Need Advice On British Airways

[Keith1010]

I know that I could post this on another board but since this relates to our upcoming Seabourn Cruise and some of you fly British Airways regularly and I greatly value the opinions of the regular posters of this board I was hoping some of you could give me some advice.

 

For our upcoming cruise on Seabourn out of Copenhagen we will be flying Business Class on one of the US carriers over to London. Our plan is to take a British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Copenhagen. Normally, when we use BA on these short haul flights (think this is about 2 hours) we just go economy class but we were comparing this to Business Club for this particular flight and I wanted to see if I could get some advice on this.

 

First question. I realize that when we fly BA economy class that we can't get our seat assignements until 24 hours of the flight (on line) or the day of the flight if we can't get to on line facilities prior to that. When you fly Business Club can you get your seat assignment at the time of making the reservation?

 

Second question. When we arrive at the airport if we wait on a line to get our boarding pass and to check in our bags rather than using the kiosk and then taking our bags to the check in area for the bags as is the case with the US Carriers are there special lines for those traveling Business Club and are they quicker and shorter than the economy lines?

 

Lastly. Any opinion on going Business Club vs. Economy for a 2 hour flight?

 

Would greatly appreciate input on this.

 

Thanks so very much.

 

Keith

[CASHIPman]

First question. I realize that when we fly BA economy class that we can't get our seat assignements until 24 hours of the flight (on line) or the day of the flight if we can't get to on line facilities prior to that. When you fly Business Club can you get your seat assignment at the time of making the reservation?

 

Yes. Your best bet is to check in online 24 hours before departure (assuming you're not somewhere over the atlantic at that time!)

 

Second question. When we arrive at the airport if we wait on a line to get our boarding pass and to check in our bags rather than using the kiosk and then taking our bags to the check in area for the bags as is the case with the US Carriers are there special lines for those traveling Business Club and are they quicker and shorter than the economy lines?

 

There is segregration between Club passengers and economy passengers but you'll still be directed towards kiosks before getting to a desk to drop your bags. The Club lines will be shorter/quicker.

 

Lastly. Any opinion on going Business Club vs. Economy for a 2 hour flight?

 

Well, if you're simply after a flight then, to me, that depends on the cost between economy and club. Seats in Club are 2 x 3 vs. economy of 3 x 3 and there's more legroom in Club. If there were a great price differential I'd go for economy...after all, it's only two hours. If you were after more than just the flight, (i.e. frequent flyer miles, etc.) then go Club.

[norm2002]

Keith

It may be different for you if you are connecting from a transaltantic flight but for me the biggest advantage of flying BA Club in Europe rather than coach is that I can check two bags instead of one.

Norm

[shefinch]

Flying club in Europe also means you get a decent meal as opposed to a sandwich!! (and champagne!!!)

[CASHIPman]

Keith

 

It may be different for you if you are connecting from a transaltantic flight but for me the biggest advantage of flying BA Club in Europe rather than coach is that I can check two bags instead of one.

 

Norm

 

Norm is quite correct. Club will give you 2 pieces vs. economy's one piece. If you are connecting from a US carrier via London to Copenhagen they may check your bags all the way to Copenhagen. However, if you're traveling BA from Europe (or anywhere) to LON and connecting onto a US carrier (other than American) and you have purchased two separate tickets (i.e. one from BA Europe to London and a completely separate one on another carrier to the US) BA will only check your bag to LON, and if you're in economy they'll only allow one piece for free.

 

I hope this makes a bit of sense!

[PeaSea8ch]

Norm is quite correct. Club will give you 2 pieces vs. economy's one piece. If you are connecting from a US carrier via London to Copenhagen they may check your bags all the way to Copenhagen. However, if you're traveling BA from Europe (or anywhere) to LON and connecting onto a US carrier (other than American) and you have purchased two separate tickets (i.e. one from BA Europe to London and a completely separate one on another carrier to the US) BA will only check your bag to LON, and if you're in economy they'll only allow one piece for free.

Hopefully to clear the waters a bit, you can fly a US carrier to Europe and connect with a European carrier on separate tickets and have your baggage checked to your final destination provided both airlines have a baggage contract / agreeement with each other. However, as Norm points out, if your flights are in different classes of service or the airlines themselves have differernt baggage allowances, then there may be some details and extra costs that need to be worked out when you check in for your flights. I think this same procedure would work flying back to the US but I have not personnaly done this. It would be best if your TA checked with the airlines for your specific itinerary.

[CASHIPman]

Hopefully to clear the waters a bit, you can fly a US carrier to Europe and connect with a European carrier on separate tickets and have your baggage checked to your final destination provided both airlines have a baggage contract / agreeement with each other. However, as Norm points out, if your flights are in different classes of service or the airlines themselves have differernt baggage allowances, then there may be some details and extra costs that need to be worked out when you check in for your flights. I think this same procedure would work flying back to the US but I have not personnaly done this. It would be best if your TA checked with the airlines for your specific itinerary.

