Sick of bargain flights for ALL but UK!

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 53 total)

  • Anonymous
    Guest

    jamesay
    Participant

    This week we have seen promos from Europe to USA and USA (as well as Club Europe) for Europeans and Americans at prices coming in at up to 60% less than the same journey starting in UK. Anyone else feeling hard done by ? I’m BA Gold and thinking of letting it slide when this kind of f*ck you nonsense is being dished out to loyal UK based BAEC customers frankly!


    Tim2soza
    Participant

    Just wondering if it also might fall foul of EU competition / single market law, since the price increment cannot logically be explained by the shorter journey ex LHR compared to a ex EU airport! Also frustrating that a family booking of 7 people to the US, BA want £490 to choose seats, as I fly out one day after them. Like you, a Gold BAEC questioning the wisdom of keeping it.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Think of it this way.

    UK based customers tend to use BA regardless so BA sadly do not need to incentivise us too much.. but they need to incentivise European and US based customers to use the company…… same as European Airlines tend to offer incentivised fares to encourage Brits to use them…

    What I did find unfair a few years back was BA and QF telling travel agents in Germany NOT to see ex Europe tickets to Brits… in the UK!


    FaroFlyer
    Participant

    It is not just BA doing this. As Martyn says, all airlines just assume loyalty and price indifference from domestic passengers.

    If I want to fly to MIA from Portugal next January, which I do, I have to go LIS-MAD-MIA on IB as it is half the price of the non-stop TAP flight. I have French and German customers who fly BA as it is cheaper to transit LHR than to start at CDG or FRA. It is just a fact of life.

    Did anyone ever say that airline fares are logical?


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    As others have said, BA is a network carrier and network carriers seldom offer the best rates at home.


    canucklad
    Participant

    Hi jamesay
    Dependant on where I’m going, it’s actually cheaper for me to fly via Europe than through LHR…and wait for it, cheaper to pay another airline than redeeming my BAEC points for free flights!
    As Martyn and FF have already said, they are all at it……
    There are many cultural, social and quality of life benefits to living just to the west of Edinburgh, but one of the biggest benefits is the close proximity of EDI and a short hop to DUB-AMS-FRA-CDG-BRU-IST-ZRH etc….and then onwards with massive savings over BA’s and for that matter VS’s fares through London .

    For example I’ve currently got an e-mail from KLM/China Southern offering me flights to HKG via AMS for £375.
    Oh and on the return leg, I’ve got a 22hour stop in Beijing chucked in too,…….Sadly the dates don’t suit, as I’ve already paid Jet2 holidays £200 + for flights for a golfing holiday in Faro


    FaroFlyer
    Participant

    There certainly are some bargains. I have just booked LIS-AMS CTU (Chengdu) in Business on KLM for €1,100 RT. My destination in China has no international flights, and connection times are good, in theory.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Strange thread really.

    The bargain fares are there to be had, but on indirect flights with non UK carriers. And in the case of EK, QR, KLM etc starting at UK regional airports as well.

    Exactly the same as BA flights starting outside the UK.


    conshaldow
    Participant

    Agree with what most are saying above. 9 times out of 10 I find ex/UK cheaper with competitors over BA.

    Something similar I have noticed is that some airlines do offer cheap one way fare for ex/EU or rest of the world. This can leave me a bit perplexed at times.

    However I’m sure there will be fares/airlines where we are able to benefit from cheap one way fares where other countries cannot, so slight case of swings and roundabouts.


    Edski777
    Participant

    Funny, you Brits still have to come to terms with two things:
    You are European, Britain is, has been and will be a part of the European continent;
    Competition: airlines and airports are competing heavily. In stead of using the most expensive airline to keep your “status” or arguably one of the most expensive airports in Europe (yes: LHR) take a more favorable option.

    In stead of complaining: vote with your feet. That will ultimately turn them around.


    planegeek
    Participant

    So many comments completely missing of the point, surprising for this forum. It’s simple logic allied to the law of supply and demand. If you fly direct, you can charge a premium. Plus if you are a quality national carrier (debatable for some, I understand) you may be able to extend that a little further.

