Changes to Gold Guest List Qualification Criteria
 

Dear All

I wanted to let you know about some changes to the qualification criteria for Gold Guest List which are being communicated to Members later today.

I’m sure that most of you will be aware that today you can qualify for Gold Guest List by either reaching 5,000 Tier Points during one single Tier Point Collection Year or by reaching 3,000 Tier Points in two consecutive Tier Point Collection Years. From 1st January 2015 Members will only be able to qualify for Gold Guest List by reaching 5,000 Tier Points during one single Tier Point Collection Year – which means that Members will no longer be able to qualify by reaching 3,000 Tier Points in two consecutive years.

We understand that this will affect some of you and as a gesture of goodwill we will continue to award Gold Guest List to any Gold Member who reaches 3,000 Tier Points before 8th April 2015 – as long as you also earned 3,000 Tier Points in your previous Tier Point Collection Year.

There is no change to the renewal criteria meaning that existing Gold Guest List Members can continue to renew by reaching 3,000 Tier Points during their Tier Point Collection Year.

I’ve included below some Q&A’s which you may find useful, however if you do have any questions please feel free to post them on this thread and I will try to respond to you as soon as possible.

Warm Regards

Jeni

Q. What if I reached 3,000 Tier Points in my last Tier Point Collection Year and I am likely to reach 3,000 Tier Points shortly after 1st January 2015?
A. We understand that this change may affect you - especially if you are likely to qualify around the time that the new rule becomes applicable (1st January 2015) so we will continue to award Gold Guest List status to anyone who reaches 3,000 Tier Points before 8th April 2015 – as long as you also reached 3,000 Tier Points in your previous Tier Point collection year.

Q. If I reached 3,000 Tier Points in my previous Tier Point collection year and am likely to reach 3,000 Tier Points before 8th April 2015 – do I need to do anything in order to have my Gold Guest List status awarded?
A. No. We will automatically award Gold Guest List status to you, and this could take up to 7 days from the date that you reach 3,000 Tier Points to be reflected in your online Executive Club account. You should receive your Gold Guest List membership within 28 days.

Q. I reached 3,000 Tier Points in my last Tier Point collection year and I think I will reach 3,000 Tier Points in my current Tier Point collection year which ends after 1st January 2015 – will I now not be eligible to receive Gold Guest List status?
A. This is correct, however as a gesture of goodwill we will automatically award you with Gold Guest List status if you reach 3,000 Tier Points before 8th April2015 – as long as you also reached 3,000 Tier Points in your last Tier Point collection year.

Q. I reached 3,000 Tier Points in my last Tier Point collection year and I think I will reach 3,000 Tier Points in my current Tier Point collection year which ends after 8th April 2015 – will I now not be eligible to receive Gold Guest List status?
A. This is correct – If you achieved 3,000 Tier Points in your previous Tier Point Collection Year and you achieve 3,000 Tier Points after 8th April 2015 (in your current Tier Point collection year), you will not qualify for Gold Guest List.

Q. By what day do I need to have qualified in order to attain Gold Guest List under the current qualification rules?
A. If you are a Gold Member who achieved 3,000 Tier Points in your previous Tier Point collection year then you must reach 3,000 Tier Points by 8th April in order to qualify for Gold Guest List.

Q. As a member who holds Gold Guest List status - If I downgrade from Gold Guest List in the future will I still have to reach 5,000 Tier Points in one Tier Point collection year in order to qualify again?
A. Yes. If you are not a Gold Guest List Member, you must achieve 5,000 Tier Points during one year in order to qualify irrespective of whether you have held Gold Guest List status before.

Q. As a member who holds Gold Guest List status - Will I now have to earn more Tier Points in order to retain Gold Guest List in my next membership year?
A. No. We have not changed the number of Tier Points that Gold Guest List Members must reach in order to retain their Gold Guest List status for their next membership year. To keep Gold Guest List status in your next membership year you must reach 3,000 Tier Points in your current Tier Point collection year.

Q. Is there any change to the Concorde Room Card qualification criteria?
A. No. Members will continue to qualify for a Concorde Room Card when they reach 5,000 Tier Points during one Tier Point Collection Year.

Q. I am a European Member who currently holds Gold Guest List – and my current Tier Point collection year ends in February 2015. Will I still qualify for Gold Guest List if I reach 2,500 Tier Points?
A. Yes. In your next Tier Point collection year however, you will need to reach 3,000 Tier Points to re-qualify for Gold Guest List.

Q. I am a European Member who currently holds Gold Guest List – and my current Tier Point collection year ends in May 2015. Will I still qualify for Gold Guest List if I reach 2,500 Tier Points?
A. No. European grandfathering ends on 31st March 2015 which means that you must reach 3,000 Tier Points to retain Gold Guest List after this date.

Q. Will there be any changes to Gold Upgrade for Two at 2,500 Tier Points and Gold Upgrade for One (x2) at 3,500 Tier Points?
A. No there is not change to how you earn Gold Upgrade for Two or Gold Upgrade for One vouchers.

