Worth having an ex-eu offers thread of the moment?

I've now switched to doing ex-EU for all my west coast trips. All of my trips this year have been ~£1400-1500 for UC. I also sometimes do the final leg as it is quite fun to get the EuroStar back to London as its not far at all for me from STP to home. The savings plus the tier points make it worth the extra journey.

I've now switched to doing ex-EU for all my west coast trips. All of my trips this year have been ~£1400-1500 for UC. I also sometimes do the final leg as it is quite fun to get the EuroStar back to London as its not far at all for me from STP to home. The savings plus the tier points make it worth the extra journey.

You don't get the TP's for connecting flight though, do you? It's usually BA to BRU or something, or Aer Lingus to DUB?

If you have a BAEC account you get BA tier points for the BRU>LHR sectors and full VS tier points on the LHR>SFO sectors which get posted to your FC account!

Hi, please can someone remind me of the web site to check flight loadings / cabin availability?
thanks

flightstats.com

That's what I thought, but I can't see the availability tab any more?!

Will they last forever? Who knows. The airlines are certainly wise to it and anecdotal evidence suggests BA are taking action to try and stop it - eg by insisting that luggage is checked all the way through on the return leg, cancelling Avios accounts and threatening to charge travel agents the full fare if their customers skip the last leg.

So the fares will probably remain - it's just a question of what fiendish devices the airlines will come up with to try and stop UK travellers exploiting them.

The last I saw on FT is that is is actually no evidence of Avios accounts being shut/points removed etc (rumours appeared when people have had their account audited, quite common occurrence with BAEC). But they have told travel agents, mainly corporate travel agents, not to exploit this.

BA even made a press release documenting a customer who did an Ex-EU trip, and rewarded them by handing over his Gold Card in person when he got off his qualifying flight.

What might end these fares is the EU, one of the new passenger rights they have suggested, is that PAX will be able to miss sectors of a ticket, and the remaining sectors would still remain in place.

The last I saw on FT is that is is actually no evidence of Avios accounts being shut/points removed etc (rumours appeared when people have had their account audited, quite common occurrence with BAEC).

Perhaps, but why are their accounts being audited? Routine, or have they been specifically targeted for their history of not completing the final leg? The cynic in me would say the latter.

BA even made a press release documenting a customer who did an Ex-EU trip, and rewarded them by handing over his Gold Card in person when he got off his qualifying flight.

Indeed, but as far as I can see he completed all legs of his journey so didn't do anything BA might construe as playing the system (even though it undoubtedly saved him a lot of money). It seems to be people who deliberately miss the final leg to Europe just to get a cheap fare they're targeting - they can have no gripe against someone who flies the full itinerary they've paid for.

It seems to be people who deliberately miss the final leg to Europe just to get a cheap fare they're targeting - they can have no gripe against someone who flies the full itinerary they've paid for.

I get the obvious, that airlines would obviously prefer folk to book the higher ex-London price. But equally, I've got to wonder what they really stand to benefit from being annoyed at, or trying to stop, the scenario in which people deliberately miss the final leg having booked an ex-EU fare. Whether or not they fly it the airline gets their money. (And actually, in the case of VS flights for the tatl leg, BA should presumably be pleased that they're making a bit of money, when otherwise it would all have gone to VS ex-London). And they use fractionally less fuel, staff time, catering onboard and in the lounge, etc.

I guess BA aren't particularly happy if, on busy flights, Club Europe seats they've earned very little revenue from are left empty when they could have been sold at full fare to someone who actually planned to use them.

My personal view is this is a problem of the airlines' own making so they shouldn't be surprised if UK travellers find ways to avoid paying their vastly inflated ex-UK fares.

I guess BA aren't particularly happy if, on busy flights, Club Europe seats they've earned very little revenue from are left empty when they could have been sold at full fare to someone who actually planned to use them.

Hmm, that's a fair point.

My personal view is this is a problem of the airlines' own making so they shouldn't be surprised if UK travellers find ways to avoid paying their vastly inflated ex-UK fares.

And I think I agree.

That's what I thought, but I can't see the availability tab any more?!

Thank goodness - I'd thought I was going mad because I couldn't find it any more either. Are there any other websites that give this info? I'm only wanting to check because when Virgin called yesterday to confirm the details for our flight on Wednesday (first time that's ever happened for us) the woman on the phone told my wife that our flight (to Orlando) was going to be quiet - and yet when I'd checked loads a month ago Economy was completely sold out!

