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
Jan 28, 2015, 3:26 am
#121
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
Jan 28, 2015, 3:29 am
#122
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 935
For someone based out of ABZ. These changes now make reward flights to Europe prohibitively expensive compared to alternatives.
I think I should campaign for ABZ to become IAG's new hub and then I can get the benefits that SE England can get.
I see no benefit to BAEC members in these changes. None at all.
If the high spenders were making GGL they still will. If the medium spenders were making gold, they might still make it. Everybody else will be worse off.
I think I should campaign for ABZ to become IAG's new hub and then I can get the benefits that SE England can get.
I see no benefit to BAEC members in these changes. None at all.
If the high spenders were making GGL they still will. If the medium spenders were making gold, they might still make it. Everybody else will be worse off.
Jan 28, 2015, 3:30 am
#123
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Oh dear. The strategy to use the EC to keep members off Norwegian and Easyjet is significantly changing, and the
European LCCs must be clapping their hands this morning. The demise of Little Red is allowing BA to flex their dominance at LHR.
Interestingly, the FAQs show the gold mailer from a couple of years ago promising a reward seat on every flight in every cabin was a load of old tosh.
European LCCs must be clapping their hands this morning. The demise of Little Red is allowing BA to flex their dominance at LHR.
Interestingly, the FAQs show the gold mailer from a couple of years ago promising a reward seat on every flight in every cabin was a load of old tosh.
Jan 28, 2015, 3:31 am
#124
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 935
I am not sure that I can see where you will have won. If you are currently Silver then surely the reduction in avios will offset any potential wins?
Jan 28, 2015, 3:32 am
#125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,746
Indeed, I'd also love to know the singular circumstances attached to paul4040 that means these changes are smelling of roses to him.
Jan 28, 2015, 3:33 am
#126
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 166
Am I wrong in thinking that flying on AA long haul might be the best option now in order to get a decent amount of avios in economy?
Jan 28, 2015, 3:33 am
#127
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Berlin, Germany
Programs: LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 476
Oh, they will. Eventually. * has shown the way (100% mileage for P, their discount Business Class fare. United, btw, has followed suit).
Now, as for "clogging up the lounges", I would cordially invite you to the crowded, windowless pits of any LH Lounge MUC on a Friday afternoon (and that includes the F/HON lounge). Dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. And, to top things off, we'd then fly a redeye A321 to TLV in S/H intraeuropean C.
Now, as for "clogging up the lounges", I would cordially invite you to the crowded, windowless pits of any LH Lounge MUC on a Friday afternoon (and that includes the F/HON lounge). Dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. And, to top things off, we'd then fly a redeye A321 to TLV in S/H intraeuropean C.
Jan 28, 2015, 3:36 am
#131
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,746
But surely they will (eventually) introduce new partner-earning tables as well - so that no airline will award 100% in the cheapest economy rates?
It certainly would be in keeping with the spirit of these changes announced today...though perhaps BA is happy to encourage its frequent fliers to abscond to partners rather than flying on BA themselves.
Jan 28, 2015, 3:38 am
#132
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Central Scotland
Programs: MUCCI - Order of the Diamond Hairbrush and Champion of Queens,BA Broon,HH Diamond,PC Plat,BA Amex
Posts: 1,122
Well, thanks to my inbuilt superiority complex, I have never really considered myself a loser ........... until now !
Planning a family trip next year to NYC, and 4 tkts in CW have just jumped from 320,000 Avios to either 400,000 or 480,000 (depending upon where the peak/off-peak seasonality is set), so I am most definitely a loser.
Hey-ho, life's like that .......... I am most definitely not happy about it, nor about the added costs for domestic add-ons (living in Scotland), which have been great for a number of recent European trips, but in reality what it means is that I am likely to have to pay for 1 ticket now with real money instead.
Planning a family trip next year to NYC, and 4 tkts in CW have just jumped from 320,000 Avios to either 400,000 or 480,000 (depending upon where the peak/off-peak seasonality is set), so I am most definitely a loser.
Hey-ho, life's like that .......... I am most definitely not happy about it, nor about the added costs for domestic add-ons (living in Scotland), which have been great for a number of recent European trips, but in reality what it means is that I am likely to have to pay for 1 ticket now with real money instead.
Jan 28, 2015, 3:39 am
#133
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 935
Typical that BA announce this the day after the sale ends.
Given that this comes into force after 28th April, we can be pretty sure that the next sale will start on the 29th or thereabouts.
Given that this comes into force after 28th April, we can be pretty sure that the next sale will start on the 29th or thereabouts.
Jan 28, 2015, 3:40 am
#135
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 21
9 million reward seats will be available this year.
From 28th April we guarantee that more than 9 million reward seats will be available on our flight this year, with a minimum of two Club World/Club Europe and four World Traveller/Euro Traveller reward seats on all British Airways operated flights that are offered for sale on ba.com.
From 28th April we guarantee that more than 9 million reward seats will be available on our flight this year, with a minimum of two Club World/Club Europe and four World Traveller/Euro Traveller reward seats on all British Airways operated flights that are offered for sale on ba.com.
The new A380 pitch is going to make CE look fantastic
