paul4040

The value of CE is increased if the passenger has no status. It's a ticket with fast track security, lounge access, priority boarding, enhanced baggage allowance, a free middle seat, extra TPs and Avios, free food on board, a better staffassenger ratio, etc etc.

The only routes CE is really worth it on are the longer catering banded ones. Other than that, especially as a status holder, save your money. I almost never redeem previous Avios in CE, and will splurge my remaining Avios on CX F...

Leaping_Deere

Recently used Avois for CE for LHR to ARN.

I'm sure the legroom gets a few mm shorter each time, but we got a hot meal and many drinks and a veteran purser who was top notch. it was a service that would be worth paying for.

Equally I've had some CE to FRA over the years that the only redeemable feature is not having someone next to you.

The shorter a flight time is always going to limit service and particularly when I've seen some FRA flights with CE to almost the exit rows what can you expect.

Would I have paid £500 return for the ARN flight, heck no. Would I pay £250-300...perhaps especially if I knew I would get a excellent CC like we got outbound.

We all pontificate on here about this but ultimately it all comes down to price and pax perception of value.

CC999

I went last week from Nice to London, the seats in Club are identical to economy, very tight indeed. As previously said it's just a free middle seat plus a hot sandwich, not exactly value for money certainly not worth the large difference in price.

poorbird

Island Bakeries have managed to get into Waitrose thanks to an empty packet and pleading letter sent to their biscuit buyer. There was a write up in the Waitrose Weekend newspaper of 6th April They're selling the Lemon Melts/Chocolate Gingers for £2.99 and Shortbread for £2.39
http://www.waitrose.com/shop/Display...oductId=580336

PUCCI GALORE

Why five?

Lounge Access without status (try that on AAnother carrier)

1) No one in the Middle Seat.

2) First off and through immigration and in the car home

3) A delightful meal yesterday (salmon & pasta delicious) - yes it was Long catering

4) Bar service before dinner

5) Champagne in a big bottle not those screw top things - and as much of it as we could drink

6) Wines that came from proper bottles rather than those nasty little plastic things.

7) Our own toilet with a crew member who shoed people back to their cabin (Good for her)

8) Points and miles agogo

All of this for a fare that was little more than an Economy Fare.

Suits us down to the ground.

I can see that this is going to become another of those tedious "Why Does Anyone Fly Club Europe" threads that occur every 48 hours or so so all I will say is that outside Chatboard Land - the Club sections that I fly in seem always to be nearly full - so BA's customers appear to like it . Are they full of upgrades? I doubt it. Others are entitled to their opinions, and I am to mine

Wozza2404

£99 EW to Paris? Yeah why not. Means I'm first off the plane. TPs aren't particularly important, but the quicker I get to 3500 each year, the quicker I can start throwing trips on EY/EK into my bookings.

£400EW to BUD? I'd rather walk barefoot across a field of Lego.

The one time I'm much more open to booking CE is, strangely, a situation no-one has mentioned yet. When travelling with my kid(s), I much prefer to 2-2 seating arrangement as it means there isn't a stranger sat with us.

PUCCI GALORE

That's a new one! I like that.

I agree about the stranger - have you noticed how fat everyone is these days?

Grande Annee

+1 ^. I experienced all of the above with the exception of No.7 (it's so annoying when so many Y pax use the front loo ) on a recent flight to KRK.
The CE cabin was relatively small, so I'm not sure how the cabin crew are going to cope with the new "club world kind of meal/service" in a large CE cabin!

Chris_G

No scone, jam and cream = no more me fly CE...

Washed down with cup of tea...its about being British and travelling with a nod to "old school" values...safe in the knowledge that the unwashed are living behind the curtain.

Looks like I shall be joining them in Y from now on as it just isn't worth it anymore...

I'm off to Bangkok in J during May and those yummy tangy lemon Island Bakery biscuits had better be on board...

Chris

ILikePancakes

I foresee a trip to waitrose in the near future...

navylad

I find this thread fascinating; mainly as it demonstrated the difficulties an airline has with people wanting different things. People complained about the afternoon tea, and now complain when they don't have it.

In reality, the catering threads are there on FT so that an individual can be informed of what they are getting for their money and make their choice as to, with the prices offered, they consider it good value to them or not.

CE can be good value on some routes, particularly when purchased well in advance and particularly during sales on some routes. Others will represent less value, but given people are still buying the tickets, clearly there is still a market for them even if you aren't in that market.

Dover2Golf

You must be having a laugh.

Club Europe value for money? Compare it to the offerings of Aegean, Turkish, Austrian, Lufthansa or Swiss.

It's an absolute disgrace and going down the pan faster with every 'enhancement'.

ginger50

Being 6'4" tall, the only reason I fly in CE is if I am on an ex EU and the feeder has me in that cabin.... even then, unless I get row 1, I ask to be moved back to the exit row.

I am afraid that the lack of legroom in CE is the reason I have started looking elsewhere, and I find that a real pity because I like flying BA.

lost_in_translation

Agree with this, except with the caveat that if Row 1 isn't open, I'm taking the ET exit row instead unless ET is the same price or more expensive than CE.

ahmetdouas

Hahaha ET more expensive than CE = )