Why are BA flights so expensive?

[zuuk]

I genuinely don’t get how they are so expensive in comparison to easyjet, ryanair etc. What extra service do they offer these days?

Economy Basic is pretty much the same as easyjet. For european breaks it makes no sense to me to pay £120 to go to Seville vs £60 with easyjet. I’d love to support BA, but it’s not worth it.

I’ve flown longhaul business with them, and prem econ. Both were a poor product compared to Virgin.

I’d pay the extra to fly BA over Ryanair any day!

You compare BA business to Virgin equivalent in your OP. They are significantly cheaper though. We are flying long haul business class (well, it’s ‘Club World’ which is the same thing, flat beds and all that) with BA this year for the same price as we flew the same trip 2yrs ago with Virgin but for l Premium Ec! I checked ticket prices for other carriers for this years’ trip and equiv Virgin tickets were twice the price of BA.

With super discount carriers you tend to have to pay for everything ‘extra’ (hold baggage allowance, seat reservations if you want to sit together, food). The planes are often not cleaned between flights (so are filthy), they are just shuttles going back and forth. The definition of ‘no frills’, especially Ryanair.

History. They have fantastic t&cs staff wise.

They fly into and out of the most expensive airports and large historical costs. Lots of layers of staff.

Ryanair and easyJet have rewritten the rules when it comes to flying

More often than not i find them cheaper or the same price as easyjet for domestic flights.

When you count in the luggage and the honour of sitting with your family for no extra cost, it doesn't work out that different often.

The extra cost of BA goes to things like getting the best time slots at airports, getting the gates at the near departures not the back of beyond, getting bridges not bus transfers.

Basically all the support services provided by airports have differing prices for convenience. I don't know if it's still true but they used to pay for priorty for refueling, baggage handling etc.

BA was the cheapest way for us to go to Paris last summer, over other airlines and the Eurostar. Family of five and we booked 6 months in advance.

We flew BA in October. It was out of this world compared to Easyjet. I never want to fly Easyjet again now.

They were crap too. London - Manchester we didn't even get a brew, packet of peanuts nothing. Nothing offered at all. Pitiful.

I understand exactly what you are saying. Last year we had to pay £75 each with BA for seat selection as I'm a nervous flyer and we couldn't take the risk of being separated on board. Their luggage allowance is generally better, but I wouldn't say the planes are much cleaner. I do like BA for long haul, but wouldn't pay much more to go a short distance with them now.

We fly BA usually because the flights depart at reasonable times compared to EasyJet and the other budget airlines. And also Heathrow is the easiest airport for us to get to. To get to stanstead or Luton would be really inconvenient so happy to pay a bit more for those reasons.

It really depends on the flight, sometimes they're more expensive, sometimes the fares are more competitive.

We find at times like Christmas when it's much harder to get super cheap flights, the prices are fairly similar. We've also done combined flights and car hire a few times which has been really good value.

Flying out of Heathrow is so much more pleasant than flying out of Stansted as well.

Because they are not a budget airline.

I fly Edinburgh to Heathrow regularly and the other option is Flybe. BA offer much better flight times and often come in cheaper than Flybe.

You can't compare BA to the likes of Ryanair though, different models altogether. Budget airlines often cut corners. The furthest away terminal, often no airbridge, early morning or evening flight times, and don't always use the 'main' airports.

I flew with BA for the first time recently. We were at the nearest gate, the plane was clean but, we couldn't sit together, our bags were taken off us to be put in the hold and we were delayed both ways. So, not quite the slightly more deluxe experience I was expecting.

Would never choose to fly BA. rather use the more efficient and cheaper carriers.

Though looks like flying with them to Canada so who knows.

Flight delays are very rarely caused by airlines themselves.

I was told that BA pilots are all fully employed by BA. Therefore they are paid if a flight is delayed for any reason, fog, problem with aircraft etc.

I was also told Ryanairs pilots are only paid from take-off to landing. This means they are more likely to risk flying a plane in poorer weather etc

I also imagine the cabin crew are on the same t&cs.

They pay their pilots more.

I’d rather the cream of expertise when some is responsible for 200 souls.

I think BA have made a false economy removing the drink and snack service on short haul - you are right there is a much smaller differential now compared to the better no frills airlines. Someone has to pay for all that free booze and food in the executive lounges though

I was also told Ryanairs pilots are only paid from take-off to landing. This means they are more likely to risk flying a plane in poorer weather etc

Not sure who told you that but it's absolute bollocks.

Pilots don't really get to change the flight regulations to suit their pay grade.

The points with BA are amazing esp if you have a BA Amex. The next flight we take we will book one economy ticket, with our points we can upgrade to business then with our Amex points we get a companionship ticket so 2 business class flights for the price of 1 economy.

@somewhereovertherain have you looked at Canadian airlines they're usually much cheaper. We flew Air Canada and it was very cheap. No free booze though which I didn't find out till we got on plane 🙄

They aren't, it's like every airline, demand and supply. They fly from more expensive airports (higher fees), include luggage and food (sometimes) and when things go pear shaped (eg volcanic ash) they put you up in a 4*hotel with the crew. Planes a bit tatty though now. EasyJet actually quoted more than ba last week to Italy

I had to claim a refund from EasyJet when I had bought two tickets by mistake. Sadly I was told I could only claim the airport costs and taxes back....the refund was pretty much the ENTIRE cost of my ticket .

No idea how EasyJet survive when their share if the ticket price is a fiver.

Sadly I was told I could only claim the airport costs and taxes back

Airport costs and taxes are far higher than the seat in the plane with all carriers.