No soft landing [false alarm]
Apr 1, 2015, 8:21 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: West Coast USA
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 559
No soft landing [false alarm]
I had mentioned this in the "ex gratia" thread (post 844 on) but basically I felt it mentioned its own thread:
I logged back into my account after all of the audit issues/password issue however while I have my Avios back my account now shows me as being a Blue Member (should be Silver as of today).
I was gold (through my own merit, not a partner card) with card expiry of yesterday 3.31.15 and so (correct me if I am wrong) I thought I would soft land to Silver?
I called and spoke to an agent who explained that as I didn't credit enough flights to them over the last year to remain either gold, silver or bronze.... I drop to Blue. No soft landing to the tier below.
I called again at lunch time and got the same response and says that this has always been the case. I explained that I know for a fact that in prior years this has not been the case.
Who is correct here? Is this new? Anyone else have this experience?
I logged back into my account after all of the audit issues/password issue however while I have my Avios back my account now shows me as being a Blue Member (should be Silver as of today).
I was gold (through my own merit, not a partner card) with card expiry of yesterday 3.31.15 and so (correct me if I am wrong) I thought I would soft land to Silver?
I called and spoke to an agent who explained that as I didn't credit enough flights to them over the last year to remain either gold, silver or bronze.... I drop to Blue. No soft landing to the tier below.
I called again at lunch time and got the same response and says that this has always been the case. I explained that I know for a fact that in prior years this has not been the case.
Who is correct here? Is this new? Anyone else have this experience?
Apr 1, 2015, 8:28 pm
#2
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,242
That can't be right, can it? I've never used a soft landing so I can't talk from experience but surely the whole point of a soft landing is to cushion the blow by dropping a single level in the event of not crediting sufficient flights to maintain the existing status level.
I think you should be silver.
I think you should be silver.
Apr 1, 2015, 8:38 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: West Coast USA
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 559
Apr 1, 2015, 8:48 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,638
BA has not in the meantime decided to downgrade gold /soft landing.
Apr 1, 2015, 10:47 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,796
Over the years a few people have reported that they have dropped from Gold to Blue after having 0 eligible flights the previous year. In this thread from 2008, former BA Executive Club representative Nicci stated that the soft landing from Gold to Silver should always apply. This, of course, was pre-avios but I can't say that I remember reading of any changes to the soft landing policy.
The post:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/10018718-post9.html
And the entire thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...er-points.html
See also:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...7-ba-gold.html
The post:
Hi all
If you do not earn enough Tier Points by the end of your membership year you drop to the tier immediately below - you would not drop from Gold to Blue in the same year. Without looking at each scenario individually I can't comment on what happened in the cases mentioned above, although I'd be happy to do so if the member themselves wanted me to look into this in more detail.
The best way to look at this is as follows: you can progress from Blue to Gold in one year if you fly enough qualifying flights and earn enough tier points - but you can't move from Gold to Blue in one membership year if you don't!
I hope this helps but if there is anything outstanding please let me know.
Best regards
Nicci
If you do not earn enough Tier Points by the end of your membership year you drop to the tier immediately below - you would not drop from Gold to Blue in the same year. Without looking at each scenario individually I can't comment on what happened in the cases mentioned above, although I'd be happy to do so if the member themselves wanted me to look into this in more detail.
The best way to look at this is as follows: you can progress from Blue to Gold in one year if you fly enough qualifying flights and earn enough tier points - but you can't move from Gold to Blue in one membership year if you don't!
I hope this helps but if there is anything outstanding please let me know.
Best regards
Nicci
And the entire thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...er-points.html
See also:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...7-ba-gold.html
Apr 2, 2015, 1:49 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
No soft landing
To see what BA thought were happening, look at the order Exec Club items page.
As soon as you dropped status on 9th of previous month, it should say in the items in order list: "downgrade to silver pending" followed by "downgrade to silver fulfilled" (when the silver pack was sent out). It may say downgrade to blue instead.
