Readers of this magazine and my Ask Alex column have complained long and hard about the inflexible nature of British Airways’ pricing policy, especially in its premium cabins. The subject has also been discussed on our forum here.
Some have booked a premium class “seat sale” or excursion rate on ba.com only to find later that their plans change.
But instead of being able to switch flights, our readers have been faced with a change fee or, worse still, they lose a small fortune because their tickets are non-refundable.
It is true that during the booking process, ba.com informs the would-be passenger that he or she can upgrade to a flexible ticket by paying more. But the extra cost is exorbitant.
A return quasi-flexible London-New York business class ticket for a Monday to Friday stay costs £4,300 whereas a fully flexible BA ticket costs £6,160. In the case of Latin America, the flight price can double.
This is unlike the situation with BA’s rivals in mainland Europe. The same London-New York ticket booked with Lufthansa via Frankfurt costs £2,934 (quasi-flexible) and £3,449 (fully flexible). KLM has a similar policy.
Now comes the welcome news that BA has listened to its critics. It has unveiled a Business Bespoke scheme aimed at what it terms are ‘Mid Market’ travellers.
Business Bespoke grants a five per cent discount on the quasi-flexible fare (the return fare not requiring a Saturday night stay) in all classes. But more importantly the Business Bespoke offer turns the restrictive ticket into a flexible one.
Says Richard Tams, head of BA’s UK and Ireland sales, “Business Bespoke is a direct result of customer feedback. We’ve been listening to what the mid-market customer is asking for and we’ve built this option for them. It’s about giving them the pricing and flexibility they want and in turn building loyalty.”
That’s the positive news. On the negative side, BA is not throwing open this deal to all-comers. And I must stress that Business Bespoke fares cannot be booked with ba.com.
To obtain a Business Bespoke rate you:
- Must book through a participating travel agent. (Names are unavailable at time of writing but will include the TMCs)
- Must note that the fare is available on selected long-haul routes.
- Must be a member of BA’s On Business programme or American Airlines Business Extra.
- Must be a member of the frequent flyer schemes of one of these carriers: BA, Iberia, American and Qantas.
Check with your travel agent for further details.
Report by Alex McWhirter
