Originally Posted by
River in Sight
There is already a massive thread on the impending changes to BAEC - but I haven’t seen much discussion specific to US-based travelers (although I’ve only read a couple hundred posts and it may be getting lost).
Where are the US-based amongst us looking going forward? My family of 3 has had silver status for the last few years. We typically do 1-2 TATL in business each year, 1-2 transcons in AA/AS first, then a few shorter haul flights in a mix of first and economy. This always landed us between Silver and Gold (I got Gold once only when the thresholds were lowered during COVID).
The primary benefits I saw from BA Silver were Admirals/Flagship access domestically, and main cabin extra seat selection on AA when we fly short haul economy. I do have lifetime AA Gold already but that only affords MCE at checkin.
Now I’m curious with my profile if it makes sense to focus on any particular program going forward. I could solve for the lounge access with Priority Pass / AXP Platinum in many cases (which I already have) and that leaves only the occasional need to pay for main cabin extra seat selection.
But I am also curious to hear what other US-based premium leisure travelers are thinking at this crossroads.
BAEC was the only real reason I flew BA for my annual Europe trips and I absolutely, positively will NOT miss transiting LHR and then flying in an economy-style seat to my final destination (nor my family asking me to remind them exactly why we were doing that on each trip).
For those of us based in the US, BAEC silver or gold has been valuable, especially if you are based near (or often fly through) an airport with a Flagship lounge and Flagship check in, both of which I have gotten used to after years as BA Gold, plus the QF lounge at LAX, plus seat selection plus, also, the nicer Oneworld lounges in other countries, plus the First Wing at LHR. Even if the changes mean dropping to Silver from a now unattainable Gold, BAEC still seems a better proposition than anything else, since most of what makes it attractive as a US-based flyer remains intact. Personally, I’m fairly close to lifetime Gold as well, so slumming it at Silver for 3-4 years rather than the 1-2 years as Gold that I’d have needed under the old system will be tolerable and still just about worth it I think, especially compared to the alternatives.