BA ANNOUNCEMENT - BA to move to a spend based Tier Point system From 1st April 2025

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Jan 4, 2025 | 3:55 am

#2956

PaulOM

Join Date: May 2018

Programs: BA Gold

Posts: 32

Quote:

Originally Posted by etiene

It's been up for days now, and there’d be very little sense in hiking the thresholds to the extent that they have but then offering a bonus that drops them into the basement… Seems like wishful thinking that the bonus is in oTPs.

There are lots of things BA do that make little sense. Having a celebration bonus to get disgruntled people to rush bookings by Feb 14 that is a pittance with no real incentive effects doesn't make a lot of sense either.

choosethedrew and Tafflyer like this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 3:56 am

#2957

Paren

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: UK / Dubai

Programs: QR Silver (Ex BA post 2025), Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, Heathrow Rewards Premium, Tesco Clubcard

Posts: 840

Quote:

Originally Posted by VSLover

road warriors or very frequent travelers would have already bought in to hotel loyalty schemes separately and thats why BAH was never a useful proposition because of my lifetime marriott status, hilton diamond, accor platinum etc etc. further, when i used to travel loads for work (which led to my lifetime marriott status), our corporate rates were significantly lower than rack rates--and BAH will never be able to work with the chains on offering benefits because most, like marriott, have it explicitly set out in their terms and conditions.

so BAH are really limited to either leisure pax or smaller business travelers who do not have a larger corporate agreement or corp travel agency, which is why i still feel that the heavy emphasis on BAH by BA is still a bit misguided if they are seeking the "high spending business market"

Yes true. I'm nearly Lifetime Platinum with Marriott which is why I do not use BAH as the nights would not count towards my Marriott status if I booked with BAH.

But maybe after I obtain Lifetime Platinum then I can consider venturing out to others occasionally (not all the time though, as I enjoy the suite upgrades I get with Marriott

VSLover likes this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 3:57 am

#2958

TravellerFrequently

Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: London

Programs: BA - GfL and GGL; TAP *Gold, FB Gold, IC Diamond Elite Ambassador; Diamond Hilton Honors

Posts: 6,741

Quote:

Originally Posted by VSLover

Yes agreed.

I had to pay for expensive rooms as part of a BAH to get the lounge access that would have been included with my status.

I have rarely booked BAH for that reason.

It was worth it for the double tier points on the above occasion but not in the future.

VSLover, paulafrancis01 and owjey like this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 3:57 am

#2959

ffgap

Join Date: Jan 2022

Posts: 1,484

Quote:

Originally Posted by VSLover

so BAH are really limited to either leisure pax or smaller business travelers who do not have a larger corporate agreement or corp travel agency, which is why i still feel that the heavy emphasis on BAH by BA is still a bit misguided if they are seeking the "high spending business market"

I agree that BAH is totally unattractive for frequent travellers that are active in hotel loyalty programs.

But perhaps they have premium leisure in mind. As an analogy, Hyatt made this big bet on all-inclusive resorts. Seems counter-intuitive considering they mostly catered to premium business travellers. But the times, they are a changing. Maybe BA sees a market of well-off premium leisure travellers which can be bothered to collect with BA but not be bothered to participate in secondary loyalty programs like Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy...

VSLover and the810 like this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:00 am

#2960

T8191

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: JER

Programs: BA Silver again, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!

Posts: 32,490

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffgap

We use BAH for almost all our travel. And we use Hyatt properties, and I'm a member of their program. However, we don't get Hyatt points unless we book direct with Hyatt, so no points on a BAH booking.

orbitmic and paulafrancis01 like this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:03 am

#2961

zaphod424

Join Date: May 2023

Programs: BAEC Silver

Posts: 432

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cw novice

Actually I have always done alright with BAH hotel rooms. Once got upgraded to an Executive Level 2 bath Suite in the Palmer House in Chicago which had a city view. Am far worse with our corporate travel agent for work getting an accessible room smelling of damp due to the Wet Room.

