British Airways Moves Frequent Flyer Earn to Revenue Model

[levelnine]

The descent into revenue-based frequent flyer programs continues. This time with BA.

British Airways has announced that the way customers collect Avios will be updated from 18 October 2023, including the ability to collect Avios on ancillary purchases for the first time.

It means that customers will soon be able to collect Avios when purchasing additional items such as upgrades, pre-paid seat selection and excess baggage, either in advance or at the airport. The amount of Avios collected per flight will be based on the amount paid rather than distance travelled, in a more consistent and clearer approach.

Members booking flights from 18 October 2023 will collect the following Avios depending on their Tier status:

• Blue members will receive 6 Avios per qualifying* £1 spent
• Bronze members will receive 7 Avios per qualifying £1 spent
• Silver members will receive 8 Avios per qualifying £1 spent
• Gold members will receive 9 Avios per qualifying £1 spent

This new model will also apply to flights marketed by Iberia**.

British Airways simplifies and expands the way customers collect Avios on flights

- The way British Airways Executive Club Members collect Avios is transforming from 18 October 2023, offering Members a transparent, consistent and simplified way to collect Avios - Under the new collection model, Members can earn up to nine Avios per £1 spent, depending on their Tier status -...

mediacentre.britishairways.com

 

[drron]

As long as the tier points don't get enhanced i will survive.

 

[levelnine]

One little tidbit I didn't know is that the previous move to revenue on Iberia has gone quite poorly, with Iberia having to create carve-outs for its revenue model where it faces stiff competition by upping the earn rate. Makes me wonder if something similar will happen on BA's Asia routes where there are already far better options than BA.

 

[dajop]

Well that brings BA into line with its competitors and partners on both sides of the Atlantic in the Big 3 then. Not a surprise.

 

[Gold Member]

“More consistent and clearer approach”. Sounds familiar to a local carrier’s evil marketing pitch designed to conceal and misdirect a massive devaluation of member benefits in the name of profits and Exec bonuses. Happy days.

Do we need to Trademark this slogan as well?

 

[RooFlyer]

“More consistent and clearer approach”.

Do we need to Trademark this slogan as well?

But "Simplified and Expanded" is already half way there

 

[dajop]

“More consistent and clearer approach”. Sounds familiar to a local carrier’s evil marketing pitch designed to conceal and misdirect a massive devaluation of member benefits in the name of profits and Exec bonuses. Happy days.

Do we need to Trademark this slogan as well?

There's also this, sounds just like a Qantas press release, just replace Sharm El Sheikh with Noumea:

The update to the new collection model is the latest change to the Executive Club this year to keep improving the loyalty programme for Members. Most recently, the airline revealed a series of Avios-Only flights, with 100% of seats made exclusively available to Members as Reward Seats. The first Avios-Only flight to Sharm El Sheikh sold out within 24 hours

 

[SydneySwan]

BA using simpler to mean reduced but they are not synonyms.

 

[levelnine]

Reading all the comments on FlyerTalk/HeadForPoints, one striking theme is that most people now think the easiest way to collect the most amount of points is through credit card spend, not flying. Indeed, most people are now going to earn a paltry amount of points from flying.

It really is amazing how much frequent flyer programs have changed in the past decade.

 

[SYD]

Reading all the comments on FlyerTalk/HeadForPoints, one striking theme is that most people now think the easiest way to collect the most amount of points is through credit card spend, not flying. Indeed, most people are now going to earn a paltry amount of points from flying.

It really is amazing how much frequent flyer programs have changed in the past decade.

Aligns with the paltry premium award seat availability on many airlines.

 

[downgraded]

Reading all the comments on FlyerTalk/HeadForPoints, one striking theme is that most people now think the easiest way to collect the most amount of points is through credit card spend, not flying. Indeed, most people are now going to earn a paltry amount of points from flying.

It really is amazing how much frequent flyer programs have changed in the past decade.

Neither frequent flyer or loyalty anymore. Just a private currency that can be earned almost anywhere and burned almost anywhere and the airline just clips the ticket on every transaction.

 

[muppet]

I don’t buy many BA fares but I know for sure that if QF gave me 9 points per dollar on fares instead of a point per mile, i’d be miles ahead. Nothing worse than buying a last minute full flex flight and earning 800 points or whatever it is on QF.

 

[dajop]

I don’t buy many BA fares but I know for sure that if QF gave me 9 points per dollar on fares instead of a point per mile, i’d be miles ahead.

In the short term. Typically these changes have a second phase that involves devaluations, moves to dynamic award pricing and/or throttling of lowest level "classic" awards.

 

[levelnine]

Nothing worse than buying a last minute full flex flight and earning 800 points or whatever it is on QF.

If you have a look through the FlyerTalk thread analysis, it's fairly clear that last minute full flex purchasers are the only ones that stand to benefit.

Almost everyone else is having their points earn drop by anything between 25 and 50%.

So if you every buy an advance (or, even worse, a sale) fare or ever connect through an airport, be careful what you wish for.

 

[Flashback]

A few comments mention likening to US programs, but that's not quite the case. TP are still here, there's no minimum spend required to get status and lounge access is available both domestic and international. For now ......

 

[dajop]

A few comments mention likening to US programs, but that's not quite the case.

Yes, unsurprisingly it’s more alike
FlyingBlue (and xp’s) and Miles and More - and not dissimilar to Velocity actually - than it is with the US3.