British Airways just removed a consumer protection that most people didn't know existed - and the timing, combined with what Delta's CEO said on a recent earnings call, raises an uncomfortable question about what's coming next on ba.com.

Under the now-scrapped BA Best Price Guarantee, Executive Club members who found a cheaper fare elsewhere received which of the following?

The answer is waiting near the bottom... keep scrolling 👇

A few weeks ago, the ba.com page for the Best Price Guarantee started returning a 404 error. Easy to dismiss as a classic BA IT glitch. Except it wasn't.

BA has now confirmed the guarantee is officially dead - and crucially, it ended with no advance notice and no grace period for existing claims. If you submitted a claim after the cut-off, you received this response:

So what did you actually lose? Under the old guarantee, if you booked directly on ba.com and then found the identical flight cheaper on another site on the same day you booked, BA would issue a ba.com voucher for the difference. Straightforward enough. But the really useful part was the Executive Club top-up: BA Gold, Silver, and Bronze members received double the difference as a voucher, capped at £200 per claim.

To put that in context: if you found your flight £80 cheaper elsewhere, an Executive Club member could claim a £160 ba.com voucher. That's not trivial.

There were exclusions - you couldn't claim if you'd already upgraded using Avios, if the cheaper seat was sold by a codeshare under a different flight number, or if you'd used a discount code on your original booking. But within those parameters, BA apparently paid out without much fuss.

So why kill it? There are three plausible explanations. First: BA is planning to deliberately distribute cheaper fares via third-party comparison sites, knowing that direct bookers won't notice. Second: administration costs became unmanageable - which would only happen if BA was regularly losing claims, suggesting cheaper fares were already appearing elsewhere. Third - and most interesting - BA may be heading toward AI-driven personalised pricing, similar to what Delta has already rolled out.

Delta's CEO confirmed on a recent earnings call that they are using off-the-shelf AI software to charge different prices based on browsing behaviour, purchase history, and device type. The system estimates your income and willingness to pay - then prices accordingly. If BA implements something similar, a Best Price Guarantee would be structurally impossible to maintain, because no two customers would see the same fare.

Bottom line: booking direct on ba.com is now a decision based on loyalty earning and convenience - not on any guarantee you're getting the best price. It's worth checking comparison sites before you book. Use our BA Avios Flight Calculator to cross-check whether a cash fare or Avios redemption stacks up better for your next trip.

Good news for anyone departing from Birmingham (BHX): Aspire is opening a new lounge complex there next month. The refurbished Aspire Lounge South plus two brand-new premium lounges are all scheduled to launch, with the premium spaces specifically designed for business class airline passengers.

The catch worth flagging: the new premium lounges will not be accessible to Priority Pass holders at standard rates - you'll need to pay a supplement on top of your existing Priority Pass membership. That's a growing trend across UK regional airports, so worth double-checking before you assume your card's lounge benefit covers you.

If you're planning to use lounge access at BHX or any other UK airport this summer, it's worth cross-referencing what your card actually covers using our Airport Lounge Guide - supplement rules are becoming increasingly complicated and vary by lounge operator.

Heads up: Amex Platinum holders get lounge access via Priority Pass but are subject to the same supplement rules at premium partner lounges. If BHX is a regular departure point for you, this development is worth watching closely once the lounges open next month.

Qatar Airways' Privilege Club is rolling out significant loyalty programme security changes in response to a growing Avios fraud problem - and if you've linked your accounts across BA Executive Club and Qatar Privilege Club, you need to pay attention.

Avios fraud has become a persistent issue across the shared Avios ecosystem (which spans BA, Iberia, Vueling, Qatar, and Aer Lingus). Qatar's Privilege Club is responding with some of the most significant security changes the programme has seen in years.

The immediate practical action: make sure your Privilege Club login details are up to date, that you have two-factor authentication enabled if available, and that you haven't reused passwords across loyalty accounts. Account takeovers typically happen when credentials from unrelated data breaches are tested against loyalty programmes - and Avios balances are a target precisely because they have real monetary value.

And honestly? This is a good moment to check your BA Executive Club account too. If you hold a meaningful Avios balance - say, 50,000 Avios worth roughly £500 at 1p per point - it's worth treating it with the same security hygiene you'd apply to your bank account.

This is genuinely one of the best credit card sign-up bonuses available right now - and it ends around noon today, Monday 18th May. The Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card is offering 36,000 Virgin Points if you spend £3,000 within 90 days of approval. The bonus arrives in two parts - 18,000 points after hitting the spend threshold, then another 18,000 on top.

At 1p per point as a rough baseline, that's a £360 value - though Virgin Points can stretch considerably further on Upper Class redemptions. Use our Virgin Atlantic Points Calculator to see how far 36,000 points would take you.

Warning: This is about as urgent as it gets. If you've been considering this card, today is the last possible moment. Don't wait until this evening - the offer closes at noon.

KrisFlyer members can redeem miles at 30% off for flights on Singapore Airlines and Scoot departing between June 1-30, 2026. The discount covers Business, Premium Economy, and Economy seats. You need to book by Saturday 31st May to lock in the saving.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles can be transferred from Amex Membership Rewards (check eligibility with our Amex Welcome Bonus Eligibility Tool), making this relevant for UK Amex cardholders with idle MR points. Routes available include South East Asia, with discounted redemptions potentially making Singapore Airlines premium cabin access meaningfully more affordable for June departures.

Heads up: These Spontaneous Escapes seats are limited and typically disappear fast on popular routes. Check availability sooner rather than later.

The answer is 🟡 A ba.com voucher for double the difference (up to £200). Under the now-scrapped Best Price Guarantee, Executive Club members didn't receive cash - they received a ba.com voucher valid for one year, worth double the price difference they found, capped at £200 per claim. As of today, no new claims are being accepted.

Do you ever check comparison sites before booking direct with BA - or do you default to ba.com for the Avios earning? Now that the price guarantee is gone, I'm curious whether this changes your booking habits. Hit reply - I genuinely read every response.

That's it for today - but don't forget: the 36,000 Virgin Points sign-up bonus on the Reward+ card closes around noon today. If you've been sitting on the fence, this is the last possible window. After that, it's gone.

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These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

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