British Airways Simplifies Tier Points Collection Period

By: Ben Schlappig

Published: February 5, 2024

13 comments

British Airways Executive Club is making some major changes to the timeline during which you can earn status. The requirements to earn status aren’t changing, but rather just the exact timeline during which you can qualify.

In this post:

British Airways unifies Tier Points collection year

You can qualify for British Airways Executive Club status based on how many Tier Points you rack up. Historically, every member has had their own qualifying year, based on the anniversary of when they joined the program.

A member’s Tier Points total would then reset on the eighth day of the month following their anniversary. In other words, if one joined on June 15, they would have until July 8 of the following year to qualify for status. So each Executive Club member has historically been using their own status year. That will now be changing as of 2025.

As of April 1, 2025, British Airways Executive Club will create a single status qualification year. Specifically, you’ll be able to collect Tier Points between April 1 and March 31 of the following year, and status will then be valid through April 30 of the year after that.

How does this work during the transition period:

If you earn status by March 31, 2025, then your status will automatically be valid through April 30, 2025
If you don’t quite earn status by March 31, 2025, and your membership year is ongoing, then the qualification year will be shortened to March 31, 2025, and then you’ll have an adjustment of Tier Points added to your account during the new standardized year

British Airways’ Tier Points qualification period is changing

Why is British Airways making this change?

Here’s how British Airways explains its decision to change how earning elite status works:

This change will simplify the journey for Executive Club Members by aligning all Members to the same Tier Point Collection Year, making it easier to manage travel plans for yourself, colleagues and family.

Honestly, while I know many savvy consumers liked the old system, there is something to be said for the simplicity of the new program, as the old program wasn’t exactly straightforward (especially with the eighth day of the month factoring into everything).

Similarly, if you were a family, it was very possible that multiple family members took exactly the same flights but earned different based, due to the varying qualification years.

This Tier Points change seems sensible to me

Bottom line

As of April 1, 2025, British Airways Executive Club is changing its Tier Points collection year. Rather than each member having their own qualification year for earning status, British Airways will be simplifying this. All members will have between April 1 and March 31 of the following year to earn status, and then status is valid through April 30 of the year after that.

While some minor opportunities are definitely eliminated with this change, I’d say this is sensible, as it eliminates any confusion regarding earning status. I still think just using the standard calendar year would be more logical, but…

What do you make of British Airways’ Tier Points collection year changes?

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Titeuf Guest

February 6, 2024, 3:58 am

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

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Barbarella Guest

February 6, 2024, 2:06 am

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.

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kimshep Guest

February 5, 2024, 5:55 pm

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.

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Lee Guest

February 5, 2024, 4:18 pm

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.

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Jules M Guest

February 5, 2024, 2:51 pm

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.

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