Upper Class vs BA Business

Hi Guys, to cut a long story short, I was waiting to book some flights for LHR - SYD next year over christmas, but as I was wanting to fly back in January, I have to wait for the return to become available.

I was initially planning to upgrade, but since all the outbound reward seats have already gone, that's a no go.

Then I decided to buy a discount Upper class, and upgrade on the way back, only to be told today that all the discounted fares after the 8th December have been sold. I had a look yesterday and there was loads left but alas, there are none in any class for that matter today!

So my question is, how does BA Business compare with Virgin UC as it looks very much like BA, or another airline will now be getting my business, as it's likely to be around 1000 cheaper per person.

Thanks

There's nothing wrong with the BA product. I like the way their seat can go flat without having to get up to convert it, which also means you can have something half way unlike the VS one. If it's 1000 cheaper I'd take it, VS is not worth the extra money. The only issue I have is not being able to reserve seats until OLCI opens, unless you have status, but I travel alone, if in a group I don't think it would matter too much.

Or pay extra to select your seat.

You can't reserve BA seats until OLCI opens? That's not too bad for me, as long as I get 2 together.

To be honest, anything is better than flying with Virgin right now, i'm fed up of their seating policy, it's ridiculous!

quote:Originally posted by locutusThe only issue I have is not being able to reserve seats until OLCI opens, unless you have status, but I travel alone, if in a group I don't think it would matter too much.


But you can pay to reserve a seat on BA!

For the OP, buying a discount UC one way and PE return would not have worked anyway. Z's and R's (and I think D's too) are only available as return fares. You would have to have bought a PE S fare and upgraded with miles both ways ... but as you say, it's around Christmas, and hens' teeth come to mind.

What are the BA business lounges like by the way?

Slinkey09

It is possible, I've already been quoted prices by the flying club.

If you want to price one up online, just use the multi city search

BA lounges in T5 are excellent lounges - pretty good free food, lots of good drinking to be had. The Virgin product here is still a clear market leader, but you learn to make do when it costs a grand less to fly BA [;)]

I like being able to walk up to a bar, and being served something interesting by someone who understands how to mix drinks, and can talk to the difference between the various wine offerings. That's what I missed the most in the BA lounges at T5.

Having just looked at the Business details on BA, they do look very good though! I was struggling to see any difference between the two really.

I'm just really hacked off with Virgin, I can book the seats I want for the full journey today with BA, but have to wait 2 weeks with virgin, by which time, the last remaining discounted UC tickets will have gone.

How do other airlines compare with their Business Class experience then? Quantas, Singapore, Emirates etc?

Side note on business lounges - my parents flew to sydney with BA a couple of months a go and the flight didn't go from T5. I don't recall whether it was 1 or 3 but I doubt the lounges there are as swanky as the newer T5 stuff. Just something to be aware of - BA does not necessarily = T5.

quote:Originally posted by slinky09
For the OP, buying a discount UC one way and PE return would not have worked anyway. Z's and R's (and I think D's too) are only available as return fares.

I'm sure I did just that a few years ago - bought a K outbound and used miles to upgrade it (when you could still upgrade K) and even bought a CDC with 10k miles, the return was a Z...

Cheers
Michael

As a 6'3' person my choice is vs over ba purely beause the vs bed is 6' inches longer! Also when sitting next to window in ba cw getting out can be quite a challenge especially if the person sitting in the aisle seat is sleeping! In terms of crew ba are more formal whereas virgin crew will chat to you at the bar and come across as being more freindly. And finally the vs heathrow clubhouse is fantastic. However with a price differnce in the 1000's between the two I would choose ba as they both pretty much deliver the same product but in different ways.

If you are thinking of Business Class would I be correct to suggest the other airlines to OZ do it better?

(I am assuming that the OP has no pressing reasons for choosing BA or VS)

The only reason I chose Virgin was because last year I flew Premium to Cape Town with them in PE and was pretty impressed. I also got the chance to go into the Clubhouse at LHR and in fact through to UC on the plane and sit at the bar as a couple of members of our party were flying UC and getting married.

