This would make some sense with the recent idea of a proper GGL/F only check-in with direct entry to the CCR. However it does leave GF rather superfluous other than for a significantly smaller number of GCHs.

I think GGL probably cost me around �16k this year - a lot of that where BA was either not the cheapest or not the most convenient.

The net effect of this change is that I'll just book whoever is best value for money based on product and cost - I suspect BA won't be a winner too often here. I imagine I'll barely get to Silver after April 26. I certainly won't chase it though.

But �40k to retain GGL... Ha! I've still not even received the email telling me about the changes

It was included in the email that GGL members (eventually) received.

No, I think US levels of wealth (GDP/Capita of $80k) and economic growth are probably the only way to sustain enough people spending $8+k on a ticket more than 8 times a year (GGL). I suspect it�s the �everything but transatlantic� that will need promotional support.

lets see

Well, interesting reding, all 785+ posts! No need to ask what will be thread of the year for 2024!

My email just arrived. I hadn’t spotted the new GGL specific card, looking forward to getting one of those. Probably by November 25 given how long it took to receive the 2024 one!

With existing bookings I’ll renew GGL for April 25, and already have sufficient bookings in the bag for gold in April 26 but after that the game is up unless things change in a big way. My personal prediction for the second half of 25… a lot of BA Y redemption trips via LHR to wind down the avios mountain and make merry in the CCR whilst I can

And/or it makes it obsolete.

As others have already said, there are unintended consequences to come, certainly for the consumer.

And if you fly only BA - it's �65k excl. surchages to get GGL, and �40k excl. tax to retain it.

Insaaaaane.
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it's not really - United Global Services which is on a par I'd say with GGL has a unpublished min spend of $50k (I'm over $60k and haven't had the re-invite for 2025), for hub captives on UA it can be upwards of $70-80k and all that spend is on UA metal so even if you fly on another *A it doesn't count.

�40k with �32k on BA isn't wildly off the mark.

What I will say is:
1) Again, the British economy is not the American economy, and;
2) GS is invitation only, BA GGL isn't. An equivalent (to me) would be BA Premier, QF Chairman's Lounge, SAS Pandion, AA ConciergeKey. It is not advertised on their website and the airline reserves the right to offer it to whoever they deem fit.

There's an entire discussion if AA CK = BA GGL but experience across this forum board shows it maps out more to AA EXP than CK more often in recent years.

Considering these factors it would be remiss to say UA GS is equivalent to BA GGL. GS probably maps higher than GGL in the grand scheme of things and in that context, I'm of the view BA GGL is probably the most expensive published and non-invitation top-tier out there in the world.
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Some thoughts from me as a GGL, GFL and aspiring GGLFL

Post pandemic, I am not sure my business travel will be enough to keep GGL but I don’t know. It will be touch and go. I can see me booking a few more “last minute fares” when I am not paying. That will be the new TP run for those of us lucky enough to have someone else pay for our flights.

I have never done an actual TP run but I have gamed the system eg LHR-JFK-LAX rather than LHR-LAX or LHR-SIN-SIN-SYD rather than LHR-SIN-SYD. I will obviously never do that again. The whole cult of TP runs is now dead and maybe that’s no bad thing for the planet.

i can see where BA is coming from on some of this. I don’t drink these days but I am amazed at the quaffing of champers and stuffing of faces for hours on end in the lounges ahead of economy short haul flights. It just can’t be profitable for BA. Hopefully GF will become a haven of peace, much like it was when T5 opened.

Silver will become the new gold and gold will become the new GGL. I really think we will be back to where we were 15 plus years ago when a GCH was a relatively rare thing, rather than an essential accessory of every premium traveller. There will be a lot of GGL natural wastage over the coming year (on top of what we have already seen) and the high entry bar of a �60k spend in an era of cost management and Zoom will mean GGLs will become quite rare.

Even though I have around 70,000 LTPs I feel GGLFL is now out of reach for me. That’s �450,000 of spend over the next five years or so before I retire. I won’t manage that and certainly won’t be looking for ways to spend my own money making up the shortfall.

I will be less inclined to book with AA when in the US as I don’t really like them and have only seen them as a means to getting my GGLFL.

I am not sure we are yet seeing the full picture for all of this. I suspect IAG has some tricks up its sleeve and giving out TPs for BA shopping, credit card promotions, holiday promotions etc will become a feature of the new regime. I suspect that silver will be easier to get than we yet realise, for the canny traveller at least.

I am baffled that bronze will be attainable with just credit card and environmental offset spending alone (rather than - ya know - booking any flights).

Club Europe will become a harder sell. I’m a big guy and appreciate the shoulder space and, thanks to being gold, the leg room of row 1. A lot of more reasonably sized customers will not bother now.

Just some thoughts on a day of turmoil!

I have experienced both for the last 2 years, each has their upsides over the other program but they've very similar in my mind - premier is the mythical chairman's circle with United.

GS gets me an occasional tarmac transfer, pre boarding before group 1 (aka group 0 and 1st on the plane), really helpful service in IRROPs, increased award availability, united club access if I'm on a US internal trip, top of upgrade list if i don't fly J or ability to upgrade my team using plus points that i'll never use.

GGL gets me group 0, really helpful service during IRROPs, increased award availability in Jokers, CCR access at LHR, upgrades myself from J to F.

�40k spend with �32k on BA metal is not outrageous based on that comparison but YMMV. With me close hitting million miler on UA and knowing that living in Scotland, i'm not going to hit anywhere near 4mm for lifetime GS, it is definitely a consideration to direct more travel to BA.

Having been both GS on United and GGL, they are nowhere near on a par with each other. And I was GS before they introduced driving passengers across the tarmac! Everything from boarding (ie being called by name to board first), to the help with irrops (ie proactively being rebooked on multiple different flights if there was any chance of missing a connection).

Maybe now with reduced numbers, BA can and will treat their GGLs like United treats their GSs, but I am not hopeful.

6-7yrs GGL, will now buy each flight based on best available quality/price. About to start many more Austin flights for business. Recent Flights to/from EZE via Rio were abysmal, including no drinks/inedible food Rio-EZE and 2x duct tape on CS doors for whole flight

There are better places to spend my (company) money.

I can only compare my experience with both over the last 2 years - I've had GGL proactively rebook me on non BA or OW flights in IRROPs.

Maybe GS has been devalued (as is oft lamented on the UA forum) but they're pretty similar for me.

Wow! This is definitely on the aggressive end of what I expected! My flirting with United from 0 to 1k this year looks like it'll pay off as a good hedge. My current plan is to renew GGL for the April year, which will take me to 2026 because why not. After that I doubt I'll ever earn it again, especially given I'm US based at the moment. I think it is way easier to get CK/GS and I actually think the schemes are somewhat better (maybe apart from lounge access), as others have pointed out.

Is it clear yet how lifetime TPs are going to be converted and what the new thresholds will be? Frustratingly I'm a few thousand short of lifetime gold. Probably a year or so of travel off in the old world. But it'll be impossible to TP run it by April so I am tempted to try and push as much through as possible now before the new regime comes in if there's any hope of being able to get there after it in a couple of years of downsized BA travel.