images: British Airways, Genius1, and hilltopper

Introduction and overview of the Executive Club
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom and a wholly owned subsidiary of the International Airline Group (IAG). It is also a founding member of the oneworld global alliance.


01 The Executive Club

British Airways’ frequent flyer programme is called the Executive Club (BAEC). The main benefits of this loyalty programme are:

• Redemptions for flights on BA, oneworld and certain other carriers;
• Other travel offers such as hotel bookings;
• Progression of elite status, which is recognised across oneworld airlines.

Most frequent flier programmes (FFP) are open to anyone to sign up for and the BAEC is no different. Enrolling is easy and can be done online on ba.com.

If you are based in Australia or New Zealand, you will not be able to join the BAEC, unless you have an address elsewhere in the world. BA recommends you join the Qantas’ Frequent Flyer programme instead.

You also need to be 18 or over to join the BAEC. The only exception to this is the household account, which is explained in full in the old Ultimate BA Guide thread.

After successfully signing up to the BAEC, and obtaining a PIN/Password, you can add a number of personal preferences into your profile, such as your contact details, default seating preference (window or aisle), your passport information and any dietary requirement you have. You will be set a membership year which initially lasts between 12 and 13 months. The actual duration is dictated by the date you join. For example, if you sign up on 12 January, your year end will be 8 February the following year. Similarly, if you join on 24 October, your year end will be 8 November the following year. After your first year has passed your membership year cycles in more regular 12 monthly intervals.


02 Status Match from other FFPs

BA very rarely gives out complimentary elite status or matches status from other FF programmes. The exceptions to this are:

• If you’re an employee of a large corporation that has a deal with BA. Your best bet is to speak to your account manager to see what he/she can arrange.
• Complimentary status can also come through contact with your local country office, generally through a business to business liaison.
• Occasionally complementary status is offered if another airline pulls out a particular route that BA continues to serve, or goes into liquidation. FlyerTalk is a good place to monitor such developments.

Diamond Club status match
Following IAG's acquisition of British Midland International (BD), members of BD's Diamond Club were invited to join the Executive Club. To ease the transition, BA initiated a very generous tier match proposition directed at Diamond Club *S and *G members whereby *G is matched to Executive Club Gold and *S to Executive Club Silver for a period of twelve months.

The match is easy to activate. Just go to ba.com. If you are an existing Executive Club member you can apply immediately, otherwise a new BAEC account will be created for you. Once you're set up with an account, you can proceed with the match.

It is apparent the match is being processed behind the scenes similarly to the way normal BAEC tier advancements are handled. Therefore from the date of match, your new tier will be applied to duration of your current BAEC membership year and the year that follows. So if you time your match carefully, it is possible to maximise the match potential as far as twenty-three months.

BA has not defined how long this match will be offered. The invitation is currently active.


Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

01 Avios Points

Avios points are the currency of the BAEC and other frequent flyer and consumer loyalty programmes that operate under the IAG umbrella. The other two IAG linked schemes are Iberia's Iberia Plus, and Avios Group Limited, which runs a separate loyalty programme via avios.com. Avios points can be exchanged between schemes. BMI's Diamond Club is also linked to the Executive Club but doesn't use Avios.

You collect Avios when you fly with BA, its partner airlines and other oneworld airlines. You can also collect Avios on hotel stays, holidays and car rental, and when you're shopping, through deals with a wide range of partners. You can then spend them on flights and upgrades, on holidays and car rental depending on your location.

Your Avios stay with you as long as your account remains active so make sure to collect, spend, purchase or share some Avios at least once every 36 months. This can be done either by flying, staying at a partner hotel, or even by buying a low value item from an online merchant linked to Avios.


02 Tier Points

Most airline programmes work on the principle that if you fly a certain number of miles or fly in excess of a minimum number of flights in a twelve-month period, you’ll get elite status. Whilst the BAEC doesn’t work exactly like that, the principles are very similar.

Tier points are separate and different from the Avios points.

The BAEC was traditionally a reward programme principally aimed towards customers flying in premium cabins and on flexible tickets, rather than purely from accruing miles from flying. The emphasis has changed in recent years and the BAEC now offers value to a broader range of customers than ever before.

Each flown segment, with the exception of certain non-BA flights, will earn a certain number of Tier Points. Get enough Tier Points within the span of your membership year, and you get promoted to the next tier.


Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

There are four primary membership tiers in the BAEC

Blue entry level
Bronze equivalent to oneworld Ruby
Silver equivalent to oneworld Sapphire
Gold equivalent to oneworld Emerald

In addition to these, there is a upper Gold level called Gold Guest List (Gold GL or GGL) and Premier. The latter is an invitation only level. There is no official lifetime status recognition within the BAEC.


01 Moving between tiers

The promotion process is not as simple as it could be at first glance. First off, in addition to accruing the Tier Points required to qualify for promotion to the next tier or retain at the current tier, you also need to fly either two (for Bronze) or four (for Silver or Gold) qualifying flights during your membership year.


02 What is an eligible flight?

Examples of criteria used to determine eligible flights:

BA operated + BA flight prefix
BA operated + other flight prefix
Other carrier operated + BA flight prefix
BD operated + BA flight prefix
IB operated + IB flight prefix

Note, reward bookings and agency or industry discounted bookings are not eligible. BA/IB subsidiaries and franchise operated flights are included.

Your tier status will change as soon as you cross the next threshold, although there may be a few days lag for the system to reflect it. You will continue to accumulate Tier Points until your membership year end date. So for example, if your membership year ends on 8 January, a flight taken on 8 January will count towards your old year. Your Tier Point balance will be zeroed out on 9 January reflecting the beginning of a new membership year. If you fail to accrue the number of Tier Points (or meet the requisite number of eligible flights) needed to retain your current level, you will drop to the level immediately below. This is often referred to as the soft landing.

There are often questions raised in FlyerTalk as to whether BAEC will assist those who narrowly miss the tier point thresholds at the end of the membership year. There is some occasional evidence of flexibility in terms of extending the membership year by a week or two, but this cannot be relied upon.

