British Airways has defended its decision to overhaul its loyalty scheme, insisting the changes will create a fairer system and are not designed to reduce the number of customers being rewarded.
The airline is shifting from a system that awards points based on the distance flown and fare class to one that rewards spending, with passengers earning one point per pound spent. The new structure is set to take effect from 1st April 2025.
To achieve gold status, which grants perks such as first-class lounge access and enhanced baggage allowance, customers will generally need to accumulate 20,000 points per year.
Criticism from frequent flyers
The announcement, made in late December 2024, sparked backlash from some frequent flyers, with Head for Points, a well-known loyalty programme website, accusing BA of turning its back on the leisure market. The site claimed that small business travellers, economy-class passengers, and self-funded leisure travellers would find it “impossible” to attain gold status under the new system.
In response to the concerns, British Airways announced on Wednesday that a bonus offer—which allows customers to earn up to 550 extra points per flight based on their cabin class—will be extended for the rest of the year.
Additionally, the airline has introduced a bronze status guarantee for customers who take at least 25 flights annually, such as frequent commuters. Bronze members enjoy benefits such as business-class check-in access and free seat selection from seven days before departure, even when flying in economy class.
British Airways: Changes reflect a fairer system
Colm Lacy, British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, defended the switch to a spending-based model, arguing that it better reflects customer loyalty.
“This is not about reducing the number of members in each tier,” he told the PA news agency. “The focus for this is making sure we have a loyalty scheme that rewards people for the right behaviours.”
Mr Lacy also suggested that the new system would curb certain “loopholes” and “gamification” methods used by some travellers to artificially boost their status.
“One of the benefits of this change is that it will prevent people from using indirect flight routes or other tactics to gain points, as that is not truly rewarding loyalty,” he explained.
In the past, some customers took multiple indirect flights to maximise points, despite these being cheaper but more time-consuming options. BA believes the revised system will ensure genuine customer loyalty is rewarded rather than manipulated.
A move towards global trends
Industry experts note that spending-based loyalty programmes are already common in the United States and are gradually being introduced elsewhere.
Gilbert Ott, founder of the travel website God Save The Points, remarked that customers tend to develop an “emotional attachment” to loyalty schemes. He believes the new bonus structure maintains some of the “game feeling” that frequent flyers enjoy.
He also noted that US airlines have successfully adopted similar systems, often leading to better benefits for passengers because they generate higher revenue for airlines.
“British Airways is taking an aggressive approach because they’re the first in the UK—and one of the first in Europe—to move to a spending-based model,” he said.
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“But if you look five years ahead, I’d bet that most airlines will have followed suit.”
Rebranding the loyalty programme
As part of the overhaul, British Airways is also rebranding its loyalty programme, dropping the word “Executive” from its name. The scheme will be renamed the British Airways Club from 1st April 2025.
Additionally, more opportunities to earn points will be introduced, including through British Airways Holidays, the airline’s package holiday division.
What this means for travellers
For frequent business-class and first-class passengers, the changes may prove beneficial, as their spending will now directly influence their status.
However, budget-conscious travellers, small business owners, and economy-class passengers may find it significantly harder to reach higher tiers, as their lower spending power will result in fewer points earned.
While British Airways insists the changes reflect “fairness” and “genuine loyalty”, the long-term impact on customer engagement and loyalty remains to be seen.
With other major airlines likely to follow suit, spending power—not mileage—may soon become the defining factor in airline loyalty programmes across Europe.
