In the wake of British Airways’ recent announcement of changes to its loyalty program, The Club, which threw more than one baby out with the bathwater, I wonder how anyone can make it to Bronze, Silver or Gold, let alone a Gold guest list.
And to say my jaw dropped hard is an understatement. It will cost a lot of money.
Updated certification standards
Let’s break through new limits once again
Bronze: 3,500 Silver: 7,500 Gold: 20,000 Gold Guest List (initial): 65,000 – Earn at least 52,000 through British Airways-sold flights, eligible add-ons and British Airways Holidays packages Gold Guest List (updated) 40,000 Retained – Flights sold by British Airways, eligible add-ons and at least 32,000 holiday packages earned through British Airways
No service bonuses other than bonus avios are awarded, so this falls under a hard number that must meet qualifying expenditure.
Bronze – £3,500 Silver – £7,000 Gold – £20,000 GGL – £65,000/£40,000
Unfortunately, these numbers are just the beginning. British Airways is working on the concept of eligible expenditure. So, for example, the following will qualify as eligible spend for earning Tier Points and Avios:
The airfare itself Seat reservations Fuel surcharges/surcharges Baggage Sustainable aviation fuel Holidays booked through BA Holidays.
About:
Airport taxes Government imposed taxes Other surcharges
They will not earn tier points in the new BA program.
And they can make up a large portion of the fare. For example, on a £560 transatlantic economy fare, £380 of that will earn you Tier Points. The rest get nothing.
example
Let’s look at the example BA gave, World Traveler Plus LHR to JFK.
Under the old scheme, this would give you a return of 180 tier points. With a pretty neat incentive, you can potentially earn BA Silver on up to four round trips (so three round trips and one outbound flight).
The new scheme requires 7 round trips to earn Silver, but 4 round trips (or 3 round trips and 1 round trip) to earn Bronze.
Now let’s try a funny example from London to Nice.
Where to start? Even the old scheme gives you a return of 10 TP on the cheapest base fare. You need 40 round trip flights to earn Silver (based on the 40 segment rule to earn Silver).
Now that the 40 flight requirement for Silver is gone, you will need to take 108 flights back to Nice to achieve Silver.
Planning to qualify with a partner? Think again
It is no exaggeration to say that partner income has disappeared.
If you plan to earn revenue from your Atlantic JV partner, you will be “protected” to some extent with the same revenue and revenue model. With other airlines, things get tough faster. Let’s take a look at some of our partners.
Let’s start with Cathay Pacific. At Cathay Pacific, tier points are based on a percentage of miles flown, but that percentage is low.
Do you think it’s reasonable? Probably not. Let’s break down the distance from London to Hong Kong in a little more detail by dividing it into 5,994 miles. Here are some numbers that indicate how many Tier Points you can earn:
Fare Code Percent Base
with mile tier points
Earn Economy Low (K, L, M, N, Q, S, V): 2% 112 Economy Flexible (Y, B, H): 7.50% 445 Premium Economy Low (R, E): 6% 356 Premium Economy Flexible (W): 12.5% 750 Business Law (I, P): 12.5 750 Business Flexible (J, C, D): 25% 1499 Fast Row (A): 20% 1198 Fast Flexible (F): 30% 1799
ah.
With the help of Qatar Airways, a close friend and co-owner of British Airways, things have improved a bit.
I think this is better than what you can earn on some airlines, but if you want enough qualifying tier points you’ll end up spending a lot more (especially if you’re aiming for gold guestlist). Minimum cost required) BA).
Round to nearest Avios based on route London – Doha (5,261 miles).
Economy Low (T, O, W, G): 4% 130 Economy Low (K, M, L, V, S, N, Q): 7.00% 228 Economy Flexible (Y, B, H): 15% 15% 489 Business Minimum (P): 25% 25.00% 815 Business Minimum (R, I): 25% 25 815 Business Flexibility (J, C, D): 50% 50% 1630 Fast Row (A): 40% 40% 1304 Fast Flexibility (F): 60% 60% 1957
Don’t be prepared to be rewarded for your loyalty unless you get a front cabin on a high fare.
Heck, even Fly’s April to June promotion stinks.
The company has launched a Jumpstart promotion for those stuck (or stuck) with the new frequent flyer program.
With these changes, the airline is sweetening the deal by giving you bonus tier points for a limited time when you book travel on or after April 1, 2025 by February 14, 2025. Bonus tier points are awarded based on the cabin you fly, from Euro Traveler to First. . The bonuses are as follows.
Euro Traveler: 50 Club Europe: 100 World Traveler: 70 World Traveler Plus: 140 Club World: 210 First: 330
Given how much “extra” you’re getting, and the new tier point levels, these are just financial reductions in a sea of tier points.
You can spend the best part of your four months planning. make the most of them
There are many ways to cut this cake. And it depends on what you want to do.
If someone else has purchased your ticket
Again, if someone else is paying for your ticket, this is all for the little people. You may need to take a few more flights with Corporate Coins to get the shiny cards. Don’t be too shocked when you move on. Airfare cannot support shiny metal cards.
Aim to be broke and aim for gold.
If your Gold membership has value and your renewal date is before March 31st, you may be able to achieve it, even if the sale season is ongoing (plus the time it takes to renew). , you will have to pay a premium for that. long-haul flights where you can earn points).
Alternatively, three long-haul round-trip fares via Doha in Business Class on Qatar Airways will get you through with enough change.
stabilize the status
If you have a Tier Points year ending before March 31st and value the benefits of Silver or Gold membership, you may want to replenish your Tier Points to ensure you have the points that meet your requirements. Please consider. If you don’t have a significant number of points, it might be worth paying £400 to go back to Club Europe and get 160 tier points capped at status.
look elsewhere
Finally, honestly, beyond your “love” for British Airways, find another airline or (if your flying needs can accommodate) another alliance that rewards your flying habits. Maybe the time has come. For those living in regional areas of the UK, there could be more choice, without having to board a plane at tedious hours, go to London Heathrow Airport or connect via a busy hub. . You will have to change terminals midway through.
Make sure your flight status is what you need, including lounge access, priority seat access, award tickets, and baggage allowance. It all affects the final decision.
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