GGL enhancements
Feb 25, 2018, 6:45 am
#61
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,621
I guess the point here is that BA are competing with LCCs who don't have to bear costs of lounge access at all, and the fliers they are looking for are the vast body of "normal" people who might otherwise select EasyJet or Norwegian, etc.
If you're a business traveller, essentially you'll be bound by corporate policy, which may be to select BA (if they've done their job well at the top of the ladder), or more usually for business SH, "select the cheapest". BA will pick up business from both of those scenarios if they are price-competitive, with or without lounge access being granted. And if they are price competitive they will also be picking up business from LCCs.
Another alternative is the "Admiral's Club" model where drinks and food are seriously restricted, but there is space to work. Or an additional charge on the ticket to allow lounge access in the low cost buckets, same as you can pay extra for luggage now.
I just don't see the current model where every silver and their mate has free rein whatever they've paid for the ticket being sustainable. I don't want things to change - not at least until I have the recipe for Cathay Delights - but at present this is a bit of a one way street towards the BA status holders.
If you're a business traveller, essentially you'll be bound by corporate policy, which may be to select BA (if they've done their job well at the top of the ladder), or more usually for business SH, "select the cheapest". BA will pick up business from both of those scenarios if they are price-competitive, with or without lounge access being granted. And if they are price competitive they will also be picking up business from LCCs.
Another alternative is the "Admiral's Club" model where drinks and food are seriously restricted, but there is space to work. Or an additional charge on the ticket to allow lounge access in the low cost buckets, same as you can pay extra for luggage now.
I just don't see the current model where every silver and their mate has free rein whatever they've paid for the ticket being sustainable. I don't want things to change - not at least until I have the recipe for Cathay Delights - but at present this is a bit of a one way street towards the BA status holders.
Feb 25, 2018, 6:50 am
#62
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
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.
Feb 25, 2018, 6:54 am
#63
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
...
I just don't see the current model where every silver and their mate has free rein whatever they've paid for the ticket being sustainable. I don't want things to change - not at least until I have the recipe for Cathay Delights - but at present this is a bit of a one way street towards the BA status holders.
I just don't see the current model where every silver and their mate has free rein whatever they've paid for the ticket being sustainable. I don't want things to change - not at least until I have the recipe for Cathay Delights - but at present this is a bit of a one way street towards the BA status holders.
Feb 25, 2018, 7:05 am
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
I guess the point here is that BA are competing with LCCs who don't have to bear costs of lounge access at all, and the fliers they are looking for are the vast body of "normal" people who might otherwise select EasyJet or Norwegian, etc.
If you're a business traveller, essentially you'll be bound by corporate policy, which may be to select BA (if they've done their job well at the top of the ladder), or more usually for business SH, "select the cheapest". BA will pick up business from both of those scenarios if they are price-competitive, with or without lounge access being granted. And if they are price competitive they will also be picking up business from LCCs.
Another alternative is the "Admiral's Club" model where drinks and food are seriously restricted, but there is space to work. Or an additional charge on the ticket to allow lounge access in the low cost buckets, same as you can pay extra for luggage now.
I just don't see the current model where every silver and their mate has free rein whatever they've paid for the ticket being sustainable. I don't want things to change - not at least until I have the recipe for Cathay Delights - but at present this is a bit of a one way street towards the BA status holders.
If you're a business traveller, essentially you'll be bound by corporate policy, which may be to select BA (if they've done their job well at the top of the ladder), or more usually for business SH, "select the cheapest". BA will pick up business from both of those scenarios if they are price-competitive, with or without lounge access being granted. And if they are price competitive they will also be picking up business from LCCs.
Another alternative is the "Admiral's Club" model where drinks and food are seriously restricted, but there is space to work. Or an additional charge on the ticket to allow lounge access in the low cost buckets, same as you can pay extra for luggage now.
I just don't see the current model where every silver and their mate has free rein whatever they've paid for the ticket being sustainable. I don't want things to change - not at least until I have the recipe for Cathay Delights - but at present this is a bit of a one way street towards the BA status holders.
