Jan 28, 2015, 1:49 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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 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/£17.50 or 9000/£25 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

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Apr 27, 2015, 4:05 am

#1531

Globaliser

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: London

Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.

Posts: 38,644

Quote:

Originally Posted by BerksFlyer

Why do BA do things like this, sometime I wonder if it's either to a) see if they can get away with it, or b) to positively piss people off.

Either way it's simple clogging up the already overloaded customer relations system even more.

Are you sure it's not both at the same time?

It often surprises me that people who have some experience with flying BA, with all its (known and repeated) faults, still get bothered when MMB states ancillary information that's plainly wrong, let alone bothered enough to actually waste time contacting BA in advance about it.

Apr 27, 2015, 5:42 am

#1532

Calchas

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2013

Location: London

Posts: 17,007

Quote:

Originally Posted by BerksFlyer

This has happened to me too.

Why do BA do things like this, sometime I wonder if it's either to a) see if they can get away with it, or b) to positively piss people off.

Either way it's simple clogging up the already overloaded customer relations system even more.

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence.

Apr 27, 2015, 5:46 am

#1533

Jordan D

Join Date: Sep 2010

Location: London, UK

Programs: BA Gold, CX Gold (OW Sapphire), Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum

Posts: 1,476

Sidebar point: wondering how much this is helping BA's cash position. I know most of my project team are proactively booking 5-10 semi flexible tickets for the next few weeks because they get them at current earn rate, as opposed to booking them 3-7 days before travel which would be post-Avios devaluation.

Apr 27, 2015, 5:53 am

#1534

Calchas

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2013

Location: London

Posts: 17,007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordan D

So they change the FF scheme to prompt a rush of cash bookings, and then invest the bulge to cover them over the dry period that will follow tomorrow, plus profit?

If BA's strategic planners had this kind of financial acumen they would be working at Goldman Sachs at ten times the salary

And they would not have hedged the oil price so high

Apr 27, 2015, 6:08 am

#1535

qrpory

Join Date: Jul 2009

Programs: BAEC Silver

Posts: 109

Hi,
Has anyone found a 2016 peak/off-peak calendar yet?

Apr 27, 2015, 6:08 am

#1536

jackr27

Join Date: Apr 2013

Location: Brasil/Spain (but a heart in Scotland)

Programs: Star Alliance Gold, Iberia Oro, SkyTeam - Elite Plus, Le Club Accor - Platinum

Posts: 408

Apologies if this has been asked before.

I notice Iberia's avios changes kicked in last month.

If I book a flight on Iberia.com tonight, but put in my BA number, does anyone know if I will get the number of avios currently quoted on the BA site, or the Iberia site?

Thanks.

Apr 27, 2015, 10:11 am

#1537

oliuk

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: London

Programs: VS, BA, AA, IHG, HH, SPG

Posts: 186

Apologies for not reading the whole thread, which normally I would try to do. I'm sure this will have been covered already, but if someone could repeat it for me I would be much obliged.

I'm going to book a return open-jaw journey uk-usa for april 2016. The return date will not yet be available in the system, so im going to book for a random return and change it at a later date.

I am aware that the old avios rate will be honoured when I make the date change (subject to change fee). I assume this means that although the date change will be allowed, I wont be able to change one of the return airports (eg LAX instead of SFO if plans change)?

More importantly, if I book in F, but the return only becomes available in J - will I still be refunded the avios difference on the old rates? And what about doing the opposite and booking in J, only for F to become available - will they honour the original price again (ie 50k more)?

Many thanks in advance

Apr 27, 2015, 10:24 am

#1538

tim0409

Join Date: Oct 2014

Location: Edinburgh

Posts: 246

From what I understand the effective date for the changes is the 28th - will any booking made tomorrow count under the old rules?

Apr 27, 2015, 10:29 am

#1539

paul4040

Join Date: Feb 2013

Location: UK

Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.

Posts: 5,698

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim0409

From what I understand the effective date for the changes is the 28th - will any booking made tomorrow count under the old rules?

No. The cutoff is midnight GMT+1 (BST) tonight. Tomorrow will see you book and earn at the new rates.

Apr 27, 2015, 10:31 am

#1540

KARFA

Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2012

Location: Leeds, UK

Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond

Posts: 42,968

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim0409

From what I understand the effective date for the changes is the 28th - will any booking made tomorrow count under the old rules?

On the BA webiste: http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/...&link=main_nav

Quote:

The majority of these changes will come into effect at 00:00 British Summer Time (GMT +1) on 28 April and will only apply to bookings made after this time.

So book before midnight tonight in order to do anything under the old rules, and anything booked after midnight is new rules.

Apr 27, 2015, 10:32 am

#1541

KARFA

Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2012

Location: Leeds, UK

Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond

Posts: 42,968

deleted

Apr 27, 2015, 10:43 am

#1542

tim0409

Join Date: Oct 2014

Location: Edinburgh

Posts: 246

Thanks, I'm holding on the silver line (estimated 30 min waiting time). My ex-EU booking has significantly changed and I want to bring the outward leg forward by one day (and change from BA003 to BA001) to compensate for the reduced time in HNL. If I can't get through today would I still get the TP rates pre the change?

I really hope I get a UK based call centre as I suspect this is not going to go smoothly....

Apr 27, 2015, 10:45 am

#1543

KARFA

Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2012

Location: Leeds, UK

Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond

Posts: 42,968

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim0409

For an existing booking you will get the TPs at the existing rate. There is no rush for you, and you do not need to do your change today.

Apr 27, 2015, 11:27 am

#1544

OldHigsonian

Join Date: Dec 2011

Location: Helsinki

Programs: BA EC Gold

Posts: 329

If I fly W tomorrow do I get more avios and tier points?

Apr 27, 2015, 11:45 am

#1545

oliuk

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: London

Programs: VS, BA, AA, IHG, HH, SPG

Posts: 186

Anyone know about class of travel changes on existing avios bookings? will the new or old rate apply, eg if I have F booked now but change to J after devaluation?
Thanks!