Frequent flyers weren’t sluggish to criticise British Airways’ announcement final week that it was dramatically altering its loyalty programme from April 1.
Put merely, factors will not be given to passengers for distance flown however somewhat for the quantity they spend. In flip, because of this it will likely be far more durable to realize the coveted standing of BA gold flier.
This offers privileges resembling airport lounge entry, precedence seat reserving and boarding, plus additional baggage allowance. Equally, it can even be far more durable to realize the silver or bronze statuses.
Outraged travellers turned to X, previously Twitter, to criticise the transfer, which they mentioned would ‘not reward loyalty’, and would drive them into the arms of rival carriers.
‘BA is successfully washing its arms of the leisure market and going all-in to draw the dwindling band of full-fare enterprise travellers,’ says Rob Burgess on journey web site Head For Factors.
Right here, we clarify precisely how the loyalty scheme works, what the brand new guidelines imply for you and how one can nonetheless get monetary savings on your loved ones flights.
Shake-up: From April 1 British Airways will not award factors for distance flown however somewhat for the quantity they spend – that means it will likely be far more durable to realize the standing of BA gold flier
What precisely is BA’s loyalty system?
Membership of the British Airways Govt Membership, which is being rebranded as The British Airways Membership from April 1, provides passengers privileges that correspond to 4 completely different tiers: blue, bronze, silver and gold.
Anybody can be part of at no cost and it is smart to take action as a result of even the entry-level blue tier provides you free web on board. When you progress to bronze, you may select your seat from per week earlier than you journey, with preferential check-in and precedence boarding.
Silver members get sought-after lounge entry, additional baggage allowance and the flexibility to decide on their seats after they e book. And gold members obtain additional advantages resembling the usage of Heathrow Terminal 5’s Concorde Room lounge.
How do you get via tiers?
You earn tier factors once you fly with BA or one among its Oneworld airline companions. Oneworld is one among three main international airline alliances the place you may earn privileges and rewards throughout its community of members, which embrace Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways.
Tier factors are completely different from Avios, which is a rewards forex to spend on flights, resort rooms, grocery store procuring and automobile rent. Tier factors can’t be spent however decide your standing when flying with BA and its Oneworld airline companions.
Ranges: The loyalty programme provides passengers privileges that correspond to 4 completely different tiers: blue, bronze, silver and gold
How do you earn tier factors?
Beneath the outdated system you possibly can earn tier factors relying on the gap of your flight, in addition to your fare class. With the brand new scheme, it’s how a lot you spend, somewhat than the gap flown which can accrue tier factors.
One tier level is the equal to £1 on the worth of your ticket (excluding taxes resembling Air Passenger Responsibility).
When you spend extra cash on seat choice for a flight and reserving further baggage that additionally qualifies for factors. Non-airline taxes and costs, resembling airport expenses and taxes, don’t earn tier factors.
Beneath the outdated scheme bronze may very well be achieved with 300 tier factors (quickly to be 3,500) silver with 600 (7,500) and gold was extra achievable at 1,500 tier factors – however will quickly require 20,000 tier factors.
For instance, a versatile financial system return fare to New York this week is from £366 plus taxes and would provide you with 70 tier factors for the three,461-mile flight.
Beneath the brand new scheme you’ll earn 366 – the identical because the ticket worth minus the taxes. Tier factors are solely legitimate for one 12 months so you need to begin amassing every year.
Who wins underneath the brand new system?
The clear winners are enterprise travellers whose firms don’t balk at the price of business-class fares.
Rhys Jones, aviation editor of Head For Factors, says that almost all households and leisure travellers will discover it tough to realize above bronze standing with out spending hundreds on a British Airways Holidays package deal.
‘An increasing number of high-end leisure travellers are wanting on the numbers and seeing there is no such thing as a actual motive to fly with BA any extra,’ he provides.
Luxurious: Gold members obtain additional advantages resembling the usage of Heathrow Terminal 5’s Concorde Room lounge
How else can I earn factors?
British Airways Holidays packages may also supply tier factors which are evenly cut up among the many folks in your reserving (toddlers and youthful can’t earn tier factors!).
There are 26,000 listed on the web site from £200 per particular person.
For each pound spent, you’ll obtain a tier level plus Avios factors.
For instance, for those who make a flight and resort reserving for 2 folks to Barcelona for £1,000, you and the opposite passenger will obtain 500 tier factors every plus Avios factors. Whoever makes the reserving additionally receives 1,000 bonus Avios factors.
Any extra suggestions for cheaper flights?
When you use your Avios factors to cut back the price of a flight, you’ll nonetheless be awarded the full-flight fare of tier factors.
As an illustration, a return financial system flight in August from Gatwick to Catania in Sicily would usually value £401 pp, however for those who use 65,000 Avios every, it might value £145.07.
You’ll nonetheless be eligible for 395 tier factors (it excludes taxes) and for those who e book earlier than February 15, you obtain 100 bonus tier factors.
What if I e book earlier than April 1?
BA is at pains to level out that clients who’ve already booked won’t lose out when their tier factors are transformed from the outdated to new system.
It has additionally introduced that it’s providing bonus tier factors
for bookings made earlier than February 14 for journey from April 1, based mostly on cabin class. Nonetheless, as these solely vary from 50 for euro traveller to 330 for first, they’re a token providing.
Can I drop from gold to blue?
Not immediately. Somebody with gold standing who earned no tier factors from April 1 would go all the way down to silver within the first 12 months and bronze within the second earlier than reaching blue within the third.
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