Disappointed in Black Friday Sale
Nov 24, 2018, 12:54 pm
#31
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Germany
Programs: BA GGL, CCR - TK G
Posts: 809
Otp run
Nov 24, 2018, 1:00 pm
#32
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 67
Just looked at the Which? article they only looked at 94 items, 59 of which were Currys
Now they may have picked a good cross section, or Which being Which may have picked things that people already suspected of not being that cheap during the sale
A lot of their advice is OK but specifics and surveys can be very hit and miss.
Now they may have picked a good cross section, or Which being Which may have picked things that people already suspected of not being that cheap during the sale
A lot of their advice is OK but specifics and surveys can be very hit and miss.
Nov 24, 2018, 2:52 pm
#33
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 10
I too was rather underwhelmed by the overhyped Black Friday deals on offer.
However, after an hour or two of ITA Matrix digging I discovered the well known AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK routing is still alive and kicking.
Just booked two CW/Biz tickets in early Jan for approx €1550 each including 4 nights in the decent Bangkok hotel we stayed in last year, Constructed using the 'Custom Trip' option on the BA website, ignoring the default LHR-BKK option and choosing the HKG routing resulted in the price falling rather dramatically
BA A380 on the Hong Kong legs, Cathay A330 on the BKK legs. Availability seems pretty good. We went to Bangkok last year via KUL and as a result missed out on TP's for the KUL-BKK legs. Not this time !
I'm not convinced that this deal has anything to do with Black Friday but I'm happy with it. ^ As ever, many thanks to all on FT who have opened my eyes to the joys of collecting TPs !
Happy hunting.
However, after an hour or two of ITA Matrix digging I discovered the well known AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK routing is still alive and kicking.
Just booked two CW/Biz tickets in early Jan for approx €1550 each including 4 nights in the decent Bangkok hotel we stayed in last year, Constructed using the 'Custom Trip' option on the BA website, ignoring the default LHR-BKK option and choosing the HKG routing resulted in the price falling rather dramatically
BA A380 on the Hong Kong legs, Cathay A330 on the BKK legs. Availability seems pretty good. We went to Bangkok last year via KUL and as a result missed out on TP's for the KUL-BKK legs. Not this time !
I'm not convinced that this deal has anything to do with Black Friday but I'm happy with it. ^ As ever, many thanks to all on FT who have opened my eyes to the joys of collecting TPs !
Happy hunting.
Nov 24, 2018, 3:00 pm
#34
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,997
I too was rather underwhelmed by the overhyped Black Friday deals on offer.
However, after an hour or two of ITA Matrix digging I discovered the well known AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK routing is still alive and kicking.
Just booked two CW/Biz tickets in early Jan for approx €1550 each including 4 nights in the decent Bangkok hotel we stayed in last year, Constructed using the 'Custom Trip' option on the BA website, ignoring the default LHR-BKK option and choosing the HKG routing resulted in the price falling rather dramatically
BA A380 on the Hong Kong legs, Cathay A330 on the BKK legs. Availability seems pretty good. We went to Bangkok last year via KUL and as a result missed out on TP's for the KUL-BKK legs. Not this time !
I'm not convinced that this deal has anything to do with Black Friday but I'm happy with it. ^ As ever, many thanks to all on FT who have opened my eyes to the joys of collecting TPs !
Happy hunting.
However, after an hour or two of ITA Matrix digging I discovered the well known AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK routing is still alive and kicking.
Just booked two CW/Biz tickets in early Jan for approx €1550 each including 4 nights in the decent Bangkok hotel we stayed in last year, Constructed using the 'Custom Trip' option on the BA website, ignoring the default LHR-BKK option and choosing the HKG routing resulted in the price falling rather dramatically
BA A380 on the Hong Kong legs, Cathay A330 on the BKK legs. Availability seems pretty good. We went to Bangkok last year via KUL and as a result missed out on TP's for the KUL-BKK legs. Not this time !
I'm not convinced that this deal has anything to do with Black Friday but I'm happy with it. ^ As ever, many thanks to all on FT who have opened my eyes to the joys of collecting TPs !
Happy hunting.
Nov 24, 2018, 3:04 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Egham, Surrey, UK
Programs: Mucci Champion des Champions, BAG4L, *A Gold, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz Gold, Avis President
Posts: 3,416
I am GGL andG4L and my wife is GCH and neither of us have received anything from BA regarding their Black Friday Sales - go figure
Nov 24, 2018, 4:22 pm
#36
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
Posts: 1,752
I’d concur with this - I very much doubt the agent went away to consult a supervisor either. Even if it happened, in any management structure it’s also very unlikely they knew any more than the agent about the day to day processes, so if told something wasn’t possible they’d more than likely just accept the agent’s word.
