Europe internal J pricing

[CaptJCool]

Opening a new thread to talk about flying inside Europe

Noting this post from Sam

Internal Flights in Europe

I just came back from an extended trip to Europe (I completed the 810km Camino de Santiago). I made a number of internal flights with Iberia and Vueling. Despite scathing reviews about Vueling on various forums, I found them to be as good as Iberia (or better)and a third of the price. My only...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

This has been my experience too
Travelling point to point and booking a few days out
Some examples


The pricing structure seems to be overlapping while it looks like 4Y & 3J options with prices going higher as the plane fills up


As well the J inclusions would IMHO be worth more than the price difference

Priority Queue at checkin
Fast track at Security - godsend when LONG queues

Lounge Access (free beer and food)
Group 1 boarding
Front cabin seats so extra floor space and a neighbour free seat and then on landing first Orf
Free meals on board (and G&T)
Free restricted wifi (not on all)

As a paid package = great

The distances around Europe are deceptively longer than I imagined. I’ve taken several flights of around 2.5 hours (like it’s 4,000 kms from the north of Poland to Santiago de compestola)

J cabin = 30,000 QFF points plus co-payment
Y cabin = 14,000 QFF points

ITA Munich to Rome
These prices are for 2 passengers



No free wifi
The inclusions above were worth every 60 Euros I paid for the fare
ITA cheap economy offers no checked baggage (well at an extortionate price) and no meals

And yes there are high demand days like F, S, S when most Europeans are on leisure times and otherwise working or raising children
. As well “, these lower cost J are available Upto 2-3 days before flying unlike in Australia where these (Rex aside) seem to vanish around 2 weeks out

So if the gap from Y no inclusions fares to J is Upto 60 Euros, it’s probably worth the extra spend

PS think I also earnt 100 SCs for the $542 J paid IB Fare

 

[Bindibuys]

Thank you @CaptJCool, intend to "bounce" around Europe next year, tho based in London.

 

[RooFlyer]

As well the J inclusions would IMHO be worth more than the price difference

To which I would add, probably a greater tolerance if your carry-on is a bit out of spec (actually, you are far less likely to ever be challenged on weight) and a higher priority in case of irrops.

I'm about to do HLO for 3 weeks in southern Africa, with internal flights in J on SAA and Airlink. Couldn't do it with Economy limits/specs.

The main beef about EuroBiz is the seats, and that's a biggie. But the other benefits as you say, make up for it, even with the added cost.

 

[CaptJCool]

To which I would add, probably a greater tolerance if your carry-on is a bit out of spec (actually, you are far less likely to ever be challenged on weight) and a higher priority in case of irrops.

The main beef about EuroBiz is the seats, and that's a biggie. But the other benefits as you say, make up for it, even with the added cost.

Yeah
AFAIK
Full flights and no one is questioned on carry-on luggage weight as there’ll be a full fuel loading regardless. Half filled flights are different as weight determines fuel loading so is seen as more important to aircraft stability and balance

Well it’s a biggie because the seat is a smallie. Just an ordinary Y seat with a guaranteed neighbour free.

Kind of an upmarket QF row 4

However having bypassed long checkin lines and longer security lines, it’s worth every cent. And then there’s the cute little lounges. Hennessy Cognac anyone ?

Versus the cheap no baggage fares on LCC where hmmm even carry-on luggage is charged let alone checked and meals and no lounge, no fast track and free online check in but paid physical check in. The drip pricing adds up - hardly seems like LCC by the time you add it up.

Now I did travel BA J paid and Aegean Y & J paid and Transavia Y paid and ITA J paid plus Iberia J points, Y points and J paid (helps to have the SG for lounge access)

They’ve all been good experiences and good customer service (aside the Athens airport checkin and security mess and a very average Italia. Pasta)

And then there’s the SC earn

 

[clifford]

Versus the cheap no baggage fares on LCC where hmmm even carry-on luggage is charged let alone checked and meals and no lounge, no fast track and free online check in but paid physical check in. The drip pricing adds up - hardly seems like LCC by the time you add it up.

I think your comments are a little superficial. The LCC's in Europe can provide exceptional value, when compared with the legacy carriers, with little reduction in comfort.

For example, I flew BOH to MLA on Ryanair a few weeks ago for a total cost of GBP100, which included an exit row seat and priority boarding with a 10 KG carry on plus hold baggage. The schedule was perfect and compared favourably to the BA flight ex LGW.

