BA ANNOUNCEMENT - BA to move to a spend based Tier Point system From 1st April 2025
Jan 3, 2025 | 4:58 am
#2656
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Rhineland-Palatinate
Programs: *A Gold (A3), HHonor Gold
Posts: 6,927
Sorry, I do not understand. Why would I not pay my tickets?
If you go on ba.com then you will see that is how much J tickets cost, even the cheapest direct return J to Japan on BA would be 5k, doubt it you will find for 4k. So it is the same as on current system, two times long haul J give you silver.
I now fly AY to Japan via HEL as BA is to expensive for me, but even that is at least about 3.7k.
We are talking only 7.5k to reach silver, that is a rather trivial amount of money, even for personal traveler. And I am not some wealthy dude.
If you go on ba.com then you will see that is how much J tickets cost, even the cheapest direct return J to Japan on BA would be 5k, doubt it you will find for 4k. So it is the same as on current system, two times long haul J give you silver.
I now fly AY to Japan via HEL as BA is to expensive for me, but even that is at least about 3.7k.
We are talking only 7.5k to reach silver, that is a rather trivial amount of money, even for personal traveler. And I am not some wealthy dude.
Jan 3, 2025 | 4:58 am
#2657
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: AF Plat, BA GfL, LH Sen, AA Plat Pro, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,789
I doubt the credit card spend will be 1:1. DL for example has two cards, one is 10:1 ($650 annual fee) the other is 20:1 ($350 annual fee). So, for the latter card, every $20 charged on the card you gets $1 credit towards status. I can assure you that BA will not give you 2,500 tier points for 2,500 in credit card spend.
So those 2500TPs they're offering at the new system seems likely to be for 25k spend.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:01 am
#2658
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Zurich / Singapore
Programs: LH SEN, BA Gold, SQ TPPS, Accor ALL Diamond
Posts: 1,220
I'm in South East England and my go-to is the SOU-AMS-Asia on KLM, but sometimes still trek all the way up to LHR if starting out on AF/KE/CI/VN etc. and next year I'll have FB PfL. I know many will turn their noses up at the SkyTeam airlines but this has all worked out great for me. In addition, my FB and Accor accounts are linked to top-up each other as I stay at ALL hotels mostly (again many will turn their noses up at Accor).
Speaking of Accor, you could status match from your Plat to QR for some OW status.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:03 am
#2659
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Leeds
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, BD Blue (RIP)
Posts: 3,044
That wasn't done - I am guessing because there was internal opposition to the changes (as GGLs we were all being interviewed by the HVC team on improvements to the offer, that was very confusing and misaligned) and deals were difficult to get to with suppliers in the absence of a reason for customers to take them up. Bad News Fairy gave detail in September, very accurately and with what looks like inside information, but there was still no announcement. So we get to the very last date where this can be announced to allow adoption April 1st, someone panicked about their performance bonus and pressed the "do it now or pick up your cards tomorrow" button, and it all happened with comms teams on holiday, no time to fully brief staff, and engendering a massive wave of hostility from customers, many of whom had expensive bookings to get half way to status after April, and who were also on holiday with time to get mad. I suspect a lot of what can be cancelled will be cancelled, and you'd be a bit nuts to book anything new. There aren't even important details like the soft landing (my guess is there was no soft landing in the plan, but that's been suspended while they think about it because they're worried about backlash and don't want to paint themselves into a corner; there's no real other explanation).
1. The insistence that cash equivalent redemption value is ~0.56p, making redeeming for anything outside of flights basically a waste of money.
2. The very haphazard nature of partnerships. Look at AA, I can earn loyalty points via the shopping portal, dining out in some restaurants, hotel stays with Hyatt, cruise bookings, car rentals, credit card spend, buying petrol, paying my electricity bill etc. If BA was offering that level of choice, I'd be able to hit silver, even if they upped the threshold a bit. At the moment my options are paying for BA flights, buying a BA holiday, paying BA's fuel bill for them and something to do with Amex spend that they haven't explained yet. This is the biggest problem.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:05 am
#2660
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Japan
Programs: OneWorld Sapphire, BA
Posts: 700
So? Even with the rock bottom on potentially days I don't want to travel, it is still circa 6.6k for two J's. Which only leave maybe 1.5k to 2k max to reach silver (not counting TP's from AMEX spend which lower the Silver requirement up to 5k). How is this different to current system? Hardly much.
I can see (most) Golds are XXX but it can be potentially better for Silvers, especially if we take hotel spend and AMEX TP's into account.
I can see (most) Golds are XXX but it can be potentially better for Silvers, especially if we take hotel spend and AMEX TP's into account.
Last edited by aks120; Jan 3, 2025 at 10:37 am Reason: FT Rule 16 -Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:06 am
#2661
Join Date: May 2023
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 433
For a family of 4 you'd have to spend 30k a year on holidays to hit that due to the way it's divided up. 20k if you're getting the CC cap (but that would mean only one member of the family gets silver, unless both parents have the card and each spend the expected 25k to hit the cap. If not, the others would be bronze so not everyone can even use the lounges), but even that is a lot of money, and is absolutely not trivial in any sense of the word.
And even that requires all holiday spending to be done through BAH, screw you if you want to collect hotel status, go to a destination not offered by BAH, or stay in a hotel which isn't in their selection.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:08 am
#2662
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 90
Secondly, 7.5k is most assuredly Not a rather trivial amount of money
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:08 am
#2663
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: TfL Oyster Gold
Posts: 162
Quote:
Originally Posted by bisonrav
PS BA, if you're reading, a great revenue stream would be to sell "fly on the wall" tickets for Waterside over the next few weeks.
