British Airways Simplifies Tier Points Collection Period

I think it is very weird that some airlines do this. Why does everybody need to have the same date? And even weirder when they don't use the calendar year. Just weird...

It’s to closely match the UK tax year.

Not a fan of this at all. We can look forward to some seriously inflated March cash fares from points running

That's how iberia avíos program has worked for years.

"If you earn status by March 31, 2025, then your status will automatically be valid through April 30, 2025."

Pretty short validity period :-).

The dirt on that plane in the picture pretty much sums up the state of BA and its IT department at the moment.

Bit confusing. As these things often are. Basically, it's just another way of:
a) starting everyone's new collection year April 1st THIS year
b) keeping their current progress/target intact

The losers here, unfortunately, are anyone part-way through their membership year and have already done the majority of their point collection. As of end March, everyone's earning points towards the membership year starting in Apr 1 2025. On the plus-side I *think* the level you earn will be valid for a year.

They're just saying it differently because those people will be less upset...

e.g.
Your membership year ends 8th Nov. You've earned 1k TPs already and have 500 planned between 1st Apr and renewal
In Nov, you receive Gold.
Your new earning cycle is now 1st Apr 24 (ie 7 months prior) to 31st Mar 25.
That 500 you earned already goes towards target, but if you want to keep Gold you have to earn another 1k TPs in the next 5 months.
What's unclear is whether, if you miss the new March 31st target, you lost status or keep it for 12 months from when you earned it.

While there is no change as to HOW tier points are earned, BA needs a change. BA remains one of the few airlines that does not afford any tier status credit with co-branded credit card spending (or other means). Having been BA Gold for years, I'm less and less motivated to renew and more and more likely to use another carrier for TATL flights.

April Fools Day (01 April) seems appropriate, doesn't it?

BA are known for a series of high profile IT stuff-ups over the past few years. While I sort of see the efficiency 'logic' of updating all your frequent flyers in own foul swoop, imagine the scenario where 'something went wrong'. ou piss off ALL your demographic while you try to address any correction, whereas with the current individual anniversary, such a problem would alienate only a very small number of your demographic - and should be far easier to fix quickly.

I've never understood the fascination that US hotel chains have with implementing a singular 'anniversary' date, but it seems to work for them. However, its a lot easier for members to book and address any short-fall qualifications for a few hundred dollars.

However, the same can't really be said / experienced with airlines and the booking of overseas travel, which require a good bit more finesse.

Oh well, their airline, their FF program and their clients. And, of course, their problem.

This also coincides with the end of "winter" from an air transport point of view, meaning mileage runs will likely happen during le lowest demand period.

From BA's point of view this promotes a smoothening of demand's seasonality which drives efficiency.

That, with the fiscal year comment made by Sam, seem to be the most plausible explaination. The simplification is not really a sales argument. BA maybe expects modest benefits in terms of customer care demand due to confusing dates.

Won't it be easier to make collection period running from January 1st to December 31st?

I mean that's one of the excuses they've rolled out but in reality it's to match IB's reset date which is 01.04.XX and to make things easier for themselves as a group when it comes to reporting, as well as no doubt they've found some way to combine some of those reporting functions to save a few more pennies which is a BA preoccupation.

There's lots of people already annoyed, including myself for full disclosure, that they will be basing requalification on the 12 months from 004 this year which will rob those who've got BAH bookings this March earning 320 TP's via the double awards running throughout this year which is just over half the requirement for Silver / OW Sapphire & will now be ignored when the next qualifying assessment is done forcing a notable additional spend of either another 160 earning flight and min 5 days hotel or car hire OR two 160 TP runs ( well a 160 and a 140 but I'm not sure 140s exist short haul so for time and cost 2 160s in practice).

They can think agains if they think they're going to move the goalposts and downgrade our status or force additional spend due to ignoring earnings credited between announcing the changes and implementation.

I get it's their club & we're playing their game but taking punitive actions or compelling further financial reward to themselves when someone would've maintained status under the system in place when bookings were made/ paid for and contract created has to be open to challenge I'd ( admittedly hopefully) assume

BA is owned by IAG so reports as a European company ie Jan-Dec