Premier
Jan 20, 2005, 11:06 pm
#2
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Originally Posted by DannyP
What is the BA Premier ff level? I have heard it mentioned here twice, but never on their website. Is it that exclusive? How does one get it? Thanks.
You can also qualify through other more opaque means (possibly close friendships with BA senior board members etc.)
Jan 21, 2005, 2:17 am
#4
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Originally Posted by srbrenna
Is there a card? What does it look like?
The card does exist.
It is black and the luggae tags are in leather.
The card goes to senior execs of companies who spend mega bucks with BA as well as some celebs. If you fly one hell of a lot on BA you can be offered i but one hell of a lot means exactly that.
Jan 21, 2005, 9:10 am
#6
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BAEC response
Here's the reply a colleague got when he asked about premier level,,,
Dear Mr XXXX,
Premier membership is by invitation only and can't be achieved through
Executive Club Tier Points collection or flying on a certain number of
flights per year. It is only offered to individuals who influence
specific levels of revenue targets within a company or companies and who
use British Airways as their preferred airline.
If you feel you would like to be considered, you can forward details of
your specific corporate responsibilities to your local Executive Club
Service Centre.
Dear Mr XXXX,
Premier membership is by invitation only and can't be achieved through
Executive Club Tier Points collection or flying on a certain number of
flights per year. It is only offered to individuals who influence
specific levels of revenue targets within a company or companies and who
use British Airways as their preferred airline.
If you feel you would like to be considered, you can forward details of
your specific corporate responsibilities to your local Executive Club
Service Centre.
Jan 21, 2005, 8:24 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Don't know....
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Originally Posted by JR65
Here's the reply a colleague got when he asked about premier level,,,
Dear Mr XXXX,
Premier membership is by invitation only and can't be achieved through
Executive Club Tier Points collection or flying on a certain number of
flights per year. It is only offered to individuals who influence
specific levels of revenue targets within a company or companies and who
use British Airways as their preferred airline.
If you feel you would like to be considered, you can forward details of
your specific corporate responsibilities to your local Executive Club
Service Centre.
Dear Mr XXXX,
Premier membership is by invitation only and can't be achieved through
Executive Club Tier Points collection or flying on a certain number of
flights per year. It is only offered to individuals who influence
specific levels of revenue targets within a company or companies and who
use British Airways as their preferred airline.
If you feel you would like to be considered, you can forward details of
your specific corporate responsibilities to your local Executive Club
Service Centre.
Jan 21, 2005, 8:59 pm
#8
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Originally Posted by bagold
I actually thought that they got rid of this criteria. They used to give it to people who controlled huge travel budgets for companies but they decided to cancel that criteria. Now it is only for true VIPs. Merry still around to confirm this?
This was about 2 years ago so the policy might have changed in the meantime. I know Kylie is one, and I did know of another celeb who has got one, memory ain't what it was. I found out about Ms Minogue through an FA in Club who had the pleasure of her & boyfriends company in First one flight.
You can see the card in minature Premier Card which would appear when you logged in to BA.com if you had one.
Jan 21, 2005, 11:12 pm
#9
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Originally Posted by Jimmie76
My family know two, both are more my parents age, one is a BA VIP for reasons unbeknownst to me, the other is a company CEO. When asked he said they probably did spend over £1 million with BA per annum. He even fished out the card without being asked, so I could have a look. Was very impressed with that, but I got disaproving looks from my Dad who isn't one.
This was about 2 years ago so the policy might have changed in the meantime. I know Kylie is one, and I did know of another celeb who has got one, memory ain't what it was. I found out about Ms Minogue through an FA in Club who had the pleasure of her & boyfriends company in First one flight.
You can see the card in minature Premier Card which would appear when you logged in to BA.com if you had one.
This was about 2 years ago so the policy might have changed in the meantime. I know Kylie is one, and I did know of another celeb who has got one, memory ain't what it was. I found out about Ms Minogue through an FA in Club who had the pleasure of her & boyfriends company in First one flight.
You can see the card in minature Premier Card which would appear when you logged in to BA.com if you had one.
