GGL enhancements

Old Feb 24, 2018, 7:28 am
  #46  
 
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https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29092607-post15.html

I felt this could always happen. Let us wait and see.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 8:15 am
  #47  
 
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Originally Posted by woglet86
Seems to me that the incentive levels need to be at the right place to help BA make more money out of us. They need to weigh the cost of providing the benefits to more people, against the fact that with lower targets, more people will be incentivised to hit them.

From a personal perspective, I realised I could probably hit 5k this year as a one-off, and 3k per year going forward if I make an effort. I would be surprised if BA wasn't making money out of the incremental 3.5k / 1.5k TPs I was aiming for in excess of the 1.5k requirement for Gold (whether this sort of TP-chasing is rational has been done to death!). Nearly all of my TPs are earned on routes where BA sees at least a share of the money.

If they raised the annual requirement to 5k, I wouldn't bother aiming for anything over Gold, so they'd see less money from me. If this was justified by increasing the benefits (which in theory could make me less profitable), I could understand it. If not, it would seem like they've lost that revenue for little benefit.

Simply put, if the aim of the executive club tiers is to extract additional spend / profit out of each customer, I feel like this would be a step backwards for the category of passenger like me.

Interested to see what transpires.
they certainly generate incremental revenue from me as a result of GGL. Will take WTP trips on BA with GUF that otherwise would be on QR or someone else, and I will do CE revenue rather than RFS economy at certain points in the year to avoid a last minute scare...
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 9:25 am
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by flying_pig
We are in the realm of speculation, but... I've said this before and I wouldn't be surprised if BA implemented measures to ensure that GGL/CCR is attained by frequent flyers who actually fly BA a lot... The simple way of doing it is to have only TPs earned on BA count towards GGL qualification. In my view it would make commercial sense. It is easy to implement from an IT standpoint (even for BA...) and there is precedent in other airlines (see LH/LX where miles only flown in premium cabin on their airlines count towards HON-circle qualification, ie the "HON-circle miles").

There is then the whole argument of revenue-based FFPs, but I now don't see BA going in that direction...
The challenge is that someone like me really splits a lot of time across OW airlines because I'm not based in London. I don't think it is in BA and/or OW's best interest to be that restrictive to IAG carriers given all of the metal neutral JBV.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 9:42 am
  #49  
 
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Originally Posted by MumbaiDan
What I heard is a bit different. Apparently they are considering to get rid of the Premier status and replace it with a new Concorde status. This new status can only be obtained with flights on IAG airlines in premium cabins and it will have "serious" benefits. Current Premier that don't achieve the new threshold will become GGL.
This doesnt make any sense? Premier is to reward decision makers who are in control of serious BA spend budgets. It is not related to flying. Also, arent there only 1000 of them? Hardly a thorn in BAECs side? You are saying they will scrap that? Maybe, but sounds weird?

I can see (and understand) if they make 5k per year the new GGL hurdle. Makes perfect sense, eliminates low rent GGLs, and makes the circle ALOT more exclusive, but how is the Premier related to this? Looking forward to Mr Hilliers email...
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 10:20 am
  #50  
 
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The Concorde Team (special services) already extend their services to GGL dependant on their resources. I'm guessing that they will increase it to be more frequent.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 10:41 am
  #51  
 
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Originally Posted by BABenchley
The Concorde Team (special services) already extend their services to GGL dependant on their resources. I'm guessing that they will increase it to be more frequent.
I recall hearing that there's a list of Prems and CCR holders travelling through LHR each day and presumably staff are briefed. Given that the BA check-in system doesn't show if you are a CCR it doesn't also (in my experience) flag to the agent to ask for SS (if their resources allow). Until the two are linked (or if SS accesses the booking in advance and puts a message for the agent to call them) it's highly possible they will miss you if you are a GGL/CCR not in First. I've have lots of opportunities to be missed including JFK 1st Check-In when they may (or may not) walk you to the front of the line if you remind them you have a CCR.

Also, what if you check in online and you don't actually see anyone? It's all a bit hit and miss. I've seen SS busy and not too busy but am rarely "touched" (seems i'm a minority given the newspapers!)

