QQ - LHR>IST upgrade for £129 - GCH - yes or no?
Nov 5, 2018, 5:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,008
QQ - LHR>IST upgrade for £129 - GCH - yes or no?
Hi All,
Quick question - flying LHR>IST on Friday, online upgrade of £129 per person....finger hovering over the 'do it' button but not sure it's worth it.
2x PAX both Gold so i've already got access to the Flounge, and i have emergency exit seat (sadly row 11 instead of 12 as it was already taken). Would be an additional 1500 Avios, but i dont need the additional TPs. Weekend away so hand baggage only...
4 hour flights so some food and booze may be nice - but i could BOB or buy in the Pret before the trip.
Any thoughts to help me out...?
Quick question - flying LHR>IST on Friday, online upgrade of £129 per person....finger hovering over the 'do it' button but not sure it's worth it.
2x PAX both Gold so i've already got access to the Flounge, and i have emergency exit seat (sadly row 11 instead of 12 as it was already taken). Would be an additional 1500 Avios, but i dont need the additional TPs. Weekend away so hand baggage only...
4 hour flights so some food and booze may be nice - but i could BOB or buy in the Pret before the trip.
Any thoughts to help me out...?
Nov 5, 2018, 6:02 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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It’s not expensive but I wouldn’t either. Would you have booked the trip out in c originally for the extra £129 (which may well have been the difference to start with in some cases!)
Nov 5, 2018, 6:04 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,198
Very good price for the offer, but as a GCH you get most of the soft benefits and have extra legroom.
I would definitely do it if chasing TPs, otherwise though I can't see any compelling reason to take it unless you are naturally at home in CE.
I would definitely do it if chasing TPs, otherwise though I can't see any compelling reason to take it unless you are naturally at home in CE.
Nov 5, 2018, 6:05 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2003
Programs: BA, IHG, 5C
Posts: 4,413
There's U availability on the two Friday flights, so if you happen to be booked in N or higher you can upgrade for 8,500 avios and £13. I'd probably do that for the afternoon flight, better timed for a meal onboard ... not so sure about the morning flight.
Nov 5, 2018, 6:07 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,765
£358 for the pair of you doesn't seem that cheap to me. Plenty you could do with that from nice hotels or another trip somewhere.
As you've said, you've got practically all the benefits of a CE fare anyway and since the TPs aren't needed, I would just save the cash. There's no guarantee as well that row 1 in CE won't have already been taken so you'll end up in standard seats with little legroom.
Not sure if you're going to end up with a seatmate, but £358 in my pocket trumps that possibility.
As you've said, you've got practically all the benefits of a CE fare anyway and since the TPs aren't needed, I would just save the cash. There's no guarantee as well that row 1 in CE won't have already been taken so you'll end up in standard seats with little legroom.
Not sure if you're going to end up with a seatmate, but £358 in my pocket trumps that possibility.
Nov 5, 2018, 6:23 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,008
Its a hotline ticket (not sure of the booking class and not sure how i check TBH) but i think hotline you cant upgrade with Avios, can you?
Nov 5, 2018, 6:25 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,008
£358 for the pair of you doesn't seem that cheap to me. Plenty you could do with that from nice hotels or another trip somewhere.
As you've said, you've got practically all the benefits of a CE fare anyway and since the TPs aren't needed, I would just save the cash. There's no guarantee as well that row 1 in CE won't have already been taken so you'll end up in standard seats with little legroom.
Not sure if you're going to end up with a seatmate, but £358 in my pocket trumps that possibility.
As you've said, you've got practically all the benefits of a CE fare anyway and since the TPs aren't needed, I would just save the cash. There's no guarantee as well that row 1 in CE won't have already been taken so you'll end up in standard seats with little legroom.
Not sure if you're going to end up with a seatmate, but £358 in my pocket trumps that possibility.
Nov 5, 2018, 6:37 am
#11
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Posts: 63,791
I would probably upgrade, it's fairly long for shorthaul. CE passengers will get a sticker thing to allow use of fast track immigration.
Nov 5, 2018, 7:24 am
#12
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I still don't get why people ask these questions as it's purely subjective.
As a Gold surely you know the benefits of CE over ET and can determine how much you value those yourself. Not sure how a bunch of strangers can provide better insight than you know already.
As a Gold surely you know the benefits of CE over ET and can determine how much you value those yourself. Not sure how a bunch of strangers can provide better insight than you know already.
Nov 5, 2018, 7:34 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,947
Since you can buy CE for as little as £320 rtn on this route, I wouldn't consider the £129 upgrade unless you're after the Tier Points.
Fast Track immigration stickers for IST weren't provided on my last trip (the crew had no idea what I was on about and the local staff on arrival didn't have any as we disembarked for the buses) so that's not a benefit you can rely on.
Fast Track immigration stickers for IST weren't provided on my last trip (the crew had no idea what I was on about and the local staff on arrival didn't have any as we disembarked for the buses) so that's not a benefit you can rely on.
Nov 5, 2018, 7:47 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,008
b) because i didnt know about the fast track sticker mentioned by C_W_S
c) because i didnt know there was avios upgrade availability according to pauldb (sadly i cant use because i have a hotline ticket - i believe)
d) because i can - thats what a forum is there for...
Nov 5, 2018, 8:03 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,166
At that price, I'd think about it - it's a fairly long flight and so the absolute guarantee of an empty middle seat is worth something, as is having one of the more substantial "long" meals: not just to keep you from being hungry but frankly to pass the time and start your weekend break with a little treat.
It's true you will get very other incremental benefit from it if you're not chasing TPs (although it's another 60-70 TPs in the bank for life-time Gold if that's a consideration...every little helps...).
At that price, I might do it "just because" but really everyone has their own price point, depending on the circumstances. Conversely, I'm being offered a very cheap POUG for Vienna...which I might take for the start of a weekend break, but certainly won't be for a mid-morning flight on business when I'll just want a "buy-on-board" coffee and a quiet hour to do my emails!
It's true you will get very other incremental benefit from it if you're not chasing TPs (although it's another 60-70 TPs in the bank for life-time Gold if that's a consideration...every little helps...).
At that price, I might do it "just because" but really everyone has their own price point, depending on the circumstances. Conversely, I'm being offered a very cheap POUG for Vienna...which I might take for the start of a weekend break, but certainly won't be for a mid-morning flight on business when I'll just want a "buy-on-board" coffee and a quiet hour to do my emails!