For comparison, the promotion and retention requirements and benefits of each tier are outlined below:


03 Blue



Blue is the basic level and is what you start on, for example if you register now via ba.com. Once you accrue the required number of Tier Points, you will be promoted to Bronze.


04 Bronze



Entry and retention requirements:
 300 Tier Points plus 2 eligible flights or 25 eligible flights

Bronze members enjoy a number of benefits in addition to those experienced by Blue members.

• 25% bonus Avios on all BA, IB and AA flights.
• Allocate seats for yourself and other members in your party free of charge, up to seven days before departure (excluding exit row seats).
• You may use a Club World, Club Europe and equivalent oneworld business class check-in desks, irrespective of what class of ticket you have.

05 Silver



Entry and retention requirements: 
600 Tier Points plus 4 eligible flights or 50 eligible flights

Silver members enjoy a number of benefits in addition to those experienced by Bronze members.

• 100% bonus Avios on all BA, IB and AA flights.
• 25% bonus Avios on QF flights.
• Allocate seats for yourself and other members in your party free of charge, at the time of booking (excluding exit row seats).
• You may use a Club World, Club Europe and equivalent oneworld business class check-in desks, irrespective of what class of ticket you have.
• Check in 2 bags each weighing up to 32kg in all cabins, on all routes, unless the cabin allowance is greater. This applies to all passengers travelling on the same booking.
• You and one guest may relax in a BA Galleries Club/Terraces/Executive Club and oneworld business class departure lounge. The guest must be travelling on BA or a flight operated by and prefixed with a oneworld carrier.
• Reservation Assurance on full fare economy tickets, ensuring a seat even where the flight is full.
• Priority boarding.

06 Gold



Entry and retention requirements:
1,500 Tier Points and 4 eligible flights

Gold members enjoy a number of benefits in addition to those experienced by Silver members.

• Allocate seats for yourself and other members in your party free of charge, at the time of booking, including exit row seats
• Allocate seat for a companion travelling on your flight, on their own booking. This cannot be done online. A "To Complete Party" request must made to your BAEC service centre.
• You may use a First, Club World, Club Europe and equivalent oneworld first or business class check-in desks, irrespective of what class of ticket you have.
• You and one guest may relax in a BA Galleries First and Club/Terraces/Executive Club or oneworld first and business class departure lounge.
• You may use a BA Elemis Spa before travelling on a long haul flight, irrespective of class of travel.
• You may use a BA Arrivals lounge after travelling on a long haul flight, irrespective of class of travel.
• Reservation Assurance on full fare economy tickets, ensuring a seat even where the flight is full.
• Priority over Blue, Bronze and Silver Members on waitlists.
• Additional reward availability in economy (V class)
• Gold Priority Reward. This allows a redemption for double Avios points if revenue seats are on sale but no redemptions are otherwise available. Gold Priority Rewards can only be booked offline and 30 days notice is required.
• No booking or service fees for reward flights using Avios.
• At 2,500 Tier Points, and again at 3,500 Tier Points, you will be awarded with a voucher that you and a companion can use towards an upgrade to the next cabin on a flight of your choice, subject to availability
• At 4,500 Tier Points, you can share your membership benefits by giving someone else an Executive Club Silver Partner Card
• At 5,000 Tier Points, you will receive a Concorde Room Card and invitation to the Gold Guest List. The Concorde Room Card allows you to use the LHR and JFK Concorde Room lounges when you are not travelling First.

07 Gold GL



While strictly speaking Gold Guest List (GGL) is not a tier in its own right, it is in essence an upper subset of Gold. GGL offers the usual benefits that come with oneworld Emerald plus several exclusive, value added baubles when flying on British Airways.

Entry and retention requirements: 
After accruing 3,000 Tier Points in two consecutive membership years or 5,000 Tier Points accrued in a single membership year

To remain part of the list you need to continue to earn 3,000 Tier Points in each membership year going forward. There are several exclusive perks over and above the standard Gold membership benefits:

• A twice per membership year redemption for up to 5 people (i.e. member and up to 4 others) booked into revenue classes (A, D, T, B) rather than award classes. Such GGL redemptions are known in some quarters as Jokers. A third Joker is awarded at 6,000 Tier Points. Note this redemption award will have its own deadline for use, which may be different from your BAEC membership year.
• A dedicated priority service phone number with dedicated 24-7 support desk.
• Gold GL members may invite two guests into a BA departure lounge and may invite one guest into a BA Arrivals lounge.
• At 4,500 Tier Points, you can share your membership benefits by giving someone else an Executive Club Gold Partner Card (in lieu of a Silver Partner Card received by Gold Card holders at 4,500 Tier Points).

08 Premier



Premier is an invitation only level. You can’t get to it by just flying a lot. The card is generally given to people that BA consider as being of commercial importance, and each new Premier has to be approved by the board.


09 Continental Europe tier thresholds

On 16 November 2011, the tier thresholds for members based in Continental Europe (all European countries excluding UK and ROI) were standardised in line with the requirements outlined in this section.

However, if you are an existing Silver and Gold member based in Europe, you will have been offered an opportunity to retain whatever tier you held on 1 March 2012 and continue to retain this tier for two years at the old retention rates, 400 for Silver or 800 for Gold.


10 An illustrative example of how a member moves between tiers

The graph below provides an illustrative example of how a member may move up the elite tier ladder as his/her membership year rolls forward. It may appear scary at first glance but don't worry, the important steps are explained beneath.


Click to enlarge

• Member signs up on 12 January; the new Executive Club account is given a membership year end date (8 Feb)
• Year 1, 12 Feb: advances to Bronze following February's LAX-LHR flight (at 420 TPs)
  Bronze status will last until 31 March, following the end of membership year 2
• Year 1, June: advances to Silver triggered by June's DFW-LHR flight (at 740 TPs)
  Silver status will last until 31 March, following the end of membership year 2
• Year 1, 8 Feb: Member ends membership year 1 at 1,440 TPs; All TPs accrued over the course of Year 1 are zeroed out
  Note, Silver for Year 2 was automatically retained in June of Year 1 when the member attained this tier
• Year 2, 9 Feb: Member begins second membership year with Silver
• Year 2, 8 Feb: Member ends second membership year at 280 TPs which is insufficient to retain Silver for year 3 so takes a soft landing to Bronze; All TPs accrued over the course of Year 2 are zeroed out
• Year 3, 9 Feb: Member begins third membership year with Bronze

Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

Well, we finally get down to the business of actually earning Avios!


