Jan 28, 2015, 1:49 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
The changes in summary
Applicable to bookings made from 28 April 2015
For more information, see BA's 28 January announcement and FAQ on ba.com
Earning
Changes to Avios accrual rates and tier bonuses
Earning with partners
Reduced earnings in Economy and Premium Economy
AA, IBERIA, JAL, LAN, TAM, ALASKA, SRI LANKAN, QANTAS, CATHAY.
Changes to tier bonuses
Changes to minimum Avios amounts (accrued per flight)
Changes to Tier Point earning rates
Spending
Promise of greater reward inventory/availability
Changes to standard flight redemption rates
Changes to Upgrade with Avios
Applicable to bookings made from 28 April 2015
For more information, see BA's 28 January announcement and FAQ on ba.com
Earning
Changes to Avios accrual rates and tier bonuses
- earning rates increase for flights booked in F, A, J, C, D, and W selling classes
- no change for flights booked in R, I, Y, B, and H selling classes
- earning rates reduce for flights booked in E, T, K, L, M, N, S, V, Q, O, and G selling classes
Earning with partners
Reduced earnings in Economy and Premium Economy
AA, IBERIA, JAL, LAN, TAM, ALASKA, SRI LANKAN, QANTAS, CATHAY.
Changes to tier bonuses
- no change to Gold tier bonuses (100%)
- Silver tier bonuses reduce from 100% to 50%
- no change to Bronze tier bonuses (25%)
Changes to minimum Avios amounts (accrued per flight)
- minimum thresholds increase for long haul premium fares (F, A, J, C, D, W)
- no change to restricted business class fares (R and I class) and flexible econony (Y, B, and H class)
- minimum thresholds decrease for WT+ (E and T class) - although there are no BA WTP flights that short
- minimum thresholds decrease from 500 to 250 Avios for mid priced economy (K, L, M, N, S, and V classes)
- minimum thresholds decrease from 500 to 125 Avios for cheapest economy (Q, O, and G classes)
Changes to Tier Point earning rates
- Club World London City flights reduce from 210 to 140 Tier Points
- Cheapest economy flights (in selling classes Q, O, and G) reduce from 50% to 25% Tier Points
- No change to minimum 2/4 segments for earning Bronze/Others
- No change to 25 segment / 50 segment Bronze/Silver earning option
- No other changes, thresholds still Bronze 300,Silver 600,Gold 1500,GGL 5000 (3000 to retain)
Spending
Promise of greater reward inventory/availability
- Guaranteed minimum 4 seats in economy on every flight
- Guaranteed minimum 2 seats in business on every flight
- Guaranteed seats will be available to book from 355 days before departure and may vanish 45 days before departure, if not already booked.
Changes to standard flight redemption rates
- Variable rates introduced divided into Off-peak and Peak
- For Peak time (school holidays and other busy times), and partner costs
- WT - stays the same cost
- WTP increases - from x1.5 to x2.0 multiplier (33% increase)
- Club World increases - from x2.0 to x3.0 multiplier (50% increase)
- First increases - from x3.0 to x4.0 multiplier (33% increase)
- For Off Peak time (including every Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the year)
- WT decreases by 35% from current values
- WT decreases by 13% from current values
- Club World increases by 25% from current values
- First increases by 13% from current values
- Free domestic add-ons abolished on short haul redemptions
- No word if CE redemptions will be charged 4500/Ł17.50 or 9000/Ł25 for the UK leg
- Variable rates introduced on Iberia
- Flight redemptions on BA's other airline partners will be charged at Peak rates all year round
Changes to Upgrade with Avios
- Eligible booking codes is set to increase in the near future, allowing mile upgrades from economy (WT and ET) for more travellers - K, L, M, N, S, and V classes added (exact fare codes subject to confirmation)
- Avios required for upgrade now based on the formula: Avios redemption price for the cabin you want to upgrade to, minus the Avios redemption price for the cabin you have paid for with cash. This means that certain off peak WTP to CW upgrades are more expensive than peak WTP to CW upgrades (assuming peak/off-peak variables will apply to UuA)
Executive Club Changes
Apr 18, 2015, 11:26 am
#1501
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Apr 19, 2015, 8:19 am
#1502
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Have any of these changes already started hitting on the website when doing online bookings. I just tried a TXL-JFK/LGA-ORD economy class booking and BA wanted 60,000 miles one way plus $90 and change per passenger.
I don't recall the BA redemption pricing for such routing being so high previously, but then again I use mostly AA miles for this kind of routing,
I don't recall the BA redemption pricing for such routing being so high previously, but then again I use mostly AA miles for this kind of routing,
Apr 19, 2015, 8:30 am
#1503
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Have any of these changes already started hitting on the website when doing online bookings. I just tried a TXL-JFK/LGA-ORD economy class booking and BA wanted 60,000 miles one way plus $90 and change per passenger.
I don't recall the BA redemption pricing for such routing being so high previously, but then again I use mostly AA miles for this kind of routing,
I don't recall the BA redemption pricing for such routing being so high previously, but then again I use mostly AA miles for this kind of routing,
Apr 21, 2015, 3:16 am
#1504
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SJC
Programs: AAdvantage 2MM+ Lifetime PLT; BA, CO, UA, US; SPG; HHonors Gold
Posts: 757
I am sure this has been asked and answered but it really should be part of the wiki: if dates are changed on award itineraries booked before Apr28 using the old redemption rates, does one only pay the change fee ($55?) or do the new award redemption levels apply?