Q. If I qualify during the current membership year, will I still get new set of Gold Guest List Redemption Rewards when my membership year clocks over to the next one?
A. Yes, the small change we are making to the qualification criteria will not affect how Gold Guest List Redemption Rewards are issued.

Q. Will there be any changes to the Gold and Silver partner proposition for Gold Guest List customers?
A. No, the change we are making to the qualification criteria will not affect the Gold Guest List partner card proposition.

Q. Where can I find the updated Gold Guest List terms and conditions which will be valid from 1st January 2015?
A. If you are an existing Gold Guest List Member, you can view the existing and new Gold Guest List terms and conditions by visiting the Gold Guest list benefits page after you have logged into your online Executive Club account.

Any particular reason for this massive change Jeni? This represents a 66% increase in the TPs required for GGL. Was there really no halfway house on this so raising the threshold to say 4000 TPs in two consecutive years?

Presumably to limit the numbers which are swelling.

I gather Hawaii is lovely in March.

I can see this is quite a severe ratcheting up of GGL's entry requirements, so I imagine some people will be very unhappy with this. The only existing members affected are European members and those who bobble along just above and below 3k, sometimes qualifying in some pairs of years, sometimes not. It also looks to me that the 2 year counting frame is difficult to administer hence the 5k entry criteria.

I guess the real issue would be those who have travel spread over the year and were targeting on getting 3k around September 2015 time, having already got 3k in the bank from last year. The one thing we can't change is our membership year, so it would have been better to have set the April deadline as 8 December so that there can't be any hint of lost ambition.

One option, I guess, would have been to turn CCR, which is currently a benefit bauble, not a level, into a level in its own right, so 2 jokers (etc) to CCR; maybe 1 joker and free changes to GGL lite?

A 66% increase would seem a bit of a harsh change to do that don't you think?

Hi Jeni - answers nearly all my questions - so thanks!

However, I apologise in advance for hassling you with a few questions!

I recently attained GGL a few weeks back by 3000 TP for two subsequent years.

My BAEC renewal is June 2015.

- is my GGL effective to June 2016.
- if so, in order to renew from June 2016 thru 2017 - do I need to get 3000 or 5000 TP from June 2016 thru June 2017 ?
- OR is TP collection year 12 months from GGL effective date.
- I will attain CCR in March 2015 - is this effective to June 2016.

Thanks - you did say post any questions! Sorry again! :)
Its quite funny that you post this as I was asking similar questions from the esteemed members here just yesterday (thanks again to those who helped!

I wonder how much the ease of accumulating 3000 for two years via the runs in the TP thread might have contributed to this? It's pretty easy for someone who'd be a solid Gold on regular flights to set aside a week and £1500 and push themselves over 3000. Under these new rules, scoring the additional TPs with the sole intention of getting GGL means a much greater commitment.

That makes quite a gap between 1500 for Gold and 5000 for GGL. It might be better after Gold to credit to other oneworld programs - or even non-oneworld programs.

Yes, that would pretty much descibe my situation. I can get 3000 TPs per year, but 5000 TPs is a bit of an ask. Also membership year is December to December, and I do have 3000 TPs worth of flights booked for next year, but I would hit that threshold in August so the April deadline won't work for me. I am certainly one of those who are very unhappy with this.

As I noted, for those of us who were likely to continue maintaining GGL by hitting 3000 TPs a year this is a 66% in TPs required - it would be like raising GCH qualifiction fron 1500 to 2490 TPs. A 20% increase would be somewhat reasonable, but a 66% increase seems downright punative.

Anyway, nothing is going to change it so there you go, no point getting annoyed I suppose.

I think the FAQ answers these questions already, but yes GGL to June 2016, CCR March 2015 to June 2016, you need to get 3k to retain GGL (after June 2016) between June 2015 and June 2016, or 5k to also keep your CCR after June 2016.

The way i read it it's 3000. If you're already GGL with your leg in the front door, it'll only be 3000 to renew. (at least that's how i read it)

- is my GGL effective to June 2016. YES
- if so, in order to renew from June 2016 thru 2017 - do I need to get 3000 or 5000 TP from June 2016 thru June 2017 ? 3000
- OR is TP collection year 12 months from GGL effective date. No, your collection period stays June-June.
- I will attain CCR in March 2015 - is this effective to June 2016. Your card will actually last to end of July 2016

If you are GGL already then you keep it until Dec 2014, and you "just" need to keep getting 3k a year before December, so unless I've missed something you are ok for the time being? (e.g. you're not getting 3k before Dec 2014?)

Ah, hold on, I completely missread that. Thanks for pointing that out TGflyergirl. I am happy again :) So yes, as my foot is in the door I would maintian GGL by continuing to get 3000 TPs per year. But if, god forbid, I drop to GCH one year the only way to get back to GGL would be to get 5000 TPs.

Thanks TGflyergirl for pointing out my misunderstanding ^

But as you are already GGL you only need to accrue 3000 TP's to renew GGL :confused:.