01 Calculated the base mileage your flight(s) will generate

First off, you need to actually work out how long a trip you’re travelling on. Karl Wartz’s Great Circle Mapper is great online tool for determining the distances between two points in general.

The distances aren’t exactly what BA use, but they are pretty accurate for the purpose of calculated the base mileage. For BA earning specifically, you can use BA's very handy Avios and Tier Point Calculator. Another useful tool is orudge's excellent Unofficial Executive Club Calculator.


02 Guide to earning Avios and Tier Points on partners, codeshares and partner codeshares

This is a little complex, so all the combinations are outlined as follows. There are two key concepts:

• The flight number/prefix. This can be the airline operating the aircraft (e.g. the BA009 from LHR to BKK and on to SYD) or that of a codesharing airline (in this case QF) who sell seats on the BA009 as the QF302
• The operating carrier (or metal). That is the airline who actually operate the aircraft. In the example above, that is BA.

Applying that, the following scenarios are possible:

• BA prefix, BA operated flight

  You earn Avios and Tier Points for a BA flight as per ba.com
• BA prefix, oneworld partner operated flight
  You earn Avios and Tier Points for a BA flight as per ba.com
• BA prefix, BA codeshare partner operated flight
  Where the partner in this case means a non-oneworld member e.g. Meridian, some flyBe flights. You earn as per a BA flight.
• BA partner airline prefix, BA partner operated flight
  
You earn as per BA flight but typically would receive Avios only and no Tier Points.
• BA partner airline prefix, BA operated flight
  
You earn in accordance with the relevant partner table. However the flight does count towards a BA metal flight needed to obtain status.
• BA partner airline prefix, non-BA partner operated flight
  Zip, nothing, nada on EC. Look at other FFPs.
• oneworld partner prefix

  You earn Avios and Tier Points in accordance to the relevant partner table. As an example, a Cathay Pacific (CX) flight will not earn you any status bonus and the class of service bonus is lower (25% for J, 50% for F).
• oneworld partner prefix, oneworld partner operated flight
  You earn Avios and Tier Points as per the flight number you have bought. So if you bought a CX flight number on AA metal, you'd earn as per a CX flight.
• oneworld partner prefix, non-oneworld operated flight 

  For example, an AA flight number on HA. You earn nothing. The rule is that both the flight number and the operating carrier have to be in oneworld to earn. Some have successfully had Avios and Tier Points awarded in this instance but that is the exception and very much not the rule.
• Iberia Express
  Not eligible, zip, nothing, nada on BAEC

Some selling fare classes do not earn Avios and/or Tier Points. Look out for these in the tables below. Award fares do not earn Avios or Tier Points at all. With BA, these are tickets booked into X, P, U and Z.

The actual number of Avios Points you earn on a flight is dependent on three factors:

• Sector distance
• Status
• Class of service (or more importantly the booking class, also referred to as selling class)

Look at the examples below illustrating two sample boarding passes. One for a BA prefix, BA operated flight, the other for an AA prefix, BA operated flight. In fact they both relate to the same flight, Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow.

As a Gold Card holder, Mr Wilkinson will earn a tier bonus for these flights at 100% of the sector distance, which in this case is 3,950 miles. Tier bonuses only apply to BA, AA, IB, and QF coded flights.

In addition to the tier bonus, as Mr Wilkinson travelled in Club World he will earn a cabin bonus. The multiplier does vary dependent on flight code.

The cabin bonus for the BA coded flight is 50%, but is only 25% for the AA coded equivalent. Even if the flight is operated by BA, the cabin bonus calculation follows the flight prefix. Here, Mr Wilkinson will earn 1,975 Avios Points by flying Chicago to London on a BA coded ticket but only 988 Avios Points on an AA coded ticket.

The distinction can be summarised as follows:
03 Earning Avios on BA (plus BD and EC) flights

Pay particular attention to the fare class, as this determines how many Avios points you will earn on each flight. Note the earning rates factor in the appropriate Cabin Bonuses






04 Earning Avios on oneworld partner flights

There are currently eleven active oneworld member airlines, Air Berlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, and S7 Airlines.

In 2013, the alliance will be joined by SriLankan Airlines and Qatar Airways (late 2013 or early 2014).


















From the 31st March 2013, Executive Club Silver and Gold members will no longer accrue a Tier bonus when flying on Qantas.






05 Earning Avios on EC partner flights








06 Earning Tier Points

Unlike Avios points which can be earned through a multitude of activities, Tier Points can only be earned through the pursuit of flying and are earned on all commercial BA and oneworld fares (subject to a few exceptions).

Refer to Section 02 for examples of ticket scenarios and to Section 03 partner tables for specific exceptions.




07 Earning Avios and Tier Points with upgrades

If you are travelling in a cabin higher than the original ticketed class, the number of Avios and Tier Points awarded for that flight does vary, depending on the circumstances of the upgrade. Here are some common upgrade examples and what you should expect to earn for each category:

• If you upgrade your ticket using Avios (UuA / MFU) then you get the Tier Points and Avios of the purchased ticket, so if you upgrade a World Traveller Plus ticket to Club World, you get the World Traveller Plus Tier Points and Avios.
• If you purchase an upgrade - either through Manage My Booking or at the airport, you will get the higher level of Tier Points. So going from World Traveller Plus to Club World, you would get the Club World Avios and Tier Points.
• If you receive an operational upgrade, you don't get the extra Tier Points and Avios of the upgraded sector, just those in accordance with the paid class of service.
• If you pay for an upgrade, and then get a further operational upgrade (e.g. World Traveller Plus to Club World to FIRST), you should receive the paid for Tier Points and Avios (here Club World).
• If you receive an operational upgrade and then pay for a further upgrade, you should only get the initial ticket level, in the above example World Traveller Plus Avios and Tier Points, but there are reports of passengers actually getting First Tier Points and Avios.
• If the upgrade is with a oneworld airline the same principles apply, however there are reports of AA not always granting these upgrades.