Apr 21, 2015, 3:21 am
#1505
Join Date: Feb 2008
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If it's not with 2 Partners and with BA in Europe you'll have an extra stop in there (i.e. TXL-LHR-NYC-ORD) which will also cost you.
Apr 21, 2015, 3:37 am
#1506
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
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Will I continue to be able to change the dates of existing reward flights?
Yes. You will be able to make changes to reward flight bookings made prior to 28 April under the existing rules. This means, for example, that you will not have to use more Avios towards your existing booking if you need to change it after this date where under the new rules you would be required to use more Avios to make the same booking. This also means that you will not be refunded any difference in Avios if you make a change to your existing booking which would require you to use less Avios under the new rules.
...
The Avios price for date and time changes to these bookings will remain at the current rates but change fees may apply.
Yes. You will be able to make changes to reward flight bookings made prior to 28 April under the existing rules. This means, for example, that you will not have to use more Avios towards your existing booking if you need to change it after this date where under the new rules you would be required to use more Avios to make the same booking. This also means that you will not be refunded any difference in Avios if you make a change to your existing booking which would require you to use less Avios under the new rules.
...
The Avios price for date and time changes to these bookings will remain at the current rates but change fees may apply.
Apr 21, 2015, 7:13 am
#1507
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Would that be with Air Berlin and then AA? If so your booking will fall into the OneWorld redemption table (if more than one BA partner is involved in a ticket) which usually causes a steep increase in the cost.
If it's not with 2 Partners and with BA in Europe you'll have an extra stop in there (i.e. TXL-LHR-NYC-ORD) which will also cost you.
If it's not with 2 Partners and with BA in Europe you'll have an extra stop in there (i.e. TXL-LHR-NYC-ORD) which will also cost you.
Apr 21, 2015, 5:25 pm
#1508
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Apr 22, 2015, 2:53 am
#1509
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,575
Just saw this when booking a reward flight online - sounds like they haven't got the tech quite there yet!
From 00:00 British Summer Time (GMT +1) on 28 April 2015 the following conditions will apply;
British Airways, Iberia, their franchises and subsidiaries
You can change from a peak date to another peak date and from an off-peak date to another off-peak date using Manage My Booking.
When you change from a peak to an off-peak date using Manage My Booking, you will be refunded the difference in Avios within 10 days. For an immediate refund, please make the change via your local Service Centre.
You can change a flight from an off-peak date to a peak date by calling your local Service Centre. You will need to pay any additional Avios for a peak date, plus any service fees.
From 00:00 British Summer Time (GMT +1) on 28 April 2015 the following conditions will apply;
British Airways, Iberia, their franchises and subsidiaries
You can change from a peak date to another peak date and from an off-peak date to another off-peak date using Manage My Booking.
When you change from a peak to an off-peak date using Manage My Booking, you will be refunded the difference in Avios within 10 days. For an immediate refund, please make the change via your local Service Centre.
You can change a flight from an off-peak date to a peak date by calling your local Service Centre. You will need to pay any additional Avios for a peak date, plus any service fees.
Apr 22, 2015, 7:16 am
#1510
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Executive Club Silver
Posts: 186
Currently trying to organise a trip for next spring. Am I right in thinking that if I want to fly home using Aer Lingus from Boston in Y, then there's no need to book before 28 April because the avios changes don't affect long haul Y pricing? But if I wanted to book in J I need to book now to lock in the prices.
[And along similar lines, if I opt to fly Iberia via MAD, they've already changed their avios pricing right? So it makes no difference if I book now or in 4 weeks time?]
[And along similar lines, if I opt to fly Iberia via MAD, they've already changed their avios pricing right? So it makes no difference if I book now or in 4 weeks time?]
Apr 25, 2015, 1:56 pm
#1511
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Currently trying to organise a trip for next spring. Am I right in thinking that if I want to fly home using Aer Lingus from Boston in Y, then there's no need to book before 28 April because the avios changes don't affect long haul Y pricing? But if I wanted to book in J I need to book now to lock in the prices.
[And along similar lines, if I opt to fly Iberia via MAD, they've already changed their avios pricing right? So it makes no difference if I book now or in 4 weeks time?]
Apr 25, 2015, 5:08 pm
#1512
Join Date: Dec 2014
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Just made a booking for LCY-PMI in Q class, and MMB already showing reduced Avios and TPs (5 for a one-way). Thought this wasn't supposed to happen to any booking made up to 23:59 on 27 April..?
Apr 25, 2015, 7:57 pm
#1513
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: BA Silver; Qantas Silver; Alitalia Freccia Alata Club
Posts: 5
Question.....I booked a WT+ fare in October last year (fully paid, not a reward). I fly in July. If I want to upgrade using Avios next month, will I be eligible for the old (current until tonight) system? Or the new one?
Apr 25, 2015, 8:02 pm
#1514
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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My understanding is that it will be based on the new rules. Only redemptions made prior to the change will be based on the existing rules.
Apr 25, 2015, 8:06 pm
#1515
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: BA Silver; Qantas Silver; Alitalia Freccia Alata Club
Posts: 5
mm ok. I was hoping to earn some more Avios before upgrading from WTP to CW. I might have to just buy some Avios and upgrade before the 28th!