BA's elite status revamp was supposed to thin out the lounges at Heathrow from 1st May. Judging by what's now landing in members' inboxes, that's not going to happen.

Quick question before we dive into the main story:

Under BA's current 'The Club' tier points system (launched April 2025), how many tier points do you need to earn or retain Gold status in a qualifying year?

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

Emails have started landing this week from British Airways, telling members that their elite status has been extended for a free extra year - all the way to 30th April 2027. The kicker? Some of these members have accumulated almost no tier points at all.

The numbers being reported are genuinely jaw-dropping. Silver members with as few as 128 tier points are being extended. Gold members with as few as 2,509 tier points are getting the same treatment. To put that in context:

Under BA's 'The Club' programme - which only launched on 1st April 2025 - tier points are earned based on spend: £1 on a BA flight equals one tier point. So 128 tier points effectively means spending just £128 on BA flights since last April. That's not even a short-haul return in economy on a busy route.

It isn't entirely clear what's triggering the extensions. A disproportionate number of those who've been rolled over were gifted their status by a Gold Guest List member - and gifted members are likely to have low flight activity. But many non-gifted members are also receiving the extension, which complicates the theory.

The most likely explanation? BA simply doesn't want to lose elite members in bulk. Fewer status holders means quieter lounges, yes - but it also means fewer loyal high-value flyers. It's a commercial decision dressed up as an administrative one.

To check if you've been extended, open the BA app, tap 'My Account' from the menu at the top, and scroll down under your membership card. If it says 'Card expiry 30 April 2027', you're in.

And if you requalified the hard way, grinding through flights and spend to hit the proper targets? Honestly, fair play to you - and yes, the lounges are probably going to be just as rammed as they always were.

If you want to understand how tier points stack up across different routes and fare classes, our BA Tier Point Calculator is worth bookmarking.

For all our ongoing British Airways coverage, check out our British Airways stories page.

If you have Lufthansa flights booked this summer, check your reservations. The airline has announced it's cutting 20,000 short-haul flights from its schedule through to October - that's approximately 120 flights being cancelled every single day.

The cuts are being driven by two factors: the closure of Lufthansa CityLine (the regional subsidiary that operated many of those short-haul routes) and sharply rising jet fuel costs. The trimmed schedule will be loaded gradually, so you may not see the impact on your booking immediately - but disruptions are coming.

Heads up: if you're affected, Lufthansa's options for rebooking or refunding disrupted passengers 'might not be very accommodating' according to early reports. Don't wait for them to contact you - go check your booking now.

This is a meaningful development for UK travellers connecting through Frankfurt or Munich to long-haul destinations on Lufthansa Group metal. If your itinerary involves a short-haul feeder flight, it's particularly worth verifying. Keep an eye on our Tier Points coverage if you're chasing status on Lufthansa flights too.

Hawaiian Airlines officially joined the Oneworld alliance on 22nd April 2026 - and has simultaneously dropped its old 'HA' flight code in favour of Alaska Airlines' 'AS' designation, following the two carriers' merger.

For UK Avios collectors, this is genuinely interesting. Oneworld membership typically means you can earn Avios when flying with the partner airline, and potentially redeem Avios for flights on their network. It also means Hawaiian flights could count towards BA Gold or Silver tier point targets - though the specifics of how BA will integrate Hawaiian into its earning tables are not yet confirmed.

Hawaii has historically been a tricky destination to reach using Avios from the UK - requiring a transatlantic redemption plus a domestic connection. If Hawaiian's Oneworld membership opens up new Avios redemption pathways, even indirectly, that's worth watching closely.

For a broader look at where Avios can take you once new partners come online, our BA Avios Map gives you the full picture.

We'll track how this develops - follow our Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines coverage for updates.

IHG One Rewards has launched a targeted bonus for stays at hotels in the Middle East, India and Africa between 21st April and 21st June 2026. Register and you'll earn 5,000 bonus points for every two nights you complete in the eligible regions.

The catch: you must book by Wednesday 6th May and you must register for the offer first. Award stays and Points & Cash bookings are not eligible - only paid rates count. If you've got travel planned to Dubai, Riyadh, Mumbai or anywhere across that region in the next two months, this is easy incremental value on top of your base earn.

Register directly via IHG's website. Don't forget to do it before you check in, or the bonus won't track.

This one is genuinely urgent: Choice Privileges is offering a +100% bonus when you transfer points to Air France KLM Flying Blue - and it ends today, Friday 24th April.

Effectively, every 1,000 Choice points becomes 2,000 Flying Blue miles during this window. Flying Blue runs monthly Promo Awards that can offer significant discounts on redemptions - so having a topped-up Flying Blue balance heading into May's promo calendar is a smart move.

Warning: Choice Privileges isn't a programme many UK collectors are heavily invested in, so check your balance before getting too excited. But if you've accumulated points through Choice hotel stays, this is one of the better transfer windows you'll see. Transfer minimums and caps apply - check the Flying Blue transfer page for exact terms.

For more on transfer bonuses worth watching, see our Transfer Bonuses coverage.

The answer is 🟣 20,000 tier points for Gold status under BA's current 'The Club' system. Which makes it all the more remarkable that members with just 2,509 tier points - 12% of that target - are being extended for a full extra year. Whether that threshold holds or drops further as more data emerges remains to be seen.

Did you get a surprise BA status extension this week - or did you grind out the tier points the hard way? Either way, hit reply and let me know. I'm particularly curious whether any readers got the extension despite having zero gifted status history. I read every response.

One last thing before you go: the Choice to Flying Blue +100% transfer bonus disappears today. If you have Choice points sitting idle, this is genuinely one of the better transfer windows going - don't let it expire without at least checking your balance.

See you Monday.

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

1. Business Platinum Card: 120,000 points after spending £12,000 in 3 months (£650/yr)

2. Platinum Card: 75,000 points after spending £10,000 in 6 months (£650/yr)

3. Business Gold Card: 20,000 points after spending £3,000 in 3 months (£195/yr (waived first year))

4. Gold Card: 20,000 points after spending £3,000 in 3 months (£195/yr (waived first year))

Looking to redeem your points? Here's what's available right now (via Award Travel Finder):

Hotels:

Status Matches:

• Flying Blue Status Match - Air France / KLM (SkyTeam)

• Flying Blue UK (BA Status Holders) - Air France / KLM (SkyTeam)

• Flying Blue (Iberia) - Air France / KLM (SkyTeam)

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Before we wrap up, I wanted to share some timely opportunities I've been tracking (courtesy of our friends at AwardTravelFinder). These deals won't last long, so let's dive in.

Airline programs:

Hotel programs:

Award Travel Finder hunts down the best redemptions so you don't have to.

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