[Cwego]

Hi,

Hoping someone can help. Basically my employer has new rules that allows booking premium economy for flights over 5 hours, but economy under 5.

I’m freelance and have to arrange/pay flights myself then claim it back as expenses.

So as an example, I fly from central Scotland, and for typical long haul it’s either LHR or AMS to change.

My problem is that I cannot find any sites that allow the class to be changed for each leg, even multi city doesn’t facilitate this.
I know I could book the short flights separately, but having done this in the past it’s a PITA, as even when using same airline you have to collect baggage and go through the whole checkin and security process again.

I even messaged BA earlier and they said I can only do this by phoning them. Really?
I’m quite astounded that this fairly simple option isn’t there to be chosen!

At advice much appreciated.

Thanks

p.s. For some reason I couldn’t select ‘Flights’ as the forum for this post as it’s greyed our, so went for ‘Ask the travel manager’. Sorry if this is wrong.

[nibbler]

I would check with your client that the overall trip counts in this situation; I have to go to Cleveland occasionally which requires a transit somewhere on the way as there isnt a direct flight. I can fly business for the whole trip as the whole thing takes 10 hours +

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Cwego

[SwissExPat]

@Cwego…. I have also oftern worndered how to do this but have never found out.

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Cwego

[capetonianm]

It’s almost impossible to do it on any website I know of.
It is easily done on a GDS, meaning you need to use the services of a competent travel agent.
Bear in mind that a through fare in W or J can work out less than doing a ‘mix and match’ of different classes.

[Ahmad]

[postquote quote=975728]
Don’t think it would be of much use to the OP, but the Emirates website has this facility. Having said that, I agree with @capetonianm that it is invariably more expensive to do it this way. Through tickets in one class are usually cheaper.

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Cwego

[Cwego]

You’re absolutely right there. When I was an FTE at the last consultancy, the contracted travel agents for the business just had to be sent an email of routes, dates and desired class for each leg, then quite quickly they’d this easily send a table with exactly what I’ve been trying to do!

[Swissdiver]

Total travel time has to be considered. That said, it you book PE for a long haul flight, the short haul one will always come in economy as there is no PE available.

There is however another way to do this: negotiate an amount for flights and do whatever you want, which could include an extra stop to be able to travel in better conditions.

[Ahmad]

@Swissdiver, the short haul does not always come in economy. Try booking to/from Inverness on the BA website in PE and the domestic comes in Business.

[Swissdiver]

[postquote quote=976116][/postquote]

OK. Never had that experience though…

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=976116]Try booking to/from Inverness on the BA website in PE and the domestic comes in Business.[/quote]

That’s interesting. I checked flights from EDI to SIN via LHR in premium economy and again the domestic sector would be in business.

As a matter of interest there is no APD payable for flights departing INV.

[SwissExPat]

I have once purchased a Y+ flight with Alitaila (ex ZRH to USA via FCO). The fare was very reasonable and the ZRH to FCO sector was in C which was a real surprise to me (I was in Y+ for the long haul sector).

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

BA currently have an “offer” on for Premium Economy where domestic or European connections at moment are being upgraded to Club. Usually these would be Economy.

With regards to splitting fare classes. It can sometimes be done (depends on carrier) but most of the time you’ll be paying the Premium/Business Class level all the way through. So in effect you are just downgrading yourself. You can go out 1 class and back another. But from most European markets you can’t split by sector (Australia is an exception on some fare offerings).

Talk to a decent agent and they can explain. More than happy to help!

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Woodpecker, Swissdiver, Ahmad

[Ahmad]

I didn’t actually buy the ticket but checked fares from Inverness (to try and avoid APD) back in June and the INV-LHR-INV sectors were in business. Has the offer been there since June?

[LuganoPirate]

The Swiss.com and Emirates website are the only ones I know where this can be done easily.

[Author]

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