 

I'm afraid BA's policy is no. If the itineraries are on separate tickets then baggage is only checked to the final point of the first ticket. So, for argument's sake, if someone was traveling on one ticket Copenhagen to London on BA, and then on a separately purchased ticket from London to Chicago on UA, BA will only check the bag to London, not to Chicago. If the itinerary was a on one ticket with a change of carrier, then BA would tag the bag to the final destination.

 

The reason it probably works in reverse (i.e. Chicago London on UA; London Copenhagen on BA) is that UA may not have the same policy and once the bag is through tagged the receiving carrier (BA) won't know (or care at this point) whether the journey is on a through ticket or a separate ticket.

[PeaSea8ch]

I'm afraid BA's policy is no. If the itineraries are on separate tickets then baggage is only checked to the final point of the first ticket. So, for argument's sake, if someone was traveling on one ticket Copenhagen to London on BA, and then on a separately purchased ticket from London to Chicago on UA, BA will only check the bag to London, not to Chicago. If the itinerary was a on one ticket with a change of carrier, then BA would tag the bag to the final destination.

 

The reason it probably works in reverse (i.e. Chicago London on UA; London Copenhagen on BA) is that UA may not have the same policy and once the bag is through tagged the receiving carrier (BA) won't know (or care at this point) whether the journey is on a through ticket or a separate ticket.

CASHIPman, My bad. This thread is about British Airways and my mind wandered off to Delta and Spanair. Sorry :o

[sue marco]

Keith - we always do what you do too. US carrier across the Atlantic to London, and then we pick up British Airways from London for the European leg. However we usually stay a few days or more in London to see family and friends. We then go in great trepidation to Heathrow as doing a stopover in London translates your trip to two seperate tickets. And then British airways always gets us on the weight of our bags which traveled across the Atlantic quite happily without comment or charge. One year we were charged 550 pounds (about $900) on our bags for a one way two hour flight (or less) London to Nice. Upon complaining to the supervisor at check in we were told that BA would probably give her a commendation for making them extra money if we wrote in to complain. Nice customer service attitude! And don't even get me going on carry on luggage. Prepare to have your "wheelie" weighed without exception at the boarding gate. And if it is over you have to remove your valuables and see it disappear down to the hold. Or I have been known to unpack heavy bits and pieces and put them in a seperate plastic bag, which seems to be fine and then they allow it on. The allowance for economy carry on is about three kilos less than for business class - and neither are generous. The reason given is for safety during turbulence and having "flying" wheelies. Presumably business class passengers have tougher heads, and can better withstand the extra three kilos toppling down on them.:confused: I really like British airways once I get in the air - but I really dread their officious ground staff at Heathrow. Funnily enough we don't usually have any hassle from BA staff in European airports on our return to London. Must be a Brit thing - and I can say that being British originally! I think it's well worth going Business class in Europe if at all possible - just think of the extra three kilos!! Sue.

[CASHIPman]

Keith - we always do what you do too. US carrier across the Atlantic to London, and then we pick up British Airways from London for the European leg. However we usually stay a few days or more in London to see family and friends. We then go in great trepidation to Heathrow as doing a stopover in London translates your trip to two seperate tickets. And then British airways always gets us on the weight of our bags which traveled across the Atlantic quite happily without comment or charge. One year we were charged 550 pounds (about $900) on our bags for a one way two hour flight (or less) London to Nice. Upon complaining to the supervisor at check in we were told that BA would probably give her a commendation for making them extra money if we wrote in to complain. Nice customer service attitude! And don't even get me going on carry on luggage. Prepare to have your "wheelie" weighed without exception at the boarding gate. And if it is over you have to remove your valuables and see it disappear down to the hold. Or I have been known to unpack heavy bits and pieces and put them in a seperate plastic bag, which seems to be fine and then they allow it on. The allowance for economy carry on is about three kilos less than for business class - and neither are generous. The reason given is for safety during turbulence and having "flying" wheelies. Presumably business class passengers have tougher heads, and can better withstand the extra three kilos toppling down on them.:confused: I really like British airways once I get in the air - but I really dread their officious ground staff at Heathrow. Funnily enough we don't usually have any hassle from BA staff in European airports on our return to London. Must be a Brit thing - and I can say that being British originally! I think it's well worth going Business class in Europe if at all possible - just think of the extra three kilos!! Sue.

 

Hi Sue...

If you're travelling BA after 04JUL, then there will be no weighing of carryon. It'll need to fit in the gauge but if you can lift it into the overhead, it can go. Size matters. (no smirking from the peanut gallery!).

 

The cost of excess baggage is changing in October. I don't know what you checked that cost nearly USD1000.00 but if it was one piece within Europe and doesn't weigh more than 23kg, I think it'll be in the GBP90.00 range. Currently, the excess baggage rates for intra-European flights is (I think) based on a small percentage of the First class fare for the journey per kilo. That adds up quickly!

 

Regarding separate tickets...you can have a stopover in London and still be "through" ticketed. A separate ticket is (in very simplistic terms) when you physically have one set of tickets for part of the journey (i.e. Chicago-London-Chicago) and a second set for another part, (i.e. London-Nice-London). You could have one ticket that goes Chicago London (stop) Nice London Chicago. When this is the case, BA will allow the more generous trans-atlantic allowance (2pcs) on the intra-European flights.