It is important to check your account afterwards since you may not be automatically awarded the correct amount, and you may need to make a claim for the missing Avios and Tier Points. Depending on where your BAEC account is based, there may be an online webform for submitting these claims. There is a separate webform for BA partner airlines. Alternatively, erroneous credits or credits that normally post automatically but have not may be corrected on request by contacting your local Executive Club service centre.

There is a known issue affecting flights Upgraded using Avios where the Avios and Tier Points do not post automatically. This issue is known to occur with bookings made through offline channels and/or when the booking has been changed after the booking has been upgraded. This can range from date and time changes to purchasing a seat number or adding/amending a special meal request. The problem here is with the booking system as it renders the keyword BA uses to track the flight booking unrecognisable. This is easily resolved post travel by contacting your local Executive Club service centre. After reporting this issue to the Executive Club, the correct Avios and Tier Points usually follow within ten working days.


Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

Avios points can be earned directly on qualifying hotel stays through BAEC’s network of hotel partners. However, there are many other ways to reap reward out of your hotel loyalty. As each chain has its own reward programme, and they do differ significantly from programme to programme, it is worth investigating the pros and cons before handing over your BAEC card at check in. It is worth remembering points earned as a member of a hotel programme can in many cases be transferred to the BAEC, and for the last 3-4 years BA has promoted such transfers with an annual 25% bonus.

Generally, taking the Avios will normally be a sub-optimal use of the hotel programme's potential although it may still be a useful option to some, particularly those who have a healthy network of friends and family spread across the globe, and only need to book hotel accommodation a few times per annum.


01 Accor Hotels


Image: Sofitel LHR T5 (flickr: David at Redshift Photography)

Participating brands and earning rates:
Earn 1 Avios per €1 spent at Sofitel, Pullman, McGallery, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, and Adagio properties
Earn 1 Avios per €2 spent at Ibis and All Seasons properties

Le Club Accorhotels points can be transferred into a BAEC account at the rate of 4,000 Le Club Accorhotels points to 2,000 Avios.

Click here for more information on Accor Hotels and Le Club Accorhotels programme.


02 Carlson Hotels


Image: Radisson Blu Royal, Copenhagen (flickr: rieggi)

Earn 500 Avios per stay at Radisson Hotels and Resorts, Radisson Blu, Radisson Edwardian, Park Inn, and Park Plaza properties

Transfers into Avios can be done in increments of 100,000, 50,000 or 2,000 Gold Points. The larger the quantity transferred, the better yield ratio:

2,000 points into 250 Avios (8:1)
50,000 points into 8,000 Avios (6�:1)
100,000 points into 18,000 Avios (5�:1)

Transfers are promised to take 4-6 weeks to credit to your BAEC account

Click here for more information on Carlson Hotels and the Club Carlson programme.


03 Global Hotel Alliance


Image: The Kempinski Hotel Munich Airport (flickr: nachosolia)

Earn 500 Avios per stay at Anantara, The Doyle Collection, First Hotels, Kempinski, The Leela Palaces, Lungarno Collection, Marco Polo, Mirvac, Mokara, Omni Hotels, Pan Pacific, PARKROYAL, Shaza, and Tivoli Hotels.

If you are an Executive Club Gold member you can also enjoy a complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability at time of check-in)


04 Hilton


Image: Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona (flickr: bruce.bequette)

Depending on your HHonors preference Avios can be earned on stays booked directly via Hilton at the following rates:

• Fixed Avios and HHonors Points

  500 Avios per stay and 10 HHonors Points per US$ spent at Hilton, Conrad, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Grand Vacations, The Waldorf Astoria, and Home2 Suites
  
  100 Avios per stay and 10 HHonors Points per US$ spent at Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites
  
  
• Variable Avios and HHonors Points
  Earn 1 Avios and 10 HHonors Points per US$
  
  
• Variable Avios

  Earn 1 Avios per US$ spent

Therefore for short/cheap stays at Hilton it is probably worth selecting Fixed Avios, and changing to Variable Avios for higher value stays. You can switch between Fixed and Variable before you check in, via your online Hilton account.

Transfer HHonors points into Avios in increments of 10,000 points at the rate of 10:1

Click here for more information on Hilton family hotels and the Hiliton HHonors programme.


05 Hyatt Hotels and Resorts


Park Hyatt Tokyo (flickr: Travel Intelligence)

Earn 500 Avios per stay at the Park Hyatt, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, and Hyatt Vacation Club properties

Hyatt Gold Passport points can be transferred into Avios in increments of 1,250 points into 500 Avios (5,000 HGP points minimum conversion). When you convert 50,000 points, you will earn a 5,000 Avios bonus.

Click here for more information on Hyatt's Gold Passport programme.


06 Intercontinental Hotels Group


Image: Intercontinental Hong Kong (flickr: LAXFlyer)

Earn 500 Avios per qualifying stay at InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites properties
Earn 100 Avios per qualifying stay at Holiday Inn Express properties

Members must join Priority Club Rewards, IHG’s loyalty programme in order to earn Avios.

Transfer Priority Club points into Avios in increments of 10,000 points at the rate of 5:1

Click here for more information on IHG's Priority Club Rewards programme.


07 Langham Hotels


Image: The Langham Hotel London (flickr: Ting-Kai Chang)

Earn 500 Avios per night (max 1,500 Avios) at The Langham Hotels and Resorts, and Langham Place Hotels and Resorts
Earn 250 Avios per night (max 750 Avios) at Eaton Hotels and Delta Chelsea, Toronto

Executive Club Gold members are currently getting comp matched to the top (non-invite) tier of Langham's 1865 programme. For more information, click here


08 Mandarin Oriental


Image: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London (flickr: carlosmelia)

Earn 800 Avios per stay at Mandarin Oriental. In addition to Avios for the stay you enjoy the following benefits during your stay

Blue and Bronze members

• Fruit and flowers
• Complimentary newspaper and use of the hotel's health facilities
• Express check-in and check-out

Silver, Gold and Premier card members

• All Blue and Bronze card benefits
• Special discounts on room rates at participating Mandarin Oriental hotels
• Upgrade to the next room category (subject to availability) at reservation stage for Premier card holding members and check-in stage for Silver and Gold members
• Late check-out (subject to availability)

09 Marriott


JW Marriott Camelback Inn Scottsdale (flickr: marriottwestresorts)

Earn 2 Avios for every US$ spent at JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz Carlton, and Edition brands

Earn 1 Avios for every US$ spent at AC Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield Inn, SpringHIll Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, and Marriott Executive Apartments

Marriott Reward Points can be transferred into Avios, as follows:
2,000 Avios per 10,000 MRP
5,000 Avios per 20,000 MRP
10,000 Avios per 30,000 MRP
25,000 Avios per 70,000 MRP
50,000 Avios per 125,000 MRP

Click here for more information on Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels and the Marriott Rewards programme.


