Originally Posted by
FlyingGirl79
So as a "Tesco Tourist" as Swanhunter so charmingly referred to me and my ilk, what rights do I have should I be told my companion is downgraded on a 2-4-1 booking?
A good question. What does it mean to be a 'Tesco Tourist'? The lowest of the low?
Originally Posted by
Scrudgy
...My avios source is BA, Amex, Lloyds, Tesco, Shell, Portal shopping - anything really, but I must admit my focus has changed from banking avios to save and spend as I go.
As for many of us. Mine are about 50% from flying, 50% from Tesco.
Originally Posted by
orbitmic
I don't think so actually. You'll notice that on everything you copied, flying comes first. The fact that you can also earn avios from other sources is an important aspect of all FFPs, but it does not mean that they are no longer 'FFPs'.
In fact, if you want to refer to what BA are saying, you will note that when you book a ticket on the BA website (you have to do it without logging in to see it), the website asks you if you are 'Member of a frequent flyer programme', the choice of which starts with BAEC.
Then on your file, your BAEC number (regardless of status) comes under the heading 'FQTV' which stands for 'frequent traveller'.
And of course, as amply described by BA, you climb the steps of BAEC by 'flying more' and/or flying in more premium classes. Those are, in effect, the only hierarchical bases of BAEC for a reason and they are perfectly transparent about it including in the bits you quote about 'fly more to unlock more benefits'.
'Equitable'? Gosh, that is so normative. If BA decided that BAEC privileges came with more Tesco spending or more Avis car rentals or whatever, that would be entirely their right. There is absolutely no commitment to some supposed equity between different activities. As it happens, its entire hierarchical system is based in how much and how you fly, that is how the 'privileges get unlocked' as they say.
It is quite possible, by the way, that the source of avios accrual has an impact on how people perceive the value of the programme. I have an (untested) feeling that those who accrue less through flying may be more lenient towards both BA and BAEC than those who do. Again, though, this is untested and may well be wrong.
Incidentally, I think that this thread confuses two very separate questions:
1) who gets access to F not-fully-cash-paid inventory and
2) who gets priority protection from possible downgrade if a cabin is overbooked.
In my view, the two need not be directly related, and as mentioned, possible changes such as limiting access to F awards to status members, regardless of whether it is good or bad, 'equitable' or not, would merely bring BA in line with its three main European F competitors.
Reading the page I linked to, the lead page for the programme on the BA website, it is clear the emphasis is inclusive and diverse. Of course flying is part of the programme, but it is by far the only part. The generic term 'frequent flyer programme' is used across all FFPs, and doesn't take into account how BAEC has diversified - all for the better imo.
Even on FT the forum title was changed from 'British Airways Executive Club' to 'British Airways l Executive Club' to better describe a forum for not just frequent flyers, but also those who love to travel, which mirrors the sentence of the page I refer to on BA website:
http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/executive-club
The Executive Club is our reward programme for anyone who loves to travel.
I would wonder why it is so important to you to maintain the definition of the programme for frequent flyers? Let's not forget, on most flights on average there are more Blue members than members of other tiers. Some of them will be highly profitable, for instance paying £800 return for return Y flights to MCO, where a knowledgeable FT-er may pay double that for a multi-sector TP run in J making silver or gold.