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I don’t just mean exec club with the avios earning changes.
I mean what airlines can get you places from London that are worth pursuing?
Particularly if you’re looking to fly west to North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.Seems all the best rated airlines operate in Asia.
Looking for inspiration as a man who just flew BA Club Suite for the first time and thought the crew were the least impressive bit of the experience.
I have flown BA and Virgin business class recently, and have to say that the service and lounge offering with Virgin is much better than BA. I haven’t flown BA F, so I can’t compare, but part of the reason might be that with VS, you are in the best cabin, whereas on BA, there are people on F getting the best service.
The seat on BA CS is much better than what you get on the Virgin 787, but honestly, I prefer the overall experience on Virgin. The Virgin Upper Class Wing in T3, the clubhouse and service on board much better, and more personal.
For your preferred destinations, Virgin will certainly be an option, and Iberia (via Madrid) too (which is useful for the 241 voucher, although I’ve never flown with them).
I think many people end up flying with BA is because the route network is so much more substantial (except Asia), and it’s so much easier to earn enough points to fly in premium cabins.
@direttore – I’m no fan of BA in its current condition (it has been better and worse over the last 40 years) but it’s still not SO rubbish. It has good bits and bad bits. People have mentioned today getting good agents on the telephone and it’s the same with cabin crew, but the problem is that it’s all too haphazard. People talk about the robotic nature of QR crew but I prefer to think of it as consistency of service. BA crew can be quite big on the false bonhomie while not lifting a finger to carry out their jobs effectively.
Inexplicably, CE food is better than that served on long haul which isn’t good and BA consistently, in my experience, takes an age to serve a drink let alone any food. CS is big progress but the service badly needs to catch up. Another BA disadvantage is that its Club cabins are too large vs other airlines and they don’t have sufficient galley space, staff or loos for the extra numbers.
BA has the big advantage of having by far the best loyalty scheme in Europe – easy to earn, burn and understand. The issue raised re spend based Avios earning is not just a BA thing; it’s pretty widespread now.
Oh, to live near an airport with a comparable number of destinations to London, on any airline 😂
Oh, to live near an airport with a comparable number of destinations to London, on any airline 😂
i was thinking somewhat along the same limes, that at times people might benefit from a bit of a reality check. Just fly a couple of TATLs in economy to rebase your expectations then I can quite imagine everything is whole lot better with the world the next time you are forced to tolerate BA Club World or whatever.
Ultimately it’s only a vehicle for getting to your actual destination efficiently, so i’d say pick the easiest route and move on.
To put things in perspective, from MAN (which boasts the same number of pax as VIE and ZRH!) you can fly direct to a total of … *5* US cities. And one of those is seasonal!
😂 I live in Cornwall, so LHR T5 is just under 5 hours away in the car.
Can’t imagine living close enough to MAN and being able to disappear to practically anywhere in Europe quickly and cheaply.But point taken.
As for Virgin, my neighbours swear by them. But I absolutely LOVE Club Europe.
I agree the food and experience is on the whole better.
Though I was very impressed with the Club Suite seat last week.Feels as though 1st every time MIGHT put BA on a basic par with Qatar and Singapore etc.
Would you all agree that BA is at least the best option aside from Virgin to the Americas?
And if you DID decide to switch allegiance to Virgin, can you use that for European destinations with one of their partners?
Or is KLM/Turkish/whoever worth the extra money and time it would cost to start in Europe?Thanks all for your perspectives.
BA is not rubbish, do not believe the hype you read on HfP and other blogs. Differences between carriers within any era are small, they are mostly much the same. You will encounter greater variation in stuff like service and meals within carriers than between carriers. The only thing I can say is that carriers from the Far East are perhaps a little better than the rest who all fall in the same pack IMO.
@direttore, surely there are plenty of airports nearer to you than LHR where LCC’s depart to all sorts of places?! Don’t you even have an airport in Newquay? 😂
“Seems all the best rated airlines operate in Asia.“
Singapore airlines has a few 5th freedom flights. Frankfurt to New York, Manchester to Houston, LA to Tokyo.
“Seems all the best rated airlines operate in Asia.“
Singapore airlines has a few 5th freedom flights. Frankfurt to New York, Manchester to Houston, LA to Tokyo.
Thanks, might be able to try the Houston one later this year.
@direttore, surely there are plenty of airports nearer to you than LHR where LCC’s depart to all sorts of places?! Don’t you even have an airport in Newquay? 😂
NQY is great if you want a twin turboprop to Dublin or Faro once a week 😂
BRS, BHX, SOU are all 3.5-4 hours. And by the time you have to drive that far, you might as well go to LHR for max options.
BA is not rubbish, do not believe the hype you read on HfP and other blogs. Differences between carriers within any era are small, they are mostly much the same. You will encounter greater variation in stuff like service and meals within carriers than between carriers. The only thing I can say is that carriers from the Far East are perhaps a little better than the rest who all fall in the same pack IMO.
Makes perfect sense. Guess I’ll stick with trying for status and only flying better cabins for now. Thanks.
Oh, to live near an airport with a comparable number of destinations to London, on any airline 😂
i was thinking somewhat along the same limes, that at times people might benefit from a bit of a reality check. Just fly a couple of TATLs in economy to rebase your expectations then I can quite imagine everything is whole lot better with the world the next time you are forced to tolerate BA Club World or whatever.
Ultimately it’s only a vehicle for getting to your actual destination efficiently, so i’d say pick the easiest route and move on.
Also a helpful reality check. Thank you.
Of course the alternative to BA is a carrier of the country you are flying to, or a country in that region with a connection.
I have flights coming up with JAL and Finnair, paid for with Avios, booked through BA.
You can’t use an Amex/Barclays voucher though.
Of course the alternative to BA is a carrier of the country you are flying to, or a country in that region with a connection.
I have flights coming up with JAL and Finnair, paid for with Avios, booked through BA.
You can’t use an Amex/Barclays voucher though.
I’d be curious to know what you think of the experience once you’ve taken them if you remember…
I’ve flown from HK to TYO with JAL in business class, and everything was excellent. Best food I’ve ever had on a plane. The FA said goodbye to my partner in Portuguese which was a nice touch as he had been speaking to her in English.
Domestic flights in Y were also very good, with free WiFi, moving map in the seat back (can’t remember if there was any other IFE) and a soft drink. This was on a short flight from Haneda to Osaka. Baggage was waiting for us when we got to the carousel, and a member of ground staff was lining up the cases neatly.
Looking forward to SIN to TYO on JAL in May, and TYO-HEL-LHR on Finnair on the way home.
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