News from the GGL F&M Event
Aug 10, 2015, 10:28 am
#49
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Oh yes I had a conversation on this too, with the LGW person. I think it's recognised that the 3pm closure hasn't gone down too well. However I'm told that a new First lounge at LGW is coming with the Terminal move and it will be a proper Flounge with proper opening hours.
You may want to consider, as a GGLer in the making, whether your BAEC address is London, or, say, Lossiemouth. If the former, you may well get something like 3 invitations every 4 years approximately. If the latter you would get a 100% chance of an invitation to all Lossiemouth GGL events. I can't remember when the last one of those was held.
Fair enough, but I suspect the maths shows that the vast majority of premium traffic at JFK is O/D on the US side - or at least originating in NYC. There may be some regional connections happening into JFK, but with flights from BOS, PHL and DC BA likely doesn't see a huge need to serve connections at JFK with this kind of operation. Anyone from PIT west is more likely to connect in Chicago, I would just for the longer flights at the still excellent F dining service there. And ORD does in fact have this service.
I still hope they do it if the long term solution is to keep two terminals (growth of OW would seem to suggest a need for this). For me, SFO-JFK-LHR is by far the easiest last minute F redemption out there, with the excellent A transcon seats, the CCR and the ability to make basically any onward connection I might need due to early arrival in London, it's not a bad way to run over to Europe in a family emergency. I do realize it's not a top priority for BA to serve someone like me
I still hope they do it if the long term solution is to keep two terminals (growth of OW would seem to suggest a need for this). For me, SFO-JFK-LHR is by far the easiest last minute F redemption out there, with the excellent A transcon seats, the CCR and the ability to make basically any onward connection I might need due to early arrival in London, it's not a bad way to run over to Europe in a family emergency. I do realize it's not a top priority for BA to serve someone like me
Aug 10, 2015, 11:36 am
#50
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I know we have a thread on the event itself but there are outcomes from the event that are newsworthy to FTers. Therefore I trust it is justified starting a new thread.
First of all this is the first time I have attended such an event. Very very nice. I read that some FTers booked dinner at nearby restaurants for a post-event dinner. Absolutely unnecessary, there was plenty of quality food and very nice wines on offer - especially from the New World bar.
Keith Williams made a speech saying that BA have listened and that there was much more redemption availability; lounges refresh; and food improvements yadda yadda yadda. Anyway I managed to grab a few minutes with Keith Williams afterwards to get more detail on his "new news" (to be fair he made himself available and was very approachable - credit to him). As well as a couple of conversations with KW I also met with some other very impressive staff therethat seemed to be well informed, here is the summary:
Think that was about it from me. Anyone else get any news?
First of all this is the first time I have attended such an event. Very very nice. I read that some FTers booked dinner at nearby restaurants for a post-event dinner. Absolutely unnecessary, there was plenty of quality food and very nice wines on offer - especially from the New World bar.
Keith Williams made a speech saying that BA have listened and that there was much more redemption availability; lounges refresh; and food improvements yadda yadda yadda. Anyway I managed to grab a few minutes with Keith Williams afterwards to get more detail on his "new news" (to be fair he made himself available and was very approachable - credit to him). As well as a couple of conversations with KW I also met with some other very impressive staff therethat seemed to be well informed, here is the summary:
- There is a new entree coming in CW initially on the longer LH routes but including NY. This will make 4 entrees in CW
- Lounges in JFK have been run-down as BA was considering moving to T8 to be with AA. That is now dead and there is going to be a considerable upgrade in T7 costing ten of millions (KW told me either 20m or 50m but I can't remember - yeah I know....). Work is starting at the end of this year.
- I asked KW about the YQ charge. He said that it was coming down and had been removed from CE flights already - for LH he anticipated this coming down and being removed eventually given where the price of fuel is today. He claimed that the totality of YQ income to BA has not yet and never will make up for the losses BA incurred from the increase in fuel charges over the past few years.
- KW also said that LHR lounges would be revamped. A conversation with someone else with knowledge on the project said that the new corridor from the First Check-In area would cost BA nothing bar the construction costs - they have proved to BAA (and BAA have accepted) that "Premium" customers don't do shopping in T5. They also stated that the lounge refurbishment in T5 would depend on signing a new lease with BAA after the current 7 year lease expires.