10 Preferred Hotel Group


Image: Trump SoHo™, New York (flickr: Tyrannosaurus_Rex)

Earn 500 Avios per eligible Preferred Hotels and Resorts, Preferred Boutique, Summit Hotels and Resorts, and Sterling Hotels stay


11 Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts


Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai (flickr: luxorium)

Earn 500 Avios per non discounted or non corporate rate stay at Shangri-La Hotels, Shangri-La Resorts, Traders, and Kerry Hotels.

Click here for more information on Shangri-La and it's Golden Circle programme


12 Starwood Hotels and Resorts


Image: Sheraton CDG (flickr: Sheraton Hotels and Resorts)

Sheraton, St Regis, Four Points by Sheraton, The Luxury Collection, Element, Le M�ridien, Aloft, Westin, and W brands

SPG Preferred members earn 2 Avios per US$1 spent
SPG Gold/Platinum members earn 3 Avios per US$1 spent
SPG 75 members earn 4 Avios per US$1 spent

SPG members can transfer Starpoints into Avios at the rate of 1:1, with a 5,000 Avios bonus with each transfer of 20,000 Starpoints

Click here for more information on Starwood and the SPG programme.


13 Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces


Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Maldives (flickr: luxorium)

Earn 500 Avios per eligible stay at Taj Luxury Hotels
Earn 250 Avios per eligible stay at Vivanta by Taj and The Gateway Hotels


Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

Depending on where you live, you may be able to take out a BA affiliate branded credit card and earn Avios on purchases. The list below covers personal credit card products and is ranked by country. There are other business related products available. These are not currently listed here - you can however obtain information on credit cards tailored for SMEs on BA.com.

In addition to the products we've outlined, BA has other credit card partners, such as Barclaycard in UAE, Diners Club in Switzerland. These are not listed since these cards are no longer being issued to new customers.

Most cards offer companion vouchers which can be earned each year as a result of racking up card spend. The spend thresholds do vary from product to product. Furthermore, some products offer very generous sign up bonuses, particularly those issued by North American banks. While these five figure bonuses are certainly enticing, it is recommended you analyse for yourself the value of the card against the cost of redeeming Avios for flights as a member of the Executive Club. For example, it now costs over �630 in taxes/fees/surcharges to redeem Avios for a Club World round trip between London and Tokyo.

Some products have "churn-ability" value, i.e. whereby once the cardholder has earned the welcome bonus(es), the card is cancelled and a new card is applied for. This may still work for North American products, however, in the case of European cards the welcome bonus is a one time only proposition. Brian Kelly's The Points Guy site is a fantastic resource and essential reading for US based Executive Club members.


01 Canada: RBC� British Airways Visa Infinite

• Annual fee CAN$165 (supplementary card CAN$75)
• Very generous sign up bonuses
• Cardholders earn 2 Avios for every CAN$1 spent on BA purchases, and 1 Avios for every CAN$1 spent on all other purchases.
• Travel Together companion voucher earned each year upon reaching a cumulative spend of $30,000. Voucher is valid for two years and can be used for a guest to accompany the cardholder on a redemption ticket. Redemptions must be round trip (open jaws accepted),on BA metal and subject to standard redemption rules
• Complimentary travel insurance

02 Germany: British Airways Barclaycard (Visa)

• No annual fee
• Welcome bonuses of 20,000 Avios (Premium) and 9,000 Avios (classic) on first purchase
• Premium cardholders earn 2 Avios for every €1 spent on BA purchases, and 1 Avios for every €1 spent on all other purchases.
• Classic cardholders earn 1 Avios for every €1 spent
• Premium card holders earn a companion voucher each year after accumulating a spend of €20,000
• Complimentary travel insurance

03 Hong Kong: Dah Sing British Airways Platinum Card (Visa)

• Annual fee HK$300 (waived for first 3 years)
• Cardholders earn 2 Avios for every HK$6 spent on BA flights (www.ba.com/dahsingbank and at BA's HK Ticket Office), 1.5 Avios for every HK$6 pent on all other purchases overseas and 1 Avios per HK6 spent in Hong Kong.

04 India: ICICI Bank British Airways Premium American Express

• Annual fee 7000 INR (supplementary card free)
• Sign up bonus
• Cardholders earn 6 Avios for every 100 INR spent on BA purchases, and 4 Avios for every 100 INR spent on all other purchases. Bonuses of 25% and 50% apply to earn rates upon qualification of 250,000 and 500,000 INR annual spends respectively

05 Russia: Russian Standard Bank British Airways American Express Premium/Classic

• Annual fee
• Welcome bonus and annual bonus of 2,500 Avios
• Premium cardholders earn 3 Avios for every 30 RUB spent on BA purchases, and 1.5 Avios for every 30 RUB spent on all other purchases.
• Classic cardholders earn 2 Avios for every 30 RUB spent on BA purchases, and 1 Avios for every 30 RUB spent on all other purchases.
• Companion voucher earned each year upon reaching a cumulative spend of 200,000 RUB. Premium cardholders may earn a second voucher after 400,000 RUB spend
• Complimentary travel insurance