This info should predate recent IT troubles and should reflect the true position.
I always thought soft landing was just that and required no TPs or flights at all to get to silver if you were gold.
As soon as you dropped status on 9th of previous month, it should say in the items in order list: "downgrade to silver pending" followed by "downgrade to silver fulfilled" (when the silver pack was sent out). It may say downgrade to blue instead.
This info should predate recent IT troubles and should reflect the true position.
I always thought soft landing was just that and required no TPs or flights at all to get to silver if you were gold.
Apr 2, 2015, 2:22 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
To see what BA thought were happening, look at the order Exec Club items page.
As soon as you dropped status on 9th of previous month, it should say in the items in order list: "downgrade to silver pending" followed by "downgrade to silver fulfilled" (when the silver pack was sent out). It may say downgrade to blue instead.
This info should predate recent IT troubles and should reflect the true position.
I always thought soft landing was just that and required no TPs or flights at all to get to silver if you were gold.
As soon as you dropped status on 9th of previous month, it should say in the items in order list: "downgrade to silver pending" followed by "downgrade to silver fulfilled" (when the silver pack was sent out). It may say downgrade to blue instead.
This info should predate recent IT troubles and should reflect the true position.
I always thought soft landing was just that and required no TPs or flights at all to get to silver if you were gold.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...g-flights.html
Apr 2, 2015, 2:34 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
No soft landing
Reading through the Gold benefits and new T&Cs, there is no mention of soft landings. From what the EC levels says to get Silver you need 4 BA flights and 600 TPs, even if you were previously gold.
Looks like soft landing may have gone.
Also formal rules relating to LCY on compare tiers page: no club check-in for bronze/ruby and no priority boarding for bronze or silver.
Looks like soft landing may have gone.
Also formal rules relating to LCY on compare tiers page: no club check-in for bronze/ruby and no priority boarding for bronze or silver.
Apr 2, 2015, 2:41 am
#12
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,158
I have recently taken to burning Avios out of the HHA rather than giving BA more money. One HHA member was Silver, had zero BA revenue flights, only redemptions, and just soft-landed to Bronze. So, for some at least, the soft-landing is still present and requires no flights.
Call again. It's frustrating calling BA these days as you can never rely on the information they give you. Are these people stupid, demotivated or just poorly trained?
Call again. It's frustrating calling BA these days as you can never rely on the information they give you. Are these people stupid, demotivated or just poorly trained?
Apr 2, 2015, 3:47 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Oxford
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 38
No soft landing
9 months ago I soft landed from silver to bronze with no BA flights. So for me at least it has worked in the past without flights.
Hopefully the soft landing hasn't been enhanced away. It was quite useful.
Hopefully the soft landing hasn't been enhanced away. It was quite useful.
Apr 2, 2015, 5:03 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 910
Interesting... this would be a dimunition of previously understood benefit but having looked through the Terms & Conditions I have to agree I can't see where 'soft landing' is mentioned or defined. Section 6 'Recognition' includes:
"Card entitlement is based on the number of Tier Points earned or total number of eligible flights taken in a Year. Each Member's Card status will be reviewed at the end of each Year before the expiration of the current Card"
and
"Tier level may be reduced at British Airways' discretion depending on the Tier Points earned or total number of eligible flights taken in the previous Year. Tier Points earned or eligible flights completed prior to the beginning of the relevant Year will not be counted for this purpose."
Does anyone know whether this was stated in previous Terms & Conditions or just an informal thing?
"Card entitlement is based on the number of Tier Points earned or total number of eligible flights taken in a Year. Each Member's Card status will be reviewed at the end of each Year before the expiration of the current Card"
and
"Tier level may be reduced at British Airways' discretion depending on the Tier Points earned or total number of eligible flights taken in the previous Year. Tier Points earned or eligible flights completed prior to the beginning of the relevant Year will not be counted for this purpose."
Does anyone know whether this was stated in previous Terms & Conditions or just an informal thing?