The restriction you encountered with not booking onto an AA flight number with BA metal is down to BA policy and nothing to do with your routing - it would have been exactly the same if you’d been trying to book OTP-LHR-PHX direct on AA codes.
If AA doesn’t work a TA could certainly book it. I had what I thought was quite a simple itinerary on SK recently which involved an open jaw of ARN-CPH-SFO-CPH-LHR. The saving doing it that way was considerable compared to just going back to ARN, and I gained a protected connection back to the UK. The SK website couldn’t cope with it, and so I used a TA (Propeller as it happens) who achieved what I needed in minutes.
I don’t therefore think there’s any conspiracy with any airline in trying to deny us cost savings/miles/TPs by creative routings - it’s just that we are in such a minority it’s (a) not worth investing in the IT to offer more functionality and (b) most certainly not worth the effort of actively are stopping us.
The restriction you encountered with not booking onto an AA flight number with BA metal is down to BA policy and nothing to do with your routing - it would have been exactly the same if you’d been trying to book OTP-LHR-PHX direct on AA codes.
If AA doesn’t work a TA could certainly book it. I had what I thought was quite a simple itinerary on SK recently which involved an open jaw of ARN-CPH-SFO-CPH-LHR. The saving doing it that way was considerable compared to just going back to ARN, and I gained a protected connection back to the UK. The SK website couldn’t cope with it, and so I used a TA (Propeller as it happens) who achieved what I needed in minutes.
I don’t therefore think there’s any conspiracy with any airline in trying to deny us cost savings/miles/TPs by creative routings - it’s just that we are in such a minority it’s (a) not worth investing in the IT to offer more functionality and (b) most certainly not worth the effort of actively are stopping us.
Nov 24, 2018, 4:24 pm
#37
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Nov 24, 2018, 4:25 pm
#38
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
Posts: 1,752
Doing BKK via HKG [twice] ex BUD and HEL with AY and CX. Was not a black Friday fare and is for later next year.1500 UK pounds.
Nov 24, 2018, 4:27 pm
#39
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Though it would depend on how complex the routing is and your other parameters are so how much time it takes them to research options.
Nov 24, 2018, 4:35 pm
#40
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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yes there is a fee, I think about £30-50. Propeller seem pretty competent and are quite used to having itamatrix screenshots sent to them. For an exEU to US fare I would tend to phone BA to book, or occasionally have booked on aa.com. For Far East trips where using a GUF is more important I have used Propeller a few times.
Nov 24, 2018, 7:11 pm
#41
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I think the fee was less than this, although it is/was charged per person - it was certainly comparable to ringing SK and booking through their call centre. If you send them a cut and paste of the final Matrix screen they don’t seem to have any problem booking.
BA’s website would certainly have coped with the open jaw, so in some cases the interface to their booking engine is actually not the worst of the world’s airlines!
BA’s website would certainly have coped with the open jaw, so in some cases the interface to their booking engine is actually not the worst of the world’s airlines!
Nov 24, 2018, 7:19 pm
#42
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I think my last one was £35 because it involved a GUF. Probably a little cheaper if not using one.
Nov 24, 2018, 8:15 pm
#43
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,992
Category 2: Day/Time restrictions
FROM EUROPE - PERMITTED TUE/WED/THU ON EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.
TO EUROPE - PERMITTED MON/TUE/WED ON EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.
Category 3: Seasonal restrictions
INBOUND - PERMITTED 21DEC 18 THROUGH 02JAN 19 OR 14APR 19 THROUGH 21APR 19 OR 01JUL 19 THROUGH 31AUG 19 FOR EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.
OUTBOUND - PERMITTED 22DEC 18 THROUGH 06JAN 19 OR 14APR 19 THROUGH 22APR 19 OR 01JUL 19 THROUGH 31AUG 19 FOR EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.
I'm seeing plenty of availability throughout the summer, at £1376 via LHR, JFK and LAX in each direction. (800 TPs).
Nov 24, 2018, 10:29 pm
#44
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,379
yes there is a fee, I think about £30-50. Propeller seem pretty competent and are quite used to having itamatrix screenshots sent to them. For an exEU to US fare I would tend to phone BA to book, or occasionally have booked on aa.com. For Far East trips where using a GUF is more important I have used Propeller a few times.
Nov 25, 2018, 4:02 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold4life, ICH RA, Hyatt Gold and others
Posts: 702
Whilst I understand people's disappointment I should perhaps just 're my d us all a sale is not a legal or moral requirement of at business. historically businesses sold surplus product or last season product through sales. more recently poorly selling product. then this Black Friday event came along. now for those who got 2 x J for £2018 that seems a good deal. for those that didn't it's a shame but really I can't see why this turns I to a soft bashing for BA. Perhaps forward bookings are stronger that this time last year