06 South Africa: Standard Bank British Airways Mastercard

• No annual fee (Supplementary cards free)
• Cardholders earn 2 Avios for every R8.50 spent on BA and BA Holidays plus 1 Avios for every R8.50 spent on all other purchases
• Each year upon reaching a cumulative spend of R200,000, the cardholder will be issued with a companion redemption voucher; the cardholder and one guest will be given access to Comair domestic lounges when travelling with BA; and the cardholder plus a companion will receive an upgrade to Club with the purchase of a BA (Comair) domestic or regional Y, B or H class economy ticket.
• Complimentary travel insurance

07 Sweden: British Airways Visa

• Annual fee: 395 SEK (waived for the first year)
• Cardholders earn 2 Avios for every 10 SEK spent on BA and BA Holidays plus 1 Avios for every 10 SEK spent on all other purchases
  Bonus 250 Avios on Avis rental purchases
• One companion voucher earned each year upon reaching a cumulative spend of 200,000 SEK. Voucher is valid for one year and can be used for a guest to accompany the cardholder on a redemption ticket. Redemptions must be round trip (open jaws accepted) on BA metal, originate and return to either Denmark or Sweden, and are subject to standard redemption rules
• Receive travel accident, delay and cancellation insurance when you pay at least half of your BA ticket with your card.

08 United Kingdom: British Airways American Express Premium Plus

• Annual fee �150 (Supplementary cards free)
• Welcome bonus: sporadic, typically up to 18,000 Avios
• Cardholders earn 3 Avios for every �1 spent on BA purchases, and 1.5 Avios for every �1 spent on all other purchases
• Companion vouchers earned each year upon reaching a cumulative spend of �10,000 increments. Each voucher is valid for two years and can be used for a guest to accompany the cardholder on a redemption ticket. Redemptions can be one way or round trip (open jaws accepted), must be on BA metal and subject to standard redemption rules
• Complimentary travel insurance (no medical cover)

09 United Kingdom: British Airways American Express

• No annual fee (Supplementary cards free)
• Welcome bonus: sporadic, typically up to 3,000 Avios
• Cardholders earn 1 Avios for every �1 spent
• Companion voucher earned each year upon reaching a cumulative spend of �20,000. Voucher is valid for one year and can be used for a guest to accompany the cardholder on a redemption ticket. Redemptions can be one way or round trip (open jaws accepted), must be on BA metal and subject to standard redemption rules

10 USA: British Airways (Chase) Visa Signature�

• Annual fee US$95
• Very generous sign up bonuses
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Cardholders earn 2.5 Avios for every US$1 spent on BA purchases, and 1.25 Avios for every US$1 spent on all other purchases.
• Travel Together companion voucher earned each year upon reaching a cumulative spend of US$30,000. Voucher is valid for two years and can be used for a guest to accompany the cardholder on a redemption ticket. Redemptions must be round trip (open jaws accepted) on BA metal and are subject to standard redemption rules

11 Other credit cards

There are other lucrative credit card earning opportunities out there, albeit indirect. For example, Lloyds TSB offers two products which earn Avios Points in connection with the UK based Avios consumer loyalty programme. In Spain you can collect Avios as a member of the Iberia Plus programme with one of Iberia's cards (Amex, Visa, Mastercard). These points can be transferred into an Executive Club account with relative ease using BA.com's Combine my Avios. Similarly, Member Reward points accrued through Amex spend can be transferred over to the BAEC, often with a very attractive bonus. Hotel programme affiliate credit cards are other examples that present opportunities to ripen point balances within their respective programme for later transfer into your BAEC account.

For more information, please refer to the Exchanging other points for Avios section of this guide.


Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

01 BA eStore

The BA eStore allows BAEC members to collect Avios when shopping at a large number of online retailers, including John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and Argos. The typical collection rate is 2 Avios for every pound sterling spent, though it can be as high as 12 Avios per pound sterling.

A separate eStore exists for BAEC members in the United States, but BA eStore is not available elsewhere.

To use the BA eStore you need to enter the portal via your BAEC login, go to the relevant store from within the portal - it will start in a separate window - and shop online within that window. It is important to complete the transaction from within the window launched by BA eStore, you should not login directly to the retailer if you want your Avios points. Avios points will be awarded automatically within 40 days of purchase.

Note that many retailers exclude certain items such as gift vouchers from the reward scheme. To check on your BA eStore transactions, click on My Transaction History on the top right of the BA eStore screen.


02 Magazine subscriptions

Current subscriptions purchased through the BA.com portal qualify for a 20% discount and earn between 400 and 2,000 Avios Points.

• 10 issues (1 year) earns 400 Avios
• 20 issues (2 years) earns 1,000 Avios
• 30 issues (3 years) earns 2,000 Avios

Alternatively, you can pick up a copy in the lounge for free and forgo the Avios (The UK edition of Business Traveller is stocked in most BA lounges)


03 BA Wine Club

The BA Wine Club is run by Laithwaites Wine, and operates in a similar way to the BA eStore. It is open to UK residents, who need to log in via BAEC and then select the shopping option under the Collecting Avios menu. There is an additional registration stage for the BA Wine Club. There are over 1,500 lines on sale, and 250 Avios are awarded for every case of 12 bottles purchased. 1000 bonus Avios points are awarded with the first order. Typically you can choose between 6 and 12 bottles of a particular wine, though some higher value wine can be purchased by individual bottle. Wine is delivered within 3 days.

US residents earn 1 Avios per US$ spent with Quintessentially Wine. If you sign up before the end of August 2012, you earn 5 Avios per US$ spent during the first three months of membership.


04 Car Rental

The Executive Club has only one car rental partner, Avis. Fortunately, Avis’ footprint is widespread and global. EC members are offered very competitive rental rates with excellent benefits in most markets such all inclusive insurance and a free additional driver with every rental.

The Avis and British Airways Partnership also features an "Avis Priority Rental Service" at London Heathrow. This exclusively allows Gold card holders to pick up their rental car right outside the Arrivals hall at Terminal 5, instead of catching the shuttle bus to Avis Heathrow. GCHs are issued with a 4 digit security code by Avis via SMS and email which is used to unlock a security box on the wall to release their rental vehicle keys.

BAEC members earn 3 Avios per �1 spent, with a minimum of 500 Avios per rental
Rent with Avis four times or more in one year and collect 750 bonus Avios

Don’t forget that it is still possible to earn Avios indirectly with other car rental companys. For example, Sixt and HHonors are in a partnership and it is possible to transfer HHonors points into Avios.


