More dumbing down of the BAEC for Gold members. I used it once in the US last month while waiting for a Continental flight in Houston for a couple of hours. It was a great perk.

How about giving us - not necessarily like-for-like - another benefit instead of making Gold another step closer to Silver?

Who would have fed this back? "please BA, could you remove this feature. I don't want to be overwhelmed by benefits in an already generous programme."

I hate lazy cliches...

"We're polishing Gold again..."

I didn't use it that often, but on the one or two occasions I could use it, it was nice. But I can understand that if there were legions of Easyjet travellers using it, they would take it away. However, I can't see that if you fly easyjet very regularly you still maintain BA Gold.

But what would have been nice, rather than simply take it away, would have been to say - we're replacing Anytime Access with a couple of lounge access vouchers for you to use for family, or when you're not on an eligible flight.

Probably not to their Gold members.

Lost this benefit on KL years ago already. Now will lose it again on BA. :td:

That's what wound me up in email too! Even if they had some sort of limit, even lo-tech like here's 4 vouchers for access when not on ba/ow or something it would soften the blow. Will now have to spread my flights a bit more (and hence less on ba) to ensure I keep status in more ffps.

Maybe they could make it a further benefit, like guf2?

Just got the email, and not so much as an apology for the inconvenience! :eek:

Admittedly I only used Open Doors once in one year of Gold, but it was nice to have as a backup. :(

Me neither:mad: and the email just landed.:td:

Agree, this stinks. Do BA have the cojones to say who they actually researched to get this feedback? Nope, thought not....

If I was a gold, I'd be emailing them asking what feedback that was. That sort of statement really annoys me as it's treating customers as if they're stupid.

Or which "Executive Club members" they asked, but they certainly didn't ask me. It's a benefit I value highly, though nowadays I use it less than I did when I regularly flew UA, which shares a terminal with BA at JFK.
It's also one of the very few benefits that I don't already receive as an AA EXP, and I'm wondering if it's worth even bothering to requalify for Gold now.
Any thoughts on the best place to write to lodge my dissatisfaction?

No no no no no no no!!!!

My guess is the feedback that counted came from the accountants.

Disappointed in this as it was handy when I had to fly from EDI to other regional destinations, since BA no longer have that network. In my particular travel circumstances, there isn't much to choose between gold and silver now. (I only used it 2-3 times per annum, compared to a weekly return trip with BA, so it wasn't like I was costing them all that much!)

Wow - this thread must have broken a record for most replies in the minutes between 15:00 and 15:05

At the risk of being flamed perhaps they could keep Open Doors for GGLs?

I have to say I'm confused - the "Travelling on any other carrier (departing from same terminal as BA flights)" benefit is still showing up for me, even when I "refresh" - am I missing something?

If it has gone, then I doubt I'll bother with the TP run I had just started a topic on, as that was the main reason why I aim for Gold. As someone based in Europe and who, due to limited options available on certain routes, has to use a variety of carriers, I have in recent years made a point of ensuring I do enough flying (including expensive CE upgrades) in order to maintain this benefit. As a result virtually ALL the flights on routes where I have a choice of other carriers (LH/LX/AF) have been with BA, even when timings have not been as good. I reckon that BA has therefore had many thousands of pounds worth of business from me/my company as a result of this policy - and certainly far more than the cost of a couple of drinks, a sandwich and some internet access which is the true cost to them.

Now that BA has reduced flights on my regular STR-LHR routing to 2 a day each way at awkward times (LH remains 3 per day), greatly increased prices and possibly removed this last benefit over M&M (when I consider my flying habits), I have to say I have to seriously consider switching allegiences. Short of some bubbly in the GF lounge and a different menu (though I was always happy enough with GC) what benefits remain??

All I can say is if this IS true, they had better not insult our intelligence by using the "enhancement" word...