Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

  • Rich F 8 posts

    I’m curious, how much you would be willing to pay for Club Europe, and what is considered a reasonable price? I’m looking and Heathrow to Tromso in March 2025, £350 return, for a 3 hour flight. Booking through BA Holidays seems to work out cheaper for hotel and flights together.

    Guernsey Globetrotter 688 posts

    I think other bits of information to feed into your decision include cost of economy flight for comparison, how budget constrained you are on the trip (so will the extra spend be better directed to hotels / experiences in Norway) and finally how tolerant are you of being shoulder to shoulder with other travellers?!

    LittleNick 211 posts

    Depends additionally on do you have silver status or above which gets you most the benefits of CE bar the seat on the plane. And do you need the TPs?

    Rich F 8 posts

    We enjoyed flying from Berlin to LCY in club Europe, last week; first in queue to put suitcase in overhead and lounge access. No real budget constraints. Used Avios for the flight to LCY – Seemed worth it. It is £136 return for economy plus to Tromso.

    Rich F 8 posts

    I’m on blue, paid 15k avois plus 50p for Berlin flight. Not chasing TP as we don’t flying much due to dogs. Avios flight for Tromso seem too much.

    NorthernLass 9,440 posts

    Prices are going to vary hugely depending on when you travel. Do your March dates cross into the school Easter holidays? Is it peak northern lights viewing time?

    You see CE to Malaga, which is a similar flight time, at over £1k at peak times, I suppose budget and circumstances are the two main factors in how much one is prepared to pay!

    Rich F 8 posts

    Date we have picked is cheaper that other dates in March.

    Garethgerry 135 posts

    Have you got much luggage. Can you get in a lounge for free

    What would BA economy with luggage cost. Would not pay more than £25 each way over economy if you are silver or above. £ 50 if you have no status for lounge

    If you are adding luggage and seats etc, then expect a so called budget airline won’t be much cheaper

    Garethgerry 135 posts

    Sorry didn’t read all posts , you are paying £105 each way premium for CE. So as you had to ask is it worth it then it’s not

    Ihar 369 posts

    Sorry didn’t read all posts , you are paying £105 each way premium for CE. So as you had to ask is it worth it then it’s not

    3 hour flight – if you have no status then lounge, FT, club space, carry-on allowance (space), and food/drinks on-board all add up.

    I’d say an extra £100/ew is around what you’d pay for all the extras vs travelling economy.

    jj 649 posts

    It’s impossible for a third party to say If it’s worthwhile. I’d happily pay £100 each way for a comfortable journey, some decent food on the flight, extra luggage and lounge access. But I have less time than money, so, whenever I travel, I wan the experience to be perfect. If I had more time and less money, my view would change.

    If the question is whether the additional fare is typical, it’s probably about the norm. Most people would choose economy in those circumstances; statistically, about 20%, like me, would opt for Club.

    Ihar 369 posts

    It’s impossible for a third party to say If it’s worthwhile.

    YMMV. But the OP did say “no budget constraints” so I think it’s fair value. You never loved the BA lounge so much as the time you didn’t get in 😁

    HughM 84 posts

    Like you, I’m blue. I have only ever done Club on Avios, when all economy Avios flights were taken. Avios availability, only that, would tip me into Club.

    Paul 195 posts

    I am gold. £100 each way for CE on a 3 hour is money well spent for me. I value the space over much else. The TP would be handy also.

    Garethgerry 135 posts

    It’s impossible for a third party to say If it’s worthwhile. I’d happily pay £100 each way for a comfortable journey, some decent food on the flight, extra luggage and lounge access. But I have less time than money, so, whenever I travel, I wan the experience to be perfect. If I had more time and less money, my view would change.

    If the question is whether the additional fare is typical, it’s probably about the norm. Most people would choose economy in those circumstances; statistically, about 20%, like me, would opt for Club.

    The difference is with economy plus , which includes one 23kg bag and hand luggage, so unless 2 x 23kg needed no benefit luggage wise.

    So paying for same seat with empty middle.

    BA food and drink.

    Lounge access

    If it was a better seat or more leg room no question club. Leg room is my number 1 priority

    Given as not gold won’t get row 1 in club then

    Personally I would go for extra leg room seat in economy, more leg room than club.

    This is Theoretical as don’t live near enough to London to use BA short haul. Which I would do for lounge access, group 1 boarding, but happy with extra leg room vs BA meal , as gold I’d have empty seat by me anyway and more leg room.

    jj 649 posts

    @Garethgerry, the baggage allowance in Club is 2x32kg, not 2x23kg. The additional weight is a big benefit if you’re travelling with, for example, photography equipment, hiking/skiing gear or heavy winter clothing.

