[Anonymous]

[VintageKrug]

Hmm.

Nothing too stellar on this one; the impact of the Government’s doubling of the Air Passenger Duty (APD) from 1 November has had an effect on the ability to cut fares.

Gatwick seems to be the place for bargains. Genoa from £199 in Club Europe (CE) rtn isn’t so bad for a winter weekend break, and £949 rtn in http://www.newclubworld.com for a weekend in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt or a little less for a £929 Club World long weekend in the much underrated Tel Aviv look particularly attractive.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flights-sale-prem/public/en_gb

All of the above fares (not the taxes/fees element) can be reduced a further 10% if you are a BA Shareholder.

[VintageKrug]

However, it should be noted that your company will not earn onbusiness points when using the Shareholder Discount.

[NTarrant]

Does one still get tier points and miles on shareholder bookings?

[Travellator]

Individuals get tier points and BA miles. After christmas last year discount was 15%.

There are no Malaga or Hong Kong Club flights on offer in sale.

[Airpocket]

Oh dear, looks like BA (‘Con Air’!) are up to their old tricks again.
A quick search on Kayak will reveal that their sale prices are still more expensive than other carriers.
For instance, LHR-BOM-LHR, outbound on 20/9 and returning on 27/9 comes in at £329 on AI, £362 on 9W, and £372 on BA.Not much of a difference between BA and Jet, you might say. But, don’t forget the measly one piece of check-in luggage (23kgs) you’re allowed on Bombay -bound BA flights, compared to the far more generous 46kgs you’re allowed on Jet.
The numbers speak for themselves. Don’t be taken in by BA’s flashy, meretricious advertising. Research online and get yourselves a better product for your trip.

[NTarrant]

Oh dear! More anti-BA from Airpocket, it is getting rather boring and predictable. The thread is “Premium Cabin” and the prices you quote are for World Traveller/Economy.

A friend of mine was quoted some prices for some journeys in Europe and three of the four destinations BA were cheaper than the national carrier and Easyjet, so it works both ways. You also have to consider that some people may not wish to travel with Air India or Jet, I wouldn’t because they don’t appeal to me and prefer to travel BA, I’m not knocking them and my next door neighbour travelled Air India and said it was ok.

So get off your BA soapbox and get a life and contribute something constructive for a change.

[SimonRowberry]

Can I offer a constructive view. I should point out (for the avoidance of doubt) that I have no strong feelings about BA either way. However, I will generally avoid flying them for the simple reason that if I buy a premium cabin ticket, I expect to be able to pre-select my seat. As I am a tier-status member in another OneWorld programme, but not a member of BA’s, I cannot choose my seat on booking. That, above all, puts me off using them.

Anyway, my point is that BA’s web-based Business Class fares are often considerably cheaper than those offered by their code-share partner (usually when booking that code-share partner’s flights through BA).

An example: LHR-HEL on Finnair (AY code), booked through their website, costs around £800; through BA, exactly the same flights (but with the BA prefix) can be had for less than half this fare. I have also found this to be true with BA and Iberia. It is also interesting that the cheap fares on the BA site are usually the code-share carrier’s flights – if you actually chose a flight which is BA-operated, the fare will often (but not always) be comparable to that offered by Finnair, Iberia etc.

The fares I refer to have exactly the same conditions (usually they have significant limitations on changes and refunds) on both websites, and yet are massively cheaper when bought through BA and have a BA prefix. Same aircraft, same flight, same fare restrictions, hugely different fare…….

[SimonRowberry]

Can I offer a constructive view. I should point out (for the avoidance of doubt) that I have no strong feelings about BA either way. However, I will generally avoid flying them for the simple reason that if I buy a premium cabin ticket, I expect to be able to pre-select my seat. As I am a tier-status member in another OneWorld programme, but not a member of BA’s, I cannot choose my seat on booking. That, above all, puts me off using them.

Anyway, my point is that BA’s web-based Business Class fares are often considerably cheaper than those offered by their code-share partner (usually when booking that code-share partner’s flights through BA).

An example: LHR-HEL on Finnair (AY code), booked through their website, costs around £800; through BA, exactly the same flights (but with the BA prefix) can be had for less than half this fare. I have also found this to be true with BA and Iberia. It is also interesting that the cheap fares on the BA site are usually the code-share carrier’s flights – if you actually chose a flight which is BA-operated, the fare will often (but not always) be comparable to that offered by Finnair, Iberia etc.

The fares I refer to have exactly the same conditions (usually they have significant limitations on changes and refunds) on both websites, and yet are massively cheaper when bought through BA and have a BA prefix. Same aircraft, same flight, same fare restrictions, hugely different fare…….

[NTarrant]

I would agree with that. I travelled LHR-HEL a couple of years ago and looked on both BA and AY websites to see what the best deal was and found as you describe.

