British Airways Makes Tier Point Bonuses Permanent: The Biggest News Since The Club Launch

In a significant development for British Airways elite status collectors, BA has just announced that tier point bonuses are becoming a permanent feature of The British Airways Club from 25 November 2025. What was initially launched as a limited-time promotional offer will now be an automatic, ongoing part of the programme – no registration required.

This is genuinely big news. It suggests that BA recognises the tier point bonuses are essential to making the revenue-based system work for members, and they're cementing them as a core feature rather than a temporary promotion.

From 25 November 2025 onwards, extra tier points (BA's new terminology for what were previously called 'bonus tier points') will be automatically awarded on all qualifying British Airways flights and BA Holidays packages. There's no need to opt in, register, or take any action – it simply becomes part of how you earn tier points.

Here's the breakdown of extra tier points you'll earn per flight leg:

These amounts remain exactly the same as the promotional bonus that's been running since December 2024, but the key difference is that they're now permanent and automatic.

If you're travelling between now and 24 November 2025, the current registration-based system still applies. Here's how it breaks down:

For travel between 1 April 2025 and 24 November 2025:

For travel from 25 November 2025 onwards:

This means if you've got flights booked for late November or December 2025, you'll automatically receive the extra tier points without needing to opt in – even if you booked months earlier.

The eligibility criteria remain the same as the promotional offer:

Qualifying flights include:

What doesn't qualify:

The extra tier points are based on the cabin you actually pay for and fly in. If you book World Traveller and receive a complimentary operational upgrade to World Traveller Plus, you'll still receive the World Traveller extra tier points (150), not the World Traveller Plus amount (275).

Making these bonuses permanent is a significant acknowledgement from British Airways that the pure revenue-based earning model needs some tweaking to work properly. When BA launched The British Airways Club in April 2025, there was considerable concern from members about how difficult it would be to earn and maintain elite status under the new system.

By making these extra tier points permanent, BA is effectively adjusting the earning rates without having to change the fundamental structure or the published tier point requirements (3,500 for Bronze, 9,000 for Silver, 27,000 for Gold).

It's worth noting that Club Iberia Plus has had similar per-flight bonuses as a permanent feature from the start of their revenue-based system, and those bonuses are actually more generous for many routes. BA's decision to make their bonuses permanent brings them more in line with their IAG sibling.

Let me show you what this means in practice with some concrete examples:

Example 1: Regular Short-Haul Commuter

You fly London to Paris and back twice a month in Euro Traveller for work, spending £200 per return trip.

Monthly earning:

Over a year, that's 8,400 tier points – enough for Silver status (9,000 required) with just a couple of extra flights. Without the extra tier points, you'd only earn 4,800 tier points from these flights.

Example 2: Long-Haul Premium Economy Traveller

You take two return trips to New York in World Traveller Plus per year, spending £1,800 per return.

Annual earning from these trips:

That's 31% more tier points than standard earning alone, and you're already more than halfway to Silver status from just two holiday trips.

Example 3: Business Class Traveller Working Towards Gold

You're working towards Gold status and take 10 return Club World flights per year, with an average eligible spend of £3,000 per return.

Annual earning:

Not only would you comfortably achieve Gold (27,000 required), but you'd also be well on your way with 38,000 tier points - giving you a comfortable buffer of 11,000 TPs above the Gold threshold. The extra tier points represent over 26% additional earning.

The permanent nature of these extra tier points changes the strategic calculus for several groups:

For Regular BA Flyers

If you fly BA regularly, the automatic extra tier points make status more achievable without needing to chase expensive fares. The bonuses effectively reduce the spend required for each tier by 15-30% depending on your flying patterns and cabin choices.

For BA Holidays Bookers

BA Holidays packages were already attractive under the new system because you earn tier points on the entire package cost. Adding permanent per-flight bonuses on top makes them even more compelling for status collectors. A £2,000 package with Club Europe flights could net you over 2,500 tier points total.

For Premium Economy Enthusiasts

The 275 extra tier points per World Traveller Plus flight remains a sweet spot. On long-haul routes where premium economy is significantly cheaper than Club World, you're getting excellent tier point value. A return trip to New York in WTP could easily give you 4,000+ tier points for under £2,000.

