British Airways rejigs its Middle East schedules – outstanding Avios availability on new flights

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• Paul says:

  14 May14 May 07:40

  Relatively short overnight flights are hideous and I can’t see the attraction of the new times.

  • John says:

    14 May14 May 08:11

    The majority of people who live near LHR knew there was an airport before moving there. I would lke something that departs the UK at 0100 and arrives in DXB at 1200.

• Andy says:

  14 May14 May 08:59

  On Business Traveller it says the Doha flights will use a 787-9.

• MrHandBaggageOnly says:

  14 May14 May 09:41

  We had a very enjoyable BA Holiday trip a couple of years ago to Muscat. The city itself doesn’t offer a huge amount for the keen tourist, but as a beach destination it was great. The hotel staff treated us like VIPs and we’re keen to go back. The one thing that was putting me off was the flights, as the current schedule (and stop in AUH) weren’t great. The new times look much better, so a return trip is back on the cards! 🙂

• Ali says:

  14 May14 May 10:25

  I’ve recently booked a First redemption on the BA Doha flight to transfer onto QR down to Male next spring. Change of schedule email says the new flight is due to land DOH at 0715. QR flight is scheduled for 0820 (on separate redemption ticket). Is 65 minutes an adequate transfer time at DOH? I’m presuming I should be able to check bags all the way from LHR to MLE…

  • Rob says:

    14 May14 May 11:20

    It is adequate if you don’t get put through transit security (some UK flights seem to avoid it) or you get a fast track pass. Not sure about your bags!

  • Michal says:

    14 May14 May 11:40

    I recently had similar issue with the bags so I’ve checked with the BA and this is the answer that I got, hope it helps:

    Baggage will normally be checked to your final destination, provided your journey is on the same ticket. However, if you hold separate tickets for the flights in your journey, we will only through check your baggage to your final destination if the connecting flights are operated by us or by another oneworld airline.

    • Scallder says:

      15 May15 May 08:44

      That isn’t completely accurate. I had similar situation back in September. Had a reward flight on BA (First) to Miami and then business down to Lima on LAN. Apparently BA couldn’t do this with LAN for reasons unbeknown to them. Luckily had an eight hour layover so wasn’t too much of an issue

  • pauldb says:

    14 May14 May 12:08

    Are your flights all on one ticket? If not the connection risk is with you, and I wouldn’t risk it.

    • pauldb says:

      14 May14 May 12:28

      Oh I see you’ve already said it is a separate redemption. I don’t know what sort of insurance you have but if you have an alternative (perhaps helped but trying to get BA to put you on a different flight to the Middle East?) I would go for that.

      • Ali says:

        14 May14 May 13:50

        The alternative would be to spend a night in Doha and then get the QR flight 24 hours later to MLE.

        I’ve heard stories of people on QR into Doha having connecting flights held for delays/being met on the tarmac and transferred directly into the next QR leg.

        I’m hoping being F on BA incoming should get us first off the plane and through any security fast track.

        Insurance is Amex Platinum – would I have any claim if we missed the connection- especially as they are both redemption flights -taxes/fees paid on BAPP.

        • Rob says:

          14 May14 May 14:07

          Look up the Minimum Connection Time for Doha if you can find it. If you are inside that unlikely insurance would cover you as you are not meant to have shorter connection period.

    • World Traveller says:

      18 May18 May 06:22

      I’ve read that oneworld has a requirement that if someone is holding separate tickets on a single trip involving two alliance members, they are treated as a single conjuncted ticket when it comes to reaccommodation issues. American Airlines have this as a published policy on their website – I’ve not looked at othe oneworld member websites.

      Apparently to make your two tickets a ‘conjuncted ticket’ you need to have the two tickets linked (I’m not sure which carrier you’d call if tickets were issued by two different oneworld carriers) or checkin both yourself and your luggage as far as the first destination on your second ticket.

      The policy is hugely helpful and an definitely a differentiatior when it comes to airline alliances. There is also the oneworld Global Support Centres that help to fix those missed connections between alliance partners.

      I transited Doha on Friday night / Saturday morning – security was a breeze and completed in under a minute – using the priority queue. You need to keep an eye out for a sign at about waist height next to the Tensa tape, there will be a ‘priority queue dragon’ standing in front of it, so you may walk past it if you’re not observant enough. They’ll check your boarding pass and let you through if you qualify.

