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UK Radio show ‘Nick Ferrari on LBC FM’ today covered in his Business piece with David Buik the BAEC changes briefly – stating approximate quote that thousands were taking the matching offers from the likes of VA etc but expectation was that BA would ‘fight back’….. Just a data point that this is ongoing for some time yet….
Now I’m retired, we’d chase silver (ABZ is a great day out!). Won’t be doing that anymore after the run to keep Silver for the next year.
Out of LHR, I’ll still fly BA – but whereas in the past I’d look solely for BA flights, I’ll check all airlines. I won’t be chasing Silver again, and the Avios earned is poor. For short-haul I’m always carry-on and have lounge passes galore, and for long-haul always F/J anyway.
Loyalty works 2 ways!
All in all this seems to driving all the wrong customer behaviour from BA . This isn’t an emotional decision , I could have doubled down and started spending like crazy to retain my status . This empirically what I’ve ended up doing.
While you would have probably bought business class for the initial few flights, once you get the status, there is no incentive for you to choose club again. So in reality, just a minor loss for BA. But next year when you dont have any status with BA and you are time poor while being cash rich, you are more likely to spend cash on business class seats when flying direct from London.
Unsurprising that public behaviour is to overreact to everything.
Once they have had a few connecting flights and spent hours at the connecting airport, the time conscious will get back to direct flights quickly.Once they have had a few connecting flights and spent hours at the connecting airport, the time conscious will get back to direct flights quickly.
Data point of one traveller: my trade offs for business travel were BA (and partner) versus other airlines. Always direct. Without a status carrot being dangled I would have made different choices. A rare exception was a BA Holiday (actually flown on Qatar) with an unnecessary change in Doha to get to the UAE (for business, not pleasure). So I was favouring oneworld by flying indirect, rather than the other way around.
Plenty of people will be able to secure cheaper flights, better flight times, or flights with other alliances, and still fly direct.
I don’t think it’s an overreaction at all. I understand wanting to make the club more exclusive, but they’ve gone way too far in the other direction. I always booked with British Airways when I could as I did actually like them, and I liked their business and first class prices. I was actually planning to go for my silver status on a holiday next month, but a few days after the changes were announced, I decided not to bother.
I had a European holiday booked with them in April, business class, I’ve decided to let them have my £150 deposit instead and not bother.
I had a holiday booked with them in October to the US flying first class, and I’ve decided to let them have my £170 deposit and fly business instead with another airline.
I have a holiday coming up in May, and instead of choosing British Airways, I’ve used avios for part of it with Qatar, and on the way back from Brisbane, I will be getting SkyTeam flights.When I look for cash flights now, I only look at SkyTeam and Emirates. I’m planning another trip at the end of June, and I’ll be flying with Air France/KLM instead, whereas before, I would have filtered for British Airways/oneworld. So that’s what, 4.5 holidays they’re losing out on from me this year? I know I’m only one person, but imagine if many others do the same?
I’m honestly not bothered if I have to take more connecting flights because I love flying.I reckon some will wonder, if I’m going to spend that amount of money on BA flights/holidays anyway (roughly six to seven thousand), why not just spend a bit more, stick with BA, and get my status. Well, I don’t plan to spend that every single year, we still don’t know for sure about soft landings going forward and frankly I can’t be arsed with it now. At least Flying Blue clearly state they do soft landings.
Some years I’ll spend quite a bit less, some years I’ll spend more. Thing is, I’ve worked out I can spend roughly £3000 on 5 return European business connecting flights and earn Flying Blue Gold. Once I earn that, to get to Platinum, I only need to spend around the same in the following twelve months, and roughly the same each year to maintain that. SkyTeam will be my first choice for long or short haul flights now.Based on what I was going to spend anyway, I should get to Flying Blue Platinum within the twelve months from my first flights with KLM next month. I’m going to aim for Platinum for a consecutive ten years and have that status for life. With Platinum, you can also use points to book Air France first class, something I’m really keen to do in the next couple of years.
Of course, my plans could all go tits up if that decide on a major programme overhaul like those wankers at BA.