So anyone who dismisses LCC's in Europe is missing a huge opportunity, and good luck to them for spending lots of extra $$$ for little return.

And I think it's worth saying that I'm BA Silver and QF Gold, not to mention lifetime Star Gold.

 

[CaptJCool]

We regularly checked on LCC pricing and perhaps it was our construct of what we needed to get around Europe.

Risk adventurous or averse ?

Reliability that the flight will actually fly and not be cancelled
Online (free) checkin or in-person (paid)

Minimum of fuss at checkin
Checked baggage was required by travelling companions - they both packed heavy (risk averse nature?) so they were left in the lurch of the upped LCC price or go with the legacy carrier

I’ve travelled recently with JQ Feb 2024 on points reward flights so priced up what it might cost if I was to pay for meals, baggage and seat selection - pick one of everything not included in the Google flights price and see how much extra you pay - and yes to some degree does depend on how far in advance you book (I’m talking 3-14 days in advance not months)

A couple of Ryanair flights were like 10-20 Euros base but once a couple of luggage items were added uplifted significantly …

 

[clifford]

We regularly checked on LCC pricing and perhaps it was our construct of what we needed to get around Europe.

Risk adventurous or averse ?

Reliability that the flight will actually fly and not be cancelled
Online (free) checkin or in-person (paid)

Minimum of fuss at checkin
Checked baggage was required by travelling companions - they both packed heavy (risk averse nature?) so they were left in the lurch of the upped LCC price or go with the legacy carrier

I’ve travelled recently with JQ Feb 2024 on points reward flights so priced up what it might cost if I was to pay for meals, baggage and seat selection - pick one of everything not included in the Google flights price and see how much extra you pay - and yes to some degree does depend on how far in advance you book (I’m talking 3-14 days in advance not months)

A couple of Ryanair flights were like 10-20 Euros base but once a couple of luggage items were added uplifted significantly …

I do think you've got the wrong impresion of European LCC's. You can't compare them with DeathStar.

For example, Ryanair has the best on-time performance of any airline in Europe (and probably the lowest accident rate). Perhaps you might need to broaden your horizons.

FWIW I'm also a (dual) UK citizen who spends quite a lot of time in Europe. so I actualy know what flying is like over there.

 

[LondonAussie]

Don't want to take this too far off topic (since it's about flying Europe's shorthaul "Business" class) but certainly agree it's worth comparing Ryanair and easyJet, especially if you're based in London and going for a weekend trip in Europe with an underseat bag only. Their timing also often works out better and they tend to have more flights per day than BA.

I do avoid Luton airport though, and any flights going to/from there.

 

[clifford]

I do avoid Luton airport though, and any flights going to/from there.

I avoid it too, as I do with STN, LGW is my go to airport for LCC's (which I fly infrequenltly), but SEN is OK.

However, most of my intra-Europe flying is with BA, out of LHR and LGW. Generally I can't justify the cost of Club Europe over HBO-only Y. With OWE (QF Plat) it's a no-brainer

 

[jase05]

Haven’t taken a LCC flight in Europe for near on 20 years and hopefully that trend continues. Euro J is often so cheap that I just can’t justify putting up with being cramped or having to sit next next to someone. Then you throw in lounge access and other perks and it just doesn’t make sense for me but perhaps if I lived over there it might be different

 

[CaptJCool]

In updating this thread I found this earlier version
Iberia Express - Is Business Class worth the extra $$ ?

Plus a post here

Iberia Website?

Hi Folks. Happy New Year I have a trip to Europe coming up (Emirates) with a short hop in Europe with Iberia Express. Booked this a few months ago. Couldn't do it via the website as it kept freezing up. But managed over the phone. Very helpful Customer Service rep stepped me though the whole...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I did do a Y Iberia booked about a week out from Düsseldorf to Santiago de compestolo via Madrid for which points have arrived a week afterwards.
It was 122 Euros WITHOUT Check on baggage (that was 30 Euros more)
J was 389 Euros.
I could NOT justify that spend on J

Now the night before
Along came an email


So I got checked baggage for FREE
then made sure the QF number actually got on the booking bumping me up from Group 4 to 1 and of course Status to get into the Lounge
PLUS
25 SCs for a $210 dog leg spend!