Receiving my bronze baec welcome pack has given me the hunger to reach silver
Jul 3, 2018, 1:31 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,197
160. And it's Club Europe, except there's no middle seat. Better legroom (same as economy, but better on the CityFlyer planes) and good catering, plus lounge access, priority security, etc. - plus a pleasant place to go, which is always good.
Jul 3, 2018, 1:31 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAGGL, A3G, Accor Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, LHW Sterling
Posts: 1,308
https://www.britishairways.com/travel/flight-calculator/public/en_gb?clickpage=resp-executive-club--collecting-avios--flights--index&kmtag=c&ban= BC 3 CTA1 L2
Jul 3, 2018, 1:37 pm
#18
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,129
@PETER01, I agree with this. I only did a quick look myself at the usual suspects (trying to watch the football!!) and it all looks pretty expensive for a TP run at this notice in this season.
Me too and I avoid travelling in July and August as it's so busy and more expensive too. @ andy1877 I'd be very surprised if you can get something but good luck if you can but this close out and in July I wouldn't be too optimistic and as a general point if possible look for a weekend run in Sept onwards.
Jul 3, 2018, 1:47 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: British Airways | Executive Club silver
Posts: 104
I'm trying to watch the Football too and even as a Scot I really want England to win this match so these are my last words on this thread and closing my laptop.
Me too and I avoid travelling in July and August as it's so busy and more expensive too. @ andy1877 I'd be very surprised if you can get something but good luck if you can but this close out and in July I wouldn't be too optimistic and as a general point if possible look for a weekend run in Sept onwards.
Me too and I avoid travelling in July and August as it's so busy and more expensive too. @ andy1877 I'd be very surprised if you can get something but good luck if you can but this close out and in July I wouldn't be too optimistic and as a general point if possible look for a weekend run in Sept onwards.
Jul 3, 2018, 1:59 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,808
EDI-HEL-EDI over a Saturday night (last flight out Saturday first flight back on Sunday in J) seemed doable a while ago. But I haven't seen reasonable prices for it recently.
Jul 3, 2018, 3:01 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Silver is only worthwhile having if you are actually going to continue flying a lot in circumstances in which you will use the benefits.
If you're not going to fly a lot - and your comment that you "worked hard" for Bronze suggests that you don't normally - then all you'll end up doing is a lot more hard work and still getting little benefit. So do have a good think about whether you're chasing a mirage, or whether this will actually be worth it for you.
Jul 3, 2018, 3:14 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,808
Oh wait...
Not trying to brag here, but obviously as a less frequent flyer (less than 6 trips a year) I am not getting the best bang for my buck.
Last edited by DeathSlam; Jul 3, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Jul 3, 2018, 3:24 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 177
Are you looking for a straight TP run or an actual stay somewhere? Also, how much adrenaline are you up for? I’ve never seen the HEL run for less than £700 and it’s not worth it.
ITA Matrix is showing EDI-PMI and PMi-EDI in CE on the 20th July for £330 and you’ll possibly get it for slightly less or if you book through BA you will be able to part pay with Avios with no loss of Tier Points (you’ll earn 160). If you are considering this then you should be aware that it is a 55 minute turnaround. It is on the same ‘plane, but as you are bussed to and from the aircraft you could miss it. Getting through PMI is incredibly easy and I did this run a few weeks ago from a delayed EDI-PMI flight and still made it in 20 minutes. I would suggest buying the £40 Ryanair Advanced purchase ticket on the 12:00 flight as an insurance policy if you are not up for just busking your way back. That Ryanair ticket would cost £170 if you left it until after you’d missed the return.
The same, slightly risky (but fun) flight combo is going for £280 on either the 17th or 24th August. The direct flight only runs on a Friday and going via London shoves the price right up.. If you are trying to buy the Direct flights on the same day, through the BA site or app you need to book it as two singles as the turnaround time is too short, but you can part pay with Avios. Remember that if you do this and the first flight is late then BA will almost certainly just treat you like you missed the flight and have no obligation to get you home. Hence the Ryanair insurance suggestion. Keep an eye on this Friday’s flight prices each day this week as they seem to dip on the Wednesday. I got £150 outbound (ended up paying £99 plus Avios) and €137 back, which further discounted so ended up with 160TP for about £195. The outbound single had shown as £200 on the Tuesday night and rose again on the Thursday of the week I travelled.
The 06:15 EDI to LGW most weekdays would get you another 40TP and across the line for £112 and then you can get a cheapie HBO fare home. So the 195 TP you need could be had for less than @£350 .... or you could keep on going for Gold! ;-)
Keep us posted on whatever you do.
