British Airways Flying Club - BAEC name change?
Nov 16, 2023, 4:26 am
#46
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,241
I find the whole exercise an utter waste of time and money. A rose by any other name is still a rose. I'd far rather that the budget for this nonsense be transferred to recruiting and IT department fit for purpose or hiring a few tug drivers and gate agents or whoever to work the stand guidance system in order get the dratted aircraft off stand and back on.
This rebranding is an unnecessary solution to a non-existent problem.
This rebranding is an unnecessary solution to a non-existent problem.
Nov 16, 2023, 4:28 am
#47
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Mucci, BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,052
FWIW, a couple of decades ago British Rail / Intercity binned their "Executive" branding because they realised that the branding should represent the product / service and not describe a particular segment of their customer base.
The term "Executive", nicely defined in the dictionary as "a person who has an important job as a manager of a company or an organization" doesn't reflect contemporary BA's brand image anymore. Conjures up too many images of pinstriped 1980's knobheads broadcasting their 'important' conversations in the lounge ....
BA Speedbird Club perhaps, but then these all run the danger of sounding like a kids thing.
I also wonder if they would even keep the BA prefix. Could it be that Flying Club or something similar becomes a IAG wide scheme (something like Miles and More), we already have a common loyalty currency so why not a common loyalty scheme?
Nov 16, 2023, 4:38 am
#48
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Isle of Man
Programs: IHG Platinum Elite, BA Pleb
Posts: 347
I think you've hit the nail on the head. British Airways Executive Club is very much a name of its time. Think back to adverts of that era: suited and booted models cosplaying as business executives, jetting back and forth across the Atlantic. Very much an aspirational image of the 1980's. And one that no longer fits with the aspirations and values of younger audiences.
I'm on the age boundary between Gen X and Millennial and I'm not hip and happening anymore. I don't think the branding is that bad, but I can see why they think it's tired and needs a refresh.
Flying Club doesn't hit the mark either- and I'm sure Virgin will have something to say about it.
As emotionally I'm still a 12-year-old boy I'm just trying to think of rude words to back-ronym into the new name. British Airways Wordwide's Aviation Club, or BAWSAC for short? Maybe not.
Nov 16, 2023, 4:53 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,210
Flying Club is not an offputting name. I never thought 'oh that's a stupid name' when I signed up for it for my rare Virgin Atlantic trips, it's just a name. But as it's already used by Virgin Atlantic it seems a bad idea to use it even if it's too generic to be trademarked. Now Sainsbury's have control of Nectar it would be odd for them to rename it Sainsbury's Clubcard for the same reason.
The biggest reason for not going with Flying Club is so we don't have to listen to Richard Branson going on TV claiming they're copying Virgin.
I'd say leave as is, as someone who is gold on leisure travel and has very little business travel I don't fit in the Executive demographic but it's just a name.
If they unify the different schemes then usig the Avios branding would make sense, but a unified Avios scheme (but would that include the non IAG Avios airlines?) would still need a way to cope with airline specific tiers (for example GGL).
The biggest reason for not going with Flying Club is so we don't have to listen to Richard Branson going on TV claiming they're copying Virgin.
I'd say leave as is, as someone who is gold on leisure travel and has very little business travel I don't fit in the Executive demographic but it's just a name.
If they unify the different schemes then usig the Avios branding would make sense, but a unified Avios scheme (but would that include the non IAG Avios airlines?) would still need a way to cope with airline specific tiers (for example GGL).
Nov 16, 2023, 5:12 am
#51
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 648
And, there's little that the general public would consider regular about the flying habits of most of us (self included)
Nov 16, 2023, 6:59 am
#54
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 291
I literally don’t give 2 flying birds about a bame change. Fix IT issues and all other issues which are actually important for people to fly BA in the first place.
Even though I don’t fly regularly the name British Airways Executive Club has been burned in like any other brand name.
Back in the 90s in Germany or so they changed from Raiders to Twix. As a creature of habit I don’t like changes and this one in my opinion wastes an effort away from real life urgent issues.
