megaloman

My app and the website show reduced threshold to renew GGL.

carrotjuice

The debate is whether:
- Everyone has only until 31 Dec 2022 to clock the lower TPs, failing which have to clock the normal TPs for the remainder of the membership year (this seems to be suggested by the BA communication)
- You have the full membership year until the next reset date that occurs after 31 Dec 2022 to clock the lower TPs, after which it reverts to the normal TPs for the next membership year (as explained by the FAQ)

Flyertalker001342

Of course, all of this confusion comes from the odd decision on BA's part to have "Tier Point Years" as opposed to using the "Calendar Year" with which most or all of us are accustomed. Alaska Airlines uses a calendar year for their loyalty plan miles accumulation, and I would bet that most other airline loyalty programs do as well.

If BA sought to avoid this, they could prorate requirements for new enrollees to the program so that after the first partial year everyone would be on the same page.

Come to think about it, we shouldn't be encouraging BA to do anything new with their pathetic computer systems, because they have recently demonstrated to us what happens when they try.

zen100

Not sure if they updated the wording, but the FAQ does seem very clear cut to me, especially the last point. They highlight that things could change, but the wording as to the current intent seems very clear.

brp

Thanks zen100 . I had not looked at the FAQ, but that seems to address my question. Since I want to apply flights to qualification for the TP collection year that starts after Nov. 8, 2022 and ends Nov. 8, 2023, this would seem to say that I need the normal levels. with current rules...

Cheers.

carrotjuice

What made you deduce that? Shouldn't you still need the lower TPs, as your collection year resets before 31 Dec 2022?

brp

From above, I'm looking at (emphases mine)
Since I am looking to apply this to the TP collection year that ends Nov. 8, 2023, the above would seem applicable.

Cheers.

carrotjuice

Actually this statement is also unclear. It mentions upgrade only. What about status renewal - Bronze / Silver / Gold wanting to renew the same status for following year. Do they need the lower, or normal, TPs?

Flyertalker001342

Has it occurred to anyone that all of this is intentionally vague?

BA is inscrutable and speaks with forked tongue.

carrotjuice

I would replace "intentionally" with "incompetently", more like... LOL

In honesty, the FT community understand their FFP nuances, and implications, more than the BA folks themselves.

RB211

Word! (Well, most of the BA folks!)

rb211.

Flyertalker001342

Here's the point of it all, why the BAEC and other such "loyalty schemes" exist.

zen100

I don't think it's vague at all - and I have been very critical of BA before when they were very vague with the whole June 2022 thing. Short of laying out a table with every reset for the next 2-3 years, I think it's worded about as clear as it can be

• If you are a Feb reset, then in your current year from Feb 21 to Feb 22, the reduced tier points apply to moving up a tier (renewal is irrelevant as status has been extended). For the next year, Feb 22 to Feb 23, full tier points apply
• If you are a May reset, then in your current year from May 21 to May 22, the reduced tier points apply to moving up a tier (renewal is irrelevant as status has been extended). For the next year, May 22 to May 23, full tier points apply
• If you are a Aug reset, then in your current year from Aug 21 to Aug 22 - the reduced tier points apply to both renewals and moving up a tier. For the next year, Aug 22 to Aug 23, full tier points apply
• If you are a Nov reset, then in your current year from Nov 21 to Nov 22 - the reduced tier points apply to both renewals and moving up a tier. For the next year, Nov 22 to Nov 23, full tier points apply

I'm happy to be corrected if other data shows otherwise, but I don't see how one could realistically read the FAQ any other way.

Whether it ends up being like the above is another matter. But I think the wording is clear on the intent.

What will be interesting, is what the app will display in mid-Jan foe the January resets. It should display the full tier points. But I wouldn't be surprised if it still showed reduced tier points - at which point I will revert to criticising BA for being ambiguous again.

Flyertalker001342

I think that your interpretation may be largely correct, however there is one aspect in which I think you are either incorrect or perhaps better, incomplete, in your assessment.

I will use myself as an example, since it's easier than trying to make something up. My TP year ends on August 3rd. Barring a cancelation of trips already booked and paid for, I should make it to the Gold level (with reduced TP requirements) by the end of April/early May. That much is clear.

But how about the period from August 3 through Dec. 31, 2022? My impression is that were I to accumulate 1125 TPs during the 4 months remaining to me after my new TP year begins, that this would also qualify for attaining Gold level for my year ending August 3, 2023, because the reduced level of TPs in effect for (now) all of 2022. Of course, most people will have difficulty accumulating the required number of TPs, at the reduced level, in a fraction of a year, but some might and they might also then fail to attain the higher (reinstated) level of the TPs by the end of their TP Year. This type of example illustrates the lack of clarity in the new rules, and has been similarly unclear in previous part year extensions of these policies.

Am I making sense here?

carrotjuice

That, in essence, is the confusion.

On BA website:
"​​​​​​In addition, we previously reduced the amount of Tier Points needed to retain or reach each Tier by 25% until June 2022.
We have now extended this by another six months, so that the reduced thresholds are now applicable for all Members with a Tier Point collection end date until December 2022."

​​​​​​The first sentence seem to apply to all members' TP collection period.
The second sentence seem to apply to specific members' TP collection end date.

If first sentence is supposed to refer to TP collection end date (as well) since the second sentence merely is an "extension" to the first, then the interpretation by zen100 appears to reflect the intent - so after everyone's cycle resets throughout 2022, it will revert to full TPs.

Guess whether this truly happens, we shall know for sure in a few weeks, after the January 2022 resets are done.