ABBA - anyone but BA
#331
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Some people do, no doubt; others are happy to pay for a bit more as they find the U2/FR experience unpleasant, but not so much that they would pay for J.
#332
Join Date: May 2003
Location: DEL
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Posts: 2,374
More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
#333
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Posts: 3,712
How do you know BA will be more expensive? The changes being made are so that BA can compete with Easyjet. Let's not get too precious about air travel, most passengers don't and just see it as another form of public transport. People choose on price, reliability and timetabling. There is no business incentive to BA to provide more for SH Y passengers.
#334
Join Date: May 2003
Location: DEL
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#335
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, several other less interesting cards...
Posts: 3,712
Of course, it's not binary. But it's clear from the shape of the industry, that the vast majority of people don't choose on inflight service and instead choose on price. I expect that more people would prioritise wifi availability over inflight refreshments and it will be interesting to see what happens when BA roll out its wifi.
More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
Last edited by srbrenna; Jul 27, 2017 at 3:49 pm
#336
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, several other less interesting cards...
Posts: 3,712
#338
Join Date: May 2003
Location: DEL
Programs: Mucci du Miel d'Or
Posts: 2,374
But as this is the BA board the question is being asked - Does BA have enough pax willing to pay more for a few frills and to travel from LHR/LGW. The consensus (on here at least) is that it does. With that in mind why are they stripping out these frills? It isn't to lower ticket prices (and therefore appeal to these price conscious people.
You have people on these boards travelling more than twice the distance (LHR-CAI via DOH), people flying to TLL/HNL several times to get Gold, taking pictutes of menus, spending time speculating on events on their flights that few others would notice. I get that people do that because they enjoy it, but there is little evidence that the majority of travellers get worked up on these details or the provision of a free drink.
#339
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Mexico City
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Posts: 518
Of course, it's not binary. But it's clear from the shape of the industry, that the vast majority of people don't choose on inflight service and instead choose on price. I expect that more people would prioritise wifi availability over inflight refreshments and it will be interesting to see what happens when BA roll out its wifi.
More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
As far as I can tell there is no discernible difference, except BA on average cost more. (note I said on average, that is true, of course there will be many anecdotal experiences when they don't.). Easyjet or Ryanair also offer a wider choice of BOB, which is by all accounts delivered more smoothly. They fly to more destinations from more airports in the UK. BA offer no more legroom and people seem to find easyjet more roomy due to the slimmer seats (which BA has ordered).
Which part of a regular SH Y experience is better that justifies paying more for BA?
#340
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Location: Mexico City
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Posts: 518
Of course, it's not binary. But it's clear from the shape of the industry, that the vast majority of people don't choose on inflight service and instead choose on price. I expect that more people would prioritise wifi availability over inflight refreshments and it will be interesting to see what happens when BA roll out its wifi.
More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
I think once people have experienced arriving dead hungry off a trans-atlantic with BAs now frankly embarrassing second meal service, and then rush to connect to another flight with nothing offered, for these flights many will pay a bit extra. Logistically its not easy to carry meals in your rucksack that you'll still be able to safely eat in 14 hours.
#341
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cape Town
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Looks like Virgin Atlantic have been reading this thread , or maybe #ABBA has already been trending and I'm coming late to the party ?
50 quid off a Virgin Atlantic flight anyone ?
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/07/27/virgin-atlantics-anyone-but-british-airways-discount/
50 quid off a Virgin Atlantic flight anyone ?
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/07/27/virgin-atlantics-anyone-but-british-airways-discount/
#342
Join Date: May 2003
Location: DEL
Programs: Mucci du Miel d'Or
Posts: 2,374
I'd also ask, if your first point is true, why do BAs legacy competitors all continue to offer free drinks/snacks/meals on SH and better quality/quantity of meals on LH?
I think once people have experienced arriving dead hungry off a trans-atlantic with BAs now frankly embarrassing second meal service, and then rush to connect to another flight with nothing offered, for these flights many will pay a bit extra. Logistically its not easy to carry meals in your rucksack that you'll still be able to safely eat in 14 hours.
I think once people have experienced arriving dead hungry off a trans-atlantic with BAs now frankly embarrassing second meal service, and then rush to connect to another flight with nothing offered, for these flights many will pay a bit extra. Logistically its not easy to carry meals in your rucksack that you'll still be able to safely eat in 14 hours.
My guess is that either it will have limited impact on BA in which case AF and LH will follow BA's lead or the move will see a loss of passengers and BA will reinstate something.
On longhaul, with increasingly aggressive competition (Norwegian etc), I don't see that this cost reducing behaviour to end.
#343
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But as this is the BA board the question is being asked - Does BA have enough pax willing to pay more for a few frills and to travel from LHR/LGW. The consensus (on here at least) is that it does. With that in mind why are they stripping out these frills? It isn't to lower ticket prices (and therefore appeal to these price conscious people.
#345
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