Are 'airline' credit cards worth it?

Perksy5

I'm being tempted more by virgins offering but I cant help but think avios seems like the better deal?

DullGreyGuy

Perksy5 said:

I'm being tempted more by virgins offering but I cant help but think avios seems like the better deal?

Where do you want to travel to? If it's the US then VS are fine. If you want more options then BA starts looking more interesting

Perksy5

DullGreyGuy said:

Perksy5 said:

I'm being tempted more by virgins offering but I cant help but think avios seems like the better deal?

Where do you want to travel to? If it's the US then VS are fine. If you want more options then BA starts looking more interesting

I'm partial to wherever really! I like the US, Mexico but would be nice to have options for the east as well e.g Thailand, Japan etc.
I'm guessing avios is going to be ticking that box but having said that nothing stopping me having the odd holiday with Kuoni for Thailand or does that just beat the whole idea? 
So many options!

silvercar

Perksy5 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Perksy5 said:

I'm being tempted more by virgins offering but I cant help but think avios seems like the better deal?

Where do you want to travel to? If it's the US then VS are fine. If you want more options then BA starts looking more interesting

I'm partial to wherever really! I like the US, Mexico but would be nice to have options for the east as well e.g Thailand, Japan etc.
I'm guessing avios is going to be ticking that box but having said that nothing stopping me having the odd holiday with Kuoni for Thailand or does that just beat the whole idea? 
So many options!

No reason you can’t book with kuoni and fly on reward flights with BA.

DullGreyGuy

Last time I checked there are no direct VS flights to Mexico (though they used to)

Ultimately it depends on how much you spend and your other earning opportunities... some earn enough Avios to in theory buy all their personal flights using them but many are more realistically going to be able to get the occasional trip using miles and others will be paid with cash... it doesn't defeat the purpose but some may investigate if it represents best value -v- direct booking (though with a minority of agents you can still get your Avios from flights flown)

lr1277

I read the Head for Points site. The gossip on there seems to be that Virgin offer a better product both at the terminal and in the air, but BA fly to more destinations. IT at BA gets a pasting though.

If you are flying stateside, there is the relationship between Virgin and Delta. So if you want to go to somewhere in America of Mexico, whilst Virgin might not fly there direct, there is a chance you could get a connecting flight using Delta, all booked through Virgin.

It has been announced Virgin are joining the Skyteam alliance, though I don't know exactly when. Also I don't know if joining the Skyteam alliance will alter the current relationship Virgin have with Delta.

The suggestion was made earlier about the Head for Points website. Some of their articles are useful and interesting. If you want to get a handle on the pitfalls of various hotel and airline loyalty schemes, you could do worse than reading the forums.

That is both the daily forum chat, and the forums about specific hotel, airline or credit card schemes. This may help plan your strategy as to how you earn points and then spend them.

HTH.

Perksy5

lr1277 said:

I read the Head for Points site. The gossip on there seems to be that Virgin offer a better product both at the terminal and in the air, but BA fly to more destinations. IT at BA gets a pasting though.

If you are flying stateside, there is the relationship between Virgin and Delta. So if you want to go to somewhere in America of Mexico, whilst Virgin might not fly there direct, there is a chance you could get a connecting flight using Delta, all booked through Virgin.

It has been announced Virgin are joining the Skyteam alliance, though I don't know exactly when. Also I don't know if joining the Skyteam alliance will alter the current relationship Virgin have with Delta.

The suggestion was made earlier about the Head for Points website. Some of their articles are useful and interesting. If you want to get a handle on the pitfalls of various hotel and airline loyalty schemes, you could do worse than reading the forums.

That is both the daily forum chat, and the forums about specific hotel, airline or credit card schemes. This may help plan your strategy as to how you earn points and then spend them.

HTH.

I missed the head for points info so thanks for bringing this up. I'll certainly take a look.
Thank you all!

DullGreyGuy

lr1277 said:

I read the Head for Points site. The gossip on there seems to be that Virgin offer a better product both at the terminal and in the air, but BA fly to more destinations. 

In my opinion, as above, they offer a better product on a parallel basis but BA offer a First class cabin which VS don't. Both however are put to shame by the offerings from the large Middle & Far East airlines. 

Marchitiello

Recent changes means that the Amex BAPP companion voucher can be used also on Iberia and AirLingus (it was not the case before), but also purely as Rewards currency, it can be transferred to Qatar Airways and it may offer actual better value  for both Avios need and Tax & Fees charged.

lr1277

I have not flown BA business class nor Virgin Upper Class recently.

However I am under the impression that both BA business class and Virgin UC are priced as business class fares.

However Virgin UC is a better product.

So in terms of ranking from worst to best it would go:

BA business -> Virgin UC -> BA First

Am I right in my thinking? Advice from anyone who has flown all these classes?