Tier Points Or Comfort & Convenience – Sometimes That’s A Choice You Have To Make

a row of seats in an airplane
American Airlines 777-200 Business Class

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If you’re based in Europe and you like traveling in Business Class then you’re lucky. While over in the US we have by far and away the better credit card deals, over in Europe you have by far and away the better Business Class deals. Whether it’s the frequent Qatar Airways Business Class sales to Asia or, as I posted last week, great Business Class fares across the Atlantic, Europeans don’t have to look too hard or too long before they find a tempting Business fare…but sometimes those fares bring with them decisions that you should understand.

In the past I’ve reminded readers that you should always be aware of what aircraft you’re booking yourself on to when you find a great Business Class fare – it’s not uncommon to see more than one aircraft type operating a single route and fare deals don’t normally take into account the differences between what the aircraft offer.

The obvious example that springs to mind is when you compare what American Airlines and British Airways offer across the Atlantic.

American and BA share revenue on transatlantic routes so when you see a fare sale between Europe and the US the flights usually cost the same whether you’re flying on BA or American Airlines aircraft…but the Business Class cabins on offer are very different.

While British Airways Club world is an antiquated offering that forces passengers to clamber over one another if they wish to access the aisle…..

a plane with seats and people in the backgroundBritish Airways A380 Club World Cabin

…the Business Class cabins on most of American’s aircraft (out of London) are considerably better.

a group of people sitting in an airplaneAmerican Airlines 777-300ER Business Class Cabin

Given the choice between the two the American Airlines seats are the ones to go for.

But sometimes it’s more complicated than that. Sometimes there are other considerations other than just comfort and these come in to play on flights to the West Coast.

Imagine the following situation:

  • There’s a great Business Class deal between London and Los Angeles
  • The fares are the same whether you fly non-stop or via Philadelphia or via Charlotte (a regular situation to find)
  • You’re crediting your flights to the British Airways Executive Club

Because of the way in which BA awards Tier Points you’ll earn the same number of Tier Points for a Business Class flight between London and Philadelphia/Charlotte as you will for a Business Class flight between London and Los Angeles – 140 Tier Points each way.

London – LA

a screenshot of a computer

London – Philadelphia

a screenshot of a computer

That’s actually pretty incredible when you consider that the Los Angeles route is almost 2,000 miles longer…but it’s that difference in distance that brings a new option into play.

a map of the united states

Not only does British Airways awards 140 Tier Points for Business Class flights across the Atlantic but it also awards 140 Tier Points for Business Class flights between the two US coasts – here’s Philadelphia to Los Angeles for example:

a screenshot of a computer

So this is the choice you’re facing:

  1. Fly London – Los Angeles non stop and earn 140 Tier Points each way for a total of 280 Tier Points from the trip.
  2. Fly London – US East Coast (Philadelphia for example) – Los Angeles for 280 Tier Points each way for a total of 560 Tier Points from the trip.

All other things being the same you’d probably be tempted with option 2 – double the Tier Points for the same outlay – but all other things are not equal.

Flying Between London and Los Angeles non-stop the worst seat you’re going to encounter is the British Airways Club World offering on the 747:

a date and time on a white background

a seat in a planeBritish Airways 747 Club World

….and you’ll have the option of booking seats like the American Airlines 777-300ER seat….

a screenshot of a computer

a seat in a planeAmerican Airlines 777-300ER Business Class

….or even the B/E Aerospace Super Diamond Business Class seat found on the American Airlines 777-200 aircraft:

a screenshot of a flight schedule

a row of seats in an airplaneImage courtesy of American Airlines

The second and third options are amongst the best seats you’ll find on any transatlantic route….the first is just about acceptable.

If, on the other hand, you choose to take the option with a connection, the transatlantic flight to Charlotte or Philadelphia should be perfectly ok (it will probably be on an American Airlines A330)….

a close-up of a seatBusiness Class seats from the American Airlines A330

…..but then comes the issue. And it’s a big one.

For the next leg of your journey (Philadelphia/Charlotte to Los Angeles) you will be booked on a domestic American Airlines aircraft….and there’s nothing impressive about most of those!

a screenshot of a phone

Charlotte to Los Angeles and Philadelphia to Los Angeles are both routes that regularly take longer than 5 hours to fly and the premium cabin in the aircraft on those routes will look like this (at best):

a row of seats with a televisionImage courtesy of American Airlines

Imagine a Club Europe seat with a bit more legroom, a little more seat width and possibly a personal IFE screen (depending on the aircraft).

This will not be anywhere near as comfortable as the lie-flat seats you would have had if you’d chosen to fly to LA non-stop.

So, when you’re choosing which flights to take in a Business Class sale of this kind this is really what your choice is:

  1. London – Los Angeles (and back) non-stop with lie-flat seats all the way (hopefully of the American Airlines variety) and 280 Tier Points for the trip.
  2. London – Philadelphia/Charlotte – Los Angeles (and back) with lie-flat seats across the Atlantic, a change of aircraft on the East Coast which adds to your journey time, a very ordinary premium cabin for the last 5 hours of your journey and 560 Tier Points.

Suddenly the extra Tier Points are probably not looking as attractive as they were earlier on.

Note: There’s an exception to this and that occurs if you manage to route through JFK. American’s aircraft between JFK and Los Angeles/San Francisco are actually very good…but you would still have the inconvenience of a stopover and your journey would still be considerably longer.

American Airlines Business Class A321Lie-flat seats in the Business Class cabin of the American Airlines Aircraft flying between JFK and LA/SFO

Bottom Line

Some people will value the shorter journey time and more comfortable seats for the whole journey over the extra tier points while others will happily trade convenience and comfort for the Tier Points….but there’s no right or wrong choice here – it will all depend on individual circumstances.

If you’re going to reach the British Airways status tier you’re aiming for with relative ease the non-stop option is clearly the one to go for but, if it looks as if you’ll have to book an additional flight later in the year to secure status, booking the less convenient route in this example will probably save you time and money in the long run.

So, the next time I point out a great Business Class deal between Europe and the West Coast that routes through London make sure you ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do I need some extra tier points?
  • Am I prepared to sacrifice convenience and comfort for those tier points?

I suspect a lot of people will value their time too highly to go for the extra Tier Points….but I know there’s a large section of TFM’s readership that will pick the less convenient route every time 🙂