Here's a case - i was travelling in First from the USA to LHR. Upon arrival at the check-in area there was a delay at the First Class check-in desk. So, i was beckoned over to Club (oh the shame!). I was then told where the partner lounge was. I went to the partner lounge, then made my way to the gate. On board the aircraft, SS visited me at my seat and said they had been looking for me and were trying to get hold of me to a) introduce themselves and b) escort me to the gate. Presumably the person doing the 1st check-in was briefed to call them when i arrived but being called to Club for check-in lost that chance?? Or, the lounge were briefed to call SS when i arrived at the partner lounge. But, they didn't do that (and didn't ask me to wait... they said goodbye when I left). Plus, BA has my mobile (which they didn't call). So, how would i have known they were trying to find me (not that i needed their help)?

Bottom line, in my experience SS is hit and miss and usually more miss than hit Quite different from the US airline travel experiences of real proactive travel assistance especially when you need it. To me it's not about making me feel like a movie star. It's about getting me in and out of the airport (and on board) as quickly as possible. If they can help with that great. If not, i'll run to the lifts at LHR...
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Last edited by Airways45; Feb 24, 2018 at 10:52 am
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 1:04 pm
  #52  
 
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Originally Posted by flying_pig
The simple way of doing it is to have only TPs earned on BA count towards GGL qualification. In my view it would make commercial sense. It is easy to implement from an IT standpoint (even for BA...) and there is precedent in other airlines (see LH/LX where miles only flown in premium cabin on their airlines count towards HON-circle qualification, ie the "HON-circle miles").
And later Miles&More changed HON miles to only be earned on fully integrated partners in premium (i.e. Business and First) cabins.
Even later they introduced select miles which are also collected in non-premium cabins and have some other value. In addition to their useless status stars this became a bit too complicated.
I hope BA will keep it somewhat simple.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 1:21 pm
  #53  
 
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My thoughts/prediction, to add to all the others

Thoughts

GGL is an anomaly in the Executive Club tiers
  • Unlike the other tiers the initial and ongoing qualifying criteria are different - does anyone know why it's 5,000 and then 3,000..?
  • It's not well publicised at all unless you're part of FT/other FFP sites. You can't find details on the BA website, for example.
Premier is the same. Anyone using the Avios calculator on BA.com sees 'Premier' in the dropdown but can't find any explanation of what it is on the site....

I wonder why BA haven't publicised GGL more, as it could certainly direct more business to them, potentially heavy fliers who post 2000-3000 TP's each year but who don't even know about GGL.

Predictions
  • More prominent publishing of GGL on Executive Club with details of benefits - think like QF Platinum One
  • Alignment of initial/repeat qualification at marginally higher level - perhaps 4,000 TP's
  • CCR card remains at 5,000 TP's
I can't see any requirement for all TP's to be on BA. As has been pointed out with the revenue sharing deals in place BA has lots of benefit from AA and QR as well as the obvious IB and EI.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 4:25 pm
  #54  
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Originally Posted by baflyer123
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29092607-post15.html

I felt this could always happen. Let us wait and see.
overhaul of BAEC coming. Was due in March now delayed a few weeks.
Dynamic pricing (more seats, higher redemption costs, much higher in some cases), tier threshold requirements reviewed (changes still a maybe), and lounge access potentially reviewed. Former is a backdoor likely old fashioned devaluation the latter perhaps welcomed if it prevents locust-like lounge F&B binging by 39 one way fare punters who arrive 4 hours before. Dont blame them but the economics are a bit twisted when you think neither AA or QF would permit this. (And neither did BA in the 1990s).
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 4:09 am
  #55  
 
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Loungs access?

