British Airways vs. Virgin Atlantic

August 2007
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British Airways has gained a lot of ground on its arch-rival Virgin Atlantic in the area of Business Class comfort. (See “BA Flight Test” in last month’s FCF). But how do they compare on the other important criterion—upgrades—for deciding which one to fly? Not so bad, as the table below indicates. The upshot: Unless you’re a die-hard fan of one or the other carrier, go with the better fare and/or schedule.

British Airways’ new Business Class seat

Miscellaneous: BA allows upgrades only on tickets purchased directly from it, a strange rule because it excludes business travelers who must book through their company’s designated travel agency or preferred selling agency (PSA).

Both British Airways and Virgin allow one-way upgrades, but only with one-way bookings.

Virgin Atlantic Business Class

Fast Track Savings if You Purchase Credit Card Points

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British Airways has gained a lot of ground on its arch-rival Virgin Atlantic in the area of Business Class comfort. (See “BA Flight Test” in last month’s FCF). But how do they compare on the other important criterion—upgrades—for deciding which one to fly? Not so bad, as the table below indicates. The upshot: Unless you’re a die-hard fan of one or the other carrier, go with the better fare and/or schedule.

British Airways’ new Business Class seat

Miscellaneous: BA allows upgrades only on tickets purchased directly from it, a strange rule because it excludes business travelers who must book through their company’s designated travel agency or preferred selling agency (PSA).

Both British Airways and Virgin allow one-way upgrades, but only with one-way bookings.

Virgin Atlantic Business Class

Fast Track Savings if You Purchase Credit Card Points

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...
[["","Lowest Upgradeable Fare","Mileage Cost","Total Fare and Miles","Regular Fare (42-day Adv.)","Savings"],["New York","$820 (T)","$700","$1,520","$3,628","$2,108 (58%)"],["Chicago","$1,042 (T)","$700","$1,742","$3,866","$2,124 (55%)"],["Los Angeles","$1,114 (T)","$700","$1,814","$4,633","$2,819 (61%)"]]
[["","Lowest Upgradeable Fare","Mileage Cost","Total Fare and Miles","Regular Fare (42-day Adv.)","Savings"],["New York","$680 (B)","$1,500","$2,180","$3,628","$1,448 (40%)"],["Chicago","$802 (B)","$1,500","$2,302","$3,866","$1,564 (41%)"],["Los Angeles","$824 (B)","$1,500","$2,324","$4,633","$2,309 (50%)"]]
[["","British Airways\nPremium Economy to Business","Virgin Atlantic\nPremium Economy to Business","Virgin Atlantic\nEconomy to Business"],["Miles Required for Upgrade","25,000","40,000","60,000"],["Upgradeable Fares","T and W","S and W","B and Y"],["Sample Fares (Sept. travel)","New York $820 (T) \nChicago $1,042 (T) \nLos Angeles $1,114 (T)","New York $1,220 (S) \nChicago $1,442 (S) \nLos Angeles $1,564 (S)","New York $680 (B) \nChicago $802 (B) \nLos Angeles $824 (B)"],["Miles Earned for Base Fare Paid","125%","150%","100%"],["Earn Miles with Domestic Partner\n(domestic flights)","Alaska Airlines, American","Continental, Delta, and Hawaiian Airlines","#colspan#"],["Purchase Miles\n Starwood Starpoints\nAmex Membership Rewards\nDirectly from Airline Online","100,000 @ 3.5\u00a2 plus bonus n\/a\n19,000 annual - @ about 2.5\u00a2","100,000 @ 3.5\u00a2 plus bonus\n500,000 @ 2.5\u00a2\n19,000 annual @ about 2.5\u00a2","#colspan#"],["Pool Miles","Up to 6 people at one address (household account)","No","#colspan#"]]
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