hbush

Look at the left side near each of my comments... Location: Riga, Latvia, EU.

Unfortunately I have almost no information about Lithuanian Credit cards.

As about Nordea (Latvia branch) BalticMiles Mastercard, I have stopped to use it starting Feb.1 because I cannot see any sense now to accumulate BalticMiles bonus points, which was the main (if not the only one) advantage of this card. I have informed also Nordea bank itself about reasons for such decision.

If this situation with no upgrades and extremally bad flight rates in points will not be corrected, I definitely will discontinue this card altogether. No sense to pay for this card if there is no bonus return in something usable.

hbush

See yourself - upgrade to Business class for points is not an option anymore:

"Spending Points on airBaltic flights"
http://www.airbaltic.com/public/44136.html?language=1

hbush

Probably they classify Lux Express busses as somehow better than BT Economy class (5 points per Euro). That probably is true at least for these old Fokker-50 planes

hbush

Today after Internet check-in to one of BT flights, I noticed red warning printed right on the Boarding Pass (bolding by me) :

"Hand baggage allowance: 1 piece - 8kg (Economy class); 2 pieces (Business class); size: 55x40x20 cm. Briefcase, laptop, cameras etc. must be carried within your 1 hand baggage. Extra/oversized hand baggage will be refused at the boarding gate, or where available, placed in the hold of aircraft for a fee of EUR 40. If you are unsure about your hand baggage size/weight, please, contact baggage drop desk before going to security check."

So "Ryanairization" of airBaltic continues. Beware. Notice that they give not sum of three measurements but exact limits separately for each dimension! Which, of course, is much stronger restriction.

From my previous experience, specially on flights performed on Fokker-50 planes but sometimes also on Dash Q400, every bag with any kind of wheels is counted as "too big" even if it fits allowed hand luggage measurements and can be easily placed on overhead luggage shelf. They take away such bags before boarding and store them in a separate additional luggage compartment of the plane. On most BT Fokker-50 planes this compartment is located instead of seats 1 CD (right side of row 1). After landing these hand bags are taken out (often simply dropping them from some 1.5 meter height outside the plane) and passengers can take them again. Have seen that with my own eyes. Not very nice if you have laptop or precious camera in this bag.

I have yet to see if BT passengers will be charged additional 40 Euros for this kind of "service".

cheros

maybe somebody already asked, but anyway...
can I enter RIX lounge with BT ticket holding EBG card? flight to CPH

Buicis

There is route Riga(LV)- Parnu(EST). Price 4LVL (5,7EUR) one way. You earn 100BT miles. 17.5miles per one EUR.

hbush

I couldn't find on airBaltic website any BT flights from Riga to Parnu. But let's assume there are some...

Rate is good but amount is much too small to make any real difference. To gain VIP status you need 50000 points. 500 flights to/from Parnu during one year... seems to me more like humiliation. You pay 30000 points for one Business class flight (~1 hour) to Helsinki... Heck, you now will pay 30000 points for +15 kg luggage. Thanks but no thanks.

Besides, 4 LVL is not the money you will pay for the ticket. It's highly theoretical flight price. Plus to these 4 LVL there will be added different flight charges, security fees, taxes etc.etc. And you will NOT earn 100 points anymore, just 5 points for 1 Euro in Economy.

Please tell us honestly how much you really paid for this Parnu ticket? Or was this only kind of theoretical excercise? My wild guess is for roundtrip about 50 LVL at minimum (about 70 Euros). And only if you are lucky to catch one of special web offers ("cherries"). So how much were your 4 LVL in real life, and how much points did you gain?

Mr.Niels

Riga-P�rnu is a bus-line operated by Lux Express Bus. There are no flights between Riga and P�rnu (and there never will be any)

hbush

Thanks for explanation, by default I assumed we all talk here about flights.

100 points however are just like current Russian coins. Yes, they still have coins, for example 25 kopeek. That's about 0.006 Euros, a bit more than half of Eurocent. I don't know what they do with such coins... But probably the metal itself in this coin is worth more. In 100 points there is even no metal value. What can you do with them?

In addition: I was told by a friend that there still is a 5 kopeek coin in circulation in Russia. That's about 0.0012 Euro.

vilntrav

Incredible but Air Baltic tries hard to get as bad as possible : I just noticed by checking my account on its website that a flight I was booked on next June is cancelled. If I had not noticed it Air Baltic would have probably informed me in April or May, possibly depriving me of the possibility to find a cheap alternative. While by not telling me they can keep my money (a ridiculous 90 euros) a little more time.
And it is automatized on the site, with option to change flight or to request refund (which I did, and I booked on a LOT flight, 150% more expensive but cheapest alternative I could find).

another_shot

Just never buy BT ticket for anything departing in more than 7 days from purchase. You will be much better off. Proven by me.

vilntrav

Because of what ? Bankruptcy risk ? I never had any problem buying ticket months in advance, until the incident I described. Maybe it depends on the routes.

another_shot

Because of cancellations and changes. I'm flying over 100 sectors a year on BT so I have some experience to share. BT is publishing a seasonal programme only to get sales going. A few weeks in advance they deciding what they really going to operate and what to cancel or change.
The only (althought notable) exeption from this is their old routes with a stable pax amount.

Toli

Do you know if RIX-DXB is one of those routes?

I am booked on it for early April, with three companions, and am about to pay for (pricy) visas and book hotel.

I try to avoid BT as much as I can but couldn't resist the price this time round. Already having doubts about it:/

tsastor

What would BT do if they cancelled it? Reroute you? Hardly compensate for Visas and hotel?