British Airways has operated at least 10 flights that could be booked only by spending Avios
British Airways, flag carrier of the United Kingdom, has announced changes to its loyalty programme, introducing new ways to earn Tier Points to progress through the Tiers.
In a press statement, the airline says that its loyalty programme, British Airways Executive Club, will become British Airways Club and will come with a new look and feel. From April 1, members will earn Tier Points based on the cost of their flight and, for the first time, for ancillary spend including seat selection and excess baggage. Members will earn 1 Tier Point for every GBP 1 of eligible spend, which comes with recalculated Tier thresholds to reflect the new model.
The statement adds that members will also earn Tier Points and collect Avios by purchasing a contribution to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), earning up to 1,000 Tier Points per year. Customers will also be able to use their Avios as a form of payment, which they can do by simply visiting a dedicated landing page which will be live on April 1.
The airline says that after the success of the British Airways Holidays double Tier Points promotion, it has created a permanent proposition on holiday packages. It adds that members will earn Tier Points based on the price of the entire package, with no limit in place, making it possible to earn elite status in fewer trips than under today’s offer.
The airline adds that later this year, members can also expect to gain Tier Points on credit card spending as BA American Express Premium Plus card holders will be able to earn up to 2,500 Tier Points by spending on their card.
According to the statement, by introducing more milestone moments between Tiers, Members will be able to unlock rewarding benefits before reaching their next level. This will start with gifts of 2,500, 4,000 and 5,000 Bonus Avios at milestones within Bronze and Silver. More benefits will be announced in the coming months.
Colm Lacy
“The changes we have announced today underline our continued investment in our loyalty programme and in our customers. Based on our Members’ feedback, we have built on the changes we have already made, including how customers collect Avios and their membership year, in a way that we believe better rewards their loyalty and reflects their changing travel needs. While we have announced a number of positive changes today, I particularly wanted to highlight better rewarding our customers who book through British Airways Holidays and making this a permanent part of our proposition, removing the limit on earning. We know that many of our customers make their holiday plans during our annual January sale period, so it is great to be able to announce this today,” says , British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer.
The airline says that customers who already hold bookings for travel after April 1 will be awarded Tier Points based on a conversion of the existing method. Any existing bookings will earn proportionally the same number of Tier Points, or more, as they would today.
Elsewhere the airline expanded its ‘Pay with Avios’ proposition to make every flight available from as little as GBP 1. More than 10 Avios-Only flights have operated since launching in November 2023, and Members are currently transitioning to one Tier Point collection period, allowing friends and family to be on the same timeline.
The statement adds that the changes are part of British Airways’ overall GBP 7 billion (USD 8.77 billion) transformation programme, announced earlier this year. Customers can expect an improved digital experience with a brand-new website and app, new and improved aircraft and a new First suite, to name a few examples, says the airline.
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