British Airways (BA) has announced a major overhaul of its loyalty program, set to launch on April 1st, 2025. The newly branded British Airways Club introduces significant changes to earning Tier Points, new Tier thresholds, and additional opportunities to unlock rewards.

Key Updates to Loyalty Rewards

New Tier Point System

The most notable shift is in how members earn Tier Points. Starting April 2025, Tier Points will be awarded based on spending rather than flight distance. Members will earn 1 Tier Point for every £1 of eligible spend, including:

• British Airways flights.
• British Airways Holidays packages.
• Additional services such as extra baggage fees and seat selection.

For flights booked before 1 April 2025, Tier Points will be awarded under the existing system and converted proportionally.

Updated Tier Thresholds

To align with the new earning structure, the Tier thresholds are being recalibrated as follows:

• Blue: No Tier Points required.
• Bronze: 3,500 Tier Points.
• Silver: 7,500 Tier Points.
• Gold: 20,000 Tier Points.

Additionally, Lifetime Tier Points will be recalculated to reflect the updated earning system, ensuring existing balances maintain their value.

Earning Opportunities Beyond Flights

BA is expanding how members can earn Tier Points:

• With British Airways Holidays: Earn Tier Points on the total cost of a holiday package, not just flights.
• With Extra Services: Earn on extras like additional baggage or seat selection.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Contributions: Earn Tier Points and Avios by contributing to BA’s SAF programme, an initiative to support sustainable air travel.
• With British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card: Cardholders can earn up to 2,500 Tier Points annually through eligible spending.

Milestone Rewards

To celebrate member progress, British Airways will introduce additional milestone rewards between Tiers, offering bonus Avios and other perks to recognize loyalty more frequently.

Members booking travel for flights after 1 April 2025 will benefit from bonus Tier Points on eligible bookings as part of an exclusive launch promotion.

Analysis

The changes to British Airways’ loyalty program are so drastic that even the name has been downgraded—from “Executive Club” to simply “British Airways Club.” The new tier reward model closely mirrors Delta Air Lines rather than fellow oneworld partner American Airlines, which notably hasn’t altered its tier thresholds. To be fair, American Airlines already operates a revenue-based model but manages to maintain some advantages over BA’s updated system.

For example, BA caps Tier Points at 2,500 on its co-branded credit card, while American Airlines imposes no such limit. Another disappointment is BA’s failure to award additional Tier Points per status level, a feature American Airlines incorporates to reward its loyal flyers.

One silver lining is the inclusion of Tier Point earnings for extras like seat selection—though it’s worth noting that BA charges for seat selection even in Business Class, a policy that has long frustrated premium passengers.

While the shift to a fare-based system aligns with broader industry trends, BA’s approach to implementing these changes leaves much to be desired. For many loyal customers, this announcement feels less like progress and more like an echo of the unpopular changes seen at Delta.