Old Jan 28, 2015, 1:49 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Prospero
The changes in summary
Applicable to bookings made from 28 April 2015
For more information, see BA's 28 January announcement and FAQ on ba.com

Earning
Changes to Avios accrual rates and tier bonuses
  • earning rates increase for flights booked in F, A, J, C, D, and W selling classes
  • no change for flights booked in R, I, Y, B, and H selling classes
  • earning rates reduce for flights booked in E, T, K, L, M, N, S, V, Q, O, and G selling classes

Earning with partners
Reduced earnings in Economy and Premium Economy
AA, IBERIA, JAL, LAN, TAM, ALASKA, SRI LANKAN, QANTAS, CATHAY.

Changes to tier bonuses
  • no change to Gold tier bonuses (100%)
  • Silver tier bonuses reduce from 100% to 50%
  • no change to Bronze tier bonuses (25%)

Changes to minimum Avios amounts (accrued per flight)
  • minimum thresholds increase for long haul premium fares (F, A, J, C, D, W)
  • no change to restricted business class fares (R and I class) and flexible econony (Y, B, and H class)
  • minimum thresholds decrease for WT+ (E and T class) - although there are no BA WTP flights that short
  • minimum thresholds decrease from 500 to 250 Avios for mid priced economy (K, L, M, N, S, and V classes)
  • minimum thresholds decrease from 500 to 125 Avios for cheapest economy (Q, O, and G classes)

Changes to Tier Point earning rates
  • Club World London City flights reduce from 210 to 140 Tier Points
  • Cheapest economy flights (in selling classes Q, O, and G) reduce from 50% to 25% Tier Points
  • No change to minimum 2/4 segments for earning Bronze/Others
  • No change to 25 segment / 50 segment Bronze/Silver earning option
  • No other changes, thresholds still Bronze 300,Silver 600,Gold 1500,GGL 5000 (3000 to retain)

Spending
Promise of greater reward inventory/availability
  • Guaranteed minimum 4 seats in economy on every flight
  • Guaranteed minimum 2 seats in business on every flight
  • Guaranteed seats will be available to book from 355 days before departure and may vanish 45 days before departure, if not already booked.

Changes to standard flight redemption rates
  • Variable rates introduced divided into Off-peak and Peak
  • For Peak time (school holidays and other busy times), and partner costs
  • WT - stays the same cost
  • WTP increases - from x1.5 to x2.0 multiplier (33% increase)
  • Club World increases - from x2.0 to x3.0 multiplier (50% increase)
  • First increases - from x3.0 to x4.0 multiplier (33% increase)
  • For Off Peak time (including every Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the year)
  • WT decreases by 35% from current values
  • WT decreases by 13% from current values
  • Club World increases by 25% from current values
  • First increases by 13% from current values
  • Free domestic add-ons abolished on short haul redemptions
  • No word if CE redemptions will be charged 4500/Ł17.50 or 9000/Ł25 for the UK leg
  • Variable rates introduced on Iberia
  • Flight redemptions on BA's other airline partners will be charged at Peak rates all year round

Changes to Upgrade with Avios
  • Eligible booking codes is set to increase in the near future, allowing mile upgrades from economy (WT and ET) for more travellers - K, L, M, N, S, and V classes added (exact fare codes subject to confirmation)
  • Avios required for upgrade now based on the formula: Avios redemption price for the cabin you want to upgrade to, minus the Avios redemption price for the cabin you have paid for with cash. This means that certain off peak WTP to CW upgrades are more expensive than peak WTP to CW upgrades (assuming peak/off-peak variables will apply to UuA)
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Executive Club Changes

Old Jan 28, 2015, 2:57 am
  #91  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,676
Originally Posted by Swanhunter
a little surprised that partner earnings haven't changed either.
Partner earnings are set by partners. BAEC sets what member of other OW FF programmes earn on BA services. As BA and AA aligned 100% earnings I think we should expect that AA will decrease what we earn on its services in line with BAEC. I doubt other partners will change anything as the lowest booking classes already earn next to nothing.
Andriyko is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 2:58 am
  #92  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by irishguy28
Forgive me, but I had a little chortle at that. Little Red had 3 routes, and Virgin Atlantic basically only flies to North America (Mumbai, Cape Town, Hong Kong all end this year).
You're forgiven. As this thread is showing, everyone's travel patterns are different. I was in the US last week, and heading out to the Middle East tonight. The vast majority of the flights I take are Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow though. Most of the TP I've earned this year have been to the Middle East, in J, where there's plenty of competition. In fact, I've used BA a total of zero times this year on that route.
ppp909 is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 2:59 am
  #93  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Reading, UK
Programs: BA Gold,, Hilton HHonors Gold
Posts: 399
So, I now have to give up more Avios to redeem CW while taxes and surcharges remain ridiculously high? Seems a bit odd to me.
blindy is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 2:59 am
  #94  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,200
Originally Posted by ba_cityflyer
Making some sense of the award chart gutting:

Are others seeing the same correlation as I am.

Price reductions on bands where the EC pays the carrier surcharge;
Price increases where the ticket purchaser pays the carrier surcharge

Is it possible there are further changes heading out way originating from a different department within BA? Wishful thinking maybe.
Prospero is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:00 am
  #95  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 166
Can somebody confirm something for me?

I redeem a lot of avios within Europe, usually LON-MUC/FRA. Am I correct in saying that this is a zone 1 route and that the maximum avios during peak times will be 4.5k one way and 4k off peak one way?

If so I really dont mind the redemption changes as this is what has been most important to me.

