BA - the BEST BUDGET AIRLINE ! By FAR ! (British Airways in general)

Member Name: sidneygee

Product:	British Airways in general
Date:	09/02/03 (1419 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Service, Price

Disadvantages: Previous complacency, ATPO Aircraft

This review deals with UK Domestic Flights from Edinburgh.

On 5th - 7th November 2002, for the first time since early 2001, I travelled between Edinburgh and Belfast using the British Airways service again. I repeated the experience from 4th - 7th February 2003...

If you care to look back to previous reviews, you may have noted that over the past 5 years I have had substantial experience of travelling between these two fine cities on business. Initially, British Airways had a monopoly on such travel. The only alternative was to drive to the Stranraer area to use the ferry or to use the rail/ferry service. These were not convenient because of the extra time involved, and the extra expense of over-night hotels more than made up for any apparent journey savings.

The quoted cost of the return airfare between Edinburgh and Belfast rose from just over £202 in 1997 up to £273 return in 2002 - a not inconsiderable sum to charge clients for business trips that were generally only of 3 or 4 days duration.

So when 'Go' started their flights in 2001, I was an instant user, and also used Easyjet (as detailed in my reviews of these two airlines). However, with the demise of the 'Go' service to Belfast the poor service of Easyjet gave me great cause for concern (see the update to my Easyjet Review).

The innate 'sod the traveller' approach adopted by Easyjet, cynically likened by some to 'Greek Police Bureaucracy', left me with a concern that there would be occasions when the plane to Belfast, or that returning to Edinburgh would not materialise.

Such an occurrence would be potentially disastrous for some of my business appointments, as it would be for many returning from weekend breaks. Indeed I read about a recent occasion when Easyjet were unable to provide a plane to return from Amsterdam to Edinburgh one Monday evening, so that a group of 4 passengers who had to be back in work
the following day had to pay out over £1000 to get on a scheduled KLM flight back to Edinburgh Easyjet (who were unable to offer an alternative flight for almost 3 days) offered a bare £20 refund. Thus, what appeared to be a cheapo weekend break was anything but!

It was when I was intending to book my November trip to Belfast at the end of September 2002 that I thought I would give British Airways another try. After all, there had been rumblings in the past suggesting that 'bargain' fares might be on offer, but it was without any great hope that I logged on to their site (www.britishairways.com). Fortunately, my business booking was flexible for that week, and I was delighted to establish that I could fly out on the Tuesday morning (5 November) and return on the Thursday evening (7 November). And I could do this for the princely sum of £58.80 (FIFTY-EIGHT POUNDS EIGHTY PENCE!!!).

This is made up of £23 fare and £35.80 Taxes/fee/insurance and compares with the last quote I had received earlier in 2002 for £273 return. Travelling on the Monday or the Friday would have cost a few tens of pounds more. My booking in February 2003 cost £68.80, flying out on the Tuesday morning, returning Friday evening. This compares with the £73.20 quoted by Easyjet in November for approximately the same trip that in itself a far cry indeed from the £13.20 that I had paid on several occasions using 'Go' or Easyjet in recent months. I recognise that the latter fare covers just the costs of taxes and insurance charges and is so obviously a loss-leader that could only be picked up by booking several weeks' ahead. For my February trip, on the same day that I paid BA £68.80, I was quoted about £75, SO WHO runs THE BUDGET AIRLINE NOW!!!?.

The following summarises the differences between the flights between Edinburgh and Belfast, comparing the British Airways and the current Easyjet service:

Easyjet

Edinburgh Turnhouse to Belfast International
Boeing 737
Morning Flight out 10.25
Airport bus £5
Taxi £20
Evening arrival 21.00
Refreshments No
Newspapers No*



BA
Edinburgh Turnhouse to Belfast City
BAE ATP
Morning flight out 07.10
Evening arrival 20.30
Refreshments Yes
Newspapers? Yes
Airport bus £2
Taxi £8-£10

*Free newspapers are provided at Edinburgh Airport for British Airways passengers, but I will admit there is nothing to prevent passengers from other airlines from taking them!

Aircraft
OK, this is one place where Easyjet (and 'Go' before them) really score. The Easyjet Boeing 737 aircraft are new, comfortable, large, quick and smooooth. You can get on and off the aircraft from the front or the rear steps too. Lately, the Easyjet flights have often been over 80% full.

By comparison, the ATP ('Advanced Turbo-Prop') used by British Airways (or British Regional Airways, to be exact) are archaic - the term 'Advanced' is obviously given to imply an advance on a Douglas Dakota DC8 used in the Berlin Airlift days, or perhaps a Wellingtom Bomber or a De-Haviland Rapide.

If you should adjourn to the Khazi a quarter of an hour or so after take-off, you can really imagine yourself, crouched down, as the Wellington 'bomb-aimer' ready to drop a load on Dresden or Berlin.

The seats seem similar to those in an old Citroen 2CV, compared with the Boeing aircraft that more resemble those in a Rover, and it certainly is cramped and noisey.

The flight out, on 5th November comprised 36 passengers, about 40% capacity. The previous flights that I took on British Airways in May 2001 were 100% full (and with 'waiting lists' of prospective passengers for the Friday Evening Flights).

Departure
One impact th
at the Budget airlines have had at Edinburgh airport is that each airline's check-in desk now deals with any flight. Surprisingly, this is not the case at Belfast International Airport for Easyjet.