      I read in Qatar Airways’ inflight magazine that if you have a tight connection at Doha or your inbound flight is delayed, you’ll be met on the air bridge (or at the bottom of the steps if you’re on a bussing stand) and whisked to your connecting flight.

      • Alan says:

        19 May19 May 19:42

        Do you have that in writing anywhere? It is only AA that I have ever seen offer a published policy regarding this. Even BA say that for separate itineraries on their own metal they don’t guarantee they’ll be able to help although normally that isn’t really an issue.

  • Aliks says:

    15 May15 May 09:45

    Ali,

    I would say 65 minutes is too short. Even assuming there are no delays, the landing time in Doha is based on wheels on the runway, not passengers disembarked. Also, the gate for the Male flight likely closes 20-30 mins before takeoff, so your best case is to have 35 mins to clear transit checks, and get to the Male gate – tight!!

    • World Traveller says:

      18 May18 May 06:27

      Copied from Hamad International Aiport website:

      “If your onward flight is departing in less than 45 minutes after your arrival at Hamad International Airport, then we can speed you through transfer formalities to help you reach your boarding gate on time. Please alert our ground staff as soon as you exit your aircraft and walk onto the aerobridge, or as you board the passenger bus.”

• Callum says:

  14 May14 May 13:10

  It seems somewhat bizarre that you suggest BA can’t compete with the superior Qatar airlines to Doha, yet you think lots of people are flying BA to Abu Dhabi – not only choosing them over Etihad and Emirates, but flying to an airport an hour away from their actual destination of Dubai? How do they fit together?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    14 May14 May 13:48

    would have thought BA are using these flights to be able to connect passengers on to Qatar and Oman flights to other ME and far eastern countries?

    • Callum says:

      14 May14 May 14:00

      I can’t imagine BA want to give connecting traffic to Oman Air, but I’m sure that comes into it with Qatar.

      It doesn’t really change my question to Raffles though, as they were questioning why people would fly BA instead of Qatar, while describing a group of people who not only choose BA above Etihad and Emirates, but fly to a completely different Emirate to the one they want to go to!

      The only thing I can come up with is frequent flyer benefits, but if they’re flying to Dubai regularly and prefer Emirates they could switch to Qantas (or AA with Etihad) if they want to stay in OneWorld. Maybe the Executive Club is a much bigger draw than I realised though!

  • Rob says:

    14 May14 May 14:11

    Different situations – people who choose to fly BA for status or Avios to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, as the times are ok, now lose that option. You may accept inferior airline or inferior timing but making people accept both is pushing it.

    And who seriously thinks 6 hour overnight flights to the ME, landing at 4am UK time, are attractive?

    • Callum says:

      14 May14 May 16:07

      And exactly how many people are there on each flight who would really rather fly Emirates/Etihad but stick with BA for status yet will switch over a 2 hour difference? Bearing in mind that would therefore mean they aren’t flying to the region regularly otherwise it would be worth having AA/Qantas/Etihad/Emirates status instead. One?

      I’m not remotely following your argument as to how it can be a successful strategy at AUH but couldn’t possibly work at DOH.

      People who want to be in the UK one day and Qatar the next?
      People who want to connect to somewhere else in the region and want to arrive with time to do something on that day?
      People who want the cheapest flight?
      People who would like a days stopover to see Doha on the way to Australia?

      I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying I do not follow your argument at all.

      • Callum says:

        14 May14 May 16:12

        Though looking again I see the Doha flight lands at 6am and the Oman flight lands at 5am – is that the one you meant when you said 4am?

• barnaby100 says:

  14 May14 May 16:14

  Just check out the christmas hotel price before booking Oman. £1500 at the Chedi a night for a room that is usually sub £500.

• Tom.Murray says:

  14 May14 May 21:13

  We visited both AUH (return on 787 Dreamliner) late 2015 and previously MCT via AUH on a 777 late ’14. J Class standby – out Thurs back Mondays. Both times no problem getting on and cabins not full. Seems bizarre shuffling flight times back. There’s plenty of competition. Bodes well for staff travel!
  Enjoyed Al Bustan Palace in Muscat and the St Regis in Abu Dhabi by the way.

• Roger Wilco says:

  17 May17 May 08:15

  I flew a few times to MCT via AUH. The plane on the short AUH-MCT leg was rather empty on both directions – but it did pick up a few local pax for the short hop.

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