Originally Posted by
Bear96
Seriously? It's to get passengers to pay more. If they end up with even more elites, but they are all paying more, that would be the best outcome for BA.
(NB: I am NOT predicting that will happen! But a surprisingly large portion of people in this thread have convinced themselves that BA are doing all of this just to make the lounges less crowded, when if that were really The Goal it would have been much easier to just establish stricter rules on access.)
Do you really think that BA. in their wildest dreams, expect the elite numbers to increase as a consequence of this?
My uniformed view, for what its worth, is that BA have decided the elite system is costing them too much and want to cull those that contribute very little in the way of margin to the BA coffers from the system. Yes folk will walk, but there is a shortage of craft right now and enough flights are leaving with no room in Business / Club, that there other passengers ready to take the sets vacated by those that have elected to chase status elsewhere.
If those that think this will harm BA are correct, and that BA have got it wrong, we will soon see BA reducing their profit forecast for 2025, as the chickens come home to roost. If that doesn't happen, there's a good chance BA have got their numbers right.