BAC - GGL Discussion (Inc Partner cards) (Applicable Apr 25 onwards)
Jan 3, 2025 | 10:14 am
#166
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, VS G, LH S, AF P, SAS G, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,891
I'm still waiting for this great GGL IRROP assistance. Never had anything above and beyond.
Time will tell what the economic impact is of these changes. But like in so many occasions the team/consultants may have sold themselves on the upside of the changes but not given ample consideration to the downside scenarios many of which are highlighted in this forum. Both on the business and leisure sides.
For the high-end traveller with optionality GGL can be retained in say 5-6 expensive TATL flights. Or maybe 4-5 with Euro travel topping up the rest. I would then put all my APAC/ME travel on better airlines, so BA would incrementally lose out on 2-5 expensive LH flights worth maybe a further 15-30k which would have been required to maintain GGL before. The system works if the pax travel is forced to fly BA which maybe skewed the analysis with those mega Prem-enhanced contracts BA has given some corporates.
Time will tell what the economic impact is of these changes. But like in so many occasions the team/consultants may have sold themselves on the upside of the changes but not given ample consideration to the downside scenarios many of which are highlighted in this forum. Both on the business and leisure sides.
For the high-end traveller with optionality GGL can be retained in say 5-6 expensive TATL flights. Or maybe 4-5 with Euro travel topping up the rest. I would then put all my APAC/ME travel on better airlines, so BA would incrementally lose out on 2-5 expensive LH flights worth maybe a further 15-30k which would have been required to maintain GGL before. The system works if the pax travel is forced to fly BA which maybe skewed the analysis with those mega Prem-enhanced contracts BA has given some corporates.
Jan 3, 2025 | 10:42 am
#167
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL / Concorde Room
Posts: 527
I think it was mentioned elsewhere that the HVC team had a kind of 9-5 weekday timeslot. I know a couple of people who fly LON-NYC once a month and they almost always take a Sunday evening flight out, and are back at 6-8am on Friday morning so they wouldn't see you with those types of patterns.
Jan 3, 2025 | 11:00 am
#168
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA GGL & GfL, AA LTP, Marriott (sigh) Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Accor Gold, Avis Preferred
Posts: 3,464
the next time i'm through however, slightly different story!
Jan 3, 2025 | 3:35 pm
#169
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: Executive Club
Posts: 36
Acquaintance of mine will probably do exactly that. Every year goes to MLE for 2-3 weeks at one of the crazy expensive places. He'll probably be able to get GGL for his entire family with two BAH bookings. Then for all his other flights (he almost certainly does 100+ flights a year) he'll use other/better options unless BA truly happens to be best on a particular route. My guess is he would have gone out of his way to take more BA flights under the old system.
Jan 4, 2025 | 4:42 pm
#170
Original Poster
Ambassador: The British Airways Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 17,034
With the introduction of the new British Airways Club (BAC) program, there are significant updates regarding the operation of Partner Cards.
Starting from 1 April 2025, the duration of validity for Partner Cards will change. Previously, it was possible for a gifted Partner Card to remain valid for nearly two years; however, this will no longer be the case. Under the new BAC regime, Partner Cards will be valid for 12 to 13 months from the date of nomination.
Premier and Gold Guest List (GGL) members will receive one Gold card and two Silver cards at the beginning of each Membership Year (1 April). As before, members can nominate someone for a card at any point during the Membership Year. Upon nomination, the recipient will hold their status for 12 to 13 months, depending on the date of nomination.
For example, if you nominate your wife for a Gold Partner Card on 1 June 2025, her Gold status will be valid until 30 June 2026, as the card will always expire at the end of the month.
It is important to note that there will be no soft landings for Partner Cards unless the nominee achieves the required Tier on merit. For instance, if your wife is nominated for Gold from June to June and accumulates 8,000 new Tier Points (nTP) by the end of her nominated year (30 June), she will be downgraded to Silver, as she has met the threshold during her nomination period. Conversely, if she earns only 4,000 nTP, she will be downgraded to Bronze. If her total nTP is below 3,500, she will be downgraded to Blue.