- New runway (LHR). It is evident that KW expects (or at least would like) someone else other than BAA to pay for third runway and the supporting infrastructure (my reading of this was that he expected the taxpayer to pay for all of this_. He said otherwise the costs would be passed on to the travelling public. I couldn't quite understand KW thinking on this as I said to him - BAA will pay for it and we will pay for it with the next 100 years of passenger departure fees (surely!).
- T5 FastTrack Security. KW was very interested in our various experiences in this area and asked me to email him directly with personal experiences. I will do so and point him at our little thread on the subject.
Think that was about it from me. Anyone else get any news?
Aug 10, 2015, 1:40 pm
#51
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Having never been invited to one I'll probably never know. Not that I'm bitter of twisted about that though
Jan 20, 2016, 12:33 pm
#53
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Jan 20, 2016, 12:49 pm
#54
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Man B: Well, apart from the one-way sweet spot.
Man A: Oh yes, apart from that.
Man B: And also the fact it's fully refundable.
Man A: Ok, apart from the one-way sweet spot and the fact that it's fully refundable it's worthless for an economy flight. What has BA ever done for us?
Jan 20, 2016, 2:59 pm
#55
Join Date: May 2009
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Man A: Yes, what has BA ever done for us? Worthless for an economy flight!
Man B: Well, apart from the one-way sweet spot.
Man A: Oh yes, apart from that.
Man B: And also the fact it's fully refundable.
Man A: Ok, apart from the one-way sweet spot and the fact that it's fully refundable it's worthless for an economy flight. What has BA ever done for us?
Man B: Well, apart from the one-way sweet spot.
Man A: Oh yes, apart from that.
Man B: And also the fact it's fully refundable.
Man A: Ok, apart from the one-way sweet spot and the fact that it's fully refundable it's worthless for an economy flight. What has BA ever done for us?
Jan 20, 2016, 4:47 pm
#56
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Man A: Yes, what has BA ever done for us? Worthless for an economy flight!
Man B: Well, apart from the one-way sweet spot.
Man A: Oh yes, apart from that.
Man B: And also the fact it's fully refundable.
Man A: Ok, apart from the one-way sweet spot and the fact that it's fully refundable it's worthless for an economy flight. What has BA ever done for us?
Man B: Well, apart from the one-way sweet spot.
Man A: Oh yes, apart from that.
Man B: And also the fact it's fully refundable.
Man A: Ok, apart from the one-way sweet spot and the fact that it's fully refundable it's worthless for an economy flight. What has BA ever done for us?
oh sorry, wrong film!!
Jan 20, 2016, 5:09 pm
#57
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Jan 20, 2016, 7:21 pm
#58
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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Jan 20, 2016, 7:22 pm
#59
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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The point I was trying to make in a somewhat lighthearted manner is that the lowest price of a return ticket is not the only criteria on which to judge the value of an airline ticket.
Jan 20, 2016, 9:04 pm
#60
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Man A: Yes, what has BA ever done for us? Worthless for an economy flight!
Man B: Well, apart from the one-way sweet spot.
Man A: Oh yes, apart from that.
Man B: And also the fact it's fully refundable.
Man A: Ok, apart from the one-way sweet spot and the fact that it's fully refundable it's worthless for an economy flight. What has BA ever done for us?
Man B: Well, apart from the one-way sweet spot.
Man A: Oh yes, apart from that.
Man B: And also the fact it's fully refundable.
Man A: Ok, apart from the one-way sweet spot and the fact that it's fully refundable it's worthless for an economy flight. What has BA ever done for us?
Change must be close now. BA are by far the worse of a rapidly diminishing number of offenders when it comes to YQ.
It's true we have long known of the valueless Y redemptions but ex EU fares are eroding the premium redemptions too. Even ex UK full redemptions were undermined by the Black Friday sale.
And at the same time BA's policy is deemed illegal in Brazil and Hong Kong.
I suggest weeks rather than months until the introduction of a workable long haul RFS