British Airways has unveiled extensive modifications to its passenger loyalty programme, igniting significant criticism from loyal customers concerned about losing their cherished travel privileges. The national carrier, which has experienced increased service disruptions since the Covid-19 pandemic, is implementing substantial changes to its points system that governs rewards such as complimentary seat selection and lounge access.
The transformed system, scheduled for implementation in April, will allocate points based on monetary expenditure for flights and package holidays, replacing the previous model that considered travel class and journey distance. Industry experts suggest these modifications could disproportionately impact leisure travellers who traditionally sought cost-effective flights to accumulate rewards.
Rob Burgess, editor of frequent flyer website Head for Points, expressed concern about the changes, stating, “BA is effectively washing its hands of the leisure market. It will now be virtually impossible to earn gold status for small business travellers, economy travellers or self-funded leisure travellers.”
Under the revised structure, customers will earn one point per pound spent, excluding taxes. The tiered system will award bronze status at 3,500 points, silver at 7,500 points, and gold at 20,000 points. The airline maintains these changes are part of a broader £7bn transformation programme, aligning their loyalty scheme with international industry standards.
British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Colm Lacy, defended the overhaul, emphasising that the modifications demonstrate continued investment in their loyalty programme and customer experience. The airline has introduced additional earning opportunities, including up to 2,500 points through co-branded credit card spending.
The restructuring affects only the Tier Points system and does not impact the separate Avios loyalty currency used for flight and holiday redemptions. Despite BA’s positive outlook, the changes have sparked heated debate within the travel community about the future accessibility of premium travel perks for budget-conscious travellers.
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