British Airways (BA) is a UK registered company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the International Airline Group (IAG). It is also a founding member of the
oneworld global alliance.
01 The Executive Club
British Airways’ frequent flyer programme is called the Executive Club (BAEC). The main benefits of membership is that it provides a method of collecting points through a variety of channels, earn perks as you progress up the tiers which general makes the flying experience a little bit more comfortable than it would otherwise be.
Most frequent flyer programmes (FFP) are open to anyone to sign up for and the BAEC is no different. Enrolling is easy and can be done online on ba.com.
You also need to be 18 or over to join the BAEC. The only exception to this is the household account, which is explained in full in the
Your guide to Household Accounts thread.
After successfully signing up to the BAEC, and obtaining a password, you can add a number of personal preferences into your profile, such as your contact details, default seating preference (window or aisle), your passport information and any dietary requirement you have. You will be set a membership year which initially lasts between 12 and 13 months. The actual duration is dictated by the date you join. For example, if you sign up on 12 January, your year end will be 8 February the following year. Similarly, if you join on 24 October, your year end will be 8 November the following year. After your first year has passed your membership year cycles in more regular 12 monthly intervals.
Please be aware that BA never changes membership year dates. Once you have a BAEC number, the membership anniversary is fixed for life. There is little point pleading for changes, the system simply will not allow it to happen.
Note, the Executive Club no longer encloses plastic membership cards in the welcome packs as these are now furnished in digital format, accessible either via the BA app or by download via ba.com.
02 Status match from other FFPs
BA very rarely gives out complimentary elite status or matches status from other FF programmes. The exceptions to this are:
- If you’re an employee of a large corporation that has a deal with BA. Your best bet is to speak to your account manager to see what he/she can arrange.
- Complimentary status can also come through contact with your local country office, generally through a business to business liaison.
- Occasionally complementary status is offered if another airline pulls out a particular route that BA continues to serve, or goes into liquidation. FlyerTalk is a good place to monitor such developments.
Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Tier Points | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios