Yet to be announced Exec Club changes: your fears, conjecture and general grousing
 

As "Rumour Central" has already started, perhaps we should look at what BA might be trying to achieve with the changes ... on the basis of the evidence so far. I can't see any evidence in the wording released to date that suggests "They're out to get us".

• Enhancements for Zone 1-3 pax = Perhaps an offset for the impending termination of Euro-cheat? Certainly increasing competitivity within Europe.
• Changed Miles requirements on many sectors = Correcting perceived anomalies.
• Future new partners to earn/spend Miles = widening potential customer base.

I can't see any potential benefit to BA for tinkering with status levels at the upper end. Indeed, that has high potential for annoying that part of the customer base that actually generates a lot of revenue, much of it on a very regular basis. IMO any changes are likely to be, as already discussed on another Thread, providing additional minor benefits at the low end [i.e. "Bronze"]. In other words, encouraging more business from the lower end [i.e. less frequent] of the market.

Edit ... thanks for the update, Nicci. You're a :-: ^

Whilst I would agree with this I would point out that it was only recently they removed Open Doors for Golds for example. Personally I'm hoping we might see some new benefits to make up for this (or even the restoration of Open Doors but I'm not hopeful on that one).

Uh huh. So you're not going to tell us the new partner award chart in advance so we can lock in either current rates if you are raising them on us? That's nice of BA. :rolleyes: My guess is that the only values on the chart right now like N. America-S. America and N. America-Asia will be devalued. With the insane fuel surcharges and the likely increased redemption levels for ex-US routes that matter to me, I guess I'll burn the 120k mi I have and call it quits.

Why do I get the feeling that you will screw us? And that the 97% of flights that are not increasing are only BA flights? This sounds like typical marketing spin.

Oh, and FWIW, I thought the partner award pricing was already simple enough. It's funny that companies feel the need to patronize us by treating us like idiots and make things 'simpler' even though it's already simple enough for a 12 yr old to understand.

Excuse my cynicism, but I think all of you who are cheerleading right now will come to regret it. Think about it. Why aren't they telling us the whole award chart right now? Why did they just release the good news?

If they devalue first class partner awards from US-Far East then I'll be canceling my Chase BA card.

Is it true now redemption to Asia from N. America will now cost 3 times more miles/points with the new change?

Shouldn't this thread now be retitled "Massive Devaluation to Partner Awards Announced"?

Or since that might be impolite to the official rep, maybe it would be appropriate to start another thread to discuss? I mean that is the big news here. People who liked using BA miles to fly AA to South America, etc. are going to be reamed, while a bone is thrown to those that don't mind paying the ridiculous surcharges on BA international flights (which will require fewer miles).

No, actually I am proven right. The big news about the partner devaluation was hidden in the initial announcement, but has since been confirmed, at least on Lucky's blog. The reduction in miles on some BA routes is a small bone and no way offsets the costs to millions of BA's north american members that don't use their miles on the short haul intra-Euro routes. And there is no change to the heinous fuel surcharge or LHR luxury taxes, which are a big disincentive to book BA metal with miles and virtually a deal-killer on cattle car awards.

Cool - more reward availability for those of us without chase cards :)

The mileage reductions are not really "small bone" for BA's UK/EU members when LHR-HKG/NRT/BKK all reduce by 25% and then you have LHR-NYC/BOS/ORD which have reduced by 20%.

And I'm sure a lot of the 'millions' of BA North American members have approx. 100,000 miles sitting in their account thanks to the Chase credit card sign up bonus (Yes - I know a lot will also have earnt them by travel, etc). At the end of the day it was their (Chase/BA) choice to offer than many miles with the sign up bonus but I can't recall the last time any credit card in the UK/Europe offer 100,000 miles as a sign up bonus so I'm pleased that the initial changes benefit UK/EU members.

It is a British airline after all.

YQ is pretty common among EU airlines and isn't going to change, IMO. As for LHR taxes - outwith BA's control but you frequently can read in the press over here one airline or another saying how high they are.

Now, that's a pipe dream. :eek:

So...right now I have a ORD-HKG First Class Award on Cathay Pacific for 150,000 BA miles.

Under the BA only award chart this same trip would cost 360,000 BA miles.

This is a HUGE devaluation of British Airways miles for US-based members.

I will no longer be flying British Airways, using my Chase BA card or transferring any more Amex membership rewards points to Executive Club if this proves to be even remotely accurate.

And this is exactly what I was worried about. What's the URL to "Lucky's blog"? I guess on this forum, we'll have to get the official word from user "BA Executive Club".

Fantastic ^









;)

Good job! BA!

US -Asia will rise from 50k/100k/150k to 120k/240k/360k for eco/busi/first class return trip!

That's 240% more. I feel this is one of the major purposes of changing. "new revitalised Executive Club is coming"

I'm sure your right, but I can but hope that heinous surcharges imposed by the evil British (sic) may discourage some from taking the meagre bone offered by the greedy BA :rolleyes:

Holy crap if this is true... and it seems fairly accurate. The partner award chart is critical to the value of BA miles. Otherwise, under the BA only award... my miles become as valuable as SkyPesos!

So I assume we have until November 1 to book under the current redemption charts... if so, yea, I'm planning to book and burn the 380,000 remaining miles on my BA account pretty fast.