The BA (US) phone system requires you to key in your membership number - even when you are phoning the 'blue' line. This is fine except when the computer gets itself into a loop or - as when I switched programs - when it doesn't recognise your ff number because you belong to a different geographical region. If MF were anything other than premier, he'd be better off phoning the UK numbers when trying to get service in the US... (there is a titanium-trimmed platinum telephone on Robert Ayling's desk that rings when MF so much has a momentary thought that requires attention from BA)

Although the customer service for the 'elite' lines is certainly faster and even more pleasant than for the blue line, I'm fairly certain that if you managed to get through & didn't have a valid gold/silver card, you would be politely but firmly given the number for the blue line!