In terms of the earnings, I am very disappointed as I do fly at the back more often that not and BAEC has always been great for earning a healthy amount of points.

As I said, if the redemptions are as I am hoping above, at least the burn rate is still better than programs such and M&M.
MillionMileMarker is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:01 am
  #96  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ZRH/VRN
Programs: BA Gold, AAdvantage, Miles&More, Miles&Smiles
Posts: 228
Revard Seats availability

I found this morning many reward seats to LAX (November 2015) and now I read this from FAQs on ba.com:

The minimum number of reward seats are in economy and business. Does this mean you are not offering more seats in premium economy and first class?

We have agreed that a minimum number of reward seats will be offered on every British Airways flight in economy and business, where 85% of all reward flight bookings are made today. Although we are not introducing a minimum number of seats for premium economy and first class we do expect to continue to see reward seat availability in these cabins as we do today.


Does the new guarantee mean that you didn’t have reward seats available on every flight in the past?

That’s right. In the past, we couldn’t guarantee that any specific number of reward seats would be available on each flight. This new guarantee will add an additional 500,000 reward seats into economy and business over the next year – many of which will require fewer Avios to book.


Will all the reward seats be loaded into the system 355 days in advance of travel or will they be added into the system throughout the year?


The guaranteed minimum number of reward seats will be loaded 355 days in advance of travel. If the reward seats have not been booked 45 days before the flight is due to depart we may remove them in order to ensure that the seats do not remain empty on the flight. With this exception, the number of reward seats on any given flight may increase or decrease at any time. On average, we tend to make more reward seats available as we get closer to the actual travel date but this doesn’t happen on every flight.

Are the additional 500,000 reward seats that you mention available now for me to book on ba.com?

Yes. The additional 500,000 reward seats which are directly linked to the new guarantee have been released for you to book on ba.com for flights departing on or after 28 April 2015. However, some flights may have released the minimum number of seats already and if these have been booked you may not see additional reward seats available on those flights from today.


Does the new guarantee mean that I will always see four reward seats in economy and two in business when I search for reward flights on ba.com?

No. The minimum number of reward seats will be available 355 days before travel but once booked there is no guarantee that we will release any additional reward seats – although we do tend to make more reward seats available as we get closer to the actual travel date.


Are the additional 500,000 reward seats for Executive Club Members only or can Members of other oneworld frequent flyer programmes also book them?

As today, Members of other oneworld partner airline rewards programmes can book reward seats across the British Airways network and this is not changing. British Airways Executive Club Members can also book reward seats with all of our oneworld partner airlines through ba.com
shark67 is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:03 am
  #97  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 40
Using miles for upgrade Zones 4-9 from WTP to CW is 100% increase during peak times, and more during non-peak times....

As koroleon said: " WTP is the new J!"
greyfish is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:03 am
  #98  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
Originally Posted by MillionMileMarker
I redeem a lot of avios within Europe, usually LON-MUC/FRA. Am I correct in saying that this is a zone 1 route and that the maximum avios during peak times will be 4.5k one way and 4k off peak one way?
Up to and including MUC and SZG is zone 1, just. Broadly speaking, once you get to Spain or Italy that's zone 2.

EDIT:

Last edited by shorthauldad; Jan 28, 2015 at 3:06 am Reason: correction + map
shorthauldad is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:07 am
  #99  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Berlin, Germany
Programs: LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 476
Originally Posted by IAN-UK
maybe the next will be adjusting US partner earnings in domestic first.
Now that would seriously hurt.
awestphal is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:08 am
  #100  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Posts: 158
Originally Posted by greyfish
Using miles for upgrade Zones 4-9 from WTP to CW is 100% increase during peak times, and more during non-peak times....
Yep, for S/H European travel there's no real reason for me to pick BA over Easyjet and L/H has just got a hell of a lot more expensive, either UUA or a straight redemptions.

wadewadewade is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:10 am
  #101  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 40
Originally Posted by wadewadewade
Yep, for S/H European travel there's no real reason for me to pick BA over Easyjet and L/H has just got a hell of a lot more expensive, either UUA or a straight redemptions.

A LOT more expensive. Damn...
greyfish is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:12 am
  #102  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,301
The only real thing I don't like is the charge for domestic add-ons with RFS. This does make it much less attractive.

I think a big shift to easyJet will come if they begin offering connecting flights when they move their entire Gatwick operation to the one terminal.
Euan is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:13 am
  #103  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London UK
Programs: All Expired... :-(
Posts: 410
Originally Posted by wadewadewade
Yep, for S/H European travel there's no real reason for me to pick BA over Easyjet(
Yup, for me too, S/H now comes down to airport location/time of flight. Cost would only come into it if BA charge silly money for a ET flight as they occasionally do.

Avios can be devalued at any time, and BAEC benefits are now so flakey, it's not worth taking any of that into account when booking.
Cerebrito is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:13 am
  #104  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, VS Red, HH Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold, SPG Basic, Alitalia Status Match
Posts: 1,171
On the plus side...absolutely nothing.

Imagine the scrap for off-peak redemptions.

I work hard to try to make BAEC work for my family and I. Stuff like this makes it harder to the point where I'll probably give up and take all of my business elsewhere. As a silver I know I won't make a difference. We need to act en masse...

...With the launch of FT Airways. Moderators get a seat on the board with me (founder). Now I just need a CLC (Chairman of the Loyalty Club). Anyone?
ankomonkey is offline  
Old Jan 28, 2015, 3:14 am
  #105  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Berlin, Germany
Programs: LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 476
Originally Posted by irishguy28
No, for this there is always Lifetime Blue.
Priceless.
awestphal is offline  

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