Even though I don’t fly regularly the name British Airways Executive Club has been burned in like any other brand name.
Back in the 90s in Germany or so they changed from Raiders to Twix. As a creature of habit I don’t like changes and this one in my opinion wastes an effort away from real life urgent issues.
Nov 16, 2023, 9:59 am
#55
Join Date: May 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 396
I think you've hit the nail on the head. British Airways Executive Club is very much a name of its time. Think back to adverts of that era: suited and booted models cosplaying as business executives, jetting back and forth across the Atlantic. Very much an aspirational image of the 1980's. And one that no longer fits with the aspirations and values of younger audiences.
A hot topic in the loyalty world right now is what brands need to do in order to attract young future elites from Gen Z - a generation that are hyper-aware, connected and individual. And more than twice as likely than older generations to boycott or walk away from a brand they had a poor experience with, or whose image doesn't fit with theirs. They're also far more likely to seek out a more equitable exchange of value from a loyalty programme and care less about status hierarchy.
As a child of the eighties - a geriatric Millennial - I'm ambivalent about the Executive Club branding. I can absolutely see the business justification to change the name, and wouldn't suggest (as others less charitably claim) that this is just a case of the interns running amok. But in order to remain relevant with the upcoming generation, it needs to be far more reaching than a rebrand and change of name. In any event, I doubt they've quite hit the mark with Flying Club.
A hot topic in the loyalty world right now is what brands need to do in order to attract young future elites from Gen Z - a generation that are hyper-aware, connected and individual. And more than twice as likely than older generations to boycott or walk away from a brand they had a poor experience with, or whose image doesn't fit with theirs. They're also far more likely to seek out a more equitable exchange of value from a loyalty programme and care less about status hierarchy.
As a child of the eighties - a geriatric Millennial - I'm ambivalent about the Executive Club branding. I can absolutely see the business justification to change the name, and wouldn't suggest (as others less charitably claim) that this is just a case of the interns running amok. But in order to remain relevant with the upcoming generation, it needs to be far more reaching than a rebrand and change of name. In any event, I doubt they've quite hit the mark with Flying Club.
"Flying Club" is not it though.
Nov 16, 2023, 10:17 am
#57
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,197
What about calling it the British Airways Mileage Scheme? The Scots on here would like that, being called BAMS? 
Alternatively, what about British Airways Revenue and Mileage Yeild Club?
Seriously though, I can understand that Executive is an older style word and maybe seems old fashioned to younger ones. However I don't think Flying Club is right tbh. Interesting thread discussion.
Alternatively, what about British Airways Revenue and Mileage Yeild Club?
Seriously though, I can understand that Executive is an older style word and maybe seems old fashioned to younger ones. However I don't think Flying Club is right tbh. Interesting thread discussion.
Nov 16, 2023, 3:19 pm
#58
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,232
I find the whole exercise an utter waste of time and money. A rose by any other name is still a rose. I'd far rather that the budget for this nonsense be transferred to recruiting and IT department fit for purpose or hiring a few tug drivers and gate agents or whoever to work the stand guidance system in order get the dratted aircraft off stand and back on.
This rebranding is an unnecessary solution to a non-existent problem.
This rebranding is an unnecessary solution to a non-existent problem.
Nov 16, 2023, 4:34 pm
#59
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 328
Am I correct in thinking that "Executive Club" came from B-CAL, wasn't that the name for their frequent flyer program?
I would echo the sentiment that this is the last thing they should be spending money on, in fact I would say that apart from the exceptional staff which work for the airline, the Exec Club is the best thing that BA has going for it, fix the broken bits before tinkering with the one thing that works.
I would echo the sentiment that this is the last thing they should be spending money on, in fact I would say that apart from the exceptional staff which work for the airline, the Exec Club is the best thing that BA has going for it, fix the broken bits before tinkering with the one thing that works.
Nov 16, 2023, 5:34 pm
#60
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 648
(HMP) Barlinnie … as recent posts have reminded us, it’s a prison which only a few manage to escape from