obduro

As a relative newbie, most threads I read relate to specific questions/complaints and it's hard to gauge why we are all here and what our association with BA is. With this in mind I thought it would be a good idea to get an idea about the people behind each user handle, to give some context of where we are coming from when posting

So what's your story? How long have you been a BA flyer? Is it mainly for work or pleasure? Where are your most frequent/favourite destinations and routes? Or do you work for BA/have another association? Why did you originally sign up here? Perhaps if you're feeling lucky you can add a fascinating flying fact about yourself!

obduro

To get things started (separate post for ease), I live in Kent and fly for pleasure. Most of my flights take me to the East Coast of America and Canada, however Mrs Obduro and I are looking at exploring more of the world in the coming months/years. I originally signed up looking for advice on CW seat plans, however since then I have been bitted by the premium product bug and have learned a lot about how to boost Avios and how best to use them (pre and post enhancement...), so thank you to all who have contributed to that.

My fascinating flying fact (well not really) is that I work closely with Airbus, financing deals for their aircraft. Hence my obsession with flying on as many A380's as possible!

dvinton

I've been flying BA in earnest for just under 2 years and have gone from Blue to Gold in the first year, which I think I will comfortably maintain. Alas this is due to work and pleasure usually comes a distant second, although I'm planning to go further afield for pleasure in the future. The most frequent routes have been LHR-GIG (exotic) and LHR-LIN (not exotic). I work in the oil industry so travel frequently.

I signed up after lurking for a while (I was looking up lounges and status) and browse through often but rarely post. In the coming months I'm going to be making LHR-BSR the primary route (alas) so the game will be to get these flights on Qatar rather than any others to keep status.

liamvad

I have just retired,now 65,so am going to places that I have always wanted to visit,I joined this forum to try to understand the TP's and Avios!!! I have reached Bronze level,but I doubt I will reach Silver by October,as places/funds will run out.I have 390 tier points and a further 50 to add on in October,so 160 short.Have found this forum very useful,and I try to fly BA whenever I can.I flew round the world in the 60's with BOAC on VC10's and Boeing 707's,those were the days,have been on Tridents and BAC 1-11's,but my favourite was the Boeing 757,fantastic take-offs in that aircraft.

Swanhunter

First BA flight ORY-LHR in 1996 and joined the EC at the same time. First Club World in 2000 and made Gold late 2001 through work travel and first big redemption was Concorde to JFK Easter 2002. Lots of work travel over the intervening years with increasing leisure trips as the miles and cash piles allowed. Made GGL in 2008 and hit the LTG threshold 3 years ago. Also been top tier on SQ, VS, LH and BDA in that time along with AA Plat and a few random things like KA Blue. Have flown to HKG, IST, SIN and VIE many times over the years

Now relatively little travel for work and more leisure trips. Work travel gets harder on the mind and body as you get older so very happy about that! Dropping down to LTG next year and focussed now on the best carrier for a trip rather than any brand or alliance loyalty. Have burned quite a few million miles over the years and take some epic trips (NH First, CX F, SQ F, TG F, the aforementioned Concorde trip, F to every continent on BA) so done well out of the game. As another FT'er has posted, it's not as much fun as it used to be.

Found FT on shared PC in the old AY long haul lounge at HEL.

TeenFlyer96

Always have flown BA as a family. I am now your run of the mill student, flying up to Scotland (St. Andrews) approx every week / every 2 weeks. I am currently silver but will hit gold over the summer with a few trips to the west coast USA lined up. The reason that I like flying BA is because normally the service is very good, but also I really like the fellow passengers - the commute LHR - EDI can be very boring after a while so when you get an interesting person next to you, its great fun.

Just from flying this year I have already gained an internship in NY for next year and a whole host of career advice which is absolutely fantastic.

To that end if any FT'ers here would be willing to offer career advice to me, I would be forever grateful!! They say after all it is who you know not what you know and I am sure some of you FT'ers are people to know!

TF

PDXNRTLHR

As my username suggests, I moved to the UK from the US via Tokyo. I'm back at university, so all my travel is for leisure (and likely will have very little, if any, business travel once I graduate). As a BA Bronze, I prefer flying BA over easyJet, but don't mind slumming it on short haul (and big orange has many more options from LGW, which is my local airport). Thanks to my interest in aviation and Flyertalk, I've learned lots of tricks that I and my friends have found useful (such as ex-EU) for making budget travel enjoyable.

