BA Exec Club - Year End tier points

[teleport]

Anyone with insight into BA's current renewal practice.

I've had a silver card for years, but I am short of 600 tier points by the time my card is renewed.

Has anyone experienced retaining their status, despite being short? I am thinking recession, company layoffs etc. might inspire BA to be more lenient. Like the new initiative earning points on any flight.

[raffele]

I have no knowledge of Exec Club, but I'm guessing there is little chance for leniency - they are, after all, in the business to make money. Recession or not, I think the chances of them letting you off with 600 below the limit are about as good as anyone using their BA miles to actually get a free flight...

[Haven't a clue]

I had Gold for 7 years, then dropped to Silver the following year because my first child was born and I deliberately reduced travel. Bitched to some questionaire that I thought it was a poor show not to exercise some discretion. Was the Gold again for 6 years, but then fell short of the renewal threshold. They wrote and said because I was a good boy they'd concessionally give me Gold anyway. This year just gone though no concession and I'm now Silver.

So yes, they do now exercise discretion, but I don't know what the criteria is, so maybe yes, maybe not in your case.

[Michael SWS]

Originally Posted by raffele

Recession or not, I think the chances of them letting you off with 600 below the limit are about as good as anyone using their BA miles to actually get a free flight...

The availability of "free" flights on offer has recently increased significantly, particularly in premium cabins, probably due to the temporary lack of fare-paying passengers.

A couple of months ago I booked two flights from Beijing to London using BA Miles but had to book World Traveller because there was nothing better available for the date I wanted to travel. Yesterday I noticed that there was suddenly new availability in Club World, and the Executive Club customer services person I spoke to was more than happy to re-book us into that cabin. I have recently also been able to book a return flight to LA in Club World, on the exact flights that I wanted, using BA Miles. Even recessions such as this one have a silver lining...

[raffele]

Originally Posted by raffele

Recession or not, I think the chances of them letting you off with 600 below the limit are about as good as anyone using their BA miles to actually get a free flight...

The availability of "free" flights on offer has recently increased significantly, particularly in premium cabins, probably due to the temporary lack of fare-paying passengers.

I was referring to the small matter that the "free" flights come with taxes to pay, unlike say Airmiles where you're told 6500 miles, and what you actually pay is 6500 miles. Stems from another thread kicking around somewhere in SLF on the subject of BA miles.

Good to hear though that you managed to get upgraded

[Scumbag O'Riley]

Has anyone experienced retaining their status, despite being short?

You used to be able to call up and grovel and if they got out of bed on the right side that morning they would give you another month to rack up the points. One gets the impression that in the current economy you no longer have to grovel as hard.

One also gets the impression that they are desparate for the fuel surcharge, and as the miles are pretty devalued now, they aren't as tight on exchanging your hard earned miles for the base fare.

[k3lvc]

Just been through the same as you - missed the tier points because of short term schedule changes/cancellations over summer (withdrawal of a LGW-GVA service for 6 weeks).

Asked nicely and was rejected. Wrote nicely to head of Exec Club in response to the letter where they told me it was 'unfortunate' that I hadn't earned the tier points, sent it recorded delivery and haven't even had the courtesy of a response.

They're obviously not that desperate to keep Exec Club members so I wouldn't hold your breath

[Scumbag O'Riley]

I've heard they rank you within the tiers, so you can be a 'top' silver or a 'bottom' silver. Bottom silver needs to grovel more and is less likely to get what they want.

Their model only really works in the good times.

[13Alpha]

From BA today:

Dear Mr 13Alpha,

We’re always looking for ways to enhance the benefits of the Executive Club. You may remember that we ran a trial where members could earn Tier Points on all flights, including discount economy. We’re delighted to tell you that this will now become a permanent benefit.
As of 18 August 2009, you can earn Tier Points on every flight* you take with us and our oneworld® partners. This even includes flights on discount economy tickets, for which you’ll receive 25% of the Tier Points you’d earn on a fully flexible economy ticket.
I hope you’ll find this new benefit worthwhile.

