A rather nice surprise (unexpected status renewal)
Sep 12, 2018, 7:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Brighton and Hove, UK
Programs: LH FTL, BA Silver, Thameslink Delay Repay
Posts: 1,248
A rather nice surprise (unexpected status renewal)
I'm sure I've seen this talked about before around these parts, but couldn't find the appropriate thread (I'm sure they teach better search skills in Alaska).
I've been on the other side of the world on sabbatical for most of the past year, and as a result finished my membership year with barely 400TPs - clearly well below the threshold to keep Silver (and only a handful of BA flights too).
Imagine my surprise when I checked the infamous "Items" section of the BAEC website to see whether they'd dispatched my Bronze pack yet, only to see the magic words "Renewal Pack for Exec Silver Fulfilled", and the validity of my electronic BAEC card already extended by a year.
I'm hardly a high-value customer (leisure traveller, oscillating between Silver and Gold for the past 6 years). I didn't get caught up in last year's IT shenanigans. I haven't been affected by the stolen card screw-up. I haven't had any interactions with CS (other than an automatic 8k "service recovery" Avios from a flight without IFE).
Has anyone else been at the receiving end of an unexpected renewal lately, or should I count my lucky stars? :-:
I've been on the other side of the world on sabbatical for most of the past year, and as a result finished my membership year with barely 400TPs - clearly well below the threshold to keep Silver (and only a handful of BA flights too).
Imagine my surprise when I checked the infamous "Items" section of the BAEC website to see whether they'd dispatched my Bronze pack yet, only to see the magic words "Renewal Pack for Exec Silver Fulfilled", and the validity of my electronic BAEC card already extended by a year.
I'm hardly a high-value customer (leisure traveller, oscillating between Silver and Gold for the past 6 years). I didn't get caught up in last year's IT shenanigans. I haven't been affected by the stolen card screw-up. I haven't had any interactions with CS (other than an automatic 8k "service recovery" Avios from a flight without IFE).
Has anyone else been at the receiving end of an unexpected renewal lately, or should I count my lucky stars? :-:
Sep 12, 2018, 7:29 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,539
Recently, I have seen comments by BA people which suggest that there may indeed be something more formal than I thought about allowing people to keep a status they haven't quite regained under certain circumstances, but I have not seen the actual details, just a reference to the fact hat such a consideration exists.
Congratulations in any case!! That's great news! ^
Congratulations in any case!! That's great news! ^
Sep 12, 2018, 8:03 am
#4
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 5 miles from EMA
Programs: BD, BAEC Pleb, VS Pleb, Accor Pleb, HHonors Gold, Big White Season Pass
Posts: 5,904
Did the qualification for bronze not used to be 4 flights? Mine currently says 2 and I haven’t flown on BA for the best part of 2 years.
Sep 12, 2018, 8:06 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,432
I got a Gold renewal a few years back on minimal TPs (something like 20 or 40 TPs!). I had been Gold for >10 years continuously renewing well above the threshold (the real earning threshold too, not the old Euro-cheat route 
), so I'm guessing that had something to do with it. I didn't ask for anything, it just happened. But in their eyes it probably worked, since my business travel resumed and I went on to earn GGL/CCR for a few years after that! Due to hit GFL next month.
), so I'm guessing that had something to do with it. I didn't ask for anything, it just happened. But in their eyes it probably worked, since my business travel resumed and I went on to earn GGL/CCR for a few years after that! Due to hit GFL next month.
Sep 12, 2018, 8:19 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
No, I think Bronze has been two qualifying flights ever since it was introduced.
See here from November 2011: Executive Club changes - outstanding questions from 16 Nov
See here from November 2011: Executive Club changes - outstanding questions from 16 Nov
Sep 12, 2018, 9:56 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
This happened to me on Northwest Airlines. (Yes, I know this ages me... 
). For a few years in a row I had either Silver or Gold status. Then my traveling slowed down considerably. The first year in which I didn't fly enough to qualify, they gave me Silver anyway, much like you experienced.
). For a few years in a row I had either Silver or Gold status. Then my traveling slowed down considerably. The first year in which I didn't fly enough to qualify, they gave me Silver anyway, much like you experienced.