Ex-JER: Is it worth the risk?
Mar 20, 2018, 11:17 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,760
What time of year is this, and can you make the JER trip the day before? I did an ex-JER in WT last September, for a net saving of only about £80. My JER-LGW was around 7pm, with a 4pm LHR-YYZ the next day.
I booked onto the 9am Flybe LCY-JER, with a back-up plan of booking onto any of about 3 BA LGW-JER services around 12pm, 3pm or 5pm (B2B), which would still have let me make the flight home. Flybe was about 90 minutes late, but other than that it all worked fine. I figured fog was unlikely in early September, and had all those back-up options. With the long-haul leg the following day, that also gave me some extra comfort if all my back-up plans had failed.
I booked onto the 9am Flybe LCY-JER, with a back-up plan of booking onto any of about 3 BA LGW-JER services around 12pm, 3pm or 5pm (B2B), which would still have let me make the flight home. Flybe was about 90 minutes late, but other than that it all worked fine. I figured fog was unlikely in early September, and had all those back-up options. With the long-haul leg the following day, that also gave me some extra comfort if all my back-up plans had failed.
Mar 20, 2018, 11:17 am
#17
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,222
In my opinion, the saving isn't worth the hassle and the risk. Maybe 300, surely not 30.
If you want to take advantage anyway to see Jersey, etc, then I would suggest to go there the day before
If you want to take advantage anyway to see Jersey, etc, then I would suggest to go there the day before
Mar 20, 2018, 11:26 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: BAEC Silver, Avis Preferred, Hilton Gold
Posts: 521
What time of year is this, and can you make the JER trip the day before? I did an ex-JER in WT last September, for a net saving of only about £80. My JER-LGW was around 7pm, with a 4pm LHR-YYZ the next day.
I booked onto the 9am Flybe LCY-JER, with a back-up plan of booking onto any of about 3 BA LGW-JER services around 12pm, 3pm or 5pm (B2B), which would still have let me make the flight home. Flybe was about 90 minutes late, but other than that it all worked fine. I figured fog was unlikely in early September, and had all those back-up options. With the long-haul leg the following day, that also gave me some extra comfort if all my back-up plans had failed.
I booked onto the 9am Flybe LCY-JER, with a back-up plan of booking onto any of about 3 BA LGW-JER services around 12pm, 3pm or 5pm (B2B), which would still have let me make the flight home. Flybe was about 90 minutes late, but other than that it all worked fine. I figured fog was unlikely in early September, and had all those back-up options. With the long-haul leg the following day, that also gave me some extra comfort if all my back-up plans had failed.
Looked at doing it the day before, it reduces the total savings to a paltry £10 after considering all other costs.
Shame the £400 AMS-LHR-MCT-AMS fare has gone really.
Having said that, I'm still tempted by the day trip to JER...
Mar 20, 2018, 11:46 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,760
I need to be in MCT on Sunday 22nd April, so in almost exactly a month's time.
Looked at doing it the day before, it reduces the total savings to a paltry £10 after considering all other costs.
Shame the £400 AMS-LHR-MCT-AMS fare has gone really.
Having said that, I'm still tempted by the day trip to JER...
Looked at doing it the day before, it reduces the total savings to a paltry £10 after considering all other costs.
Shame the £400 AMS-LHR-MCT-AMS fare has gone really.
Having said that, I'm still tempted by the day trip to JER...
Don't do it just for the money saving, but think of it as a free trip to Jersey...
Mar 20, 2018, 12:42 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,428
So I can save myself ~£100 on a WTP ticket by doing an open jaw JER-LGW/LHR-MCT-LHR rather than going straight from LHR but is it worth the risk?
Once I factor in rail travel, positioning flights (flybe from SOU, which is at least easy for me to get to) and a national express from LGW-LHR it only saves me £30 but of course I get a few more TP, get to visit JER (never been before) and get to fly a Dash 8 (never flown one before).
I'd be looking at getting a 10:50 from SOU, arrives 11:35 (BE241). My JER-LGW departs 15:35, arrives 16:40 (BA2773). Then depart LHR at 19:55, all on the same day.