Those who obtain their status on merit, will continue to soft land to the next Tier down.
Starting from 1 April 2025, the duration of validity for Partner Cards will change. Previously, it was possible for a gifted Partner Card to remain valid for nearly two years; however, this will no longer be the case. Under the new BAC regime, Partner Cards will be valid for 12 to 13 months from the date of nomination.
Premier and Gold Guest List (GGL) members will receive one Gold card and two Silver cards at the beginning of each Membership Year (1 April). As before, members can nominate someone for a card at any point during the Membership Year. Upon nomination, the recipient will hold their status for 12 to 13 months, depending on the date of nomination.
For example, if you nominate your wife for a Gold Partner Card on 1 June 2025, her Gold status will be valid until 30 June 2026, as the card will always expire at the end of the month.
It is important to note that there will be no soft landings for Partner Cards unless the nominee achieves the required Tier on merit. For instance, if your wife is nominated for Gold from June to June and accumulates 8,000 new Tier Points (nTP) by the end of her nominated year (30 June), she will be downgraded to Silver, as she has met the threshold during her nomination period. Conversely, if she earns only 4,000 nTP, she will be downgraded to Bronze. If her total nTP is below 3,500, she will be downgraded to Blue.
Those who obtain their status on merit, will continue to soft land to the next Tier down.
Jan 4, 2025 | 7:00 pm
#171
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Manchester,UK
Programs: BA GGL, CCR, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 52
Something that was concerning me before these changes, and a little more now is whether I will get new partner card nominations in April or have to carefully apply my partner cards from October?
Jan 4, 2025 | 7:28 pm
#172
Original Poster
Ambassador: The British Airways Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 17,034
Yes, you will get a new set of Partner Cards on 1 April 2025 if you qualify for GGL before then. Any card yoy nominate before 1 April will be valid until 30 April 2026.
Jan 4, 2025 | 10:38 pm
#173
Join Date: Oct 2024
Posts: 144
So hubby and I are GGL to April 26 but have changed all our travel plans for next TP year and will now earn 0 TP as all bookings are made using avios and various vouchers. Plan is to nominate each other for the Gold partner card around March 26. My question is to the wiser FTs if this is a feasible plan to maintain GCH to 27?
Jan 5, 2025 | 12:04 am
#174
Join Date: Oct 2024
Posts: 144
Ok, so my best strategy under the new regime is to achieve GGL with an extra 1800TP pre April 2025, use the additional GUF’s and space release to use up my 1.2 million Avios between April 2025 and March 2026, and then gift Mrs Tafflyer a Gold card in March 2026 which would prolong her Gold status until March 2027. From April 2026 I would drop to Silver but together our bookings would benefit from useful BA status until March 2027. Revenue flights from April 2025 onwards will be steered towards star. I will never achieve GfL. And, it’s illogical really, but I feel cheated and very anti-BA right now.
Current plan is to nominate each other for the Gold partner card around March 26 (out of the set we will get April 25) to continue as GCH to April 27.
Not sure of the long term plan with BA but will certainly no longer chase status. At best will only be Silver after 27.
Last edited by aks120; Jan 5, 2025 at 3:45 am Reason: Removed erroneous source text
Jan 5, 2025 | 12:09 am
#175
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 46,126
Originally Posted by Unforgettable
Current plan is to nominate each other for the Gold partner card around March 26 (out of the set we will get April 25) to continue as GCH to April 27.
Jan 5, 2025 | 1:32 am
#178
FlyerTalk Posting Legend and Ambassador: The British Airways Club
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, HH Diamond
Posts: 48,369
So hubby and I are GGL to April 26 but have changed all our travel plans for next TP year and will now earn 0 TP as all bookings are made using avios and various vouchers. Plan is to nominate each other for the Gold partner card around March 26. My question is to the wiser FTs if this is a feasible plan to maintain GCH to 27?