Jan 22, 2005, 2:04 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 3,065
There is no specific criteria it is chosen by BA senior management. Without sounding rude I would be very dubious of the Kylie story, I think this is more of a myth, celebs do not normally get Premier. The point of Premier is for BA staff to realise someone pretty anonymous is commercially imprtant to BA - celebs are not normally anonymous or commercially important.
When ECCCA's existed in effect the hierarchy was: VIP; CIP then Premier. Now ECCCA's have gone so have the VIP and CIP designators (the former simply meaning you were named by your company as someone to get a discretionary Gold or Silver card).
At the time of ECCCA's the revenue figure for a Corporate Agreement (which trigered consideration for Premier - in effect part of the sales negotiation) was £2.5m of UK revenue per year.
I am not basing this on hard facts, but I suspect the number of Premiers has increased since ECCCA's ceased as Corporate Agreement have become easier to establish.
Merry
When ECCCA's existed in effect the hierarchy was: VIP; CIP then Premier. Now ECCCA's have gone so have the VIP and CIP designators (the former simply meaning you were named by your company as someone to get a discretionary Gold or Silver card).
At the time of ECCCA's the revenue figure for a Corporate Agreement (which trigered consideration for Premier - in effect part of the sales negotiation) was £2.5m of UK revenue per year.
I am not basing this on hard facts, but I suspect the number of Premiers has increased since ECCCA's ceased as Corporate Agreement have become easier to establish.
Merry
Jan 22, 2005, 3:52 am
#11
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Searched for all posts by Merry with "premier" on the BA board, these are the two best of the 20 results:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34997
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32150
And this post by Merry in the first thread pretty much sums it up:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34997
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32150
And this post by Merry in the first thread pretty much sums it up:
Originally Posted by Merry
There are a whole host of benefits both BA related and unrelated, also written and unwritten.
The written rules for Prem's are almost identical to Gold's. It is the unwritten benefits which are worthwhile.
Special Services at Heathrow and Gatwick know just about every Prem by name if not sight. They have increadable felxibility and will try and get you just about what you want - in my experience.
But they are people the same as any other, the amount of effort and work they put in for you depends on how you treat them and the relationship you have with them.
I am very fortunate in that even though I only have Gold status now, I still get exactly the same treatment from Special Services in the UK (overseas it is different).
In specific answer to your question Prem's go to the top of the waitlist, but if the waitlist is closed it is closed. Prem's have a 24 hour seat guarantee, but this is marketing hype and doens't really mean anything.
Contrary to popular opinion on this board seats 1A & 1K are not reserved for Prem's on long-haul F. Prem's have access to exactly the same seating assignments as Golds.
One of the problems with being Prem is you don't know what BA have done for you in the background. I could give you lots of examples, but if they have wangled a seat for you in F on a full flight to Japan (as an example), they are probably not going to be to impressed when you complain about the actual seat assignment. Alternatively there may be a baby booked in 1K (for the basinet) and they decide that 4E - with 4F blocked off - is a better option than 1A.
They don't tell you they do these things but they happen.
It also depends a great deal why she is Prem. I won't bore you with the deatils now, but your 'points score' does make a difference even if you are Prem.
But in a nut-shell, if you are expecting BA to reseat a group of F passengers so your boss can have her seat of choice then you will probably be dissapointed.
Lounge access has never been a problem for me, but I tend to use the Hounslow and Sussex suites rather than the Concorde Room and First Lounge. If I call in advance, I have always been allowed to take as many guests as I wish.
Upgrades are certainly more simple as a Prem, but I only ever ask for companions in other cabins to be upgraded, never for myself. Special Services normally ask the Despatcher if it is OK and if they agree it is done quietly in the lounge.
In my opinion the absalout biggest advantage of being Prem is pre- or post- boarding, so you avoid the scrum. Being walked to the gate and shown past the crowds is always a treat.
I hope this does not sound rude and I can only judge things from your posts, but I would recommend you lighten up with Premier Sales; the EC Premier Line staff and Special Services, build some relationships and trust their judgement a little.
The more you complain and demand, the more likely they are to play exactly to the rules.
One final point, Premier is of course exclusive - 1200 card holders - but you can attain Premier simply by including it in you Corporate Deal negotiations. You don't have to be a company Chairman, just being CIP is often good enough.
The written rules for Prem's are almost identical to Gold's. It is the unwritten benefits which are worthwhile.