That's what I thought, but I can't see the availability tab any more?!

Thank goodness - I'd thought I was going mad because I couldn't find it any more either. Are there any other websites that give this info? I'm only wanting to check because when Virgin called yesterday to confirm the details for our flight on Wednesday (first time that's ever happened for us) the woman on the phone told my wife that our flight (to Orlando) was going to be quiet - and yet when I'd checked loads a month ago Economy was completely sold out!

Post your flight details and I will look on EF

David

Thank goodness - I'd thought I was going mad because I couldn't find it any more either. Are there any other websites that give this info? I'm only wanting to check because when Virgin called yesterday to confirm the details for our flight on Wednesday (first time that's ever happened for us) the woman on the phone told my wife that our flight (to Orlando) was going to be quiet - and yet when I'd checked loads a month ago Economy was completely sold out!

Post your flight details and I will look on EF

David

Thanks! We're on VS027 on 22nd Oct (LGW-MCO)

Full to bursting

J0 C0 D0 I0 Z0 W0 S0 K0 Y0 B0 R0 L0 U0 M0 E0 Q0 X0 N0 O0

and the VS015 isn't much better

J0 C0 D0 I0 Z0 W1 S0 K0 Y0 B0 R0 L0 U0 M0 E0 Q0 X0 N0 O0

David

Full to bursting

J0 C0 D0 I0 Z0 W0 S0 K0 Y0 B0 R0 L0 U0 M0 E0 Q0 X0 N0 O0

and the VS015 isn't much better

J0 C0 D0 I0 Z0 W1 S0 K0 Y0 B0 R0 L0 U0 M0 E0 Q0 X0 N0 O0

David

Thanks! Perhaps the call was actually to check we were planning on showing up, in case they could sell our seats again!

My goodness me, how am I only just finding out about this??!!

Just tried this little trick, and it gives me a price of 1259 Upper Class, VS 45/46 on the 9/13th Jan....

VS website quotes 2635 for the same flights and dates!!!!

Almost 1400 quid saving? Yes please! The positioning flight out to DUB is no problem at all for me....Thank you v-flyer!!!!

Almost 2000 quid saving to LAX, this is too good to believe

I'm a little confused though, as there appear to be no direct flight from DUB to LAX anyway, so why are they offering the cheaper fares via LON?

I'm a little confused though, as there appear to be no direct flight from DUB to LAX anyway, so why are they offering the cheaper fares via LON?

To stop people flying DUB-AMS-LAX (to use an example), or basically with any other hub and spoke carrier. Also boosts passenger numbers and loads; looks good on the annual reports.

I would have thought the first instinct for an ex-DUB passenger flying to LAX would be to fly to JFK (or another US gateway) and connect there, not fly east to go west.

[honey lamb]

I would have thought the first instinct for an ex-DUB passenger flying to LAX would be to fly to JFK (or another US gateway) and connect there, not fly east to go west.

Not necessarily. I'd rather take the short hop to London and then the long flight rather than a transatlantic flight followed by a transcon one of roughly equal length.

Thanks! Perhaps the call was actually to check we were planning on showing up, in case they could sell our seats again!

Well maybe not to re-sell your seats but to start to work out if it was a very full possibly oversold flight if they need to downgrade passengers or to go down the denied boarding route.

Involuntary Denied Boarding a passenger has immediate financial consequences for VS - namely having to pay €600 to each passenger!

Just a few more questions on this...

Do you earn VS TPs and miles as normal? Can you login to your booking and chose seats as normal?

Also is it just pot luck, and experimenting with dates/destinations or is there a technique to this?

Do you earn VS TPs and miles as normal? Can you login to your booking and chose seats as normal?

Yes, all sectors are eligible for miles earning with the relevant carriers, so VS TPs and miles for the trans atlantic legs, and (probably, although you can sometimes partner with other airlines!) BA avios for the Europe hop (you obviously can't earn VS miles for this).

Expedia gives you both the BA and VS booking code which you use to MMB on both websites. This is usually very quick and in my experience, been within minutes of paying on Expedia.

Also is it just pot luck, and experimenting with dates/destinations or is there a technique to this?

DUB does, generally speaking, seem to be the cheapest ex-EU hub at the moment but BRU often gives good deals. Also try AMS, CPH, even Spain & Italy although obviously the further you go from the UK the longer it takes and the more it can cost to get there.

With dates, anything goes but - as with ex-UK fares - once the cheapest buckets sell out the fares rise accordingly.