[SergeantMajor]

Don’t forget your onbusiness number, especially if you’re booking premium cabins.

The current double ob points promo makes booking Club World for your Christmas jaunt even more appealing.

On your point above, this is how markets function, Martyn.

It’s often possible to get CE for not much more or even less than Y exEurope, simply because the demand for Y can be higher as pointed out above due to restrictive travel policies which specify cabin of travel, rather than cost.

[rferguson]

Martyn, had a look. The only seats that are ‘blocked’ on both days are 4E and 11E (bascinet seats) and 11K (Pilot rest seat).

A ground based colleague of mine tells me that despite BA’s rather unfair charge to allow passengers to choose their J class seat at time of booking the system generally allocates ‘group’ (ie 2+ pax on same PNR) seats at the time of booking anyway. It’s just that no-one will be able to tell you what seats they actually are! It does help as generally couples etc do get seated together despite not paying for the seat selection option. I’m not sure but I would imagine this would show as ‘occupied’ on the seat map I have access to (I only have access to a seatmap that shows which seats are occupied/available/blocked/paid).

It’s quite funny, BKK used to be one of the most sought after trips for cabin crew to operate. Now it’s become one of the least with the new timings. There is a thread running on the BA crew forum saying that the passenger profile has completely changed now that it is timed to connect with domestic ‘island’ flights. Let’s just say that it’s been renamed ‘the backpacker express’. I’m sure you will avoid the riff raff in J though Martyn. 🙂

Hope this helps anyway and enjoy your trip!

***These are my personal opinions only***

[RichardB]

I don’t see what the problem is with overlapping fares (economy costing more than business class for example).

What would you expect the airline to do?

Increase the business class fare to keep them above the highest economy class fares: why would they do that? They haven’t sold the business class seat at the fare so far, so increasing it is hardly going to get the seat sold. For some passengers the price will not decide whether they fly BA in business OR economy, but BA in business or another airline in business. Business class price up = they do not fly BA.

Decrease the economy class fares and keep them below the lowest business class: sounds a recipe for the airline to lose revenue. As mentioned some people on corporate travel policies will buy those expensive economy tickets anyway, so why reduce the economy fare if they will be sold at the higher fare anyway.

The airline can oversell some cabins eg will drop availability of the cheap business class fares if high priced economy is selling well. They can always upgrade people on the day and fill the business class seats with pax on economy tickets. This is quite visible on the booking class availability when lower priced business is zero availability but still higher economy buckets.

Who exactly is complaining about “prices that fall out of line”? People buying their own tickets who don’t put in enough effort to research the prices and realize they could fly business class cheaper than economy?

[MartynSinclair]

Thanks RF – appreciate the information.

With regards to “this is how markets work” – I would have thought a premium product is devalued somewhat by being sold cheaper than a non premium product.

On the other hand though, an airline could manipulate these fares, when they occur (i.e. increase the premium fares), in the same way that reward flight availability is manipulated by some airlines..

[RichardB]

I think the people paying the higher (more flexible) fares will accept that they are paying for the flexibility and ability to book late. Otherwise they would book early on non refundable tickets and pay less. So there is a price to pay not just for a premium product but also flexibility as well.

Also the airlines no doubt think it’s good to have some lower entry prices for business class. You give those who would otherwise never try it a chance to find out what it’s like and perhaps they then decide in the future that it is worth a bit extra.

I think 10-15 years ago there were not many cut price sales in business class. Prices were prices and more rigid in the way you describe.

[Bullfrog]

Years ago, many business classes had a spouse fare where the second ticket was half price.

[MartynSinclair]

@RF

Now made reservations on BA9/10 (J). I find it quite astonishing that 2 weeks out, that all window seats have been taken, but most aisle and middle seats are free.

Ultimately, I chose BA because of the enhanced avios I will receive which equate to 13 economy or 6 club European sectors which makes the ticket, virtually for nothing…

ex-Milan now longer works for BKK, without an additional night stop in Milan on the way back, due to the new day flight timings. So its good bye Milan and hello Amsterdam…

However, here are two advantages that come with this trip.

1. both AMS and BKK or from T5, so no need for the terminal hop (cuts back on at least 3 security checks in 1 day)

2. Less time in the air doing the AMS shuffle

I will provide a full report after the flights.

I am not looking forward to a 777 trip after so many years in the bubble of the -400 – BUT, I will travel with an open mind..

[FormerlyDoS]

Have a good trip.

[Biggless]

One point I have not noticed mentioned is with regards to refundablity. I think you will very often find that a fully flexible and refundable economy ticket (particularly on short haul) is more expensive than a non fundable (but changeable for a fee) business class. I suppose there is a logic to that ! But life would be oh so much simpler if you had less fare options.

[OneA]

Frankly, who’s to question a relative bargain? Keep quiet about it and just book. I’ve done a F return LHR to LAS for June (daughters 21st) for £900 cheaper per person than J!! That was in the recent luxury seat sale too.

[Hermes1964]

If you are subject to company travel policy that only entitles you to PE, it’s a huge relief to find a J fare that comes in lower than PE. Long may this continue!!

[IanFromHKG]

Hermes1964 – only if your policy is flexible enough to allow you a cheaper J fare. Otherwise you sit in a lower class, fuming that you could have been more comfortable, and the company could have saved money, but you weren’t allowed to because “rules are rules”…

[Author]

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