In 2025, British Airways plans to make significant changes to its reward program, beginning with a name change.
The British Airways Executive Club will change its name to just “The British Airways Club” on April 1, 2025. Members will have new options for earning British Airways tier points, but achieving elite membership will cost more.
British Airways Reveals 2025’s New Loyalty Program
The airline states that its new loyalty program, The British Airways Club, would provide members with more opportunities than ever before to accrue Tier Points.
British Airways has rebranded its loyalty program and introduced new opportunities for members to earn Tier Points. These include spending on co-branded credit cards and paying for extras like extra baggage and seat preference.
According to British Airways, a new Tier Point system will be part of the new loyalty program when it launches on April 1, 2025. The cost of the journey, plus, for the first time, incidental expenses like seat preference and additional baggage, will determine how many Tier Points members receive.
Members can earn up to 1,000 Tier Points annually by contributing to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), in addition to earning 1 Tier Point for every £1 of eligible spending. For every £1 you spend on these goods, you will receive 10 Avios and one Tier Point.
With a ratio of one Tier Point for every £10 spent, British Airways vacation packages will also count towards status based on the package’s cost, with no cap on the number of Tier Points that can be achieved.
According to the airline, customers who currently have reservations for travel after April 1, 2025, will receive Tier Points based on a conversion of the current approach, according to the airline, and any existing reservations will earn at least as many Tier Points as they would now.
Under the new British Airways Club loyalty program, the following status qualification requirements will also change:
- For the British Airways Club Bronze level, 3,500 Tier Points are required.
- For the British Airways Club Silver status, 7,500 Tier Points are required.
- To become a British Airways Club Gold member, you must earn 20,000 Tier Points.
Furthermore, to be eligible for the British Airways Club Gold Guest List, one must accrue 65,000 Tier Points, of which at least 52,000 must be obtained through flights, qualifying add-ons, and British Airways vacation packages and 40,000 must be retained (at least 32,000 must be obtained through flights, qualifying add-ons, and British Airways vacation packages).
Members who have the British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card will also be able to accrue Tier Points for credit card purchases in 2025. Additionally, additional milestone incentives between tiers will be introduced.
Before moving on to the next level, members will be able to unlock reward advantages, beginning with gifts of 2,500, 4,000, and 5,000 Bonus Avios at Bronze and Silver milestones. According to the airline, further perks will be revealed in the upcoming months.
Colm Lacy, Chief Commercial Officer of the carrier stated, “The changes we have announced today underline our continued investment in our loyalty program and our customers”.
“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.”
According to Rob Burgess, operator of the frequent flyer website headforpoints.com, the airline is “effectively washing its hands of the leisure market” and making a concerted effort to draw in business passengers as a result of the changes.
He went on to say, “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.
“Realistically, it will now be impossible to earn gold for small business travellers, economy travellers, or self-funded leisure travellers”.
“Even silver will be a major stretch.”
