Another BA enhancement…

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 182 total)

  • CXDiamond
    Participant

    Well for a while the lunatics have been taking over the asylum at BA and today they have finally managed it. Making such a petty, nasty little change targeted at your most loyal customers is an act of the most gross stupidity that a sane person cannot have been responsible.


    openfly
    Participant

    @CXDiamond

    Totally agree.

    I suggest that BA makes me wear a label that I am HBO. Then I am not allowed to use the lounge, no snack or drink on the aircraft, no Tier points, no Avios!

    But
    I am allowed to select a seat on an Avios flight, or part Avios flight!


    AnthonyDunn
    Participant

    Don’t know if there is shortly going to be a queue to sign up for these:

    http://plus.easyjet.com/become-a-member.php

    PS: I’ve just re-read the BA Capital Markets presentation from November 2014. This goes a long way to illustrate what is driving all of these “service enhancements…” (ahem).


    openfly
    Participant

    @AnthonyDunn

    Thanks for the link to EasyPlus…Ive joined! Very useful, as I shall be using Easyjet much more now, esoecially with all their routes out of my closest airport….Gatwick.


    RichardB
    Participant

    perhaps the logic is that people on hand baggage only fares have bigger bags and with more seats on the plane thanks to the thinner seats, the overhead bins are too full. So the system will distribute HBO passengers around the plane to try and even out overhead bin use. Passengers often pick seats for themselves as far to the front as possible, now things can be evened out by allocating the HBO passengers towards the back.


    NTarrant
    Participant

    That’s an interesting point RichardB. I remember the days of BA operating SOU-MAN etc and whilst my allocated seat was rows 2, 3 or 4 I was asked in a number of occasions to occupy the rear one or two rows for take off only, returning to my allocated seat when the seat belt sign was turned off.

    The odd thing I have found with BA is that my preference is window seats, but even as a gold exec holder I inverably find that the seat allocated, particularly in club world is aisle when window seats are available


    KarlMarx
    Participant

    RichardB – 03/03/2015 05:39 GMT

    I believe you may be overthinking this.

    It looks to me as if it is a straightforward revenue recovery/generating move and agree with Anthony Dunn as to the source of the motivation to do this.


    openfly
    Participant

    @RichardB

    That logic works well in theory. But in practice, many economy passengers seem to fill the Club bins as they pass by!! On the rare occasion that I travel economy I usually do the same thing.


    canucklad
    Participant

    It’s another way of blackmailing you.

    I HATE the middle seat, I also travel lightly.
    Also, my company policy dictates I choose the cheapest fare, that’s if I can justify and am allowed to fly down to LHR rather than book the 1st class exec ” save the polar bears” train fare package to Kings Cross.

    Now, the likelyhood is I’ll be stuck in a middle seat, unless I’m willing to reach into my own pocket to move. As I’ve said before ,BA like other companies seems to believe that loyalty is one way.

    Train or plane,gotta say BA,your making it easier to make that decision : (

    I’d add,that their recent decisions only reinforce my belief that their deliberately sabotaging their short to mid offering, to make it easier for IAG to ease Vueling into BA’s traditional market.


    Rockhopper
    Participant

    Hi Jonathan

    That’s great – thanks. Once my diary firms up I’ll drop you a line.

    Best wishes
    RH


    KarlMarx
    Participant

    Canucklad

    Just out of interest, do you have a viable alternative with easyJet?


    canucklad
    Participant

    Morning KM,
    Alas, no……
    My office is in West London and I prefer to stay close by in Brentford.
    I can leave my office at 5 and be back in home in West Lothian by 8.30 using BA.

    The travel policy frustrates me, because most of my travel is organized within the 2 week window for booking flights yourself ,which means I have to jump through hoops to fly BA. Even though it’s normally cheaper and quicker than the train .

    But I suppose I can sleep easier at nigh knowing my carbon footprint is a few sizes smaller.


    BugAdvisor
    Participant

    Next ‘enhancement’ will be that Silver and Gold are denied lounge access when travelling on HBO fares. Not even sure I should even post this as some bean counter in BA will propose it at the next cost-saving meeting.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    @Canucklad Also, my company policy dictates I choose the cheapest fare, that’s if I can justify and am allowed to fly down to LHR rather than book the 1st class exec ” save the polar bears” train fare package to Kings Cross.
    Now, the likelyhood is I’ll be stuck in a middle seat, unless I’m willing to reach into my own pocket to move. As I’ve said before ,BA like other companies seems to believe that loyalty is one way.

    It’s not just about loyalty though. If you are buying the cheapest fares each time then chances are the margins are not great for the airline once any other benefits (lounge access?) are taken into account and they are therefore trying to differentiate in favour of people who buy higher margin tickets.


    KarlMarx
    Participant

    Are HBO fares always cheap, though?

    It’s been a while since I booked BA, but IIRC, they are not a single fare bucket, but rather a fare bucket less a tenner (or whatever.)

    I think I occasionally saw HBO fares that were higher than with bags fares.

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 182 total)
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