British Airways overhauls loyalty program to reward spending

In the United Kingdom, British Airways has made significant changes to its loyalty programme, previously known as the British Airways Executive Club, which was officially rebranded to the British Airways Club on April 1, 2025. The new scheme focuses on rewarding members based on the amount of money spent rather than the distance flown. Starting from this date, for every eligible £1 spent, members receive one tier point, moving away from the past structure that considered ticket class and distance flown for the allocation of tier points. The adjustments also include a unified tier point collection period for all members, which now runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. This ensures that all members are on the same schedule, creating a more streamlined approach. Under the new guidelines, the thresholds to achieve different membership levels have shifted. Members can earn enough tier points to gain status by flying a specific number of flights with British Airways; 25 flights for Bronze and 50 for Silver status. This approach reintroduces the concept of earning status through a flight count in addition to spending, which could benefit those who fly regularly but may choose cheaper tickets. Further enhancing the programme is the bonus tier point scheme, which will now retrospectively apply to passengers who booked BA flights since December 2024, thereby rewarding loyalty more significantly to existing customers. However, the maximum additional tier points a customer can obtain through this scheme is capped at 1,000 per collection year. Despite these initiatives to improve the programme, concerns have been raised about how the changes may affect different customer demographics. For instance, travelers who typically purchase lower fare classes may find their earning potential for tier points significantly reduced, as these fare classes grant a smaller percentage of tier points based on miles flown. Conversely, customers flying in premium cabins, who already enjoy benefits such as priority check-in and lounge access, might not feel a pressing need to accumulate more status points. The fine balance between rewarding frequent travelers and maintaining a fair system for all fare classes remains a pivotal challenge for British Airways as it implements this revamped loyalty scheme.