British Airways (BA) has unveiled significant changes to its loyalty programme, introducing new criteria for members to achieve elite status. Under the revamped scheme, set to take effect from 1 April next year, customers will need to earn considerably more points to secure benefits, with a focus on rewarding higher spend rather than distance travelled.
Major changes to status criteria
One of the most notable changes is the increased threshold for achieving Gold status, which offers perks such as access to First lounges, enhanced baggage allowances, and priority services. Customers will now need to earn 20,000 points annually to attain Gold status, a sharp rise from the current requirement of 1,500 points.
This shift in points accumulation is tied to a revised earning structure, where points are awarded based on the amount spent across British Airways services, including flights and package holidays offered through British Airways Holidays.
The airline’s loyalty programme will also be rebranded, changing its name from the British Airways Executive Club to the British Airways Club.
Airline’s perspective
Colm Lacy, Chief Commercial Officer of British Airways, described the overhaul as part of the company’s broader strategy to modernise its approach to customer loyalty.
“The changes we have announced today underline our continued investment in our loyalty programme and in our customers,” Lacy stated. “Based on our members’ feedback, we’ve built on the changes we’ve already made – including how customers collect Avios and their membership year – in a way that we believe better rewards their loyalty and reflects their changing travel needs.”
The airline aims to tailor its programme to better align with modern travel patterns and customer expectations, Lacy added.
Criticism and industry reactions
Despite BA’s positive framing of the changes, the new programme has sparked criticism, particularly from frequent flyers in the leisure market. Rob Burgess, editor of the frequent flyer website Head for Points, expressed concerns that the revised scheme disproportionately favours business travellers.
“With a Gold card now available for just over one-and-a-half £12,000 fully flexible Club World return flights to New York, it is clear who the target market now is,” Burgess commented. “Realistically, it will now be impossible to earn Gold for small business travellers, economy travellers, or self-funded leisure travellers.”
Burgess argued that British Airways appears to be pivoting its loyalty scheme towards high-spending corporate clients, leaving many leisure and economy travellers at a disadvantage.
Broader implications
The shift to a spend-based earning model mirrors similar moves by other major airlines, as carriers seek to prioritise high-revenue customers. By linking points accumulation to spending rather than distance, BA aligns itself with industry trends that emphasise profitability over passenger volume.
However, this approach risks alienating a significant segment of its customer base. Economy and leisure travellers, who may have relied on the programme for incremental rewards, could find themselves excluded from higher tiers under the new criteria.
A balancing act
British Airways is treading a fine line as it seeks to modernise its loyalty offering. While the revamped programme aims to cater to high-spending travellers and reflects evolving travel habits, it may prompt backlash from those who feel left behind.
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The rebranding of the loyalty scheme to British Airways Club is seen as an attempt to refresh the programme’s image and signal a new direction. However, whether this rebranding will resonate with BA’s broader customer base remains to be seen.
Looking ahead
As the new scheme comes into effect, its success will largely depend on how well BA communicates the benefits of the changes to its members and mitigates concerns from its more budget-conscious travellers.
For business travellers and high spenders, the overhaul could enhance the appeal of British Airways as a premium travel choice. For others, the changes may signal the need to explore alternative loyalty programmes better suited to their needs.
While BA frames the changes as an investment in customer loyalty, they also represent a calculated move to focus on profitability and attract a more lucrative market segment. Whether this strategy will pay off in the long run will depend on how effectively the airline balances its corporate ambitions with the expectations of its diverse customer base.