    To a Spaniard, Frenchman, Italian, however, no matter how much he might think BA are pretty good or otherwise, its not a direct flight when you have to fly via LHR. Therefore they have to compete on price. Easy to explain, no, logical, yes.

    And let’s not pretend this is a BA thing, it’s the same the world over. Just take a look at EK’s latest offers in business class on it’s wensite…..DXB is GBP2,365 r/t, JNB (an additional 9 hour flight x 2) is £2,025 r/t.


    canucklad
    Participant

    Good Friday afternoon Edski….

    And thanks for making me smile, before I embark on my long journey home….

    Your comment
    Funny, you Brits still have to come to terms with two things:
    You are European, Britain is, has been and will be a part of the European continent……

    In keeping Tim’s excellent idea, another Sir Humphrey masterpiece…..

    Sir Humphrey:
    Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it’s worked so well?

    Hacker: That’s all ancient history, surely?

    Sir Humphrey:
    Yes, and current policy. We ‘had’ to break the whole thing [the EEC] up, so we had to get inside. We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn’t work. Now that we’re inside we can make a complete pig’s breakfast of the whole thing: set the Germans against the French, the French against the Italians, the Italians against the Dutch. The Foreign Office is terribly pleased; it’s just like old times.

    Hacker: But surely we’re all committed to the European ideal?

    Sir Humphrey: [chuckles] Really, Minister.

    Hacker: If not, why are we pushing for an increase in the membership?

    Sir Humphrey:
    Well, for the same reason. It’s just like the United Nations, in fact; the more members it has, the more arguments it can stir up, the more futile and impotent it becomes.

    Hacker: What appalling cynicism.

    Sir Humphrey: Yes… We call it diplomacy, Minister.

    Have a great eekend all, and c’mon Scotland, its only Australia !!


    Edski777
    Participant

    Canucklad,

    The best reply all week!

    While rooting for the Scots give me your thoughts on the Scots and the EU. There must be some great quote from Sir Humphrey about the Scots and their views and politics.

    Don’t forget that a few years ago the Dutch and the English were fighting each other. As I recall a period some British would rather forget.
    But have a look at this link:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Royal_Charles_%281655%29

    Planegeek,

    Your comment is absolutely correct for those living in the London area with easy access to LHR and to a lesser extend those living around Manchester.
    For the rest of the country it means either a transfer or a lengthy trip to for instance LHR, huge parking fees, expensive public transport and/or the cost of an airport hotel.

    For many the option of transfering through an airport on the continent and the financial benefit as stated by the OP and others comes in to view.

    Yes, it is all about competition, but the UK makes it very difficult for its home carriers with the comparably high tariffs and taxes at London airports and LHR in particular.
    In the end the customer will go for low cost and convenience. While working in the north of England I would almost always fly via AMS. I flew quite regularly on EK and KL. EK was to Asia almost always the cheapest, where KL would offer me lower rates than BA and almost always a far better connection. And KL would fly me direct to my destinations.

    In my opinion it is more about load factors. The moment that these start dropping it will hit the bottom line of an airline and policies will be altered. Until then major airlines will keep trying to entice foreign travellers to use their feeder flights and fill the seats on their long haul flights.

    But running an airline under the present market conditions is far from easy. Filling the seats and making a profit is a Herculean task for even a Harry Potter like manager.
    Being subsidized would help enormously and let that be just what the establishment is accusing the ME3 of….

    So if you want new planes and cheap flights: fly through an airport on the continent on one of the ME3. Unfortunately a sad fact in these days.


    SGJNI1961
    Participant

    I am BA Gold, mostly because of this site and HFP. No business travel at all. I also live on the island of Ireland so Dublin is always an option. I like T5 but not a fan of The Concorde Room but think The First Lounge is usually ok for what it is. Last night booked DUB/KOA ( a variation on HNL) for £1333. I also know that it can be cheaper at certain times but the dates worked for me. The point is, if you can “exploit ” the system, you can do well for yourself. 1050 tier points. Not my first choice of planes but I will survive. Why fly from LHR ever? Unless you have to. I’m not doing a tier point run, just going on hols.

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