I'm in the process of burning the rest of my DL miles as they've been enhancing away their own FF program.

Tintin_on_the_road

Been travelling for leisure since young age (3yo), but only approx 5 years for work. I was lurker at FT for long time, reading stories on TP runs and mileage tricks. I used to work in media and travel the world, hence the Tintin reference (my friends seem to think it is more about the hair do and the fact that Tintin claims to work but never seems to be producing anything....)
Traveled previously a lot in APAC, now mainly European travel for work. With guidance from many stories here, started burning Avios with First redemptions couple years ago, and truly enjoying this hard task and what are now annual First trips

DYKWIA

I started with BA in around 1989. I had a card of some sort that allowed me to turn up at the airport, insert card into a machine, and get a ticket for the next shuttle to Manchester/London for a set fare. A bit like getting a ticket for a bus/tram.

I had a long break until around 2003, when I did a round-the-world in J on BA/QF (an upgrade to VS upper class had got me the "premium bug"). This got me silver, and I've been Silver or Gold ever since. Most of my flying for work is in WT (or WT+ if I could get away with it). I used the collected points for personal trips.

Over the last few years, the quality has reduced on BA, and it makes no sense to use them going East from Manchester (EK/SQ/EY/QR/CX are all better). Also get to avoid LHR

I've decided not to go for Silver renewal this year following the devaluation. So, I doubt I'll be flying BA much in the future.

MysoreBound

I travelled LHR-JFK and LHR-SIN a bit for work, but a couple of years ago got annoyed with BA and started flying Delta, whose business class I do think is superior. So I've gone down from silver to blue. But as MrMysore and I have merged into a household account, I think I might go back and start collecting Avios again. I'm undecided...I really like Delta/KLM!

mtdd

I have been flying with BA mostly because my home destination is UK, but I have been an expat for the last 30 years, so it was logical to use BA. I never bothered with air miles/avios/TPs throughout most of my flying life (which started in 1954, Lusaka-LHR in a DC4). I only joined BAEC around 4 years ago, and all my flying is now done for leisure. My wife and I are hooked on the premium cabin experience, which all goes to show that you can still be financially irresponsible at the age of 67!

I am not totally loyal to BA, and will mostly fly with the airline that gives me the best deal on any given day. CAI-DOH-LHR on QR in J is pretty cool even with the long stopover. And you get avios and TPs in abundance...

Nevertheless, I did get to Gold using BA metal last year, and hopefully will reach it this year too. I have never purchased a flight or an upgrade with the avios that I have, and I am not really sure how to go about it.

Paralytic

Only on FT could flying every week/two weeks be seen as normal for a student.

In my day, students were lucky if they had a pair of shoes!

1010101

I joined up when i was a student as i wanted information on a trip i was planning. I'm British and its British Airways so i always went to them first, the first trip i undertook on my own was probably around 2008.

Nowadays I fly a lot around Asia and between the cuts and realising what else is out there i don't really fly them much anymore. The occasional Avios upgrade or domestic when I'm in the UK is about as far as i will go until the beancounters bu**er off. It's a shame because i still feel affinity towards my national airline, and i've had some great F and J trips through Avios points in the last few years.

I keep my status on BAEC as some day i will return to the UK.

missdimeaner

I always fly for leisure, if I include my SH trips accompanying MrD when he is 'working' in Europe...,well he calls it work !
I first flew BA in 1978, LHR to ORD....checked in at Victoria I think and then we were bussed to LHR (T3?).
Then flew to the US every couple of years until family came along and an unfortunately long episode of ill health which stopped me flying long haul again until 2003 - but not with BA (AA).
I did take my -then- very young family to see my Mum who was living in Stavanger at the time in the late 80's.
My return to BA came in 2010 with me also joining BAEC. I have been blue all this time....until March when I became Bronze. I can make silver this year which I intend to do as I'm only 60 TP short and will have another CE to do before my year end....happy days (for now).

binman

Shoes!!!! Luxury,