[CASHIPman]

CASHIPman, My bad. This thread is about British Airways and my mind wandered off to Delta and Spanair. Sorry :o

 

Well, as my British friends might say, "You've put a 'spanair' in the works!"

 

:D

[Keith1010]

Thank you all for the helpful advice. I have called British Airways to get the associated pricing.

 

On a related note, I think it will be better when they allow you to check in two bags per person instead of the current limit of 51 lbs for checked in pieces on the regional flights. Unfortunately, that change won't help us for this trip. I did ask them about the additional weight for this specific flight so I have that information.

 

Last year we flew a US Carrier RT into London Gatwick and make our own separate reservations via British Airways as we were staying over in London on both legs of the trip. They did honor our US luggage allowance as if we had a combined ticket which was nice and did not charge us additional money for the luggage that was above the limit. That was a nice suprise since the ticket reservation agent who we spoke to on the phone thought they would.

 

This time we are going through Heathrow and are staying over before our BA flight. But, at least we are only going on way in terms of the cost that we will pay. This time we will expect them to pay us.

 

Interestingly enough we need a one way flight with BA. When I checked the pricing on line if I put in a round trip flight the cost of the flight for business club was 25 percent of the fare that was shown for the same flight but just one way. I know that US airlines do similar things but this was significantly more than I thought it would be for one way vs. round trip.

 

Keith

[bldsld]

Keith,

 

You should book the round-trip and burn the return ticket. If the airlines insist on penalizing travelers for one-way tickets, it seems there is no alternative but to book r/t. If their load factor on the return becomes skewed, it's their own darn fault, IMHO. Maybe pricing will become more fair, although I'm not holding my breath.

 

It seems that the most difficult part of crusing has become the air.

 

Denyse

[sue marco]

It seems that the most difficult part of crusing has become the air.

 

Denyse

 

Hi Denise - I'll drink to that!! And to think that years ago I used to look forward to the air flight as if it was the beginning and part of my holiday. Now I just dread it as it seems to be stress, stress, and more stress. (As an aside I still don't have my Seabourn catalog:mad: . I'm going to call the Club desk tomorrow although I did read your post about the fact that it is outsourced). Sue.

[Keith1010]

Keith,

 

You should book the round-trip and burn the return ticket. If the airlines insist on penalizing travelers for one-way tickets, it seems there is no alternative but to book r/t. If their load factor on the return becomes skewed, it's their own darn fault, IMHO. Maybe pricing will become more fair, although I'm not holding my breath.

 

It seems that the most difficult part of crusing has become the air.

 

Denyse

 

Thanks for the advice Denyse and, yes, the air, has become the real challenge.

 

I find the weight limitations that many airlines have of 50 lbs. to be rediculous. For example, on a US Carrier many times you can take two pieces but each piece has a limit of 50 lbs. Well, we've learned that if you fill up a 28" piece of luggage depending on what you pack it could exceed 50 lbs. by a few lbs. Why not say you have a limit of 100 lbs per person with each piece not to exceed 70 lbs. That way you could have one piece at 52 lbs and say another at 48 lbs. On our last trip we filled two 28'' pieces and one was something like 49.9 lbs and the other was 49.2 lbs and the challenge was on the trip home to make sure we essentially did the same thing so that one was not a hair above 50 lbs. I for one don't want to be standing at the airport counter moving items around to balance everything off. And I can't tell you how many of us now stand on a scale with our luggage in hand (not an easy trick) to check the weight of each piece.

 

Keith

[T&T Vikings]

Keith 1010,

 

have you serched for a local airline , in Scandinavia ? like Sterling Airways : www.sterlingticket.com

 

We use them alot going in and out Gatwick and Stansted airports.

its not fancy but sometimes it do not matter when flight is only less than 2 hours.

but here like any other watch for you extra weight !

 

T&T Vikings

[Globaliser]

The cost of excess baggage is changing in October.

A British Airways announcement yesterday, which may help some people travelling in the next few months:-

 

Delay to the implementation of checked and excess baggage policy

 

Summary

Following the introduction of new hand baggage restrictions by the UK Department for Transport, the decision has been taken to delay the implementation of the checked and excess baggage policy.

 

The new policy, announced in June, was due to be implemented from October 11, 2006, but will now be launched when we are clearer on the longer-term plans for hand baggage restrictions for all airlines in the UK and around the world.

 

We believe it is prudent to delay the launch so that we can undertake a full review of the policy, in light of the UK government's restrictions on hand baggage. This will allow us to understand fully the implications for the changes we had planned for our checked baggage allowances and excess baggage charges.

 

More information

We continue to work closely with the DfT and BAA to manage the implementation of the new hand baggage restrictions for customers departing UK airports and to ensure that we have a robust and sustainable long-term solution.

Cabin baggage restrictions continue to apply when departing from UK airports - you need to look at the BA website or that of the appropriate airport for details near the time of your flight (they're liable to change at very short notice).