    The empty middle seat in Club gives much better legroom, as you can sit at a slight angle and stretch your leg(s) into the empty space alongside. All bodies are different, but I find a seat on Club to be considerably more comfortable than a full exit row with extra legroom in economy. And, of course, you eliminate elbow wars for armrests and the risk of being sat next to a human mountain who invades your personal space. For two people, the relative privacy of having no stranger in the row is good, too.

    So, for myself, I always book Club, but I understand why others wouldn’t. On a three hour trip, I wouldn’t countenance economy.

    Nico 26 posts

    I am gold. £100 each way for CE on a 3 hour is money well spent for me. I value the space over much else. The TP would be handy also.

    Tp is you are chasing status and 80 one way makes £100 each way reasonable

    Garethgerry 135 posts

    This is where I disagree. Fundamentally, European business is a CON, it could just be called Premium Economy. Until it gets dedicated seats it remains economy. Personally every should boycott it.

    If you don’t have more than one case or you not chasing teir points no point in shorthaul business. Especially if you have lounge access, and even less point if you are gold and get a empty seat by you.. No point

    Food is not worth it, unless it’s your only chance to get a meal. (OK when I was working getting early flight not had breakfast before leaving and spending as little time at airport as possible and say a 6pm flight back not getting home till 10 pm club was needed)

    Extra legroom seat sitting straight is better for you than sideways in club. I need my legs straight impossible in club. With gold empty seat promise decreases risk of human mountain next door.

    Afternoon flight , sandwich in lounge, no need to eat on plane , a coffee , who needs to drink alcohol at that time of day , extra legroom economy, stretch legs, empty seat next to you. Arrive well in time for dinner Then spend the £200+ on a great dinner.

    BA Flyer IHG Stayer 2,761 posts

    1. There is no guarantee a Gold would get an empty seat next to them in economy

    2. No one is forcing you to sit with bent legs in Club. If you want to sit straight you can but sitting slightly askew and using the empty space next to you can make for a more comfortable flight.

    3. Limited number of extra leg room seats in economy plus no guarantee you’d get one.

    Garethgerry 135 posts

    1. There is no guarantee a Gold would get an empty seat next to them in economy

    2. No one is forcing you to sit with bent legs in Club. If you want to sit straight you can but sitting slightly askew and using the empty space next to you can make for a more comfortable flight.

    3. Limited number of extra leg room seats in economy plus no guarantee you’d get one.

    What an advert for business, to be comfortable you need to sit askew to overcome limited leg room.

    NorthernLass 9,440 posts

    Admittedly I have short legs, but I do find I can stretch them into the middle space in CE. I agree CE isn’t always worth the price, however that empty middle feels like a lot of extra personal space over economy. Having booked 3 short-haul BAH’s to get to Gold this year, I found that prices for booking 11 months out were actually comparable to economy close to the travel date.

    E.g., we are off to ATH on Thursday. Cash price for MAN-LHR-ATH return in Y is currently £840 pp, £1385 in CE. My BAH cost under £1300 for CE flights plus 5 nights in a 4* hotel. And double TPs!

    JDB 5,618 posts

    I love the idea posited by one poster that every (sic) should “boycott” Club Europe which sounds awfully like those who suggested Concorde should be avoided because it was cramped and not worth it. CE costs very little more than Traveller but provides a wholly different and superior travel experience in every respect, however short the flight. Maybe, it’s an age thing, but I no longer have any wish to be squished into a middle seat and/or the general melee of economy.

    BA Flyer IHG Stayer 2,761 posts

    What an advert for business, to be comfortable you need to sit askew to overcome limited leg room.

    You know full well that’s not what I said or meant.

    jj 649 posts

    Quite, @JDB.

    I regularly pay £100 for less than two hours in a more comfortable first class seat on GWR, and I don’t even get fed beyond a packet of crisps. I resent the cost, but still pay up, so, I’d willingly £100 for a Club Europe seat, food that’s far superior to the BA lounge and a glass of wine.

    I fully recognise that I’m fortunate to be able to afford that choice, and I’m sympathetic to anyone who feels their limited money is better spent elsewhere. But to suggest that an extra legroom economy seat is as good as Club is arrant nonsense. Better value, maybe; better absolutely, no way.

    Ihar 369 posts

    To (mostly) quote Oscar Wilde: “A fool is man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing”

    The price is the same to each, the value very different. But just on price: LHR FT £12.50, lounge £30, a checked in bag £30, on-board food and drink £30, …. The price is very competitive, but the value of these things (inc more space, tier points, Avios, expedited boarding and disembarkation, guaranteed overhead storage) is a lot more of just the services you can buy independently. For some people.

    If you’re Gold then probably you already have most of these benefits, so little value. If no status then £100 is a steal, if you value all these extras.

    As for boycotting CE, let’s not forget that CE passengers are subsiding the rest of the passengers. 😉 Not sure economy passengers want to kill that goose!

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