British Airways has revised its recent overhaul of its Executive Club frequent flyer programme after widespread criticism from customers. The initial changes, introduced in December in last year, as reported by Travel News, shifted the focus from rewarding distance flown to spend.
In response, BA has introduced a Bonus Tier Point offer, replacing the original launch incentive as it expires. Under the new offer, passengers can earn between 75 and 550 additional Tier Points per flight, depending on their cabin class. This adjustment aims to balance the benefits between high-spending passengers and frequent fliers.
Additionally, BA will introduce a refreshed ‘sectors travelled’ element, offering another mechanism to earn bronze and silver status for those who fly on services with a BA flight number. This change aims to allow members to earn points based on the number of flights taken, rather than only those that book premium cabins.
Gilbert Ott, Founding Member of point.me based in the UK, told Travel News that Avios, BA’s loyalty currency, remains one of the most valuable in the industry.
He said: “Anyone can collect Avios from flying, or from daily behaviour too, with online shopping, spending, subscriptions and other pieces. In that regard, BA continues to deliver above-average value for customer money. Elite status, which is the primary change in the last few months, has never been something for everyone. By nature, it creates ranks and offers rewards according to how loyal you are.”
Ott explained: “Money is an imperfect metric for loyalty but it's often a good indicator. The US airlines all moved to this system years ago and they've delivered well on the promise of better perks in the years that've followed. A lot of people are finding out that they may not rank as high within the tiers as they fancied themselves, but it doesn't mean they don't still get meaningful perks or value from the points they earn. They might just need to spend more than they once did to get the juiciest perks. That's fair game.”
