British Airways is making adjustments to its newly announced loyalty scheme, “the British Airways Club”, following complaints from frequent flyers anxious about retaining their elite status.
While the airline stands by its core switch to a spend-based system, these tweaks introduce an alternative qualification route based on flight numbers and extend a tier point bonus offer designed to help passengers secure or maintain their status.
Under the forthcoming changes, British Airways plans to shift from awarding status points based on distance travelled to awarding one “tier” point per pound spent. From April, the spend required to reach silver status—traditionally conferring lounge access and priority boarding—will be 7,500 tier points instead of the current 600. Critically, travellers may also earn points on BA package holidays, including flights, hotels, car hire and optional extras like seat selection or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) credits.
Two key adjustments
1. Earn status by flights flown: In response to pushback from loyal customers on lower-cost short routes, BA will reintroduce the option to qualify solely by number of flights taken with the carrier, regardless of fare. Bronze requires 25 flights per year, while silver requires 50.
2. Extended tier point bonus offer: An existing bonus incentive for flights booked before 14 February will now apply to flights right through to the end of 2025. Passengers in premium cabins receive the most substantial uplift, with first-class long-haul travellers gaining up to 550 bonus tier points. These extra points will also apply retroactively to flights booked since January.
BA is aiming to reassure its loyal base that requalifying for elite status is feasible, despite the jump in points for silver. Modelling from the airline suggests a mix of short-haul economy, business class trips to the US, and a long-haul premium economy flight to Asia, plus a BA holiday package and an optional SAF credit purchase, could be enough to reach 7,500 tier points for silver.
Despite forecasts that the shift could undermine brand loyalty, BA insists the new system is fairer and intends to keep more affluent business travellers on board while still rewarding frequent leisure flyers. Critics, however, warn that travellers might begin choosing flights on price or convenience rather than working towards a specific loyalty tier.
Nevertheless, aviation analysts suggest that while many passengers may threaten to jump ship, most still value BA’s network reach, flight schedules and perks. For British Airways, the transition is another step in the evolving economics of airline loyalty, balancing the need for profitability with the demands of its most frequent customers.