05 BA Holidays

You may also earn Avios on inclusive travel deals through BA. Typical bonuses include:

• Avios bonus on European holidays
  
Euro Traveller/UK Domestic: 1,000 Avios

  Club Europe: 5,000 Avios
• Avios bonus on worldwide holidays

  World Traveller: 5,000 Avios

  World Traveller Plus: 5,000 Avios

  Club World: 10,000 Avios

  First: 10,000 Avios

06 Foreign currency

Through the Executive Club’s partner, American Express Currency Exchange, BAEC members can earn 1 Avios per �1 exchanged. Note, exchanges involving Sterling Travellers Cheques do not earn Avios.

• Securely order �150-�2,500 online for discounted rates and 0% commission
• Currency can be pre-ordered up to 4 hours before collection at the airport BdC

07 Airport parking

You can earn up to 5 Avios per �1 spent with Holiday Extras airport parking or airport hotel booking with parking (UK properties only)

Alternatively, you can earn up to 250 Avios when you pre-book valet parking via BA.com. If you're based in the UK and park at a BAA airport (ABZ, GLA, LHR, STN, and SOU) crediting your parking spend to a BAA WorldPoints account may be a more lucrative option. WPs can be transferred into your Executive Club account in 250 Avios increments.


Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

01 Collecting Avios with Tesco (UK domicile restriction)



Tesco is the UK’s largest supermarket chain. It operates a loyalty card scheme called Tesco Clubcard which awards 1 point for every �1 spent. Points can be spent in-store or with partners, including BA. Every �2.50 you receive in Clubcard vouchers can be converted into 500 Avios and every additional 50p worth of vouchers gives you 100 Avios.

As with the BA AmEx, you can only convert points to Executive Club accounts that are UK domiciled.

How do I join Clubcard?
Pick up a free card at any Tesco, and then register it online or by posting back the form attached to the card. Alternatively, apply for the Tesco Credit Card. This doubles as a Clubcard and, in addition, earns you 1 point for every �4 (equal to 0.5 Avios per �1) you spend on the card anywhere, not just at Tesco. This is nowhere near as good as the BA Premium Plus AmEx (1.5 Avios per �1) but it can be used at places that refuse AmEx e.g. council tax and other utility bills. It can also be useful if you normally use your BA AmEx but want to delay the issuance of your next '2 for 1' redemption voucher.

Can I have multiple Clubcards?
Yes. However, Tesco does appear to be getting cleverer at spotting multiple mailings to the same address, and you may find that you can only qualify for a promotion on one of your accounts. To avoid duplicated mailings, ring the Clubcard Helpline and have the accounts merged. You will then only get one statement with one points total. However, if you receive multiple statements then you will also receive multiple bonus points coupons, of course!

Do other businesses award Clubcard points?
Tesco has a range of partners that award Clubcard points. See tesco.com for the current list. These include Avis and E.On.

How can I earn bonus points?
We have seen a gradual reduction in in-store promotions in the last few years, and you are now more likely to earn extra points from using special bonus codes for your online shopping. These usually give you an extra 200 / 500 / 1000 points when spending �x in specific areas of the Tesco website. These promotions, when available, are listed in Post 1 of the current ‘Tesco and BA’ thread. Post 1 also explains how to join the various Tesco clubs (lots of opportunities to receive bonus points coupons!) and how to recycle old mobile phones and inkjet cartridges for points.

How do I convert Clubcard points to Avios?
You can check your points balance at any time by going to tesco.com and clicking 'My Account'.

Once every quarter, you will receive a statement with vouchers for points earned (minimum 250). Quarters run from Aug-Oct, Nov-Jan, Feb-Apr and May-July and you will receive your statement 2-3 weeks later. Each statement comes with a number of bonus points coupons to use in-store.

Historically Tesco would automatically convert your points to Avios. This is no longer available to new cardholders but is still being done for those of us who signed up when it was possible. Today, you convert your points by going to the Tesco website and inputting the numerical code from your clubcard voucher. Ensure that your BAEC account address is the same as your Clubcard address.

Can I do anything else travel-related with my Tesco points?
There are a number of tour operators who offer discounts on holidays for Tesco points. You can get a �10 reduction for every �2.50 on Tesco vouchers you use. The more upmarket operators in the scheme include Cadogan Holidays and P&O Cruises. You can also redeem for Hilton, Marriott, Novotel and Mercure hotel stays, although there are often restrictions on minimum stay or weekend stays. See tesco.com/clubcard for details.

For the very latest comprehensive information, please visit the http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...er-thread.html


02 Shell Driver’s Club (UK domicile restriction)



Join Shell Driver's Club by picking up a card at a Shell Service Station, and register the card online. If you do not register your card within six months of first use and do not have any activity on the account in that period, the account may be closed, and points may be lost. If there has been no activity in a 12-month period for any card, Shell may close the account.

There may be sign-up promotions where you can earn bonus points or Avios. Please see this master thread for up-to-date information.

Log in to your membership account on the Shell website (if you just registered online, allow 48 hours after receiving your password) and select the option you want to redeem your points to. Shell will automatically redeem your points every quarter, in multiples of 20 points (10 Avios). So, fill up in Jan/Feb/Mar, and get Avios in May (it takes 28 days from statement date).

If you want to change which redemption scheme to send your points to, make sure you do this four weeks before the end of a calendar quarter for it to take affect at the end of that quarter.

If you do not select any redemption choices, then Shell will give you Shell Fuel Vouchers each quarter, 500 points gives you �2.50 fuel vouchers.

If you buy more 150 or more litres of V-Power fuel in a quarter, you are invited to join the top tier level; the Shell V-Power Club, in the following quarter.

The card is UK only, you cannot use it at Shell stations worldwide and can only be credited to UK based BAEC accounts.

The scheme enables you to earn points which can be converted to Avios through purchasing Shell's products. 1 point is equal to 0.5 Avios (or 0.5 pence Shell vouchers).

Fuel
1 point per litre on all fuel types (maximum 125 litres per transaction), unless:

You buy more than 200 litres of fuel in any month:
2 points per litre up to and including 400 litres in a month.

