British Airways makes major U-turn on new frequent flyer changes

British Airways is making a immense alteration to its famous loyalty programme – starting now.

BA loyalists person traditionally earned ‘tier points’ according to the fig of miles flown each year. The much you collect, the higher your status, with bluish being basic, swiftly followed by bronze, metallic and gold.

But now, that’s each acceptable to alteration arsenic portion of a large U-turn.

How has BA changed its frequeny flyer scheme?

From present on, predominant BA flyers volition inactive beryllium capable to rack up points by paying for a definite fig of flights – reaching a definite quota of journeys, alternatively than basing it connected wealth spent.

And so, those who instrumentality 25 flights a twelvemonth done BA – including Aer Lingus and Iberia, some of which sometimes usage BA formation numbers – volition suffice for the bronze status.

Now, the strategy volition summation the bonus Tier Points members tin gain to betwixt 75 and 550 per flight.

For a short-haul Euro Traveller system flight, customers volition beryllium entitled to 75 points – an summation from the erstwhile 50 – portion flying successful European concern people (also known arsenic Club Europe) volition spot the kudos accrued from 100 to 175 points.

Going further afield? You’ll beryllium capable to stitchery 150 points for a World Traveller system abstraction (up from 70), portion premium system (World Traveller Plus) volition spot an summation of a whopping 135 points (it’s present 275, up from 140).

And if you’re feeling peculiarly boujie, a Club World long-haul concern people formation gathers astir doubly the fig of points it did antecedently astatine 400 (up from 210). For first-class passengers, determination are a coveted 550 points connected offer, expanding from 330.

‘We’re assured that moving to this exemplary is the close happening to bash for our customers, but we admit that we request to reassure them that determination are present tons much ways to gain status,’ said BA’s main commercialized serviceman Colm Lacy.

‘We’re implementing a strategy that allows america to flex and accommodate to respond to our customers’ needs, and the Bonus Tier Point run is simply a cleanable illustration of this.

‘Moving to a spend-based exemplary is reflective of astir loyalty programmes successful the UK, truthful it was a logical measurement successful the improvement of The Executive Club. 

‘Our members person a heavy affectional transportation with our loyalty strategy and their presumption means a batch to them – we’re assured the changes we’ve made reasonably reward members for their question with us.’

What did the archetypal plans for The British Airways Club look like? And wherefore were travellers upset?

However, successful December 2024 the fashionable hose announced a caller strategy – which has present been backtracked connected successful a large U-turn.

From April 2025, the British Airways Executive Club was to beryllium known as, simply, The British Airways Club – and the caller strategy projected that customers gain their tier points connected wealth spent alternatively than miles.

Under the plans, customers were to beryllium fixed 1 constituent for each £1 spent, racking up kudos for purchases including level tickets, spot selection, and other baggage.

To execute BA Gold presumption nether the caller system, travellers would request to person racked up 20,000 tier points successful a twelvemonth – compared with the erstwhile 1,500 points. Translated: you’d request to walk £20,000 to get to the apical tier. Ouch.

Critically, the antecedently revised strategy shifted the absorption to a spending-based points structure, erstwhile previously, customers could efficaciously scope the elite tiers of BA presumption simply connected miles alone.

So, taking less flights – but long-haul successful magnitude – could arsenic gain your prestige.

The archetypal plans were slated by customers, arsenic 1 wrote connected X, formerly Twitter: ‘I’ve been British Airways Silver for 12 years, uncertainty I tin adjacent marque bronze with this.’

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