Since the BA departure from Edinburgh is much earlier than the Easyjet flight, the check-in is quicker and the staff ever so much nicer. But oh, the pure pure 'joy' of getting out of my bed at 05.15 hrs for the morning flight (NOT!!!).

The departure bay at Edinburgh Turnhouse Airport for all Belfast flights (from Gate 14) is very close to an Easyjet stand, so that you have to file out, (in the rain when falling) to the awaiting plane. BA obviously have cut airport costs and their stand is about a quarter of a mile away, so that you are transported there by boarding a bus. Takes longer, and you usually have to stand (and hang on carefully) as the bus lurches along a rather tortuous route to the 'stand'. But ... it is less time to get wet, and when you return to Edinburgh, you find that your luggage is always waiting for you on the carousel when you get in the main building.

Staff
Many of you will have seen examples of the staff employed by Easyjet on TV programs. To be frank, they are not the friendliest and most-helpful stars on the block and in another place at another time would have been ideal as prison camp guards - apart from those who fancy themselves as entertainers.

Those with British Airways have so obviously been trained properly, to be 'pleasant' and attentive to passengers, but 'firm' when necessary. So much friction is caused by the Easyjet severe disciplinarian approach. For example, you now need a passport or similar ID when collecting your boarding pass. Fair enough, and the same occurs with British Airways.. BUT, you should also show your ID when handing in your boarding pass at the gate. Now this can cause problems with some infrequent travellers who have stored t
heir passports safely. The Easyjet staff behave like members of the SS/Gestapo and lack patience when dealing with such passengers, who on the Belfast 'run' are frequently confused old wifies and old cocks off to see their grandchildren.

The British Airways staff at the gate in Edinburgh are not so particular, seemingly using a little discretion and common sense in not asking for ID at this stage. Certainly it makes getting on the plane a much quicker process. However, should this process become the norm, then I can foresee potential dangers in that a ticket could be booked in one name, a boarding pass obtained and then given to another 'persona-non-gratia'.

Obviously such persons would still have to go through the security checks, but it does create a gap in the security process, and I have written to British Airways voicing my concern. However, it does appear somewhat far-fetched to think that there might be exploding grannies travelling as fellow passengers.

Mind you, when I was 21 years old, I went on a trip to the USA where I bought a 99-days-for-$99 Greyhound Bus pass, that allowed me to travel anywhere in the USA on a Greyhound bus. On the day before I left for home, I booked a single ticket from New York to LA that I gave to a new friend (aaah, memories of Sweet Melissa ....), in the name of her brother, having used my passport to make the booking. Melissa's brother thus saved the $35 cost of that ticket. Oh dear ! I always go booling on a bit, don't I?

Update
I understand that Easyjet have moved the goal-posts as regards identification. A friend of my son was refused access to his flight because he did not have his passport. For all previous flights, his student card (with photograph and signature) had been acceptable.

Arrival
Both the Belfast International Airport (Aldegrove) and the Belfast City airport are relatively small concerns, so that there is not much di
stance to walk to and from aircraft and
arrivals halls. In November, I was surprised to see how much the City airport had changed since my previous visit, barely 18 months' earlier. Indeed, I did not recognise it, because the main arrivals/departure building is a completely new building, constructed to the left of the old one as you get off the plane. I had been told that there was now a regular coach service to and from the airport, so I was able to look out for and easily locate the waiting bus, which left on-time about 5 minutes after I had arrived. I was, however, the sole passenger, and on the latest flight, there were only 3 other passengers each way.

The City airport is closer to the centre, so the airport bus fare, is cheaper and if a taxi had to be used, well £8-£10 is much more acceptable than £20. The buses are now every 30 minutes at peak time at both airports

Catering
Then, with British Airways Domestic flights there is the 'hot breakfast' and two cups of coffee on the outgoing trip, and the 'snack'/sandwich, two cups of coffee and (if you ask nicely) the (very) large G&T that can be wheedled out of a the pleasant in-flight crew on the return journey. All together certainly worth having at no extra charge ...

From the start, a problem with the Easyjet Flight has been the time of arrival. Originally scheduled for arrival at 10 am at Belfast International Airport, it was a struggle to catch the 10.10 coach from the International airport, so my time of arrival at the client office was rarely before 11.15. However, having 'disposed' of 'Go', the concept of 'service' seems to have gone out of the window. The new first flight time departure of 10.25 is neither use nor ornament to anyone doing business. The Scheduled time of return is little different from British Airways. However, delays to any flight from Belfast City Airport by British Airways have rarely been signif
icant, whereas the flights from Belfast International Airport have rarely been on time (the worst delay being experienced of 2 hours).

Conclusions
Well, in this case, it is now 'no contest'. Provided you are able to book up your flight to Belfast well in advance of your proposed date, British Airways most definitely have the edge as regards the price and definitely as regards the service provided, they win hands down. Even last minute booking can be worth paying the extra cost to use BA. BUT, if you have, say a week to your departure date, and your time of arrival is not critical, then Easyjet may be cheaper.

Now all British Airways have to do is get the message over to those passengers who are experiencing dissatisfaction with the Easyjet service! So how about some advertising ?

But THANK YOU, Easyjet and Go for introducing competition, and lowering fares!

So really, is it better now 'Flying the Flag' and using British Airways?

Taking things at 'face value', I certainly reckon it is.



Copyright Sidneygee 2003

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