Feb 25, 2018, 9:39 am
#65
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,905
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. ..
Feb 25, 2018, 10:32 am
#66
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Surrey
Programs: BAEC - Gold
Posts: 885
Any lounge access changes would have to go hand in hand with you being able to select booking class on a BA holidays booking. My TPs mainly come from
one or two BA LH trips in J/F per year, then top up as needed with CE. The rest of my flying on BA is on low-cost holidays bookings, usually, as whenever we go away bike racing we need a car. Losing status benefits on those tickets would totally defeat the purpose of status chasing for me and therefore kill any loyalty to BA on LH.
one or two BA LH trips in J/F per year, then top up as needed with CE. The rest of my flying on BA is on low-cost holidays bookings, usually, as whenever we go away bike racing we need a car. Losing status benefits on those tickets would totally defeat the purpose of status chasing for me and therefore kill any loyalty to BA on LH.
Feb 25, 2018, 1:56 pm
#67
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,949
Well, for the year I was a 7,000 TP CCR holder, I didn't get engaged by SS once in the whole year and was still travelling almost every week. So it was 100% miss for me for that year. To be fair, I am not clear on what I would have needed from them anyway, but I was never searched out, even if travelling in F..
Now I appreciate that for the first 2 years, I was earning 70% of my TPs on QR, but I am now very BA/AA heavy - and still, nothing.
As I mentioned in a previous thread, I think that if BA are going to make CCR a 'strive to earn it' Tier, then they really need to up their game in terms of the on-ground product.
M
Feb 25, 2018, 3:36 pm
#68
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: AMS/LON
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Gold, Eurostar CB, FB Explorer
Posts: 242
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. Don’t 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).
This (sounding informed, pros and cons to be debated ) claim/rumour/ statement/ fact feels like it deserves its own thread away from the GGL parent. It would fit with the "current climate" ; anyone have any more detail?
Feb 25, 2018, 3:44 pm
#69
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: AMS/LON
Programs: BAEC Silver, TK Gold, Eurostar CB, FB Explorer
Posts: 242
Any lounge access changes would have to go hand in hand with you being able to select booking class on a BA holidays booking. My TPs mainly come from
one or two BA LH trips in J/F per year, then top up as needed with CE. The rest of my flying on BA is on low-cost holidays bookings, usually, as whenever we go away bike racing we need a car. Losing status benefits on those tickets would totally defeat the purpose of status chasing for me and therefore kill any loyalty to BA on LH.
one or two BA LH trips in J/F per year, then top up as needed with CE. The rest of my flying on BA is on low-cost holidays bookings, usually, as whenever we go away bike racing we need a car. Losing status benefits on those tickets would totally defeat the purpose of status chasing for me and therefore kill any loyalty to BA on LH.
Why would they have to? Perfectly plausible to have lounge access taken away from low cost holiday bookings.
Would I like that? Not the point!
Feb 25, 2018, 3:55 pm
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
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. Don’t 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).
Feb 25, 2018, 6:15 pm
#72
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: LON, ACK, BOS..... (Not necessarily in that order)
Programs: **Mucci Diamond Hairbrush** - compared to that nothing else matters (+BA Bronze)
Posts: 15,137
Feb 26, 2018, 1:00 am
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,542
We should call this (roughly monthly recurring) thread "The Stockholm Syndrome"... 
Feb 26, 2018, 1:03 am
#74
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: UK/Australia
Programs: BAEC Silver, UA2MM, QF Platinum, VA Platinum., Volare Executive Club
Posts: 2,512
Yes, indeed. I get access to the Qantas FCL when flying Jetstar internationally. Good luck to those who wish BA to become far more elitist. We shall just go elsewhere. Perhaps even to United.
Feb 26, 2018, 4:36 am
#75
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond
Posts: 89
However, for QF domestic flights, your guests do not need to be travelling with QF (or at all), and WPs can use the lounge anytime on the day of the flight.