Originally Posted by DFB_london


overhaul of BAEC coming. Was due in March now delayed a few weeks.
Dynamic pricing (more seats, higher redemption costs, much higher in some cases), tier threshold requirements reviewed (changes still a maybe), and lounge access potentially reviewed. Former is a backdoor likely old fashioned devaluation the latter perhaps welcomed if it prevents locust-like lounge F&B binging by 39 one way fare punters who arrive 4 hours before. Dont blame them but the economics are a bit twisted when you think neither AA or QF would permit this. (And neither did BA in the 1990s).
What lounge access changes do you have in mind(or think BA management have in mind)? It seems to me that it is pretty OK as is - silvers and golds can use shared lounges at outstations and golds have dedicated lounges at LHR/LGW/JFK, and CCR have the lounges at LHR/JFK. I don't quite see how they could adjust this without a radical devaluation of tier benefits.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 4:31 am
  #56  
 
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The obvious change to make is to limit or remove lounge access for the cheapest fares. If I'm on a HBO to Luxembourg for example, it makes no sense to allow me to use CX first, or even BA first. That hits the volume and therefore expensive end of the proposition, where any flyer with silver and above has an all you can eat or drink deal. I was amazed frankly to find I was still able to book seats when I was silver on HBO. The flip side is that if the tier benefits are removed I'll look more closely at EasyJet or Norwegian, but I couldn't work myself up into a lather of feelings of injustice if this happened. I'd just go to Wetherspoons and expense (or even pay for!) a meal, and it wouldn't materially affect my perception of BA. I'd take a BA flight where convenient. I think I'd expect some perks - check in and boarding - and that would be enough pretty much.

The other issue here is guesting, which is faintly ridiculous given that premium fare purchasers without status can't do it, yet an HBO or economy fare passenger can.

There is logic in creating an aspirational super-tier, like concierge key, but unless the intention is to massage the egos of the budget holders such that they create corporate policies to fly BA at all costs, tinkering at the top of the tree is going to be marginal impact at best. The volume isn't there. Which isn't to say that some crazed spreadsheet scalper in Finance won't do it, but the priority really should be to concentrate on BAEC costs at the lower end.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 4:41 am
  #57  
 
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Originally Posted by bisonrav
. If I'm on a HBO to Luxembourg for example, it makes no sense to allow me to use CX first, or even BA first.
Often HBO fares (admittedly booked late) are much more expensive than the cheapest ET tickets status holders have booked - so I don't follow your logic. Would those status holders on non HBO fares who paid far less than others in ET still be granted access?
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 4:44 am
  #58  
 
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Originally Posted by AdBoy
Often HBO fares (admittedly booked late) are much more expensive than the cheapest ET tickets status holders have booked - so I don't follow your logic. Would those status holders on IF non HBO fares who paid far less than others in ET still be granted access?
IF this was the way they wanted to play it - and it's risky, because if you're flying on a good number of G/O/Q fares you're either flying a LOT or booking some expensive fares to go with them - then it would make sense to limit it by fare bucket so that the very cheapest fares were excluded.

Of course it would give a lot of status card holders a taste for EasyJet or RyanAir. If I'm travelling short-haul on business, the ability to work in the lounge without having to worry about buying/expensing lounge access is hugely important as it means I can arrive early and do any non-sensitive calls from a quiet part of the lounge, rather than having to work in a noisier public environment.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 4:51 am
  #59  
 
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Originally Posted by Cymro
IF this was the way they wanted to play it - and it's risky, because if you're flying on a good number of G/O/Q fares you're either flying a LOT or booking some expensive fares to go with them - then it would make sense to limit it by fare bucket so that the very cheapest fares were excluded.

Of course it would give a lot of status card holders a taste for EasyJet or RyanAir. If I'm travelling short-haul on business, the ability to work in the lounge without having to worry about buying/expensing lounge access is hugely important as it means I can arrive early and do any non-sensitive calls from a quiet part of the lounge, rather than having to work in a noisier public environment.
That's where it falls down for me. If you're earning status on BA by flying some expensive fares (where you already get lounge access etc.) but also flying HBOs, then there is no incentive to fly BA (at ALL) if the perks on those cheaper fares are removed. BA would surely be playing with fire and send most people (who now have no additional benefit to flying BA if not paying to sit up front) elsewhere.

Last edited by AdBoy; Feb 25, 2018 at 4:57 am
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 5:43 am
  #60  
 
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Indeed I wouldn’t fly BA SH if no lounge access
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