I also have a flight departing MCT on QR the same day as I arrive (arrive 6.25am, depart 17:55, QR1127)
Is this just crazy? Am I asking for this to go wrong?
Once I factor in rail travel, positioning flights (flybe from SOU, which is at least easy for me to get to) and a national express from LGW-LHR it only saves me £30 but of course I get a few more TP, get to visit JER (never been before) and get to fly a Dash 8 (never flown one before).
I'd be looking at getting a 10:50 from SOU, arrives 11:35 (BE241). My JER-LGW departs 15:35, arrives 16:40 (BA2773). Then depart LHR at 19:55, all on the same day.
I also have a flight departing MCT on QR the same day as I arrive (arrive 6.25am, depart 17:55, QR1127)
Is this just crazy? Am I asking for this to go wrong?
Mar 20, 2018, 2:41 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,385
So you'll have 2½ hours in Jersey, I guess that's enough time to take the bus to St Helier and back, but I wouldn't call that a proper day trip unless you never want to go there again, since next time you'll need to go into town anyway.
Mar 20, 2018, 3:34 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,776
I did an excellent short day trip to Jersey with the missus in January, dropped the toddler off at nursery, eggs Benedict in the Gatwick Flounge, 7 course surprise tasting menu in the Michelin starred Bohemia bar and grill (highly recommended, and they accelerated the pace of it a little for us, not at the expense of the truffle shaving time, I've never seen so many truffle shavings on a dish), then back to pick the boy up before his bedtime.
Nice destination. I go there again in April for the first part of an ex-Jer to Catania.
Nice destination. I go there again in April for the first part of an ex-Jer to Catania.
Mar 20, 2018, 4:34 pm
#24
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Programs: BA Silver - hard drop from GGL :( SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond, AC E50k
Posts: 567
I did an excellent short day trip to Jersey with the missus in January, dropped the toddler off at nursery, eggs Benedict in the Gatwick Flounge, 7 course surprise tasting menu in the Michelin starred Bohemia bar and grill (highly recommended, and they accelerated the pace of it a little for us, not at the expense of the truffle shaving time, I've never seen so many truffle shavings on a dish), then back to pick the boy up before his bedtime.
Nice destination. I go there again in April for the first part of an ex-Jer to Catania.
Nice destination. I go there again in April for the first part of an ex-Jer to Catania.
one question... in your quest to become GGL... surely the cost of the 7 course tasting menus and drinks at Bohemia must have eaten up all the savings of at least one exEU?
Mar 20, 2018, 4:52 pm
#25
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,776
The visit wasn't part of the quest, it was a day out to try out gold status for the first time. As I recall the cost of going to Jersey and eating very well indeed was less than some rather poorer meals I've had in London. It was really very reasonably priced indeed.
Mar 23, 2018, 4:22 am
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: BAEC Silver, Avis Preferred, Hilton Gold
Posts: 521
Sorry to drag this one up again, but after a bit more google-fu it looks like I can indeed do a B2B the day before and it'll even save me slightly more money than originally anticipated. I can also do a day trip the day before (not B2B).
Am I better off booking as a B2B or will I still be OK if I do first flight in, last flight out? Either way the outbound will be an RFS...
If you want a good quality reasonably priced Michelin starred tasting menu I can't recommend The Forest Side in Grasmere enough. It's staffed mainly by alumni of L'enclume, food is just as good IMO and it's quite a bit cheaper. Unfortunately there's nowhere nearby served by BA so you'll have to drive though!
Am I better off booking as a B2B or will I still be OK if I do first flight in, last flight out? Either way the outbound will be an RFS...
If you want a good quality reasonably priced Michelin starred tasting menu I can't recommend The Forest Side in Grasmere enough. It's staffed mainly by alumni of L'enclume, food is just as good IMO and it's quite a bit cheaper. Unfortunately there's nowhere nearby served by BA so you'll have to drive though!
Mar 23, 2018, 4:34 am
#27
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 64,496
Short answer: B2B. Longer answer: see the Dashboard for the EU turnaround thread, or the DUB Logistics thread, where the wiki explains the logic behind B2B.