BA Manchester to Heathrow Business Class
BA Manchester to Heathrow Business Class
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Discussion

blueST

Original Poster:

4,673 posts

233 months

Ive booked this flight, return. Never done anything other than economy before and haven't flown at all since before Covid. The info from BA is super unclear as to what business class actually entails over economy,.and what specifically is available.on this route. Has anyone flown this route who can advise?

I cant even work out if this is Club Europe as it wasn't mentioned at all during the booking process. I think there might be a lounge open to us at Manchester, but theres some stuff on line about it closing or moving. I assume there will be a lounge at Heathrow and possibly fast track security?...

miniman

28,494 posts

279 months

hmg

731 posts

136 months

Unless it’s for pennies more than a STD fare I can’t really see the point ?

You’ll get the Fast track / Priority Check in and a slightly bigger seat..The lounges are currently a temporary affair as they are moving to T2 later in the year..you’ll maybe get a snack but the flight is around an hour so not really long enough to warrant the extra cost IMO.

blueST

Original Poster:

4,673 posts

233 months

I'm only doing it because it wasn't similar price to the train and thought it'd make a tedious journey more adventurous. I dont lead an interesting life!

No chance of a full English before boarding then? hehe

MarkJS

1,939 posts

164 months

hmg said:
Unless it’s for pennies more than a STD fare I can’t really see the point ?

You’ll get the Fast track / Priority Check in and a slightly bigger seat..The lounges are currently a temporary affair as they are moving to T2 later in the year..you’ll maybe get a snack but the flight is around an hour so not really long enough to warrant the extra cost IMO.
Seconded. You’re flying out of Manchester which (by most airport standards) is an absolute dump. The lounges there are all garbage and are regularly being shifted around because of various ‘renovations’.

On board, you’ll get a coffee in a porcelain cup and a scone/cake/sandwich depending on the time of day. You’ll be at cruising altitude for no more than 30/40 minutes.

Unless someone else is paying for it (poor buggers), I really wouldn’t bother.

croyde

24,949 posts

247 months

It's normally a few rows at the front with no one in the middle seat and just a curtain separating oneself from the plebs biggrin

Certainly not the 2 plush leather armchairs as seen in the ad convincing you to upgrade from economy.

Certainly wouldn't bother on the short hop but when the upgrade falls to £100 on my trips to Tenerife, I pay up, as there is a good lounge at one of the satellite terminals at LHR, where you can have a massive cooked English, a serve yourself bar and tranquility.

Bigger luggage allowance and a supposedly quick security lane.

As the flight is 4.5 hours, time to get a bit tipsy and eat a decent lunch without getting your creditcard out.

Andy_290

146 posts

56 months

Did this earlier this month as part of a longer Business class trip to/from Denver.

Basically you'll get (over economy)

- Use of the Club checkin lane at the airport
- Fast track at security
- Use of the lounge at MAN - although it's a temporary one as BA are due to move to T2 in the near future so they're in a weird kind of old gate area downstairs in T3. Decent enough though with a view of the runway, our kids and my missus said they enjoyed it.
- Priority boarding at the gate
- Once on board you have bit more space as they block out the middle seat, you'll also get a really fast service of drinks/food, we were early morning so it was a bacon butty and a glass of champagne

I think you get more baggage too but as ours was long haul I can't comment on that for Club Europe

Enjoy mate.


Edited by Andy_290 on Sunday 31st August 17:11

Andy_290

146 posts

56 months

croyde said:
ICertainly wouldn't bother on the short hop but when the upgrade falls to £100 on my trips to Tenerife, I pay up, as there is a good lounge at one of the satellite terminals at LHR, where you can have a massive cooked English, a serve yourself bar and tranquility.
B gates lounge FTW

croyde

24,949 posts

247 months

Andy_290 said:
croyde said:
ICertainly wouldn't bother on the short hop but when the upgrade falls to £100 on my trips to Tenerife, I pay up, as there is a good lounge at one of the satellite terminals at LHR, where you can have a massive cooked English, a serve yourself bar and tranquility.
B gates lounge FTW
That's the one, although slight panic as I needed to get to the main terminal for my flight. Ended up walking back via a tunnel that some workmen showed me biggrin

Andy_290

146 posts

56 months

Yeah you need to walk, as if you take the train you end up in arrivals and have to cock around finding someone from BA to admit to what you've done and get some help hehe

croyde

24,949 posts

247 months

blueST

Original Poster:

4,673 posts

233 months

My flight is not until November and there seems to be rumours BA will have moved to T2 by then, so maybe I'll get to go in a shiny new lounge.

numtumfutunch

4,990 posts

155 months

Andy_290 said:
Did this earlier this month as part of a longer Business class trip to/from Denver.