Special Services at Heathrow and Gatwick know just about every Prem by name if not sight. They have increadable felxibility and will try and get you just about what you want - in my experience.
But they are people the same as any other, the amount of effort and work they put in for you depends on how you treat them and the relationship you have with them.
I am very fortunate in that even though I only have Gold status now, I still get exactly the same treatment from Special Services in the UK (overseas it is different).
In specific answer to your question Prem's go to the top of the waitlist, but if the waitlist is closed it is closed. Prem's have a 24 hour seat guarantee, but this is marketing hype and doens't really mean anything.
Contrary to popular opinion on this board seats 1A & 1K are not reserved for Prem's on long-haul F. Prem's have access to exactly the same seating assignments as Golds.
One of the problems with being Prem is you don't know what BA have done for you in the background. I could give you lots of examples, but if they have wangled a seat for you in F on a full flight to Japan (as an example), they are probably not going to be to impressed when you complain about the actual seat assignment. Alternatively there may be a baby booked in 1K (for the basinet) and they decide that 4E - with 4F blocked off - is a better option than 1A.
They don't tell you they do these things but they happen.
It also depends a great deal why she is Prem. I won't bore you with the deatils now, but your 'points score' does make a difference even if you are Prem.
But in a nut-shell, if you are expecting BA to reseat a group of F passengers so your boss can have her seat of choice then you will probably be dissapointed.
Lounge access has never been a problem for me, but I tend to use the Hounslow and Sussex suites rather than the Concorde Room and First Lounge. If I call in advance, I have always been allowed to take as many guests as I wish.
Upgrades are certainly more simple as a Prem, but I only ever ask for companions in other cabins to be upgraded, never for myself. Special Services normally ask the Despatcher if it is OK and if they agree it is done quietly in the lounge.
In my opinion the absalout biggest advantage of being Prem is pre- or post- boarding, so you avoid the scrum. Being walked to the gate and shown past the crowds is always a treat.
I hope this does not sound rude and I can only judge things from your posts, but I would recommend you lighten up with Premier Sales; the EC Premier Line staff and Special Services, build some relationships and trust their judgement a little.
The more you complain and demand, the more likely they are to play exactly to the rules.
One final point, Premier is of course exclusive - 1200 card holders - but you can attain Premier simply by including it in you Corporate Deal negotiations. You don't have to be a company Chairman, just being CIP is often good enough.
Jan 22, 2005, 10:02 am
#12
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Originally Posted by bagold
They used to give it to people who controlled huge travel budgets for companies but they decided to cancel that criteria. Now it is only for true VIPs.
) who got this due to their control over the company's travel budget etc.Infact there is currently a UK based Fter who is a Premier, although he hasn't 'out-ed' himself to the BA board.
Jan 24, 2005, 3:47 pm
#13
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Sorry I was taking what I was told mid flight, in conjunction with a report I'd seen in the press that said her boyfriend was moved into F to sit with her (after she asked) and an F pax being downgraded to CW.
This may or may not be true, "some bored journos will write anything if it's a slow day" as said one of my lecturers at uni, and he should know he was one for a long while .
I may have read this and mixed two celebs up, never been much of a celeb person me.
I'd be interested to know if the criteria has changed, and to what, even if it is now only by invitation of the board. That FA I was talking to said that they really liked her as a passenger and she never complained once. how very much like me in that respect
This may or may not be true, "some bored journos will write anything if it's a slow day" as said one of my lecturers at uni, and he should know he was one for a long while
.I may have read this and mixed two celebs up, never been much of a celeb person me.
I'd be interested to know if the criteria has changed, and to what, even if it is now only by invitation of the board. That FA I was talking to said that they really liked her as a passenger and she never complained once. how very much like me in that respect
Last edited by Jimmie76; Jan 24, 2005 at 4:00 pm
Jan 24, 2005, 5:29 pm
#14
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Originally Posted by Jimmie76
You can see the card in minature Premier Card which would appear when you logged in to BA.com if you had one.
(Yes posted twice
but the other thread won't come up when someone searches for Premier.....at almost 8k I dont need to pad my post count! 
)
Jan 24, 2005, 5:47 pm
#15
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Originally Posted by fbgdavidson
.....at almost 8k I dont need to pad my post count! )
)