British Airways is transforming the way flyers earn status.
The changes will be accompanied by a shorter name for the loyalty program -- British Airways Club, shortened from British Airways Executive Club.
Currently, members earn status Tier Points through a combination of distance flown and fare classes purchased.
Beginning April 1, members will earn Tier Points based on what they spend on fares, ancillary products and air-hotel packages. Also, members will begin receiving Tier Points for purchases with co-branded British Airways credit cards sometime after April 1.
Flyers will earn one Tier Point for every British pound spent, not only on British Airways flights but for flights on American Airlines and Iberia. However, customers flying other British Airways partners will earn just a fraction of that, based on distance flown. For example, purchasers of Alaska Airlines tickets will be awarded Tier Points totaling between 2% and 25% of the distance flown, depending on fare class.
These changes follow a transition British Airways made in fall 2023, when the airline began awarding frequent-flyer points based solely on spending.
British Airways Club members will achieve Bronze status with 3,500 Tier Points. Silver status will require 7,500 points. Gold status will require 20,000 points. The top status of Gold Guest List will require 65,000 points, with at least 52,000 of those points earned through purchases of British Airways products.
Sometime in 2025, British Airways said it will begin gifting extra frequent-flyer points to customers as they reach Tier Points thresholds between Bronze and Silver status.