With a 20 supplement for a small bucket of popcorn.
From BA, would that not be a thimble full of popcorn?
Originally Posted by bisonrav
PS BA, if you're reading, a great revenue stream would be to sell "fly on the wall" tickets for Waterside over the next few weeks.
With a 20 supplement for a small bucket of popcorn.
From BA, would that not be a thimble full of popcorn?
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:12 am
#2664
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Japan
Programs: OneWorld Sapphire, BA
Posts: 700
7.5k spend on flights is not at all a trivial amount of money for all but the wealthiest of self funded travellers. It's slightly more palatable given the BAH system, but even then 7.5k per person is still a lot to spend on holidays for the vast majority of families, and even for couples/individuals without children.
For a family of 4 you'd have to spend 30k a year on holidays to hit that due to the way it's divided up. 20k if you're getting the CC cap (but that would mean only one member of the family gets silver, unless both parents have the card and each spend the expected 25k to hit the cap. If not, the others would be bronze so not everyone can even use the lounges), but even that is a lot of money, and is absolutely not trivial in any sense of the word.
For a family of 4 you'd have to spend 30k a year on holidays to hit that due to the way it's divided up. 20k if you're getting the CC cap (but that would mean only one member of the family gets silver, unless both parents have the card and each spend the expected 25k to hit the cap. If not, the others would be bronze so not everyone can even use the lounges), but even that is a lot of money, and is absolutely not trivial in any sense of the word.
Under new system, it takes about two ultra long haul J's two just about get to silver (perhaps with a few extra flight, which most frequent flyers here would also typically do). Minus TP's that we will be able to get from amex (up to 2500).
Both cases apply equally to everyone.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:14 am
#2665
Join Date: Nov 2023
Programs: VS (Silver) | AF-KL (Gold) | SAS (Gold) | ITA (Premium) | Swiss (Senator) | QR (Gold) | BA (Bronze)
Posts: 537
So? Even with the rock bottom on potentially days I don't want to travel, it is still circa 6.6k for two J's. Which only leave maybe 1.5k to 2k max to reach silver (not counting TP's from AMEX spend which lower the Silver requirement up to 5k). How is this different to current system? Hardly much.
I can see (most) Golds are f**ked but it can be potentially better for Silvers, especially if we take hotel spend and AMEX TP's into account.
I can see (most) Golds are f**ked but it can be potentially better for Silvers, especially if we take hotel spend and AMEX TP's into account.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:18 am
#2666
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold -> AY (Silver so far)
Posts: 845
For a family of 4 you'd have to spend 30k a year on holidays to hit that due to the way it's divided up. 20k if you're getting the CC cap (but that would mean only one member of the family gets silver, unless both parents have the card and each spend the expected 25k to hit the cap. If not, the others would be bronze so not everyone can even use the lounges), but even that is a lot of money, and is absolutely not trivial in any sense of the word.
And even that requires all holiday spending to be done through BAH, screw you if you want to collect hotel status, go to a destination not offered by BAH, or stay in a hotel which isn't in their selection.
And even that requires all holiday spending to be done through BAH, screw you if you want to collect hotel status, go to a destination not offered by BAH, or stay in a hotel which isn't in their selection.
Now we could not be certain any of us would hit Silver and given flying long haul is already in J there is no way I would actively direct the spend BAs way.
Appreciate we are small fry but I dont agree with others that 7.5k is a tiny amount to spend per person - especially in a family. I count myself as very fortunate and relatively affluent but still know the value of our discretionary spend and the opportunity cost!
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:18 am
#2667
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 225
But the wider point is that BA is clearly targeting extra revenue through BAH so are effectively now competing with the Hotel Loyalty programmes. As a customer we need to decide whether a shiny card/status from a hotel chain or one from BA holds more value.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:18 am
#2668
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: London
Programs: AAdvantage, and BAEC in name only
Posts: 908
OT, but can I just say how much I have enjoyed reading this thread over the last 3 days?
I have read and value every contribution but the views and thoughts of those who obviously work at senior levels in commercial business/finance/marketing/consultancy are insightful and absolutely fascinating.
Obviously no-one knows for sure exactly what has been going on at Waterside, but the explanations and understanding of how things work (or might not work) at big corporate executive and Board level I find extremely interesting.
As a ‘cheap’ Gold, soon to be on my way down the ladder I am not thrilled by the changes, but I would say thank you to all those who have provided their input on this thread and others on the BA board, which have been fun to read the last few days.
I have read and value every contribution but the views and thoughts of those who obviously work at senior levels in commercial business/finance/marketing/consultancy are insightful and absolutely fascinating.
Obviously no-one knows for sure exactly what has been going on at Waterside, but the explanations and understanding of how things work (or might not work) at big corporate executive and Board level I find extremely interesting.
As a ‘cheap’ Gold, soon to be on my way down the ladder I am not thrilled by the changes, but I would say thank you to all those who have provided their input on this thread and others on the BA board, which have been fun to read the last few days.
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:18 am
#2669
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Japan
Programs: OneWorld Sapphire, BA
Posts: 700
Perhaps you are referring to BAH deals?
Jan 3, 2025 | 5:20 am
#2670
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: BAC Silver
Posts: 360
I am not sure it's fair to say that LH/AF/KL/UA/DL are all better products that BA, although I guess it's subjective. LH especially is a far worse hard product than Club Suites and I don't think any of the others you have mentioned are better than BA's club suites product (imo).