NYC to UK - BA or MAXjet ?
Jul 24, 2006, 8:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Posts: 2,809
NYC to UK - BA or MAXjet ?
I will hopefully be going to NYC for the Thanksgiving weekend at the end of November courtesy of AA/Expedia (but if not, I intend to go anyway).
I'd obviously prefer to take BA back and I'm price sensitive to the extent of not wanting to pay for CW or Eos (£1,100 - being endorsed by the Duchess of York is somewhat off-putting as well..). As I see it, I have three options:
1 WTP JFK-LHR - US$1036.50 (about £575)
2 There's no MFU availability for JFK/EWR-LHR/MAN. However, there's lots of availability for BOS-LHR but (i) the flight leaves at 8:15
; (ii) it'll cost 12,500 miles + £567.30; and (iii) the hassle and cost of JFK-BOS - only 187 miles but it'll probably mean staying overnight in BOS.
3 I try out MAXjet - only US$824 (about £458) and STN is actually more convenient than LHR for me.
Are there any other options I've not considered ?
I'm inclining towards option 2 - I won't get much sleep the night before BOS-LHR but I can presumably catch up during the flight (and it would be my first CW!). However, would you choose one of the other options ?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
I'd obviously prefer to take BA back and I'm price sensitive to the extent of not wanting to pay for CW or Eos (£1,100 - being endorsed by the Duchess of York is somewhat off-putting as well..). As I see it, I have three options:
1 WTP JFK-LHR - US$1036.50 (about £575)
2 There's no MFU availability for JFK/EWR-LHR/MAN. However, there's lots of availability for BOS-LHR but (i) the flight leaves at 8:15
; (ii) it'll cost 12,500 miles + £567.30; and (iii) the hassle and cost of JFK-BOS - only 187 miles but it'll probably mean staying overnight in BOS.3 I try out MAXjet - only US$824 (about £458) and STN is actually more convenient than LHR for me.
Are there any other options I've not considered ?
I'm inclining towards option 2 - I won't get much sleep the night before BOS-LHR but I can presumably catch up during the flight (and it would be my first CW!). However, would you choose one of the other options ?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Jul 24, 2006, 8:07 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
1. Apply for the UK BMI credit card
2. Collect 20,000 BMI miles as opening bonus
3. Redeem 18,750 BMI miles + £170 + tax for a one-way BUSINESS CLASS ticket on a Star Alliance airline from the US to the UK
4. Erm, thats it
2. Collect 20,000 BMI miles as opening bonus
3. Redeem 18,750 BMI miles + £170 + tax for a one-way BUSINESS CLASS ticket on a Star Alliance airline from the US to the UK
4. Erm, thats it
Jul 24, 2006, 8:15 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Posts: 2,809
I've already got my first BMI card (but waiting for the miles to post) and will pick up another one. However, given that all of my spending currently goes on the BA Amex, it seems a waste to blow the BMI miles on JFK-LHR when I could use them for all the exotic destinations which everyone seems to redeem for!
Jul 24, 2006, 8:20 am
#4
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Originally Posted by jhm
I've already got my first BMI card (but waiting for the miles to post) and will pick up another one. However, given that all of my spending currently goes on the BA Amex, it seems a waste to blow the BMI miles on JFK-LHR when I could use them for all the exotic destinations which everyone seems to redeem for!
For under £500, I'd be very tempted to give MaxJet a go. Feedback has been generally good on FT.
Jul 24, 2006, 8:40 am
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: somewhere north of London, UK
Programs: HH Gold, BA Silver, Accor Silver
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Yes, with Maxjet at that price, even the *A miles plus cash deal looks a bit lame.
£170 plus the taxes, so at least £200 (n £40 to Mr Brown as it's ex-US)
That means you're only getting about 1p per mile from bmi...
Just one other thought on BA though - have you checked out flights back from PHL?
£170 plus the taxes, so at least £200 (n £40 to Mr Brown as it's ex-US)
That means you're only getting about 1p per mile from bmi...
Just one other thought on BA though - have you checked out flights back from PHL?
Jul 24, 2006, 9:03 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Posts: 2,809
Originally Posted by Swiss Tony
Just one other thought on BA though - have you checked out flights back from PHL?
It looks like it'll be MAXjet then...
Jul 24, 2006, 10:35 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2006
Programs: BA something, Luftwaffe SEN, CX Gold, Pilsbury Doughboy Fanclub, and lots of Amex cards
Posts: 1,906
I have flown 8 sectors (or is it 9? I cant remember!! ) on maxjet to date.....
No complaints about the service at all.
The only bugger with it is the 18:30 departure time. Add in traffic and check in, and you have to leave the city early afternoon. Apart from that minor inconvenience it has been hassle free and most enjoyable.
The seats dont go flat, but not far off, and they are wider than the BA J seats too.
Have still had maxjet bag tags on my bags when checking in at T7 BA to come home, and the check in people always ask me what the maxjet service is like- and they always say they are curious as to what the competitors are like on this route!
The maxjet lounge at JFK is the old korean air lounge, and maxjet shares it with someone else (might be aeroflot- was full of russian businessmen last time I was in it).
Every time I have arrived back at STN or at JFK on maxjet, bags have been in the hall waiting for me after passport control. Plane to kerbside in about 7 mins either side of the atlantic every time. Arrivals are at empty terminals both ends!
I will stop waffling now and going off topic. Anyone wants any more info then feel free to PM me.
Give them a try- I have been very very impressed- especially for the price!
No complaints about the service at all.
The only bugger with it is the 18:30 departure time. Add in traffic and check in, and you have to leave the city early afternoon. Apart from that minor inconvenience it has been hassle free and most enjoyable.
The seats dont go flat, but not far off, and they are wider than the BA J seats too.
Have still had maxjet bag tags on my bags when checking in at T7 BA to come home, and the check in people always ask me what the maxjet service is like- and they always say they are curious as to what the competitors are like on this route!
The maxjet lounge at JFK is the old korean air lounge, and maxjet shares it with someone else (might be aeroflot- was full of russian businessmen last time I was in it).
Every time I have arrived back at STN or at JFK on maxjet, bags have been in the hall waiting for me after passport control. Plane to kerbside in about 7 mins either side of the atlantic every time. Arrivals are at empty terminals both ends!
I will stop waffling now and going off topic. Anyone wants any more info then feel free to PM me.
Give them a try- I have been very very impressed- especially for the price!
Last edited by leaveamessage; Jul 24, 2006 at 12:44 pm
Jul 24, 2006, 11:21 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, ICC Amb Plat, LH Freq Fly, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 635
Agreed, I would Maxjet it too. If it was a BA CW v Maxjet then I would CW it but as its cheaper that WTP then give it a go.
Service is excellent. Haven't flown BA CW, only F so can't really say how the two compare but save you miles and money and try Maxjet.
Service is excellent. Haven't flown BA CW, only F so can't really say how the two compare but save you miles and money and try Maxjet.
Aug 6, 2006, 9:22 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Boston
Programs: LH SEN, BA Silver, HH Silver
Posts: 291
Originally Posted by jhm
1 WTP JFK-LHR - US$1036.50 (about £575)
How about this: Book a return with the outbound segment in WTP (pick a flight that still has T availability) and the inbound in WT a couple of weeks later. Fly the outbound and forget about the return. You can get this for $590.