I got a fair few points too as our flight was delayed, so have been collecting ever since. I was planning to use all my miles as I have over 100k now, but there are no reward seats going, and now no discounted seats either. I did have the chance to buy a one way reward seat but didn't hoping I could just get a UC out, and reward seat in.

I've also flown PE with BA but wasn;t very impressed at all, but their Business did look good.

I'm fairly open to other airlines though if anyone suggests anyting good.

[RichardMannion]

I'd look at some of the BA New Club World trip reports here:

There are the few that Sarah and I did from last year:
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27474
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27449
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=30368
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=30339
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=30029
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=30136

In regards to the lounges at T3 for BA, they are perfectly fine and are brand new. They have hot food for starters....

[Scrooge]

quote:Originally posted by Sealink
If you are thinking of Business Class would I be correct to suggest the other airlines to OZ do it better?

(I am assuming that the OP has no pressing reasons for choosing BA or VS)


That's what I was thinking, either EK or QR come to mind.

I thought that you could combine different fare classes - we have booked K class on way and then Z class (and other combinations) - when you call them, they can usually quote a fare using any booking class that you want.

The I think the Sydney flights go from T3 these days (as well as the Qantas flights as well). The lounge is new, with a spa as well. It has all the same facilities as the Club Galleries in T5 - the only main difference is if you buy a First Ticket, you don't get to use the Concord Lounge (although there is a First Lounge there).

quote:Originally posted by aspence7
How do other airlines compare with their Business Class experience then? Quantas, Singapore, Emirates etc?

The SQ product (A380) is very good. Huge (almost too) wide seats and a massive IFE screen that is probably the most modern out there with USB ports so that you can plug in cameras, music, office docs etc.. Food is excellent, service superb, and the bed is just as good as any other Business class I have flown. The A380 experience is something as well. The lounge at Heathrow is pretty rubbish though and unless you book on a Virgin codeshare ticket you can't use the CH any longer. The SilverKris Lounge in Singapore though is extremely good.

hope this is useful

Dave

I've got a VS Z out to SYD next month and a SQ business back booked so that I combined the CH in LHR and HKG and the A380.

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by gingerflyer
I thought that you could combine different fare classes - we have booked K class on way and then Z class (and other combinations) - when you call them, they can usually quote a fare using any booking class that you want.


You can combine different fare codes. I think there was a little confusion earlier in the thread about booking a full reward one way, ie bought only with miles and not upgraded from a fare that allows, and then say a Z back, that is something that cannot be done.

Neil

quote:Originally posted by aspence7
How do other airlines compare with their Business Class experience then? Quantas, Singapore, Emirates etc?


All the above 3 mentioned are excellent - can vouch for all of them and the way VS is going at the moment I would suggest you give one of them a try yourself.

We did a very quick <100 hour LHR-SIN-SYD-ADL-SYD-SIN-LHR trip last year in CW. Slept and ate very well, I was back at work by 10am the day we landed even with a 2 hour drive up the M1 with no ill effects.Good way to travel especially on the 241 fare we got a bit over 3k for the both of us all in.

I now personally consider the 'New' Club World product as step above VS UC.

I now nearly always choose it or another airline when not travelling with 'the family'.

Unfortunately living in Manchester I have to use VS UC to travel to and from Florida as there is not a business class alternative, other than getting a connection and I refuse to do that with a 5 & 3 year olds 'in tow' and not forgetting the Mrs.[8D]

When UC first changed to Suite is was a really great product, but now with all the cuts back all you get is a bigger (if not 'shabby') seat.[V]

I am planning to travel on VS UC this summer. Should I lower my expectations from my previous trip to JFK as that was excellent?

quote:Originally posted by GodAtum
I am planning to travel on VS UC this summer. Should I lower my expectations from my previous trip to JFK as that was excellent?


When was your previous trip and where are you headed in the summer?