ordflyboy

So I am using AA miles to travel on BA in July. Unfortunately I am now status free on all oneworld carriers ...

I can pay 12,500 miles for economy on BA from LHR to CPH ... but I am guessing that fare won't include bags right? Or would it be a full economy as an award ticket and allow 2 free bags?
OR
I can pay 22,500 miles for club europe - which I know is only a marginally better inflight experience ... but would give us a little more room - and certainly would include 2 free bags plus we could visit the lounge in Heathrow ...

Looking for some help on making an informed decision!

Thanks for your help!

walkingtall

The Y ticket should include 2 bags or whatever standard economy is , I am not aware of being giving no bags with redemption tickets , although i would check the AA site before booking

Unless you are mileage rich , i wouldn't spend the extra , but each to there own

madfish

Unless redemptions using AA is different, you will get 1 free hold baggage allowance as well as cabin baggage. Club Rurope will give you two hold bags.

there are some additional benefits to CE such as lounge access, blocked middle seat, and some on board food and drink. Some people don’t think this is worth it. However, if you need the luggage then I suspect CE is your better option.

madfish

ordflyboy

Thanks everyone. AA was able to tell me that 1bqg is included in economy...

Gatwick Alan

If you are miles rich, I would certainly pay the extra 10,000 miles for CE and lounge access. I wouldn't pay money for it but miles wise it makes sense to me.

simonrp84

I used to do this route weekly, with a mix of economy and business and I thought that business wasn't worth it then - even though that was with the old (bigger) seats!
Now I definitely wouldn't pay (either miles or cash) anything extra to fly in CE, the only exception being if you don't have lounge access. If you'd like the lounge and have tonnes of miles then go for it. Otherwise, save your miles for something that's better value.

1Aturnleft

A little extra room = middle seat blocked in Club. So long as you're aware that this is the only extra space you get and the seat / legroom is not bigger as is the case on US domestic First Class.

2x 32kg checked bags per person in Club as opposed to 1x 23kg checked bag in Traveller.

Club lounge access (complimentary drinks inc alcohol and limited food) at LHR and a similar but not quite so expansive 3rd party lounge facility at CPH for Club as opposed to no access to lounges in Traveller.

Complimentary on board food and drinks in Club, although the food offering is quite meagre at the moment, I believe this is being revisited later in the year (so make of that what you will) compared to buy on board food and beverage in Traveller.

Advanced seat assignment will cost $ in either cabin to non-status passengers. Both open up as being free of charge when online check-in opens T-24hrs before departure.

Group 1 boarding for Club
Group 4 boarding for Traveller (no status)

Taking all of this into consideration, only you can decide what's important and constitutes value to you and the way you travel as to whether the additional mileage spend is worthwhile. It's important to understand what you get/dont get in each class, especially when you're not used to travelling with BA.

ScruttonStreet

I'd only add that there can be quite a scrum leaving CPH if the flight is busy. If you are late leaving the lounge then you might be held outside the gate while others already in the 'pen' are boarded, no matter what your status/cabin. This means you would be last to board, and may be told to check your carry-on (I speak from experience here). This might be a reason to go CE where there is likely to be more luggage space.

In fairness I have no idea whether this arrangement has changed/improved since the different boarding groups were brought in.

pauldb

Unless this is a connection to a longhaul flight, is there any chance you can find yourself some avios (from Amex or SPG perhaps?). AA will want 12.5k+£32 or 22.5k+£45 which doesn't seem a good use. But BA would want 4.5k+£17 or 9k+£25 for CE.

There are also cash fares from £98 including a bag (but inflexible) - I would pick that over the AA options, or buy on to different airline entirely.

subject2load

Excellent, objective / factual summary by 1Aturnleft above.

PUCCI GALORE

Objective? Not in my book.

A little extra room = middle seat blocked in Club. So long as you're aware that this is the only extra space you get and the seat / legroom is not bigger as is the case on US domestic First Class.

2x 32kg checked bags per person in Club as opposed to 1x 23kg checked bag in Traveller.

Club lounge access (complimentary drinks inc alcohol and limited food) at LHR and a similar but not quite so expansive 3rd party lounge facility at CPH for Club as opposed to no access to lounges in Traveller.

Complimentary on board food and drinks in Club, although the food offering is quite meagre at the moment, I believe this is being revisited later in the year (so make of that what you will) compared to buy on board food and beverage in Traveller.

A little extra room is his opinion. Not rubbing shoulders with anyone as there is no one there is mine. No it is not a F (or J as it is now) offering and nor does it pretend to be.

"Limited Food in the Club Lounge" at LHR (CPH I have not visited for some time) - is again his opinion - it is far far more than in a regular AA Club unless you are in a First Lounge.

Onboard food and drinks is "meagre". As this discussion has rattled on and on since the menus were introduced, I will not bore anyone with droning on, however having recently flown in F for a far further distance on AA (DFW - MSP) I can assure anyone that whilst you may get fat on the food that they serve, they are called "refreshments" and they are no more than that.

So, this is as objective as anyone's opinion can be.

Would I pay for it - sure as otherwise I seem to always be sitting near people who are in desperate need of visiting Slimming World and who feel that they have a right to flop over on to my side of the seat.
Dear OP - it is not a long flight but if it does get you better luggage allowances at the least, I'd bother.

outandaroundabout

Just to add the benefit of fast track security at Kastrup, which could be very useful given that it appears the OP is travelling in the Danish summer holiday season.

Agree about the potential to 'miss out' on priority boarding if one arrives late at the gate - or even on time, if the aircraft has been parked for a while and they are getting it loaded quickly. Timing one's arrival has got a lot easier since the new lounge opened, though (it's more or less right above C27 and after the passport control).

1Aturnleft

A little extra room were the OP's words.
I was just responding to them, not sharing my own opinion.

I was attempting to give an objective overview overall - primarily to the OP who by his own admission may not know the idiosyncracies of European travel on our beloved carrier. Some benefits may justify the upgrade, others not. Only they can make that decision.Not me and not you.

FWIW I'm in agreement with you on all your personal opinione you've chosen to broadcast except regarding the onboard Club service - CPH is most definitely a meagre offering being at the cusp of a medium length sector where a starter masquerading as a main seems perfectly acceptable to BA. The OP who doesnt appear to frequent the BA forum often may appreciate that info and decide what to do.

That will be my opinion.

Pucci, I've admired your input and wit on here for many years and I look forward to seeing more of that side of your opinions in the future, just please don't make me one of your victims, I'm a good person really 😊

PUCCI GALORE

Aw - of course you are! Gracious too I might add.

If, after all that you'd like to be a Mucci -it's probably way overdue.