How Does The British Airways Executive Club Work?

Like most long-standing legacy carriers worldwide, flag carrier British Airways has a notable frequent flyer program known as the British Airways Executive Club, sometimes just known as the Club. Ringing true to its rather luxurious name, all Club members are promised numerous travel benefits and other types of perks when joining this program.

But with these many rewards come several different classes spending requirements with British Airways, and even the affiliated airlines and alliance members – making the program quite confusing for Club members to understand and unable to take full advantage of it. With some unearthing, here is all that’s needed to know about the Executive Club.

What are the terms used?

Members under other frequent flyer programs might be familiar with the more common currency terms of points or miles being used, as it’s more tightly associated with spending rewards or flight distances. However, with the British Airways Executive Club program, the reward currency is called Avios.

Albeit interestingly, the Club also has what is known as Tier Points. While Avios is related to unlocking rewards, Tier Points help members unlock the different levels of benefits of the Club – from the basic Blue tier to Bronze, Silver, and the final Gold tier. In translation, Avios is accumulated more easily through spending and flights, and it can be spent on rewards and is not reset to zero yearly if used at least once every 36 months.

On the contrary, Tier Points can only be accumulated through flights to climb the membership tier levels and unlock more benefits along the way, but they cannot be spent on rewards and are reset every year. Otherwise, both Avios and Tier Points are earned and accumulated when members travel on qualifying flights, but Avios collection extends to when members spend on other stuff like hotel stays, car rentals, and more. Although from end-November last year to May 21st this year, British Airways is allowing big spenders with the UK Amercian Express British Airways Premium Plus credit card to earn Tier Points through some major spending.

What’s the deal with Avios?

With the primary confusion between Avios and Tier Points cleared out of the way, a deeper dive into the Club’s reward currency is needed.

Collecting

According to the flag carrier, there are several methods of accumulating Avios, such as booking flights with British Airways, its oneworld alliance partners, and other airline partners and booking vacations and hotel stays with the selected partners.

It’s worth noting that all flights are eligible except for Reward Flights – which are flights booked using Avios. Agency and industry-discounted fare flights are also exempted from Avios collection. The airline also highlights that securing a car hire, pre-booking seats, paying for extra baggage, or upgrading a cabin class on a British Airways or Iberia Airlines-market flight does the trick too.

Photo: British Airways

For members who are shopaholics, spending through the airline with selected retailers like Apple, Macy’s, Nectar, and Home Depot is another great way to top up Avios, while spending on airport parking and rail transfers helps as well. To make earning Avios more convenient, members can sign up for the British Airways Visa Signature Card or sign up with these lifestyle and finance partners:

Boosting

Suppose members are not able to spend enough to collect enough Avios for whatever they wish to redeem; British Airways allows members to buy, boost, or subscribe for some Avios top-ups – in essence, imagine an arcade card that has to be topped up to play more games. When buying more Avios, the credit to the member’s account is instant, though at a price of £0.0177 ($0.022) per Avios.

And seeing as the minimum amount of Avios needed to be bought is 2,000, that’s approximately $44. Getting a boost of Avios is also instantaneous, with only a floor minimum of 1 Avios required and priced at £0.0092 ($0.012) per reward currency. As for the subscription, it’s instantly credited and recurs every month, for the price of £0.0099 ($0.013) per Avios. Members will get 1,667 Avios per month, amounting to about $21.67 paid monthly.

Spending

But what can members do with all these accumulated Avios? As mentioned earlier, Reward Flights are those booked using Avios, and members can fly to any destination where there’s available with either British Airways or the oneworld alliance partners, and also for seat selection and baggage. However, cash payment is required for airport taxes, additional fees, and carrier charges.

Otherwise, Avios can also be used to upgrade cabin classes on selected fares with British Airways, American Airlines, and Iberia Airlines – subject to availability. Part-payment for a flight or holiday package is also allowed, as are hotel bookings and car rentals with Avis and Budget Car Rental across many airports and non-airport locations worldwide.

What about Tier Points?

With Avios done and dusted with, the Tier Points system is next on the agenda since this part of the Executive Club can be equally, if not more confusing for members.

Flights

By flying with British Airways and any oneworld alliance partner, members will earn Tier Points subject to the airline flown with, flight duration, cabin class, and even booking or inventory code. For example, short-haul flights under 2,000 nautical miles allow members to earn between five Tier Points for the lowest economy fare, followed by 10 for mid-economy fare, 20 for a higher economy more, and 40 Tier Points for business class airfares.

For long-haul flights ranging between 2,000 to 6,000 nautical miles, members earn at least 20 Tier Points for the basic economy fare, followed by 35 and 70 for the others, then 90 Tier Points for premium economy, 140 Tier Points for business class, and about 210 Tier Points for first class. Concerning the ultra-long-haul flights that are at least 6,000 nautical miles or more, members earn 20 Tier Points for the lowest economy ticket, followed by 40 and 80 for the others.

Premium economy earns about 100 Tier Points, while business and first class earn 160 and 240 Tier Points, respectively. It’s worth noting that British Airways also has unique routes featuring extra Tier Points, primarily on longer flights from the European Union, and also flights to specific Australian destinations like Sydney. Since this does get slightly confusing for members, British Airways has a unique calculator to help.

Statuses

When members first join the Executive Club, they are automatically ranked under the Blue status quo. After collecting 300 Tier Points and having flown with British Airways on at least two eligible flights a year, members are upgraded to Bronze. Once 600 Tier Points and at least four eligible flights have been flown a year, members are further upgraded to Silver,

And upon accumulating 1,500 Tier Points and with at least four eligible flights a year, members are promoted to Gold status, which on the surface and to most, is the final status to achieve as a member. However, the Executive Club has a fifth rank known as the Gold Guest List, and a non-publicly disclosed tier known as the Premier rank. To achieve the Gold Guest List, an accumulation of 5,000 Tier Points is required, and at least 3,000 to renew this exclusive status in subsequent membership years.

Photo: British Airways

As for the Premier rank, this is exclusively for absolute big shots, such as chief executives of large companies, extraordinarily wealthy and influential individuals like politicians and celebrities, and just very important persons in general. In other words, this invite-only tier is unachievable for even the most frequent flyer on business and first class.

Related

British Airways Executive Club Frequent Flyer Program: The Simple Flying Guide

The Executive Club is a well-known name in the points and miles industry thanks to its currency, Avios.

Benefits

Starting with the Blue rank, members are able to collect Avios, Tier Points, priority waitlists, and access member-only offers, among other smaller Avios-related benefits. When upgraded to Silver, additional perks like priority check-in and boarding, and free seat selection up to seven days before departure are unlocked, though some restrictions apply. Members can also earn a 25% bonus Avios on flights with Japan Airlines.

For Silver members, additional unlocked benefits include reservation assurance, free seat selection at booking, access to business lounges, and additional baggage allowance where applicable. These members also earn a 50% bonus Avios when flying with Japan Airlines. And Gold ranking members get a 100% bonus Avios on flights with Japan Airlines and have access to first class check-in, boarding, and lounges, and additional reward flight availability in economy class where applicable.

Photo: British Airways

Gold members also need not pay for booking or service fees for Priority Reward bookings, while Gold Guest List members have designated access to the Concorde Room lounges in London Heathrow and New York’s John F. Kennedy, a round-the-clock priority access line, reward seat redemptions – even for business and first class, though subject to availability, Hilton Diamond status, and many more.

Are you a member of the British Airways Executive Club? Do you think it’s easy to climb through the different tiers? Please share your experience with us in the comment section.