FAQ : BAEC : status extensions & Tier Point (re)qualification thresholds reduced
Sep 20, 2021, 3:43 am
#3646
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Berkshire
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR/LTG
Posts: 684
Yes, completely agree. I feel quite disheartened by this news. With the way that BAEC operates with different membership years for all members, there were always going to be winners and losers, and it doesn't feel great sitting here missing out by one month next year with no opportunity to avail of any business travel until the new year at least....
Sep 20, 2021, 4:04 am
#3647
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: in a cabin
Posts: 6,522
Card Expriy date will show Jan 23 soon, TP reset will show changes once the new year kicks in.
Sep 20, 2021, 4:19 am
#3648
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,197
Feeling a bit stiffed by this again (May TP year end). Lost Gold when I couldn't take my usual March trips in 2020, and now I'll lose Silver as I haven't been able to take any of my usual US trips in 2021.
Could do a tier point run, but I'm really not sure I care to.
Could do a tier point run, but I'm really not sure I care to.
Sep 20, 2021, 4:20 am
#3649
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,992
Yes, completely agree. I feel quite disheartened by this news. With the way that BAEC operates with different membership years for all members, there were always going to be winners and losers, and it doesn't feel great sitting here missing out by one month next year with no opportunity to avail of any business travel until the new year at least....
Sep 20, 2021, 4:29 am
#3650
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,683
As an April YE I don't feel like that. Yes it would have been nice to have it locked in, but the rolling approach is understandable given the situation. If nothing changes is it not likely that Apr/May/Jun will be extended in December? If the USA opens then BA may feel that the opportunity to gain the TP is there, if US remains closed then assuming BA remains the next block will likely to be extended. Given it's very US focused nature BA will be driven by US reopening or not.
Sep 20, 2021, 4:31 am
#3651
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,683
DIdn't you get the first extension that allowed you to retain gold?
Sep 20, 2021, 4:34 am
#3652
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: BA Bronze, Hilton Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 454
Sighhh... as an April month end member it's pretty terrible and means dropping from Gold to Bronze over the Covid period.
Obviously as a FT, the answer is to do a TP run after 8th April 2022, but does feel I've missed out from both protections that others have had.
- 8th April 2020 - Not enough TP's to requalify as Gold.
- 31st May 2020 - Gold expires and drop to silver. Request to credit cancelled QR flights in Q1 denied.
- 11th June 2020 - Extensions announced, Missed out on gold being extended until May 2022 by 11 days. Silver extended until 2022 instead + reduced TP requirements.
- 8th April 2021 - Silver status protected, with reduced TP's requirements again
- 20th Sept 2021 - Further extensions announced - Missed out on silver being extended until May 2023, as only applies to Jan-Mar members.
- 8th April 2022 - (Likely) not enough TP's for Silver.
- 31st May 2022 - (Likely) drop to bronze.
Obviously as a FT, the answer is to do a TP run after 8th April 2022, but does feel I've missed out from both protections that others have had.
Last edited by ianwall; Sep 20, 2021 at 2:18 pm Reason: corrected June 2020 date to 11th
Sep 20, 2021, 4:39 am
#3653
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,197
Sep 20, 2021, 5:25 am
#3656
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 833
Yes, the BA site is clear it applies to retaining tiers as well, so as long as you hit the target by June 30th you'd be Gold. The potentially unpleasant surprise is if you don't hit the target by then as you will then need (in the absence of any further policy changes) the full 1500TP.
If that is what they plan to do - and to repeat myself, in the absence of clear info from BA I can't be certain - it does greatly diminish the value of the reduced targets for many. Consider:
July - a July member benefits from this, in effect their TP collection year has become 8 days shorter in exchange for 25% reduction in target
August - an August member benefits, but somewhat less. The effectively "lose" 39 days of their collection year, but that's still a smaller reduction that the 25% reduction in target
And so on...
Now, if you consider an October member, there is virtually no benefit at all. They have a reduced target of 75%, but have only circa 75% of their collection year to reach it.
It's very frustrating that BA aren't being clearer on this point, if indeed that is how they are implementing it.
If that is what they plan to do - and to repeat myself, in the absence of clear info from BA I can't be certain - it does greatly diminish the value of the reduced targets for many. Consider:
July - a July member benefits from this, in effect their TP collection year has become 8 days shorter in exchange for 25% reduction in target
August - an August member benefits, but somewhat less. The effectively "lose" 39 days of their collection year, but that's still a smaller reduction that the 25% reduction in target
And so on...
Now, if you consider an October member, there is virtually no benefit at all. They have a reduced target of 75%, but have only circa 75% of their collection year to reach it.
It's very frustrating that BA aren't being clearer on this point, if indeed that is how they are implementing it.
But it's the ambiguity of it all that makes we wonder if I should bother even trying.
Sep 20, 2021, 5:27 am
#3657
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,683
I see, my misunderstanding. It must be impossibly difficult for them to do things in a way that isn't commercial suicide, whilst not annoying all the various groups of members that have different issues. Did you try to approach them with details of the cancelled flights, I'm sure I've seen reports of some success in regard to cancelled flights being considered.
Sep 20, 2021, 5:36 am
#3658
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAGGL, A3G, Accor Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, LHW Sterling
Posts: 1,309
Sep 20, 2021, 5:41 am
#3659
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,197
I see, my misunderstanding. It must be impossibly difficult for them to do things in a way that isn't commercial suicide, whilst not annoying all the various groups of members that have different issues. Did you try to approach them with details of the cancelled flights, I'm sure I've seen reports of some success in regard to cancelled flights being considered.
Sep 20, 2021, 6:01 am
#3660
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,092
I'm just regular Gold, and there's a chance I could hit 1125 before July '22 but if, despite what the app and website say, it turns out I need 1500 regardless then that becomes very unlikely. I also don't see how BA could possibly defend such a position tbh, if they'd spent almost the whole collection year telling a member they needed 225/450/1125 etc, only to change that in the home straight as it were...
BA say:
We’ve decreased the amount of Tier Points needed by 25% for members renewing or upgrading to higher Tiers until 30 June 2022, making that next Tier more achievable. Further measures will be considered in time, we’re continuing to assess the fluid situation and are keeping developments under close observation.
1) If your collection year ends before 30 June 2022, you'll get the reduced target for that year. This seemed to be how it was universally interpreted at the start, but with the Jul/Aug/Sep members still showing reduced targets I think this one must be discarded.
2) If your collection year starts before 30 June 2022, you'll get the reduced target for that year. This would be consistent with the fact that BA have historically processed retentions at the TP year end, but if this is the plan then why specifically mention 30 June, that's not a TP year end for anyone. Why not talk in terms of monthly members like they usually do? Also, why not communicate this unambiguously to the membership as it would be a significant benefit.
3) Regardless of when your TP year ends, you can avail of the lower targets up to 30 June 2022, but if you have not obtained/retained a tier by then then it's back to full requirements. If they do plan to take this approach, I can see why they wouldn't be shouting it from the rooftops....
Head For Points (Raffles) notes that based on the email they got from BA their reading is consistent with 3) above.
