.
One big difference, if I have understood correctly, is the mileage bonus (currently 100%) which is a game changer since it counts towards getting status (not just rewards). So, unlike the 600 Avios required every year to keep BA Silver, once qualified for AA Platinum the mileage requirement effectively halves with the bonus. Is that right?
If so, then each real-world 10,000 mile bum on seat trip becomes 20,000 AA miles which then means Sapphire for under 3 US trips. Seems too good to be true.
OK, in that case not much different from BA's 24 months.
I don't do 100k bum on seat miles a year (more on that below). I do get 100k Avios a year but that includes the tier and cabin bonuses. I also do some flying outside of BA, TATL occasionally with VS and US domestic on smaller carriers like Southwest, Jetblue- not many miles but probably 30 segments a year. I do about 50k bum on seat with BA/AA and probably another 10-20k with others. I would not be able to reach 100k bum on seat.
So, I've been looking at AAdvantage.
To get Sapphire (BA Silver/AA Platinum):
-with BA, 3-4 US trips (BA WTP + AA Eco is around 200 Avios per return trip)
-with AA, 3-4 US trips based on points (10,000 miles = 15,000 points). Interestingly, the x1.5 points applies to not just WTP (only BA) but any full fare Eco on BA, AA, US. Since Business does not have a higher rate (it's the same x1.5) there is no possibility of point maximizing by doing one TATL leg on Eco and the other Business if it made financial sense.
- with AA, 4-5 US trips based on miles (about 10,000 miles x 5). If I changed hotel loyalties and earned miles outside of flying, I could probably reduce by 1-2 trips. I'm considering the 25% elite bonus from AA Gold (Ruby) and the 10% WTP cabin bonus in my average 10,000 mile number.
So, earning Sapphire is a similar requirement. Reaching BA Silver isn't a challenge but AA does offer some better benefits:
- 100% mileage bonus (as was the case with BA until the recent change, and I imagine AA may change this)
- complimentary upgrades- need to read details on this, don't know if this is anything different from the BA upgrade benefits (sometimes free, available at cost)
Things generally seems similar to BA Silver otherwise with 2 bags, seat selection, etc.
One big difference, if I have understood correctly, is the mileage bonus (currently 100%) which is a game changer since it counts towards getting status (not just rewards). So, unlike the 600 Avios required every year to keep BA Silver, once qualified for AA Platinum the mileage requirement effectively halves with the bonus. Is that right?
If so, then each real-world 10,000 mile bum on seat trip becomes 20,000 AA miles which then means Sapphire for under 3 US trips. Seems too good to be true.
Note that one benefit you would lose by switching from BA to AA is lounge access on days when you are only travelling domestically within the US (unless in a premium cabin on transcon premium service). But it sounds like most of your AA flights are connections anyway, which is not a problem.
On the plus side, with AA you can redeem your miles with all OW partners except BA without having to pay YQ.
Jan 31, 2015, 3:13 am
#162
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
Jan 31, 2015, 3:35 am
#163
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
The current changes are a game changer for me.
BA Exec seems to have come full circle. I remember travelling on BA to Beirut in the 90's paying over £550 & finding my fare didn't qualify for any miles.
I switched to various other carriers on the route but then BMI took it over with their legendary Diamond Club. Made *A Gold with them & enjoyed various upgrades & redemptions.When BA brought them out, the Exec Club had started offering full miles on all economy classes. Given Gold status match I moved all travel to BA often paying more on long haul & short haul then other competitors, because the miles & benefits. Enjoyed short haul family redemptions for holidays.
Now it's unlikely many of my flights will gain full miles now & re-qualifying for Silver is now unlikely. So now I'll fly *A using my Aegean Gold where gaining 12000 for re qualification is fairly easy & I'll be able to keep lounge access etc.
So it seems BA has basically said they don't really need my medium level custom now.
They've made a business decision, so after looking at the facts, so have I.
The BA Exec has come full circle & now appears only aimed at the top of the market, though the business product especially in short haul is far short of what it once was.
When BMI was brought it was sad but the move to BA went well. Now BAEC has changed & it's clearly time to go back to the *A.
Reading Flyer talk about other devaluations I'm beginning to think the golden age of FFP is coming to an end.
BA Exec seems to have come full circle. I remember travelling on BA to Beirut in the 90's paying over £550 & finding my fare didn't qualify for any miles.
I switched to various other carriers on the route but then BMI took it over with their legendary Diamond Club. Made *A Gold with them & enjoyed various upgrades & redemptions.When BA brought them out, the Exec Club had started offering full miles on all economy classes. Given Gold status match I moved all travel to BA often paying more on long haul & short haul then other competitors, because the miles & benefits. Enjoyed short haul family redemptions for holidays.
Now it's unlikely many of my flights will gain full miles now & re-qualifying for Silver is now unlikely. So now I'll fly *A using my Aegean Gold where gaining 12000 for re qualification is fairly easy & I'll be able to keep lounge access etc.
So it seems BA has basically said they don't really need my medium level custom now.
They've made a business decision, so after looking at the facts, so have I.
The BA Exec has come full circle & now appears only aimed at the top of the market, though the business product especially in short haul is far short of what it once was.
When BMI was brought it was sad but the move to BA went well. Now BAEC has changed & it's clearly time to go back to the *A.
Reading Flyer talk about other devaluations I'm beginning to think the golden age of FFP is coming to an end.
Jan 31, 2015, 4:05 am
#164
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: BMI, BA, Aegean Airlines
Posts: 61
EC changes : will you switch ?
And that was before the Gulf carriers raised standards for all classes and drew many away from BA long haul. Now with people outside London badly affected by these changes, many can fly directly with better quality Gulf carrier.
Interestingly too QR just brought a stake in BA's owners.
Interestingly too QR just brought a stake in BA's owners.
Jan 31, 2015, 4:09 am
#165
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
And that was before the Gulf carriers raised standards for all classes and drew many away from BA long haul. Now with people outside London badly affected by these changes, many can fly directly with better quality Gulf carrier.
Interestingly too QR just brought a stake in BA's owners.
Interestingly too QR just brought a stake in BA's owners.
