Attention, frequent flyers: British Airways has recently announced a significant change to its Tier Point collection year-end dates. Starting from April 1, 2025, all members will have the same year-end date, aligning with the calendar year. This change aims to simplify the earning system and provide a more consistent experience for Executive Club members.
Currently, each member of the British Airways Executive Club is assigned a “Tier Point year collection end date” based on the eighth day of the month following their enrollment in the club. For example, if you joined on October 15, 2022, your year-end date would be November 8, 2023. This date determines the deadline by which you need to earn the required Tier Points to qualify for elite status.
Once a member reaches a certain level of Tier Points and qualifies for an elite status level, they retain that status for the remainder of their year and the following year until their year-end date. For instance, if a member’s year-end date is February 8 each year and they earn enough Tier Points to reach Executive Club Silver status by November 2023, they would enjoy Silver status until February 8, 2025, which is 12 months after the 2024 year-end date.
This system will remain in place until April 1, 2025. However, British Airways will begin implementing some changes starting from April 1, 2024. These changes are as follows:
1. Alignment of Year-End Dates: From April 2025 onwards, all members’ year-end dates will start on April 1 and end on March 31. This means that regardless of when a member initially joined the Executive Club, they must earn the required Tier Points by March 31 to qualify for elite status.
2. Status Validity: According to British Airways’ website, for Tier Point collection periods beginning on or before March 2024, there will be no changes to how Tier status is earned, and any status earned within this period will remain valid for at least 12 months.
3. Adjustment for Collection Years Starting on or after April 2024: If a member’s Tier Point collection starts on or after April 2024, their collection year will end on March 31, 2025. In such cases, an adjustment will be made to their Executive Club account.
British Airways has provided an example to illustrate these changes. If your Tier Point Collection Year resets on July 8, 2024, your next Tier Point Collection Year will start on July 9, 2024, and end on March 31, 2025, instead of July 8, 2025. The Tier Points earned between April 1, 2024, and July 8, 2024, will contribute to overlapping qualification periods and will be applied as a Tier Point Adjustment.
To make the transition smoother, British Airways will consider any Tier Points earned between April and November 2024 for a full 12-month period. This ensures that members with a year-end date before March 31, 2025, have sufficient time to earn the required Tier Points and qualify for elite status.
The program’s intention behind these changes is to simplify the earning system. Many major U.S. loyalty programs already adopt a system where members have the same status end date, typically following the calendar year. British Airways will adopt the April to March year starting in 2025.
It’s important to note that these changes do not affect how members earn or redeem Avios, the loyalty currency of the Executive Club.
So, what do these end-date changes mean for Executive Club members? For those with a year-end date before April 2024, very little will change. Any status earned until March 31, 2025, will remain valid until April 30, 2026, regardless of their previous year-end dates.
In case a member fails to meet the Tier Points requirements to maintain their status, the Executive Club offers a “soft landing” policy, which means they will be downgraded instead of losing their status completely. For example, if a Gold member’s status is valid until April 2024, and they do not earn sufficient Tier Points to maintain Silver or Gold status, they will be downgraded to Silver.
This alignment of year-end dates for millions of Executive Club members will undoubtedly be complex and result in some winners and losers. However, the simplified system with a single date for all members will make it easier to understand and manage.
British Airways appears to be using a fair method by counting all Tier Points earned in the 12 months leading up to March 31, 2025, during the transition period. This ensures that members have a reasonable opportunity to earn the required Tier Points and maintain their elite status.
With these changes, it is likely that travelers may see generous British Airways Holidays double Tier Points offers in February and March of each year. This surge in last-minute Tier Point runs is expected as many Executive Club members try to lock in their status for another 12 months.
In conclusion, British Airways’ decision to align all members’ year-end dates starting from April 2025 is aimed at simplifying the earning system and providing a consistent experience for Executive Club members. While there will be some adjustments and changes, the overall goal is to streamline the process and ensure fairness for all members.