BA could have enhanced the F and C experience instead of penalizing WT/WTP.
#47
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PEK
Programs: CA Gold, EY Silver HHons Diamond
Posts: 373
I personally thought the WT+ prices were just about right for the CW product I was receiving. Full CW & WT+ fares are overpriced imo, especially for my individual needs (mostly leisure or leisurely business).
No particular anger about the changes, they are what they are. It would be interesting to know the maths behind the 140% increase however. Did they expect myself and others like me to bite the bullet and start paying CW fares or was I actually costing them money and they are happy to see the back of me!
Overall point being they havent tried to find a realistic sweet spot that would allow for inreased points charges but also retained customers.
We have now just booked 3 trips over the next year with EY in J. Average fare was a little over 100 pound more than a WT+ ticket. First time I have actually looked forward to flying in years!
#48
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: North East
Posts: 207
Hi drmish1; we did our first First to GIG on Fri Feb 13th this year. A 2 hour delay meant that we passed midday and could therefore enjoy the non-breakfast menu in the CCR (which was excellent), and we were able to dine later on in the flight without any pressure from the crew to eat early on in the flight. IIRC we had a chap whose initials were AT and he was outstanding, as was his colleague (MM). As ever, much of one's on board experience is down to the crew, but we were looking to sit back and relax, and did just that.
If your crew and flight are half as good as ours were, you'll have a great time! Am hoping we get the same crew to IAD in Jul on the A380...if only!!
If your crew and flight are half as good as ours were, you'll have a great time! Am hoping we get the same crew to IAD in Jul on the A380...if only!!
Any advice on the best seats for a couple travelling together?
#49
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 152
#50
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: North East
Posts: 207
Go for the middle seats: http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/...boeing-777-300
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 152
Just to offer an alternative view to this. When you see WT+ tickets priced at the same level as J fares on other airlines, does the old UUA system still seem such a good bargain, or value?
I personally thought the WT+ prices were just about right for the CW product I was receiving. Full CW & WT+ fares are overpriced imo, especially for my individual needs (mostly leisure or leisurely business).
No particular anger about the changes, they are what they are. It would be interesting to know the maths behind the 140% increase however. Did they expect myself and others like me to bite the bullet and start paying CW fares or was I actually costing them money and they are happy to see the back of me!
Overall point being they havent tried to find a realistic sweet spot that would allow for inreased points charges but also retained customers.
We have now just booked 3 trips over the next year with EY in J. Average fare was a little over 100 pound more than a WT+ ticket. First time I have actually looked forward to flying in years!
I personally thought the WT+ prices were just about right for the CW product I was receiving. Full CW & WT+ fares are overpriced imo, especially for my individual needs (mostly leisure or leisurely business).
No particular anger about the changes, they are what they are. It would be interesting to know the maths behind the 140% increase however. Did they expect myself and others like me to bite the bullet and start paying CW fares or was I actually costing them money and they are happy to see the back of me!
Overall point being they havent tried to find a realistic sweet spot that would allow for inreased points charges but also retained customers.
We have now just booked 3 trips over the next year with EY in J. Average fare was a little over 100 pound more than a WT+ ticket. First time I have actually looked forward to flying in years!
#52
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: EWR, SFO, LHR, ZRH, FML
Programs: UA
Posts: 55
That I agree with. I've never understood how BA can get away with their WT+ rates in the long-term -- certainly travelers weren't banking on UuA en mass.
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,642
If you're actually comparing connecting itineraries on other airlines to BA's non-stop flights, that's comparing apples to oranges.
#54
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,378
And it begs the question of why they weren't buying those other J fares in the first place. I don't buy the regular claims on here about being "loyal" to BA - if you have a genuine sense of loyalty to a capitalist firm (some unexpectedly generous act of kindness aside) then I'd question your sanity!
#55
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,882
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Just happen to be shopping for a RT Business class trip. JFK BOM JFK.
Dec 10 to Jan 09 . BA price is $4758. Qatar is $2800.
Personal experience, QR trumps BA business class in all things that matter.
Dec 10 to Jan 09 . BA price is $4758. Qatar is $2800.
Personal experience, QR trumps BA business class in all things that matter.
#56
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,095
It's all about business plan. BA does not want to clog up premium classes with leisure travelers when it can sell those seats to people who will actually pay for them (whether business or leisure travel).
This is largely a function of a vastly improved worldwide business climate.
This is largely a function of a vastly improved worldwide business climate.
#57
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA, U2+, SK, AF/KL, IHG, Hilton, others gathering dust...
Posts: 2,551
BA will price the WTP at a level they feel they can sell against direct flight competition. This applies much more to UK-based customers (Or perhaps rather London-based) than those based elsewhere, where a connection is anyway required.
#58
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,882
True (and I've made a considerable saving myself booking QR vs BA on flights to Australia), but that's not the comparison being mentioned. JFK-BOM isn't a non-stop on BA. The more relevant comparison is, for example, someone comparing BA WTP fare LHR-BOM with EK J LHR-DXB-BOM. The EK fare may be close in price or even cheaper (and I've no idea how these fares compare, it's a hypothetical example), but it's a connection and a longer travelling time.
BA will price the WTP at a level they feel they can sell against direct flight competition. This applies much more to UK-based customers (some would say London-based) than those based elsewhere, where a connection is anyway required.
BA will price the WTP at a level they feel they can sell against direct flight competition. This applies much more to UK-based customers (some would say London-based) than those based elsewhere, where a connection is anyway required.
#59
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
True (and I've made a considerable saving myself booking QR vs BA on flights to Australia), but that's not the comparison being mentioned. JFK-BOM isn't a non-stop on BA. The more relevant comparison is, for example, someone comparing BA WTP fare LHR-BOM with EK J LHR-DXB-BOM. The EK fare may be close in price or even cheaper (and I've no idea how these fares compare, it's a hypothetical example), but it's a connection and a longer travelling time. The OP in this thread made one such comparison, it wasn't clear if they were comparing a direct or indirect J on another airline with BA WTP.
BA will price the WTP at a level they feel they can sell against direct flight competition. This applies much more to UK-based customers (Or perhaps rather London-based) than those based elsewhere, where a connection is anyway required.
BA will price the WTP at a level they feel they can sell against direct flight competition. This applies much more to UK-based customers (Or perhaps rather London-based) than those based elsewhere, where a connection is anyway required.
#60
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA, U2+, SK, AF/KL, IHG, Hilton, others gathering dust...
Posts: 2,551
To be more concrete in my example, I asked the same question up-thread of the OP, who mentioned that other airline J was similar price to BA WTP on LHR-GIG, but didn't clarify if those other airlines were direct. In fact they could not have been, as AFAIK only BA flies nonstop LHR-GIG. The point being that BA may not be concerned about others selling J competitively on an indirect flight if they can fill WTP on a direct at the same price.