As a BA Silver Exec card holder I get to choose on booking my seats, but found when travelling on QF on domestic flights I did not get a choice, although I did when I travelled AY to HEL booked through BA

[VintageKrug]

Some will have noticed this thread referred to the *Premium Cabin* fare sale. Others, such as Airpocket, quite obviously did not.

He is, incidentally, not only wrong in what he states about Jet’s baggage allowances, but also misleading in his selective price comparisons.

Nonetheless, if you check the Jet Airways website you will see that exUK, the checked baggage allowance for non-status passengers in Economy is, in fact *28kg* and not 46kg as you erroneously state.

Source:

http://www.jetairways.com/EN/MY/PlanYourTravel/BaggageAllowance.aspx

It appears AirPocket has confused the JetPrivilege additional baggage allowances with the standard allowances, though to be fair the layout of the site does make this rather confusing.

In addition, Jet restricts hand luggage to 7kg, whereas BA only requires that hand luggage must be “easily lifted into the overhead bins”.

So, BA’s checked allowance is marginally (5kg) less than Jet’s, but BA’s hand luggage allowance is apparently more generous (within sensible limits).

You are quite right to state that Jet is marginally less expensive than BA on the dates you selected.

But this is not always the case. I selected random dates. Departing October 14, returning October 21, for instance, costs £383 on Jet and just £318 on BA in this sale.

BA would cost even less if you chose to use the 10% shareholder discount.

Jet also will start using Terminal 4 at LHR from mid-October, so probably best to avoid that changeover period if possible.

[Airpocket]

The Sale doesn’t JUST apply to the Premium cabins; BA’s website clearly states that the sale is cabin-wide, which is why I started with Economy. Also, there is no point comparing any other Premium Cabin with BA’s WTP since BA is now the only airline that operates that cabin on the London-Bombay flights, now that VS has discontinued the Bombay service (VS still fly to Delhi, though).
I have personally been allowed to carry 46kgs on Jet, even though I’m not a frequent flyer with them. It just comes down to who you book your ticket with. Some agents, such as Southall Travel, manage to secure competitive contracts with the airlines and are allowed to issue tickets that allow pax 46kgs in Economy.Its quite likely that a similar ticket purchased firectly from the airline would allow a lower baggage allowance. Tricks of the trade, I suppose.
So, NTarrant, there you go. I’m not mounted on a soap box and I couldn’t care less if BA eventually files for bankruptcy (I don’t fly them) but I will certainly make my opinions heard if people are being taken in by the chaff that comes from BA’s advertising department, and their de facto propagandists such as yourself and VK.
Ultimately, we’ll just have to leave it to the fare-paying passenger to vote with his wallet. I’m sure there will be more price descrepancies to be found.Such as:
LHR-LAX, outbound 3/10 and returning on 11/10.
The cheapest direct flights in Business Class (Is that “Premium” enough and “constructive” enough for you NTarrant and VK) is £1,657 on UA and £1,663 on NZ. BA comes in at £2,248. Do the maths, while I “get a life”.

[VintageKrug]

But the “Premium Fare Sale” is quite distinct from the main economy sale, having completely different start and finish dates, and was clearly the sale being referenced in this thread title.

Perhaps a look at “Posting for Dummies” might be time well spent in between doing your homework:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

While you are shopping in ALDI for your new life, you might also consider that the “sale fare” offered by BA to LAX in Club World is £1749.

Indeed, if travelling in a couple, the ex-Italy fares I quoted are coming in at about £1100 return per person:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/lcinfo2/public/en_it

Very competitive against the others you quoted. UA only guarantees a fully flat bed in business on its 747 fleet (though if you get it, it is terrific) and Air New Zealand offers a slightly longer version of Virgin’s Upper Class Suite.

When you add in the frequency of flights BA offers to many destinations, the multiplicity of BA and oneworld connections, and the far superior Galleries Lounge at T5, including Elemis Spa for a massage on departure, the oneworld lounge offering at LAX, and the Elemis Spa and Arrivals Lounge facilities when you land at LHR, the BA offering is probably better value for most people.

But as you don’t actually fly BA, it would be difficult for you to give first hand experience of the airline.

[Airpocket]

Thanks, but despite all your ‘marketing’ for BA, I’ll stick to NZ on the LAX route.

[Jumpseats]

vk is there no end to your sycophancy?I work for ba and I am somewhat loyal to the airline even in these times but nowhere near as pathologically so as you seem to be!
give it a rest because you’re only going to put people off BA with your zealotry and smarmyness.
Judging by your general tone here you’re probably the sort of obnoxious pax we stewardesses wish we could avoid!
Stop fellating (that’s right, stop sucking!)BA as if your life depended on it.

[Author]

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