[Travellator]

Look at east bound flights ex DUB, even connecting from UK regions the pricing is excellent. Also DUB for west bound clearing US immigration before flight, and EI with new business product early next year !

OK slightly off topic.

[BigDog.]

Good and fair analysis Canucklad, however imo you have failed to mention one key factor….. LHR – UKs only hub airport.
– LHR is close to the centre of one of the most densely populated, affluent areas within Europe/the World
– LHR is capacity constrained meaning no serious competition can develop significant market share from there.

A key question I ask potential clients is….
Are you playing to win or not to lose?
A very interesting probing discussion follows.

Many/most companies/CEOs assert they are playing to win. Their actions portray a different reality – they are playing not to lose. Only a few evidence not only a playing to win strategy but playing to win actions. Most “not lose” actions being mainly around a holding/tweeking pattern with some synergies (euphemism for cost cutting) tactics thrown in – (see Canucklad’s list).

Am expecting the Thames Estuary proposition to be excluded when Davis reports on it next week. So BA/IAG will be able to continue to milk the affluent South East for years to come without having to up their game – because they can.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/11063403/Heathrow-begs-Boris-Johnson-for-support.html

In years to come it will be ironic that the UK regions receive a far better service than southerners on key long haul direct connections run by ME carriers as they build increasing market share north of Birmingham – British Airways transitioning to become London Airways.

[andystock]

All this downgrading of the short haul product must be making the orange one laugh! Is there much difference between BA short haul and the orange one! You can fly on the orange and use the number 1 lounge with a lounge pass, priority club cards (raffles on heads for points rates it much better than the BA lounges at LGW). Reserve your place in the no 1 lounge and get priority security.

Select an exit row seat on the orange one for a small amount and get priority boarding included (I paid £6.50 for a flight from Berlin). Plus your on a brand new or very young A320/319.

[dutchyankee]

Does anyone know if the refit has been completed and if it is only refitted to the A320/A319 or will also be in the A321? I will be flying from LED to LHR next week friday and want to know if I need to take the first row or not as I prefer having a row in front of me, but not with the new seat pitch for sure.

[LuganoPirate]

I have to agree with Andystock. I know several people who travel on the orange one to Milan, then fly onwards long haul taking advantage of the much cheaper ex Milan fares. Using the ViaMilano service he hands his bags to the viamilan desk at T2 who then arrange their onward transfer and he take the shuttle to T1. All very smooth and easy.

[flyingcanadian]

Good evening,
I have a trip to WAW planned and I would normally fly *A, as I have a GE card. However, BA are offering a CE return of £300 compared to £550+ on *A.
Should I suffer discomfort, no mileage credit on this short haul, please?
Reading the comments on this thread is enough to put me off flying CE for life! BTW, my choice is LX or LH with a change, but they now offer 150% mileage credit in J/C and I use the new T2.
Any comments greatly appreciated, and thank you.

[LuganoPirate]

As biased as I am towards *A FlyingCanadian, I would save the £250 and at least 2 hours and fly BA direct. If however you need the miles to requalify for Silver or Gold, them I would take LX or LH.

[flyingcanadian]

HI LP and thanks for the feedback.
No, thank you I have already flown over 100,000 miles this year, so have requalified easily. I just need to fly with SQ F/J class a bit more to keep “Solitaire”.
I was thinking along the same lines as you, and I am also biased towards *A, especially with the new T2, and actually some Loyal BA Pax who said they had flown LH & LX in Europe and found a superior product, ( 1 UP for *A!), but as you said £250 is a big saving on 2 1/2hrs flt! Also following all the comments from LOYAL BA Pax, CE seems to be getting worse! However, I am nearly in my 8th decade, so I like my comfort!
LP Thanks again and enjoy your weekend!

[TominScotland]

Just flown up to Helsinki on an A320 with the new seats, not in Business but in the Exit Row (12D) in Economy. I have to say the seat is really comfortable, gives good back support and there seems to be more elbow room as well, even though I did have a neighbour, Best thing was the leg room or rather the workspace. I had my laptop out for 90% of the journey and was able to work with comfort and plenty of space. If I had the choice, this would certainly be the option to go for on a 2’25” flight like mine.

[openfly]

Hi TinS

The emergency exit rows will generally give you more legroom, of course.

I flew to BHD and back this week and both sectors had the new config and seats. I sat in the rear part of the all y cabin. A strange thing. …there seems to be slightly greater seat pitch in the rear of the cabin compared to when the front cabin is in Club config. My knees were not in the back of the seat in front, as happens in CE.

It’s a similar situation to the 737s at LGW. When they put the extra rows in, they just reduced the seat pitch from row 11 back. It seems the seat pitch at the front of the 319/320s has suffered the same fate.

[esselle]

I flew back from OSL in 1C on Friday. I agree the new seats are very comfy, and the fixed table thingy between the seat is far better than just a vacant seat. I did, however, sit briefly in 2C as the aircraft was boarding, and would not have been dry happy to be sat there for 2 hours or so.

[747foreverforus]

Flew LGW to TFS (4 hours +) last week in 1d and 1f, quite miserable, front row leg room is not great as you can not stretch you legs, in seat table is very poor and shakes a lot when eating did not use a laptop but am sure this would have been equally as poor. Seat is very upright and only comfortable when in the reclined position. Crew had placed bags in the locker above row 1 which was slightly inconvenient especially considering that all bags need to be placed above for take off and landing.
As we boarded the new table was missing, the crew told me that they needed to remove this before take off and landing – not my experience from LHR ( they didn’t bother removing for landing)

Breakfast was offered and was ok, either English or selection of cold meats and cheese, sadly they ran out of champagne, and I was told that there was only 20 bottles for the return flight with a club cabin of 36 – to fly to serve!

The return journey was on an old BMI 320 (GMEDK) 1 d and 1 f with old seats , and no window! Food was very good better than club world, however this did not make up for the fact the seat was very uncomfortable and leg room seemed even less than the re-fitted 320 we flew out on.

Crew seemed convinced that the bulkhead and wardrobe in front of 1 A,B and C are to be removed when they refit the 319 fleet – anyone know if this is right?

Overall a very miserable experience, and it’s such a shame that BA management seem to put profit before service, but when you have an accountant in charge of business that is all about service what can you expect?

To Fly To Serve

[747foreverforus]

PS – forgot to mention that unless you are sitting in the A and C seats you can’t take full advantage of the silver BA speed marque ( as described as a feature of the new club Europe cabin in BA Business Life September 14), let’s face it if that what’s they are promoting as a benefit what else can you expect from an airline that treats it’s premium passengers with such contempt
To Fly To Serve

[pdwtrip]

My problem with the new seat is that in order to reduce the thickness the lumbar support is pretty much non existent – and soon gives back ache – which lasts after the trip is over. Legroom was tight – back ache worse.
Maybe it’s my height 6’2″ that is the problem.
Surgery called for?

[Chiantikid]

A little tip to make the seat slightly wider is to put the armrest up. I know that sounds obvious but it goes right into the back of the seat and doesn’t seem to encroach into your shoulder like most armrests seem to do.

[Author]

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