These things - like much in life - is an infinite shade of grey.

Is collecting a hire car and then dumping it in the nearest car park for the duration gaming the system? Of course it is and strictly within the rules as there’s no requirement to drive the vehicle any minimum distance. How about checking into the BAH hotel and not staying there? Nothing in the rules about that either.

My forthcoming gold card is entirely due to me visiting SOF earlier this year for no other reason than to clock enough TPs to get me over the 1500 line. I was nearly there anyway but two years of lounge access etc while flying down the back of a A320 (half way actually given my name) was the clincher.

On a marginal cost v marginal revenue basis BA still (just) comes out ahead so it’s a win win.

The collective actions of FTers, while significant, are probably not enough to warrant BA constantly having to amend their T&Cs to keep up with relatively small numbers of people leaving unused hire cars near airports for five days.