ITA Matrix is showing EDI-PMI and PMi-EDI in CE on the 20th July for £330 and you’ll possibly get it for slightly less or if you book through BA you will be able to part pay with Avios with no loss of Tier Points (you’ll earn 160). If you are considering this then you should be aware that it is a 55 minute turnaround. It is on the same ‘plane, but as you are bussed to and from the aircraft you could miss it. Getting through PMI is incredibly easy and I did this run a few weeks ago from a delayed EDI-PMI flight and still made it in 20 minutes. I would suggest buying the £40 Ryanair Advanced purchase ticket on the 12:00 flight as an insurance policy if you are not up for just busking your way back. That Ryanair ticket would cost £170 if you left it until after you’d missed the return.
The same, slightly risky (but fun) flight combo is going for £280 on either the 17th or 24th August. The direct flight only runs on a Friday and going via London shoves the price right up.. If you are trying to buy the Direct flights on the same day, through the BA site or app you need to book it as two singles as the turnaround time is too short, but you can part pay with Avios. Remember that if you do this and the first flight is late then BA will almost certainly just treat you like you missed the flight and have no obligation to get you home. Hence the Ryanair insurance suggestion. Keep an eye on this Friday’s flight prices each day this week as they seem to dip on the Wednesday. I got £150 outbound (ended up paying £99 plus Avios) and €137 back, which further discounted so ended up with 160TP for about £195. The outbound single had shown as £200 on the Tuesday night and rose again on the Thursday of the week I travelled.
The 06:15 EDI to LGW most weekdays would get you another 40TP and across the line for £112 and then you can get a cheapie HBO fare home. So the 195 TP you need could be had for less than @£350 .... or you could keep on going for Gold! ;-)
Keep us posted on whatever you do.
Jul 4, 2018, 2:13 am
#26
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 177
However, I also suspect that some of the posters are not thinking about the fact that the OP may well be flying a lot (comparatively) and still only be bronze. An EDI based business traveller could be doing 30 returns to London a year in ET and just scraping Bronze. In that case having Silver would make a big difference to your working week.
Jul 4, 2018, 3:15 am
#28
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, A3 *Gold
Posts: 887
The OP says he's 'worked hard for bronze' which suggests to me lots of flying down the back on short haul - if so he's in a sweet spot to enjoy the lounge access and priority security/boarding that silver would afford him if that travel pattern is to continue. If he has the vacation to fill and what looks like quite civilized trip to the med to achieve it, I'd say go for it!
(OP - you may want to look at upgrading some of your Y travel next year either by upgrading existing tickets or booking CE when the price difference isn't much. It takes some discipline to check CE prices every time you are booking ET but you'll probably find you can renew your silver at a lower cost and not have to use your vacation time for a tier point run next year).
(OP - you may want to look at upgrading some of your Y travel next year either by upgrading existing tickets or booking CE when the price difference isn't much. It takes some discipline to check CE prices every time you are booking ET but you'll probably find you can renew your silver at a lower cost and not have to use your vacation time for a tier point run next year).
Jul 4, 2018, 6:16 am
#30
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 756
If you need to stick to those specific five days, and want a (relatively) low hassle, low risk option you could try nested pairs from Scotland to London and back between 20 and 24 July.
Book EDI/GLA-LON out on the morning of the 20th, back on the afternoon/evening of the 24th as one ticket - £225ish, 80TP in CE.
Book LON-EDI/GLA out on the afternoon/evening of the 20th and back on the morning of the 24th as one ticket - £225ish, 80TP in CE.
With just those two bookings, you'd get 160TP for around £450 (not great, not bad), no hotels needed. You could do a same-day return on the 22nd (EDI-LGW) in CE for another £225ish (80TP). That would be 240 TP for £675 with no hotels, and the 21st and 23rd off!
Or you could repeat the 20th/24th exercise on 21 and 23 July, but you'd only need CE for one of the pairs (£225ish, 80TP). You could do ET HBO for the other (£80ish, 10TP). That would be 250 TP for around £750, no hotels, and you can take the 22nd off!
Book EDI/GLA-LON out on the morning of the 20th, back on the afternoon/evening of the 24th as one ticket - £225ish, 80TP in CE.
Book LON-EDI/GLA out on the afternoon/evening of the 20th and back on the morning of the 24th as one ticket - £225ish, 80TP in CE.
With just those two bookings, you'd get 160TP for around £450 (not great, not bad), no hotels needed. You could do a same-day return on the 22nd (EDI-LGW) in CE for another £225ish (80TP). That would be 240 TP for £675 with no hotels, and the 21st and 23rd off!
Or you could repeat the 20th/24th exercise on 21 and 23 July, but you'd only need CE for one of the pairs (£225ish, 80TP). You could do ET HBO for the other (£80ish, 10TP). That would be 250 TP for around £750, no hotels, and you can take the 22nd off!