British Airways Club is an overhaul of the airline’s loyalty programme, launching on 1 April 2025, and has sparked significant discussion. While the changes prioritise revenue-based rewards and higher thresholds, not all frequent flyers will feel valued under the new system. The threshold for reaching tier status will require much higher spend with the airline… it’ll be more than £20,000 to reach Gold. And for those spending less than £20,000 on annual travel, this shift presents an opportunity to explore alternatives. We’re both currently British Airways Executive Club Gold members until the end of 2025, but we won’t rack up £40,000 of travel between us during the next year, so we’re exploring new avenues for our loyalty.
Here’s what’s changing in the new British Airways Club (formerly British Airways Executive Club):
Key Changes for Flyers
- Tier Points Linked to Spend: Earn 1 Tier Point per £1 spent on flights, holiday packages, seat selection, and baggage.
- Higher Status Thresholds: making it harder for many travellers to qualify
- Bronze requires 3,500 Tier Points
- Silver 7,500 Tier Points
- Gold 20,000 Tier Points
- Partner Flights Adjusted: Tier Points on partner airlines, including American Airlines and Iberia, will also be calculated based on spend.
- New Earning Opportunities: Points can be earned on British Airways Holidays and contributions to Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
- Annual Collection Period: Tier Points reset yearly from 1 April to 31 March.
- Milestone Rewards: Bonus Avios and other perks introduced at various thresholds—the details of which have yet to be shared.
- Earning Tier Points via the American Express Premium Plus credit card: Cardmembers will be able to earn up to 2,500 Tier Points by spending on their card. More details of this will be shared in 2025.
- New Name, Look, and Logo: As well as a new name, there will be a new look and the introduction of a new logo.
The Qualifying Spending Sting
To reach Gold status, you’ll need to spend at least £20,000, with 1 Tier Point earned per £1 spent on eligible services like flights, seat selection, and baggage. However, airport taxes and other fees are not included in this calculation, meaning only the base fare and certain additional services count towards your Tier Point accumulation. The stinger here is you’ll have to spend much more than the stipulated £7,500 for Silver and £20k for Gold. We estimate 20% extra if you fly long haul in business and, frighteningly, 50% more if you fly in economy. That means at least a £9k spend is actually needed for Silver and an eye-watering £24k for Gold.
An introductory offer?
There’s currently an introductory offer with Tier Point Bonus that allows Executive Club members to earn additional Tier Points for flights booked and flown after 1 April 2025. Bonus points are awarded based on cabin class, with higher classes earning more. To qualify, you must register between 30 December 2024 and 14 February 2025, and flights must be booked during this period. Find out more here.
Bonus Tier Points will be awarded as follows:
- Euro Traveller: 50
- Club Europe: 100
- World Traveller: 70
- World Traveller Plus: 140
- Club World: 210
- First: 330
As we read it, you get 420 Tier Points for a return in Club World or 660 in First. However, neither 420 in Club or 660 in First, are going to make a dent in the 20,000 that you need to reach gold. Pound for pound, the bonus on Euro Traveller might be the sweet spot, but you’d still need to fly over 100 round trips to gain Gold status from it!!
Still Many Unknowns
At the time of the announcement, several important details remain unclear. There’s no word yet on exactly what perks milestone rewards will offer, how exactly American Express cardholders can earn 2,500 Tier Points, or whether there will be a “soft landing” for existing silver and gold members. This suggests British Airways may not be fully prepared to roll out these changes, possibly rushing the announcement before undesirable leisure travellers book January sale fares for their summer holidays. For some, it might feel like a move to cover up less-than-positive news during the festive period.
However, British Airways must have crunched the numbers, and no doubt, the formulas are designed to appeal to a specific type of traveller. While the shift may alienate some, it’s clear that they’ve tailored the programme to attract high spenders who are driving their profits – which are soaring at the moment.
Clearing out the First Lounges
In the new era, you’ll need to spend £3,500 annually to achieve Bronze status, and £7,500 for Silver. That’s a difference of £4,000. To reach Gold, you’ll need to spend an additional £12,500. Remember, this is after taxes, fees & charges are deducted, so the total amount will be even more!
This significant gap between Silver and Gold hasn’t been chosen arbitrarily; BA has long been aware that there are too many Gold members in the club – the crowded First lounges are evidence of this. They are keeping the Silver threshold relatively low while raising the tier point requirement for Gold to filter out all but the highest-value passengers from their First Lounges.
For many of us in the middle tier, business class lounges will become our realm. Back to where we belong, perhaps. While we spend a considerable amount on air travel annually, we don’t spend £20k with a single airline.
With only high-spending passengers with equally high expectations left in the First Lounge, BA will need to make significant investments in improving the experience. These premium travellers are unlikely to tolerate subpar facilities, whether it’s the sight of a mouse scuttling by or the disappointing state of the toilets. If BA truly intends to cater to the crème de la crème, their lounges must reflect the exclusivity they’re pricing for.
Moving Beyond British Airways
The British Airways Club places the greatest rewards firmly in the hands of top spenders. With steep new thresholds; mid-tier travellers are left questioning whether the benefits justify the spend. By redirecting funds that would have gone towards retaining British Airways status, flyers can experience other carriers offering more competitive programmes and better cabins.
For frequent flyers, the purchasing power of £5,000–£15,000 annually is significant. While it may fall short of British Airways’ new expectations, this level of spend is highly attractive to many other loyalty schemes. Airlines with mileage-based rewards or lower thresholds for elite status could see an influx of mid-tier travellers eager to take their business elsewhere.
A Market Shift in the Making?
These changes from British Airways may create an opening in the loyalty market. Other carriers will likely watch closely, recognising the potential to capture loyal flyers who feel alienated by BA’s new strategy. Programmes that better value mid-tier travellers could position themselves as the go-to choice for this spending bracket.
What next?!
After the switch to revenue-based Avios earning, we felt it was only a matter of time before Tier Point accrual was linked to monetary spend. This change could prompt many Avios-rich members to cash out and redeem all their points before the end of their status year. Will this lead to higher demand for redemptions and, consequently, lower availability? Could BA respond by devaluing Avios or increasing redemption rates on some of the most in-demand routes? Recently, we saw Virgin Atlantic introduce demand-based redemptions. We might be worried if we were sitting on a load of Avios, but we burnt through a lot in 2024 while we waited to see what the new points collection year would bring.
Final Thoughts… For Now!
While the British Airways Club has made it more expensive to get tier status, it has also created opportunities for travellers to reconsider where their loyalty lies. By exploring other airlines, leisure business class travellers have the chance to find programmes that align better with their spending habits and priorities. As one door closes another opens. Expect plenty of status match offers through 2025. With the loyalty landscape shifting, mid-tier travellers are well-positioned to benefit from increased competition.
What do you think about these changes? Share your thoughts and tell us which airlines you might explore next. We’ll be doing a deeper dive to find the best programme for us, and of course we’ll share here.
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