When is business class not business class

budgetflyer

Organising your life around gift cards bought from tesco via an Amex is probably most efficient way of collecting Avios.
Ive converted 3vs to Asda, Sainsbury, Marks n Sparks, Flaming Grill gift cards.Paid Virgin with them and recently changed my electricity to OVO so I can rinse a few hundred a month through them too.
Then theres a couple of hundred a month B&Q and Argos
I buy the £53.95(visas) when we have money off vouchers and/or Helping hand vouchers. I pay the council tax with these and normally cycle a few hundred through NS&I.
I must of used about 60 or so of the bonus vouchers in the Christmas magazines

dickydonkin

jpsartre wrote: »

For me, the main benefits of Club are now down to the extra tier points and lounge access and since I'm currently Silver I get the latter anyway.

Having just returned from Vietnam flying with QR in 'J' makes you realise just how much BA have devalued their 'business class' product.

The T5 Lounge was (as usual) like a zoo with kids running around out of control and bare sweaty feet propped up on tables all over the place.

The difference flying Qatar was mind boggling, cheaper that BA and earned more tier points than I would have using BA.

I used BA for positioning flights from Amsterdam (saved a fortune flying flying out of Europe) but used Club Europe and it certainly is a very poor product. The saving grace was that I booked a reward flight saver using Avios and cash, but for those paying full fare and expecting a decent 'business class' experience, then the disappointment is understandable.

Nick_C

I wonder if part of the problem might simply have been that it was Xmas Eve? I flew back from Philadelphia on new year's eve. The BA lounge was locked and in darkness. No notice to say why, or where the nearest alternative was.

I did use the BA Lounge at Heathrow T3 on the way out, and thought it was excellent.

I've been upgraded to Club Europe a couple of times in the past but would never pay for it. Domestic First in the US is so much better with proper wide seats at a reasonable price. Why can't BA offer the same on short haul?

duchy

andycris3107 wrote: »

When I spoke yesterday with CS they said that business class baggage is separated from normal baggage and that it should definitely come off first. She did however say that while it may come off first from the plane it is entirely down to the baggage team at the destination to ensure it's first off the belt.


In terms of air miles there are so many stories out there about how they are now so reduced in value, difficult to use, restricted, or subject to heavy fees, that they are almost worthless.

I'd imagine the fact you were flying on a very busy flying day didn't help- Christmas eve tends to make airports rather congested and flights quite full.

I've always tended to transfer BA miles to other One World carriers as I prefer not to pay stupidly high taxes although AVIOS works well when upgrading.

duchy

Nick_C wrote: »

I've been upgraded to Club Europe a couple of times in the past but would never pay for it. Domestic First in the US is so much better with proper wide seats at a reasonable price. Why can't BA offer the same on short haul?

When something is worse than USA domestic first -you *know* you are in trouble !!

I do agree with you that Club Europe isn't worth the premium -but I feel the same about USA first.....it's better than Club Europe but for most routes not worth a paid upgrade (but then free upgrades are more common anyway in the US than BA Europe)

SW17

dickydonkin wrote: »

Having just returned from Vietnam flying with QR in 'J' makes you realise just how much BA have devalued their 'business class' product.

The T5 Lounge was (as usual) like a zoo with kids running around out of control and bare sweaty feet propped up on tables all over the place.

The difference flying Qatar was mind boggling, cheaper that BA and earned more tier points than I would have using BA.

I used BA for positioning flights from Amsterdam (saved a fortune flying flying out of Europe) but used Club Europe and it certainly is a very poor product. The saving grace was that I booked a reward flight saver using Avios and cash, but for those paying full fare and expecting a decent 'business class' experience, then the disappointment is understandable.

I've found Qatar Airways business class to be variable, as they have quite a mixed fleet. It's good in 777 (haven't been on their 787 or A380, but guess also good), but they still use quite a few A340s and it's inferior to BA on that IMO (and First more inferior on A340). You do usually get more tier points, but you get less Avios compared to flying with BA if you're BA Silver or above. Depends what is more important to you.

All BA short haul business class now gives you for your money is a spare seat next to you, lounge access (if you don't have it from frequent flyer status), and more tier points (if you are paying a cash fare). The legroom has largely gone and the catering has been economised. Agree with you that it's hard to justify the premium in price outside of upgrade offers and discounted fares, especially if you already have status with BA/oneworld.

dickydonkin

SW17 wrote: »

I've found Qatar Airways business class to be variable, as they have quite a mixed fleet. It's good in 777 (haven't been on their 787 or A380, but guess also good), but they still use quite a few A340s and it's inferior to BA on that IMO (and First more inferior on A340). You do usually get more tier points, but you get less Avios compared to flying with BA if you're BA Silver or above. Depends what is more important to you.

All BA short haul business class now gives you for your money is a spare seat next to you, lounge access (if you don't have it from frequent flyer status), and more tier points (if you are paying a cash fare). The legroom has largely gone and the catering has been economised. Agree with you that it's hard to justify the premium in price outside of upgrade offers and discounted fares, especially if you already have status with BA/oneworld.

Qatar flights were on their 777's and 380 - the latter I found the cabin a little crowded, but the on board lounge/bar was good and seemed underused.

QR's new lounge at Doha and their facility at Heathrow T4 were a different class from the lounges provided at BA's hub - and that includes their First lounge and Concorde room.

SW17

dickydonkin wrote: »

QR's new lounge at Doha and their facility at Heathrow T4 were a different class from the lounges provided at BA's hub - and that includes their First lounge and Concorde room.

Haven't flown QR since they moved to the new airport, am sure the lounge is fantastic (as it should be, given the state backing they get). The old one was pretty good despite the tedious bus journey to get to it. Don't think the QR lounge in T4 is anything special personally, though neither is the Concorde Room (apart from the door to it and a better class of drinks, if that's your thing). First world problems, I guess...

andycris3107

duchy wrote: »

I'd imagine the fact you were flying on a very busy flying day didn't help- Christmas eve tends to make airports rather congested and flights quite full.

I've always tended to transfer BA miles to other One World carriers as I prefer not to pay stupidly high taxes although AVIOS works well when upgrading.

Very weirdly I expected to arrive at the airport and find it in a state of chaos. I fly a lot so I've seem most UK airports at their best and their worst. On this day I was really surprised as the whole place seemed empty. it was an afternoon flight on Xmas eve which I expected to be a really busy time. I sailed through security in seconds, and the whole terminal had an air of emptiness around it - like suddenly the world had realised that flying last minute was not the best thing to do. The flight itself though was full.

callum9999

SW17 wrote: »

Haven't flown QR since they moved to the new airport, am sure the lounge is fantastic (as it should be, given the state backing they get). The old one was pretty good despite the tedious bus journey to get to it. Don't think the QR lounge in T4 is anything special personally, though neither is the Concorde Room (apart from the door to it and a better class of drinks, if that's your thing). First world problems, I guess...

By "state backing" are you just repeating a rumour as fact, or do you have any evidence of that?