Impact of BA changes on RTWers
 

I realize there is a mega thread on the BA forum about the changes, but I thought a thread here focused on the implications for RTWers might be helpful.

I've not thought hard about it yet, but the remaining distance-based new tier point earning rates on Qatar, Finnair and JAL at least still seem decent. Might be pretty hard to get to Gold on one-RTW though, even with lots of distance and heavy Qatar/AY/JAL use.

What is the next best program to credit to if you want OWE from 1+ RTWs per year and decent redeemable miles earning? Qatar? Alaska?

Ironic that the new system incentivizes British Airways Club members to avoid BA/IB/AA on RTWs. Better to fly AY/QR across the pond.
Unless I have misread the new rules, BA status (excepting GGL) can be achieved without stepping onto a BA aircraft. No more 4 qualifying flights.

I don't think BA is focused on RTW tickets as a major revenue source. They don't have dedicated resources to support those tickets, unlike AA. From a corporate travel perspective, the revenue based elite model is great. The BA F lounges in LHR t5 are ridiculously overcrowded. Maybe it'll be more reasonable in a few years.

We embark on a RTW Saturday (6 QR flights) and am intending to move points from BA to QR. I will get sufficient points for QR Platinum and also more Avios. There may be better options but I do not have time and getting QR Platinum is better than getting nothing from BA.

6 QRs on one RTW? So basically US-(DOH)-Europe-(DOH)-Europe-(DOH)-Asia? Or the reverse? Sounds like theoretical Q Suite max :-)

Wonder if we will see some people working up some plans to get BA(E)C Gold on a DONE3, 4 and 5? Might have a go one day if I’m bored as I know how to change mine to get a lot closer. I assume the specialist TAs and those who offer route planning on FT will soon get up to speed………...followed by some Vloggers, along with the sweet spots with partner airlines for max NTPs per £ on certain routes.

Quick query on this - is there any impact from how the new BA NTP collection will work depending on who a RTW ticket is ticketed by? For example if ticketed with BA/AA can they see/use revenue per leg? Or is it purely down to who the legs are flown with and each leg accounted for separately when allocating NTPs?

OSL-DOH-NBO-KGL-NBO-DOH-PER-SYD-CHC-SYD-KUL-BOM-HKG-JFK-DOH-MAN-DOH-OSL

KGL was booked separately and I will get some Avios (RwandAir).

EDIT: In the above PER-SYD is by train.
I make this 609 QR Points and ~86k Avios. Under current BA rules I would have got 1800 TPs and ~75k Avios, but no longer any point in crediting my BA account.

Fwiw my aa ticketed donex which i flew last year credited to baec as distance based for all legs including ib/ba/aa. I think that's partly as the fare saved to ticket was mangled (notionally over $1m) but it shows even if aa tickets there *can* be distance based crediting.

My recent one booked with BA, credited Avios based on the revenue per leg on their flights, and AA, but not on the other OW partners. So I am going to anticipate the NTPs would credit the same way if booked with BA. Revenue on BA/AA/IB and in accordance with the new distance based calculation on the other OW partners. Note: all the flights were prime so no BA codeshares.

Also AA will likely want an over water leg on their metal/codeshare and BA did not appear keen to book me on alternatives where they fly the route, on the basis of never being able to see any D availability on the others when EF said there was plenty.

BUT.....if you had already booked it for travel after 1st April 2025, apparently it will earn as follows for all NTPs, BA or OW Partners, according to posts on X.

‘Flights booked before 13:00 GMT on 30th of December '24 travelling after the 1st of April '25 will earn based on multiplying today's distance-based Tier points by x13.3333.‘

BUT equally...........that appears to contradict the current FAQ?

I was just playing around with a great circle mapper earlier for the heck of it and easily found an DONE3 ex-HND that would get about 23-24k tier points in the new system. It was 19k TPs (50% on D fare) on JL and QR codes alone, so very easily doable in a single RTW.

Just as a point of reference, the JL and QR flights I had on my example were HND-JFK (JL), LAX-DOH-DUB-DOH-CMN-DOH-MNL (all QR codes, MAD is nearly the same distance as CMN if you prefer Spain to Morocco), then a final CMB-NRT (JL code, UL operated). I had some intra-North America on AS and also MNL-KUL-CMB on MH / UL codes. Just avoid all AA, BA, and IB codes, not difficult because I do the same thing when I put together my own RTWs and credit to AA, those have been punitive for us for a while now, glad we're not the only ones feeling the pain anymore.

Yes, it is doable to earn BA Gold if you avoid the AA/BA/IB JV. I was looking at my current AONE3 and saw that it was possible, but a tad more difficult. And A earns 40% while D earns 50% of milage. What !!! But how can one get AA to do the ticketing, considering they want an over the ocean segment? Book with JAL? That is the $64 question.

DONE4 ex-OSL at same price as DONE3 ex-TYO yielding 29K TP's

OSL-DOH-SYD-HND-SIN-HND-BKK-HND-JFK-ANC-LAX-NAS-LAX-DOH-DUB-DOH-OSL All QR and JL except the NA segments which are on AS (25% mileage) One earns 17K TP's thru the HND-JFK segment, so can adjust as necessary for one's own comfort.

Easy peazy. Lots of ways to do that. On my current DONE3, I have the following consecutive QR flights: LAX-DOH-CDG-DOH-LHR-DOH-BKK.