Well, MAN does have a large catchment area that has rather a lot of Muslims.
TK, GF, PC, EY, EK, SV, QR, MS, RJ, Biman, Ethiopian, Royal Air Maroc etc. and PIA soon all fly to or connect to the Middle East area, Pakistan etc.
Always people going to Jeddah for Umrah.
Always people going to DXB, AUH, LHE, KHI, LOS etc.....
Planes are generally full, although the odd time when loads might be reduced as withvany airline.

Loads of Chinese people seem to fill Hainan and Juneyao? whenever they fly. Students or just a decent sized community?

BA just doesn't want these sorts of people, and to be honest, can't really compete with most of these airlines.

SQ out of MAN is a bit costly, and loads are lower rather than full as on BA.

It�s interesting that many say BA is seeking the higher revenue flyers. The BAH tie-in is clearly planned to attract the cost-conscious flyer, but the reward side of that tie-in now makes no sense for the demographic, so it seems a confused message they are sending.

As for the AA customers, I can say confidently any AA customer flying TA in the back on AA and then BA will avoid BA rear cabin flights like the plague. The numbers don�t convey the reality of the discomfort of the BA economy product versus AA and others. So BA�s focus must be on the Business Class TA flyer. The problem there is the new program makes it easier to reach Status on AA than BA, and within the U.S. the possible upgrades and seat selection benefits are generally more valuable than lounge access, because those flyers likely have a card that provides lounge access.

I do wonder if this isn�t the latest in a long trek to the merging of BA and AA (and IB?). But the different economic realities, and the fundamental differences between the inter-Europe and domestic U.S. expectations, make this a peril filled quest.

It looks as if BA sees the US market as a great source of ������.
Thry can't really compete with Asian or Middle Eastern airlines, and there are a few lucrative routes to the US that they already capitalise on.
​​​​on.
Gives the impression that there are a lot more affluent Americans than Brits flying premium cabins, so they want to tap more into this.

As said elsewhere, not sure how AA feels about technically poaching their customers.

Indeed I am done with BAEC but will book on BA for a summer break in Florida exDUB returning AGP. At �1200 and no longer needing to hop on additional legs, it�s a good value comfy way to travel! It will also be refreshing in the future flying back from LAX / LAS direct

Do you have a link to this, or has it been deleted? I tried searching around for it but couldn't find it; all told it seems rather amusing.

Ian Romanis, BA's director of CRM and who fronted the roll-out of the changes, is leaving BA mainline and taking a non-loyalty job at BA Cityflyer. He didn't waste any time distancing himself from all this!

Suggesting you have a better class of immigrant down in London? EK's second largest feeder market is Australia, after Bangkok. Then come your ethnic routes. BA carries plenty Indians to America, plenty Arabs to Canada, Nigerians to Texas, or wherever. BA needs long haul feed to survive and sustain year round daily ops.
BA has handed over the UK regions to visiting airlines as well as those passengers you mention plus others. Lufthansa has six flights a day to their hub in FRA and MUC from MAN - more than BA to LHR.
As I say, BA has to fix this within the M25 as that is their defined market. There are plenty airlines that can beat BA on service, price, network or FFP at LHR, and some are expanding into LGW.. BA has no monopoly on any of these aspects of operations out of LHR. They have simply made their own life tougher - and I have no skin in this game as I am not a BA Exec Club member.

Possibly this thread https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...-rumour-2.html

I expect some Americans may double dip with programmes, although with their waitlists on flights and better redemption availability, their programme probably works better for them.
Some could decide lounge access on any ticket with a silver or gold card might be something worth going for.

One thing is clear: non UK BA EC members are no longer welcome: they have practically no access to British Airways Holidays and they can�t apply for the BA Amex Premium Plus card without residency in the UK. BA hopes to never see them again.

I was one of them, and goal was to hit GFL in 3 years starting from scratch and GGLfL in 10 years; pretty much meant lifetime Flagship Lounge access on domestic US flights. It was a great deal for retirement planning.

The best thing about BA�s old program was that you could fly any OW carrier and credit to BA; now with GGL requirement of 80% BA marketed flights, it�s no longer as easy for heavy domestic US fliers.

Back to AA CK.

I have only a few weeks to make a decision (i.e., hold out to see whether any backtrack or promo is put forward / confirmation of soft landings).

I'm a Jan 8 end of year and from 1/4/24 - 31/3/25 I've earned 2,390 (GUF2 already triggered, as 2,730 earned since 8/1/24), so Gold is already in the bag for 25/26.

However, I have the following trips booked:
- Jan 25 - 640TP (mixture of AA/BA) - nTP not in flight
- Jun 25 - 440TP (mixture of RJ/QR, but all booked on RJ codes so I guess it means it'll all earn at 25% nTP based on mileage, rather than the QR sectors at 50%; so I put that as RJ FCO-AMM-DOH-CMB-DOH-AMM-FCO in D, 25% of 9,547 = 2,386 nTP, so not even Bronze.

If I work on the basis that there are no soft landings, with my first booking in the new period it won't even do bronze.

The way I see it, is I have an opportunity now to just divert all my credit from 9/1 (as I have a flight on 4/1 and will just send those 40TP to BAEC) to either QR, AY (for commonality of Avios as a currency), AS, or (god forbid) my original programme of QF. I would forgo the 2nd GUF2 that would trigger when my year end is realigned and I credit the 640TP Jan trip.

Decisions to be made and calcs to be run......... I should be able to at least earn Oneworld Sapphire with my bookings in another program from mid-Jan onwards, assuming any minimum carrier segment requirements can be met.

I'm only on 21k TP with BAEC, so nowhere near close enough to GFL to blindly just credit to BAEC/BAC going forward.

The irony is that my folks, who have never held status in their life, will earn 640TP each from 2x SH+ BAH when they come over from Aus to visit, which were booked pre-30/12 and therefore will convert to the same nTP which would give them silver.

I think over time BA has to try to develop some proposition for customers in the US, Canada and India since the markets seem too important for BA to just cut off, but otherwise absolutely. I would suggest if your main BA route is not multiple daily or with significant feed to North America or the sub-continent, it might not have a future, particularly long haul. Even some of the India flights could look a bit ropey to me if AI start getting their act together and BA decides to price out the value customers they have been targeting at the same time.

Status holders will still book BA if the price and schedule is right, and BA will rely on passenger habits where people tend to stick to what they already know. Also, if you need to fly domestic routes, you do not have a choice from Heathrow unless you drive or take the train.

The changes may mean more custom for easyJet for those who use Gatwick or other airlines if you prefer to fly direct from a regional airport. Why travel to LHR to get to JfK on OneWorld when you can easily fly direct from Manchester? The same for Dubai and onward destinations such as the Far East.

As BA becomes a US market focused carrier, cabins on US routes will always be full when positioned against the competition of US carriers. Although I have yet to understand why a cardboard wrap for the second service in World Traveller Plus to the East coast was ever signed off as an enhanced catering product. No doubt the answer is "after extensive trials, our customers have told us that they love the idea of a cardboard wrap rather than an afternoon tea".

Once again, though, there is a misplaced sense of BA being a superior airline. I think once the so far loyal BA flyers start using carriers like Emirates, Singapore Airlines and ANA, for non-US routes, even indirect, they may well question why they spent so many years spending on BA.

Potentially smart move, since Cityflyer probably has the highest proportion of revenue from the completely price insensitive senior business travellers. Wonder how those in charge of EuroFlyer are feeling right now. Probably a good day to fire up the LinkedIn.