Would you pick BA to fly economy Boston-LHR (no status)?
Jan 15, 2023, 10:25 am
#1
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Would you pick BA to fly economy Boston-LHR (no status)?
Given the choice, if flying Economy with no airline status, would you pick BA to fly Boston-LHR return? I can see that most other airlines on that route (Virgin, Delta, United, not sure about AA) allow advance seat selection at no additional cost, and BA don't. Would that put you off flying BA, if you were flying as a family (all adults) and the cost of the flights was similar?
Jan 15, 2023, 10:27 am
#2
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Depends, what's the price once you include the seat selection compared to other airlines? Also, how fussed are you about which seats? Paid seat selection opens up more options than when it's a free for all.
Jan 15, 2023, 10:30 am
#3
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Interesting point. It's not for me, I'm trying to advise family who're travelling. They haven't flown transatlantic for a long time, and have a folk memory of BA being a much nicer airline. I've pointed out the different policies on seat selection but hadn't considered that paying for seat selection might actually give you a better outcome.
Jan 15, 2023, 11:31 am
#9
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+1.
JetBlue is likely to offer the greatest seat pitch in regular Economy of all carriers flying BOS-LON nonstop.
As mentioned, be sure to compare like with like when looking at fares. For JetBlue, a "Blue Basic" fare includes neither advance seat selection nor a checked bag. A "Blue" fare offers both. For AA, you would be looking for a "Main Cabin" fare rather than a "Basic Economy" fare if you wanted advance seat selection and an included checked bag.
Note that an AARP membership would get a discount on BA for every member of the family traveling on the same reservation. And a Chase/BA Visa credit card will also offer a discount. (The two discounts can be stacked.)
JetBlue is likely to offer the greatest seat pitch in regular Economy of all carriers flying BOS-LON nonstop.
As mentioned, be sure to compare like with like when looking at fares. For JetBlue, a "Blue Basic" fare includes neither advance seat selection nor a checked bag. A "Blue" fare offers both. For AA, you would be looking for a "Main Cabin" fare rather than a "Basic Economy" fare if you wanted advance seat selection and an included checked bag.
Note that an AARP membership would get a discount on BA for every member of the family traveling on the same reservation. And a Chase/BA Visa credit card will also offer a discount. (The two discounts can be stacked.)
Jan 15, 2023, 11:33 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Good recommendation. I recently did that westbound to Boston. Needed something on short notice and couldn’t get anything on BA.
Pay a little extra for the extra legroom seats and it’s actually pretty comfortable for a day flight.
Pay a little extra for the extra legroom seats and it’s actually pretty comfortable for a day flight.
Jan 15, 2023, 11:58 am
#12
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Jan 15, 2023, 12:07 pm
#13
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It's hard to know how much advice to give to others, as I don't want to cause confusion and indecision. But yes, it will be interesting to find out what they choose
Jan 15, 2023, 12:13 pm
#14
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I always had the impression Virgin do better on customer experience at the back than BA, where even with status you're pretty much ignored. But it's been a while since I've flown with them so this also has the status of a folk memory. I've heard good things about Jetblue and at some point will give them a go.
Jan 15, 2023, 12:14 pm
#15
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Given the choice, if flying Economy with no airline status, would you pick BA to fly Boston-LHR return? I can see that most other airlines on that route (Virgin, Delta, United, not sure about AA) allow advance seat selection at no additional cost, and BA don't. Would that put you off flying BA, if you were flying as a family (all adults) and the cost of the flights was similar?
Aer Lingus over Dublin is another option, with the benefit of pre-clearance in Dublin, so they arrive as domestic passengers in the US. They are often competitive with fares and are quite good when it comes to the on board amenities (Lunch, ice cream mid-flight, pre-landing snack - but do charge for alcoholic drinks on board). Seat selection will still charge, so it depends on what they find most beneficial.
If it's a non-stop flight and cheapest fare, they're all much of a muchness. Are they accumulating Avios? There are many variables that should feed into a purchase decision.