British Airways has announced sweeping changes to its frequent flyer loyalty programme, which are set to take effect from 1 April 2025.
The changes will make it more difficult for frequent flyers to accrue benefits when spending with the airline.
British Airways’s changes affect its tier points, which are separate from its Avios scheme, which remains unchanged. Avios points are accrued by customers when purchasing flights and can be redeemed when purchasing subsequent trips.
The key changes
The changes announced by the airline will impact its tier points programme, which rewards flyers spending with the airline by giving them additional flight benefits, such as free seat selection, extra baggage and access to either business or first-class airport lounges.
There are four tiers in the scheme that unlock benefit cards: Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The changes will affect the latter three with Blue remaining unchanged.
Under the current scheme flyers can unlock each benefit tier depending on the length of the flight and the class which the customer travelled in.
From 1 April this is changing to a ‘points for pounds’ model. The amount required to spend to achieve one point is rising to £1 per point, while the number of points required to obtain each card is rising considerably.
You will earn points on spending that includes paying for seats and baggage, but not on taxes or fees. This will make it harder for those travelling economy cabins to earn as these additional costs make up a large portion of overall ticket prices.
Furthermore, from 1 April those who book with British Airways Oneworld Alliance partner carriers such as Qantas, Qatar Airways or Cathay Pacific will no longer receive the equivalent points reward compared with spending directly with British Airways.
Below are the changes to tiers in a nutshell.
Bronze
Currently those that achieve Bronze tier currently receive all the unchanging Blue rewards (which allow customers to collect Avios points and use free onboard Wi-Fi messaging), plus free seat selection a week before departure, priority check in and boarding.
To access these rewards the customer must spend around £1,100 to gain 300 tier points. From 1 April, this will rise to £3,500 to unlock 3,500 points.
Silver
The Silver tier includes all of the above and free seat selection at the time of booking, extra baggage allowance and business class lounge access.
Currently the customer must spend £2,200 to obtain 600 points to unlock these benefits. This is rising to £7,500 for 7,500 points from 1 April.
Gold
Again, Gold incorporates all the above benefits, plus access to first-class airport lounges and additional reward flight availability.
Gold tier is presently available between £3,000 and £5,000 of spend, depending on the flight length and class flown. From 1 April travellers will have to spend an eye-watering £20,000 to unlock the tier.
There is however some good news in the changes, as those spending money on British Airways Holidays will be able to earn points on the whole cost of the booking, not just the flight. Later in 2025 the airline says it will allow customers of its Premium Plus American Express credit card to earn up to 2,500 points through spending on the card too.
Already booked?
For those that have already booked, or intend to book before 1 April, there are a number of factors to be aware of as the scheme transitions to the new rules.
If you booked before 30 December and travel before 1 April, your rewards will be apportioned under the old system.
If you booked before 30 December but are travelling after 1 April, British Airways will convert your old points into the new system, earning the same number of relative points to unlock benefits as you would have under the old system.
Finally, for those who booked after 30 December and travel after 1 April, your benefit entitlement will be calculated solely using the new system.
What can you do?
There’s no doubt that these changes significantly raise the barriers to access each of the benefit tiers.
For those who stick by British Airways because of their access to these perks this will come as a blow as it will make it much more expensive to obtain them.
For those willing to endure a little more discomfort in order to save money, this will likely make no difference. Plus, with Avios points remaining unchanged there is still some significant potential to gain rewards when spending.
It is important to shop around when looking at flights and holidays. While spending to unlock points might seem like a good idea, there are many airline loyalty schemes still available elsewhere.
If this blog has raised any questions why don't we have a quick chat?
MD & Certified Financial Planner
A brief meeting might be of interest, especially if you’re unsure just how wealth management and financial planning could help you.
It would only require the investment of an hour or so of your time, and the coffee’s not bad either.