BA Executive Club Set to Change
Jan 23, 2025
It seems incredible that there have been no significant changes to one of the most celebrated frequent flier programmes, (FFP’s), in 40 years – British Airways Executive Club, soon to be renamed The British Airways Club is undergoing a major overhaul.
The main changes, other than the name, include a move away from earning Tier Points based on the distance travelled to the price paid – 1 point per £1 paid, excluding taxes. In addition, there will be more ways to earn Tier Points, book a British Airways Holidays package, add an extra bag or pay to choose a seat and you’ll earn Tier Points. As Tier Points determine your status in the programme this is a pretty big deal for most members.
BA have also changed the tiering structure, you’ll now need so many more Tier Points to climb the loyalty ladder and to reach the coveted gold status. With the existing scheme you need 300 Tier Points for bronze status, 600 for silver and 1500 for gold. The new Club requires you to collect 3,500, 7,500 and 20,000 respectively. Putting it bluntly, you need to spend £20,000 with BA, (excluding taxes), to achieve gold status. For most members, unless they’re taking at least some long-haul flights or booking business class regularly, they’re not going to hit the top tier.
A notable addition to the above is the announcement that ‘Bonus Tier Points’ will be awarded for all flights booked by 14th Feb 2025 and taken after 1st April. This promotion is clearly designed to get members engaged before the switch-over. BA also state that there will be other Bonus Tier Point opportunities to come. This suggests a lack of confidence in the new structure, perhaps ‘an insurance policy’ if members rebel!
For many loyal members of the BA programme, this throws a spotlight on their ‘favourite airline’, is this fair, is this a good deal, is it time for a change?
BA customers have been subject to significant downgrades in service over the past decade. From the famous switch from on-board catering to an M&S on-board paid sandwich service, to the uncomfortable non reclining seats. The BA economy service of today is similar in most respects to that of the so called, low-cost operators – except for the price paid. Even the Business Class service on short haul flights lacks any significant differentiation.
It remains to be seen whether this bold move from BA will pay off?
Clearly BA are motivated to refresh their FFP in order to reflect a very different industry from the one that existed when they first launched the Executive Club. Second, BA appear to be attempting to scale back the exposure to the cost of gold benefits, making it so much more challenging to achieve. What appears to have been ignored is the effect on the mass market for which BA depends on to fill the vast majority of its seats.
Will they ‘fall between two stools’, will they retain the valuable elite and at the same time drive away the mass market looking for a reliable and solid service at a fair price?
One thing is clear, the new FFP lacks any real incentive to aim for gold, the gulf between silver and gold is vast and for most of us, unattainable. For frequent fliers motivated by FFP benefits, there are many more options to consider – switch to your most frequent destination’s home carrier programme and then use the FFP alliance partners to build a significant miles balance. This option could be so much more appealing for some frequent fliers. Or ditch your affinity with FFP programmes and go ‘low cost’ for all your short haul needs. This way you’ll save enough to buy lounge access and pay for your annual holiday flights.
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