Yeah agreed. Had a BAH booking to HKG in October and had booked a peak view room at the Shangri La, and were given a room on the top floor with a view of the Peak as well as a side view of the Harbour because of the way the building is shaped. As far as I could tell it was basically the best positioned room in that category in the hotel. Have also had a room upgrade on a different BAH booking before.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:05 am

#2962

furryman

Join Date: Jan 2014

Programs: BAEC GfL, currently GGL

Posts: 333

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmcg

Surely with this new model the YQ charge on awards should be counted towards spend or am I thinking too sensibly?

according to the faq, only spend on seats, bags etc counts towards nTPS
flight itself (and by extension the YQ) is excluded.

pmcg likes this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:09 am

#2963

TabTraveller

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: London, UK

Programs: BAEC

Posts: 2,959

Quote:

Originally Posted by T8191

If BAH were to become approved agents for things like four seasons preferred partner then I would absolutely use them most of the time for my travel. Perhaps that’s part of the plan?

2358 likes this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:18 am

#2964

Jerseystudent

Join Date: Apr 2024

Location: UK

Programs: BA(E)C, ALL, Virgin Red

Posts: 90

I don't think it's been mentioned yet but TFLF just released an open letter which nicely sums up everyone's points: https://www.turningleftforless.com/a...eo-sean-doyle/

CoweyB and DXB2745 like this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:18 am

#2965

Simonp27

Join Date: Jun 2019

Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR

Posts: 593

Quote:

Originally Posted by TabTraveller

If BAH were to become approved agents for things like four seasons preferred partner then I would absolutely use them most of the time for my travel. Perhaps that’s part of the plan?

Once the new system starts I will book most of my hotel stays via BA on work trips. I get status with Hilton and Marriot via GGL anyway.

In theory rough £s and points:

LHR-EDI return - Club Europe £400

2 nights hotel at £200/night

£800 total, allowing for non eligible spend perhaps £650 = 650 Tier Points (roughly and correct me if I am misunderstanding the new way)

Nearly all of my 30 of so business flights per year are 1/2/3 days hotel stays as well - normally the hotel is not BA but the flight is.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:24 am

#2966

NickB

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Feb 2000

Location: London, UK and Southern France

Posts: 18,847

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffgap

That is incorrect.

"Your Reward Flight itself isn’t eligible to earn any Tier Points or Avios." (But if you have additional charges such as for ASR, that would be eligible.)

oops. Yes, I had missed the "on awards" bit.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:24 am

#2967

FlyerLX

Join Date: Aug 2011

Programs: Star Alliance Gold

Posts: 1,162

I’ve assumed lounge overcrowding to be one reason for these changes. Just a couple of questions to those who might know: it’s always said that space at big airports, LHR among them, is hugely expensive, meaning lounge expansion would be hugely expensive. Is that true? If it were affordable, couldn’t BA acknowledge that lots of people like their lounges and double the capacity of each one, rather than culling numbers of lounge users?

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:26 am

#2968

Never Stansted

Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: JER

Programs: BAEC

Posts: 1,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simonp27

Once the new system starts I will book most of my hotel stays via BA on work trips. I get status with Hilton and Marriot via GGL anyway.

.

But even if you book a Hilton on BAH you can’t take advantage of Hilton status (whether obtained through BA or otherwise) since it’s not a direct Hilton booking.

EuropeanPete, orbitmic, wrp96 and 3 others like this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:28 am

#2969

ffgap

Join Date: Jan 2022

Posts: 1,484

Quote:

Originally Posted by TabTraveller

If BAH were to become approved agents for things like four seasons preferred partner then I would absolutely use them most of the time for my travel. Perhaps that’s part of the plan?

I absolutely do not think that's part of the plan. The premium travel agents and associated programs are a US thing of minor interest to BA's member base.

I think they just want to capitalize on their loyalty program. Maybe it will work, I have my doubts. Hotel loyalty has been less devalued than airline loyalty. I certainly value my Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond Ambassador, and Marriott Platinum status more than my Miles & More Senator, VS Gold, and (until a few weeks ago) BA Silver.

orbitmic likes this.

Jan 4, 2025 | 4:29 am

#2970

lounge_junkie

Join Date: Jan 2024

Posts: 216

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cw novice

I have had good experiences with BAH and have not noticed issues with hotel rooms (which I'm often choosing from a long list of types) and in fact stayed at the same hotel mentioned above in the last few years on a BAH. In the three cases I used BAH I did so because of the 2xTP offer which tipped me over the edge to reach status by incrementing my business travel tally. I thought that was the whole point of the offer, the carrot is to help status and a bit of shepherding by BAH if things go wrong and the loss is that it is a lottery what existing hotel status might get you: from nothing to something but no hotel points.

Last edited by lounge_junkie; Jan 4, 2025 at 4:35 am Reason: clarity