A welcome change. But here's a translation for those of you not familiar with BA marketing speak:

"In the good times we could afford to lock you lowlife cheap ticket buyers out of our lounges. But now that times are tough here at Waterworld we need every penny we can get, and we think we might make a few more bob if we let you in - so we're willing to do so, but only if you fly 4 times as much as the real executives.

We're calling this a permanent benefit, but "permanent" means we'll do it until we think you've all forgotten we said "permanent", or until some new management arrives, or until the good times roll again".

13Alpha

[Capetonian]

Lufthansa extended my miles and status but I pulled a stunt to do so. I rang them with 10 travel destinations and a range of dates for each, in economy and business classes, and none were available (of course I'd been sly and checked beforehand). So I said I felt I had a good case for extending the validity of my miles.

The lady had a sense of humour because she said : "You know ve are Cherman and venn ze Chermans make ze rules it is a serious matter. But I vill see vot ve can do."

Well, two weeks later I got a letter extending my miles! You could have knocked me down with a Messerschmitt!

[strake]

The way it works is quite simple:

1. If you have the points, you're in.

2. If you have a track record of 10yrs Gold or Gold x 2 or 3 per annum, you're in.
3. If you work for a company with a pricing deal (BTW you'll be with a BIG company with 250+ people flying J regularly) and you know the negotiator, you're in.
4. If you know someone senior (very senior) at BA, you're in.

Otherwise you have to hope that some of the stories above are actually true..good luck.

[Skipness One Echo]

I wonder if the sheer amount of cost cutting in the fight to survive has impacted on the numver of staff with the discretion to exercise as required.

[Jarvy]

Mrs J was a few hundred short of gold renewal, thought she would drop to silver but BA gave her gold.

[Munnyspinner]

Has anyone experienced retaining their status, despite being short?

I know a number of very senior managers who are vertically challenged. Don't let anyone put you down just because you are not tall.


Anyway, why does it matter? I have been a gold member for many years and , after a much publicised difference of opinion, sent it back in June. Since then I don't bother with BA nor their tier points. I reckon I have probably saved 20% on regular travel since. Even if I have to fly BA I now take the cheapest ticket without tier points. I have lounge access via my amex platinum card for which I pay a additional annual fee - usually the lounges are OK and not as busy as BA! ( although one expect the BA lounges might have a litle bit more elbow room these days! ) Through making this change I have met plenty of others who have done the same (not all from BA though)- and not being a slave to clocking up points is quite liberating. Try it - you might be pleasantly surprised. I do still collect the miles but don't really care what status I have within the frequent flyer programme - in fact I can't remember why I ever did.

Whilst I can understand whay they would use discretion not to P off loyal customers you will understand that it rather defeats the objective, if you can retain gold status when you haven't accummulated enough tier points - then everyone else will stop trying too!

All the best, FWIW I think BA could reward their loyal customers better by behavioural change within the organisation than by issuing meaningless bits of plastic and inference of superior levels of service. Believe me, regardless of what color of card - you generally only get what you pay for. I get no worse service on BA flights now that I have no status than I did when I had a gold card. But, no better either. Shame.

[Al Fakhem]

BA have just informed their Executive Club members (in Germany, at least) that you now can earn tier miles on all classes of travel, incl. discounted economy.

[Haven't a clue]

Same message sent to UK cardholders, see 13Aplha's post above.

25% tier points on discounted economy tickets. So assuming you still get 40 points for a European economy return you'd get 10 points for a discounted ticket. So that's 60 discounted returns for a Silver card, 150 for Gold. Would that influence a customer? Think not.

But the message refers only to discounted economy. Earlier this year when they were offering a similar deal short term I got full tier points on discounted Club Europe. And (amazingly) full tier points on an AirMiles (not BA miles) redemption. So perhaps there is an incentive for business travellers on a tight budget after all.