British Airways Club Softens Loyalty Programme Changes: What You Need to Know

In a significant development for UK frequent flyers, British Airways has announced adjustments to their controversial new loyalty programme changes just weeks after the initial announcement. As someone deeply embedded in the points and miles game (and a current BA Gold member), I've been watching these developments with keen interest.

Let's break down what's changing and what it means for our travel strategies in 2025 and beyond.

The Key Changes

BA has introduced two major tweaks to their previously announced overhaul:

1. The return of flight-based qualification: You can now earn status through pure flight activity - 25 flights for Bronze and 50 for Silver, regardless of fare price. This is particularly good news for frequent short-haul flyers and business travellers on cheaper tickets.

2. Extended bonus tier points: The bonus tier point offer has been extended to flights booked before December 31st. Economy cabins will earn 75 bonus tier points (up from 50), while long-haul premium cabins will see increases up to 550 points.

What Does This Mean For You?

If you're chasing Silver status (which, let's be honest, is the sweet spot for most travellers due to lounge access), BA's modelling suggests you could achieve it through a combination of:

• 1 economy flight to Geneva (with baggage)

• 1 business class flight to New York

• 1 premium economy flight to Singapore

• 1 package holiday to Barbados

• £300 spend on sustainable aviation fuel credits

For those interested in calculating exactly how many tier points you'll earn under the current system (valid until April), our BA tier point calculator remains a valuable tool. We're working on updating it for the new system once more details are confirmed.

My Thoughts

As someone who recently completed a tier point run to achieve Gold status, these changes are particularly interesting. The introduction of package holiday qualifying spend could actually make status runs more accessible - though likely a lot more expensive - than the current system of hunting for specific route combinations.

The reintroduction of flight-count qualification is a smart move by BA. While I achieved Gold through strategic routing and careful planning, many loyal BA customers simply fly frequent short-haul routes. This change acknowledges their value to the airline.

What Should You Do?

1. If you're planning flights for early next year, consider booking before December 31st to take advantage of the bonus tier point offer.

2. Look at your typical annual travel patterns. The new flight-count qualification might actually make status easier to achieve if you're a frequent short-haul flyer.

3. Consider whether BA package holidays might now offer better value when factoring in the tier points earned on the total holiday cost.

We'll be keeping a close eye on these developments and updating our tools accordingly. Keep checking back for more analysis as we get closer to the April implementation date.

Don’t forget, you can still get oneworld status via Royal Jordanian, using their status match here. Air France are also offering a status match if you want to leave oneworld here.

What are your thoughts on these changes? Are they enough to keep you loyal to BA, or are you considering other options? Drop us a comment below or reach out on our Instagram.