All in all this seems to driving all the wrong customer behaviour from BA . This isn’t an emotional decision , I could have doubled down and started spending like crazy to retain my status . This empirically what I’ve ended up doing.
While you would have probably bought business class for the initial few flights, once you get the status, there is no incentive for you to choose club again. So in reality, just a minor loss for BA. But next year when you dont have any status with BA and you are time poor while being cash rich, you are more likely to spend cash on business class seats when flying direct from London.
Unsurprising that public behaviour is to overreact to everything.
Once they have had a few connecting flights and spent hours at the connecting airport, the time conscious will get back to direct flights quickly.My loyalty to OneWorld has been cracking ever since STN became my local airport a few years back. I just flew from LCY, and was reminded what an efficient and pleasant experience it is. The hardest part was finding a space in the car park that wasn’t sandwiched between two large vehicles. From driver seat to plane seat was 27 min, without rushing, including takeaway breakfast from Pret. The connections LCY-AMS/ZRH/FRA-xxx are looking increasingly appealing, on *A and ST. No reason to go all the way to LHR for BA.
Would SAS add an LCY-CPH to connect with its long haul network (Iirc, there was one at some point historically)?
I only need 30 points to get to silver and simply can’t be bothered to go on the run I would have done if these changes hadn’t gone in. The marginal gains for next year are outweighed by a complete absence of loyalty now, beyond spending my 450k avios. Once they’re done, I’ll probably ditch the 2 BA credit cards too
I only need 30 points to get to silver and simply can’t be bothered to go on the run I would have done if these changes hadn’t gone in. The marginal gains for next year are outweighed by a complete absence of loyalty now, beyond spending my 450k avios. Once they’re done, I’ll probably ditch the 2 BA credit cards too
.
I only need 15 points for bronze, so I’ll either go on a day trip to Amsterdam, Edinburgh or Dublin next week. I shouldn’t bother really, but I want to get Radisson VIP via the Club Avolta status match..and that’s the only reason I’m doing it.
I did want to travel first on BA and experience the Concorde lounge and the Chelsea lounge in JFK. My return flights with a night hotel would have cost me £2530 plus the £170 deposit I’ve already paid them. I was going to pay cash and collect avios and tier points (this was booked in December) but I won’t bother with that now. I am wondering though… do I still go ahead with that plan but get reward flights instead? Or do I use my avios with Qatar or Iberia instead? Their off-peak business class redemptions are certainly much better value.
I’ve got Radisson VIP via Amex Platinum>Hilton Gold>Club Avolta>Radisson VIP. Ok the card costs £650 but will be getting a fair bit of value out of Hilton and Radisson memberships
Daft isn’t it…
I’ve got Radisson VIP via Amex Platinum>Hilton Gold>Club Avolta>Radisson VIP. Ok the card costs £650 but will be getting a fair bit of value out of Hilton and Radisson memberships
Daft isn’t it…
Indeed.
I’ve just read about Iberia and that looks like a decent replacement for BA, but I think SkyTeam is probably still the way to go for me. Are you sticking with oneworld?
I only need 30 points to get to silver and simply can’t be bothered to go on the run I would have done if these changes hadn’t gone in. The marginal gains for next year are outweighed by a complete absence of loyalty now, beyond spending my 450k avios. Once they’re done, I’ll probably ditch the 2 BA credit cards too
I would propse that you do do get these 30 TPs or at least give it more consideration.
The benefits of silver would apply to those flights you spend your avios on in terms of getting free seat selection and extra baggage allowance (and if you flew PE/Exonomy you’d get lounge access as well.)
I would propse that you do do get these 30 TPs or at least give it more consideration.
The benefits of silver would apply to those flights you spend your avios on in terms of getting free seat selection and extra baggage allowance (and if you flew PE/Exonomy you’d get lounge access as well.)
Though they must already be bronze so have 7 day seat selection, and expense involved in gaining 30TPs may approach or exceed the cost of paid seat selection / cost of buying a meal at the airport instead of lounge
All sounds like excellent news to me…more Avios availability….need a few more million to depart from BA to see the overall results.
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