British Airways has revised changes to its ‘Club’ loyalty programme after a new spend-based model received widespread criticism from members.
The changes, first announced in December and due to be rolled out on 1 April, included a rebrand (from ‘The Executive Club’ to ‘The Club’) and an overhaul in the way travellers earn frequent flyer status, with perks now linked to spend rather than distance travelled – effectively, making it harder to earn top-tier status.
The UK flag carrier on Wednesday (5 February), however, announced it will roll back some of the changes after being hit with customer complaints, and will reintroduce a “refreshed ‘sectors travelled’ element”.
This means frequent travellers will still be able to qualify for the airline’s Bronze or Silver Tier status by taking 25 and 50 flights, respectively, BA said in a statement.
“We’ve heard that our members wanted more clarity, certainty and reassurance, so we’ve found a way to re-introduce earning by sector for flights with a BA flight number to support members who use British Airways’ flights to commute,” said BA chief commercial officer, Colm Lacy.
The new spend-based model, where loyalty members earn one ‘tier point’ for every £1 spent, will now also be complimented by a second “more generous” bonus tier point offer, based on cabin class. For example, bonus points linked to short-haul economy flights will increase from 50 to 75, long-haul economy flights will accrue 150 bonus points instead of 70 and long-haul business class flights will now earn 400 bonus points, up from 210.
The airline also confirmed that members who earn enough points to renew or upgrade their status by 31 March 2025 will have a full year of status through to 30 April 2026, while collecting points under the new model for the following year.
“Moving to a spend-based model is reflective of most loyalty programmes in the UK, so it was a logical step in the evolution of The Executive Club,” Lacy added.
“I hope it’s clear that these changes aren’t about reducing the number of members in each tier but making sure that we get the level of recognition right for each individual.”
Under the new scheme, points are accrued on “eligible spend”, which includes base fare, ancillaries, carrier-imposed charges and contributions to ‘sustainable’ aviation fuel (SAF).