Basically you'll get (over economy)

- Use of the Club checkin lane at the airport
- Fast track at security
- Use of the lounge at MAN - although it's a temporary one as BA are due to move to T2 in the near future so they're in a weird kind of old gate area downstairs in T3. Decent enough though with a view of the runway, our kids and my missus said they enjoyed it.
- Priority boarding at the gate
- Once on board you have bit more space as they block out the middle seat, you'll also get a really fast service of drinks/food, we were early morning so it was a bacon butty and a glass of champagne

I think you get more baggage too but as ours was long haul I can't comment on that for Club Europe

Enjoy mate.


Edited by Andy_290 on Sunday 31st August 17:11
This!

I am a big fan of BA European club/business as it often costs a modest amount over and above the standard fare and in contrast to the budget carriers I get to fly at vaguely sensible times of the day. My sons are happy to go to Ibiza on the 5AM flight from an airport Ive never heard of on an airline Ive also never heard of however Im happy to pay a bit extra

When you add the price of a hold suitcase and breakfast in T5 sitting on your hand luggage as there are no seats left in Giraffe in lieu of a bit of lounge luxury the price differential is modest at best especially when you chuck in fast track security and priority bags at the other end

The onboard perks are modest to say the least but a glass of champers, decent food and a vacant seat between me and the missus arent to be sniffed at smile

Cheers

EDIT: if you are really just flying from MAN to LHR then totally get the train as the airport is a lot less convenient for central destinations compared to Euston. Having said that an Avanti first class ticket is probably a lot more expensive, a lot less reliable and has a lot less decent champagne and snacks


Edited by numtumfutunch on Sunday 31st August 22:33

HotJambalaya

2,055 posts

197 months

the only thing i'll add is that exactly 24 hours before your flight takes off do your check in, row 1 is held for gold status customers until then (cant remember if someone else can even book them by paying?). But thats the only row with leg difference between business and economy.

cliffords

2,762 posts

40 months

I did that flight a lot a few years ago. About twice a month. Heathrow does have a lounge and you can get breakfast, or other food depending on time of day. Often the cost was near the same and it is handy to get a seat up front when getting off. No kids but often stern looking business people, often women, with laptops open but reading celebrity gossip.If you can choose business is nicer .

As an aside I once sat next to a young woman , an overseas student , on the return journey back to London. She was about the age of my daughter at the time. She told me about 10 mins before landing she was very frightened of flying and asked if she could hold my hand for the landing. Felt a bit odd but she was quite frightened. You don't get that in regular class so I always booked business after that.

LooneyTunes

8,345 posts

175 months

blueST said:
My flight is not until November and there seems to be rumours BA will have moved to T2 by then, so maybe I'll get to go in a shiny new lounge.
I’ve done that route many many times. It really isn’t worth paying extra for business and wouldn’t do so myself. The only reason I fly it in business is because the onward tickets are in business or first so BA include the feeder leg in the same/closest class (which can itself be a PITA as if it’s full they don’t give you the option to slot into Std - something that saw MrsLT stuck at LHR for hours on a recent trip back from the US).

Which brings us to the lounge: BA use MAN as a feeder to Heathrow.. The lounge has been crappy for years and there’s zero incentive to improve it much as it won’t drive much in the way of additional business. Sure, a new one will be fresher but it certainly won’t be anything super fancy.

The only time I’ve ever used MAN - LHR instead of the train was when the trains have been on strike or lines shut due to engineering works… the extra travel time/cost to get to/from the airports makes it unpleasant.

As for row 1… refuse it, even if it’s available, at the time of booking/check-in. Overhead locker space taken up by crew kit.