British Airways shifts loyalty program to revenue-based tier points system

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British Airways shifts loyalty program to revenue-based tier points system

Research

Gene Sloan Cruise team lead | The Points Guy

By Sky Industry News

Dec 30, 2024

British Airways is set to implement significant changes to its loyalty program, which will take effect on April 1, 2025. The airline's Executive Club will be rebranded as The British Airways Club, and a new revenue-based system for earning Tier Points will be introduced.

Currently, Tier Points are accumulated based on flight distance and fare class. This approach has favored budget travelers by allowing them to secure cheaper fares without compromising their Tier Point earnings. However, under the new system, members of the loyalty program will earn one Tier Point for every £1 spent on flights and related purchases such as seat selection, excess baggage, sustainable aviation fuel purchases, and British Airways Holidays packages.

British Airways also plans to allow customers to earn bonus Tier Points through cobranded credit card spending later in 2025. U.S. flyers should note that due to currency conversion rates, they will need to spend slightly more than $1 to earn one Tier Point.

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The airline is revising its status qualification requirements as well:

- Bronze status: 3,500 Tier Points

- Silver status: 7,500 Tier Points

- Gold status: 20,000 Tier Points

- Gold Guest List status: 65,000 Tier Points

For Gold Guest List status specifically, "at least 52,000 Tier Points earned through British Airways-marketed flights" are required. To maintain this status level annually requires earning at least 40,000 Tier Points with "at least 32,000" from British Airways-marketed flights.

The collection period for accruing these points will now run from April 1 to March 31 each year starting in April 2025.

These changes mark a shift toward a revenue-based model for elite status qualification—a trend seen across many airline loyalty programs. It presents challenges for leisure and budget travelers aiming for higher statuses like Gold due to increased spending requirements. While cobranded credit card spending can help offset some costs towards elite status progressions, it remains limited for those unwilling or unable to spend substantial amounts yearly.

Despite these developments making it harder for everyday travelers seeking meaningful airline statuses—British Airways’ move highlights the growing emphasis on revenue within frequent flyer schemes across the industry landscape today.