For Status Chasers Considering Alternatives

These permanent bonuses narrow the gap between BA Club and Club Iberia Plus. While Iberia's bonuses are still more generous in many cases, BA's automatic system from November onwards removes the hassle of having to remember to opt in to promotions.

With permanent extra tier points, here are some strategies to maximise your earning:

Book BA Codeshares Strategically

Remember that BA codeshares on partner airlines qualify for extra tier points as long as there's a BA flight number on your ticket. This means you can earn the bonuses on flights operated by airlines like American, Qatar, or Japan Airlines if they're marketed as BA flights.

Consider BA Holidays Packages

For trips where you'd book a hotel anyway, BA Holidays packages let you earn tier points on the hotel cost plus the per-flight extra tier points. This can be more lucrative than booking flights and hotels separately.

Plan Long-Haul in Premium Economy

If status is your priority and you're flexible on the cabin, World Traveller Plus often offers the best tier points per pound spent when you include the 275 extra tier points per flight.

Stack with Other Earning Methods

Don't forget that these flight bonuses stack with other tier point earning opportunities:

Between all these methods, there are now multiple pathways to achieving your target tier.

Use our BA Tier Point Calculator to work out your standard tier point earning, and remember to add the extra tier points manually based on the cabin you're flying.

If you're flying before 25 November 2025 and haven't registered yet, you should do so before 31 December 2025. The registration process is simple:

You'll receive a confirmation message once registered. If you've registered previously (even back in December 2024 or January 2025), you don't need to register again – you're already covered for all travel through 24 November 2025.

If you've already booked flights for April-November 2025 but haven't registered, you can still register now and you'll receive the extra tier points when you fly, as long as you register before 31 December 2025.

It's worth briefly comparing BA's now-permanent extra tier points to Club Iberia Plus, which has had similar bonuses from the start:

Iberia's bonuses are:

Iberia's bonuses are more generous across the board, and crucially, they apply to a wider range of airlines including all oneworld partners (not just Iberia-marketed flights). This makes Club Iberia Plus worth considering, particularly if you fly with other oneworld carriers regularly.

However, BA's system has the advantage of being automatic from November onwards with no opt-in required, and if you're primarily flying BA-marketed flights, the difference in bonuses may not be significant enough to warrant managing a separate programme.

I think making these bonuses permanent is the right move from British Airways, and frankly, it's probably something they should have done from the start when launching The British Airways Club.

The pure revenue-based system was always going to be controversial, and these extra tier points are essentially BA's way of fine-tuning the earning rates without having to admit the original thresholds were too high. By making them permanent rather than running constant promotional campaigns, BA is providing certainty for members planning their travel and status strategy.

The removal of the opt-in requirement from 25 November is particularly welcome. Having to remember to register for promotions is annoying, and it's a source of frustration when people miss out on bonuses they were eligible for simply because they didn't see the registration requirement. Making it automatic is the right approach for a permanent feature.

That said, I still think Finnair Plus or Club Iberia Plus offer a more generous proposition overall, particularly for those who fly with multiple oneworld carriers. The higher bonuses and wider applicability make it worth considering, especially for UK-based flyers who can credit their BA flights to Iberia instead.

For those committed to staying with BA Club, these permanent extra tier points make status significantly more achievable than it would be under a pure revenue-based system. The 15-30% boost they provide to your tier point earning is substantial and changes the strategic calculus for many flyers.

If you're working towards Silver or Gold status, these permanent bonuses should factor into your planning. They make the targets more realistic, particularly if you're flying a mix of short-haul and long-haul, or if you're strategic about using BA Holidays packages to boost your earning.

Overall, this is positive news for BA frequent flyers. It provides certainty, removes friction from the earning process, and makes elite status more attainable under the new revenue-based system. Whether it's enough to make BA Club competitive with other programmes is debatable, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

What are your thoughts on BA making these bonuses permanent? Will it change your approach to earning status? Let me know in the comments!

Safe travels,

Jack