AndrewC

I've now reached 5,000 tier points in less than the first 6 months of my membership year. This hasn't been fun in terms of my travel schedule but BA has actually been pretty good to me recently - a couple of **grades to F on the occasion where I've booked J and an invitation to the House of Lords reception in July.

But I assume there's no benefit from a status point of view in flying more with ba? I recall a thread on this topic some time ago but couldn't find it by searching. I don't think I qualify for GGL (I'm a Euro member and didn't do anything like this much travel with Ba last year) and I heard that Premier can't be achieved by flying a lot. Is that correct?

I qualified for HON status with Lufthansa last year. Bizarrely (and to give you an idea of just how crazy my travel has been) I'm on track to keep my status although I have another 18 months left to requalify there. But I'm inclined to fly more LH and LX for the rest of the year just to make sure that I keep my shiny black LH card. Is there any reason why I shouldn't do this?

edi-traveller

I'd have the rest of the year off.

chris78cpr

Well if you continue to fly BA next year and want to re qualify for Gold then putting all of your travel through them this year will affect your eligibility for GGL next year i imagine?

I'm not that knowledgeable on BA's stuff though. G-BOAC or Swanhunter or any of those guys will be able to help.

Chris

The _Banking_Scot

Hi AndrewC,

That is a lot of flying to get to 5,000TPs!

With that amount of flying, I would be surprised if you did not get an invite for the GGL ( I have seem on FT that the general requirement is around 3000-3500TPs) but maybe one of our FT GGL'ers can clarify this.

Regards

TBS

BA1A

There are no hard and fast rules for being invited to the GGL although it is typically expected that you need to accumulate 3500 TPs for 2 consecutive years, although I do know of people who have achieved this and still not been invited.

To answer the other original question from the OP, no you can not achieve Premier by just flying a lot.

My suggestion would be to just balance the choice of airlines and fly on the one that best fits your schedule/provides the product you are looking for on each trip.

It would therefore make sense to fly more LH and LX for the rest of this year, to make sure that you keep your "shiny black LH card" as you say.

If you don't mind me asking, what industry are you in to have flown so much in such a short space of time?

BAPremier

I believe that as a Euro member this precludes you from GGL as only open to UK and US members, but could be wrong.

BA tell me that you can't earn Premier through flying, although there is one member of FT who would disagree with me on this. In the circles that they mingle he has two friends who achieved Premier through flying alone! To qualify for Premier you need:

(a) Control spend of c.GBP2m+ with BA each year
(b) Be good for publicity i.e. the Beckhams and Kate Moss

I feel for you with your 5,000+ TPs. I don't get TP's as a Prem, but have in some years fown the equivalent of 10,000+. Somewhat easier given F policy and R when it existed. However, I find it very damaging in all aspects of your life and I'm pleased to say that in my entire organisation I have very few 5,000+ earners!

pcflyer213

I was wondering about that one as well - HON [I]and[I] 5k TP... OP must be in the air more than some shorthaul pilots...

edi-traveller

But not Naomi Campbell?

BA1A

LOL! I am sure if she did have one, it would have been rescinded by now.

AndrewC

I may have been wrong about the GGL. I was looking at the "order executive club items" section of the "manage my account" website page, and I saw the following item:

19 Mar 2008 Gold Guest List Benefit Fulfilled

But I haven't received any letter or email from BA about being invited, and March is a long time ago now - interestingly the date was only a couple of months after the start of my membership year.

And as for how do I rack up so many points - well, I fly a lot of very odd routes which often involve a connection. When you fly LAX-LHR-BOM return in F a couple of time it sure does make a difference. And that's probably my most "conventional" route!

LeisureFirst

There needs to be a section of the Ultimate Guide about how to "UKCheat": giving a false address in the UK in order to enhance your BA status.

Interesting that a friend, who is in the senior managment of a major fashion house, described Mrs B as "retail poision" and gave instructions to all the staff in their London boutiques to serve her very quickly when she appears to expedite her journey home.

That's not to say that she isn't a delight to deal with - I've heard that she's very pleasant. But "good for publicity"? - not for an ultra-top end brand.

BAPremier

I had the pleasure of her company a number of years ago as we crossed the Atlantic to NYC on the pointy one. I must say I found her very engaging and charming to boot.

BA1A

Me too, every month, but without the LAX part

BOM could be a new meeting point for FTers I feel! I am in BOM at the moment and met up with Teece . We have enjoyed a number of dinners this week whilst he has regaled me with stories on the history of this forum and some of the characters involved . If you ever want to meet up in BOM for a nice glass of something, just PM me. I am here at least one or two weeks of every month.