For each litre after 400, the normal rate of 1 point per litre applies. This means you get a maximum of 800 points at the 2 points rate, and any additional litres is added to that balance at 1 point.

You hold a V-Power Club Card,
2 points per litre on V-Power fuel, no limit on earnings.
Standard 1 point per litre rate apply to regular fuels.

Other Shell Products
Shell card members can also earn

• 1 point per � on selected Shell Helix (oil) products.
• 25 points for a Shell Gold car wash.
• 15 points for a Shell Gold jet wash.

Shell Shopping
Shell has a cashback shopping website at www.shellonlineshopping.co.uk where each whole �10 spent will earn you 10 points. However, if you spend �19.99, you will only get 10 points, not 19 or 20 points. Occasionally promotions are on offer, for example, �2 spending on a particular brand will net you 10 points.

It can take up to 35 days for points to be credited from the shopping website.

It is generally regarded better value using the BA's own eStore to collect Avios.

Miscellaneous and Promotions
At time of writing, there is a 50 points bonus for downloading the iphone Shell Motorist app and purchase xx litres of fuel within xx weeks, and other offers pushed through the app along the same vein.

***Sign-up Bonus still in effect??***

Sign-up Promotion, 2000 points bonus per quarter: To earn this you have not collected any points with Shell in the last 12 months, and earn 150 Shell points within a quarter. Only one member of a BAEC household account may qualify for the promotion. T&Cs.


03 BAA WorldPoints (No domicile restriction)



Anyone can sign up for a BAA WorldPoints card. Although it is a UK scheme international addresses are accepted. BAA Worldpoints are earned on dining, shopping and parking transactions at BAA airports (Heathrow, Stansted, Southhampton, Glasgow and Aberdeen).

The earn rate is 1 point per �1 spent, although once you have spent �500 in a year, you will earn 2 points per �1 for the rest of the year and the year that follows.

Once you have earned 250 points, these can be converted to Avios at the rate of 1 to 1 in units of 250. It generally takes up to a week for the converted points to appear in your BAEC account.

Sage advice on Worldpoints from Raffles, our resident points value oracle ...

Worth noting three things:

• There was a bonus on transfers to BA last year. Whilst this was the first one ever, it may be repeated so don't transfer across unless necessary
  
• 500 WPs = 750 BMI miles. As there will be a 1:1 transfer from BMI to BA, then you could get a 25% bonus by immediately transferring to Diamond Club and waiting for the move across.
  
• WP customer services is very good, especially the speed with which they add missing transactions if you forget your card and post or email your receipts over.
  
• There used to be a BAA WorldPoints credit card at one point, now sadly extinct, which was a very attractive proposition - it was a Mastercard / Visa rather than Amex, it gave 1 point per �1 (so effectively 1% cashback or 1.5 BMI miles per �1) and you got free upgrades to First Class on the HEx simply by showing the card to the conductor. Those were the days.
  
• Without stating the obvious, since you can get a �5 shopping voucher instead of 600 miles for 500 points, don't bother taking the miles unless you value them at 1p+ each.

04 American Express Membership Reward points (No domicile restriction)



Certain American Express cards offer Membership Reward points for purchases. The amount of points varies considerably between the different cards offered by Amex. The Reward points can then be transmitted to BAEC (and a long list of other loyalty programmes) via an online menu. There is an initial registration process to link your BAEC card number to Membership Rewards - this can take 2 weeks to be completed - but thereafter any transferred Reward points will arrive in your BAEC account within a few days.

The conversion rate may vary depending on the country. In the UK, 1 Membership Reward Point will transfer over as 1 Avios point, there is a minimum transfer of 1,000 Reward Points / Avios. In Hong Kong it is 15 MR to 1 Avios. There are sometimes promotions with bonus Avios points awarded above the normal 1 to 1 exchange rate. Reward Points can also be transfered into Iberia Plus' frequent flyer programme at the same rate.


05 Hotel programme points (No domicile restriction)

Under construction


06 BMI Diamond Club Destination Miles (No domicile restriction)



British Midland Diamond Club destination miles can now be transferred into your BAEC account. To complete the transfer simply log into your Executive Club account, click on "Manage my account", and then select "Combine my Avios". Destination miles transfer to Avios at the rate of 1:1. It is worth noting your account details need to match exactly, so check beforehand that your name, email address and date of birth are all up to date.


07 Transfer from (and to) other IAG programmes



Iberia Plus (No domicile restriction)
Avios collected in your existing Iberia Plus account can also be transferred into your existing BAEC account using the "Combine My Avios" tool on ba.com. Note, Combine My Avios does not apply to accounts that are less than three months old.

Avios Travel Rewards Programme (UK/ZA domicile restrictions)
IAG also own a standalone Avios Travel Rewards Programme which is not directly connected to its airlines. Avios Group Ltd have an online presence via avios.com. The company was previously known as Airmiles.

Points earned in avios.com can be used to redeem flights and other travel related services, including Eurostar train tickets. Sometimes the availability of flights on avios.com is better than via BAEC. Avios can be collected either from flying BA or IB (in which case the avios.com operates in a similar way to BAEC, minus the Tier Points), or as a loyalty scheme for retailers such as Tesco, Shell and Lloyds TSB. Sometimes avios.com has promotions and collection opportunities which are not available via BAEC. Avios can be freely transferred between the Executive Club and Avios Travel Rewards Programme using the "Combine My Avios" tool on ba.com.


Introduction and overview of the Executive Club | Avios and Tier Points explained | Membership Tiers | Earning Avios on flights | Earning Avios on hotel stays | Credit card partners | Earning through everyday spending | Exchanging other points for Avios

 

How useful - thanks to all!

I haven't finished reading it yet, but.....

.....I'm not sure if you are looking for feedback, but under status benefits, I think it would be a good idea to clarify the following points.

•Allocate seats for yourself and other members in your party free of charge

Only on the same pnr except for GCH. (For golds do they have to be in the same cabin?)

•You and one guest may relax in....appropriate lounge.

Guest must also be flying on BA or OW.

 

Ooh, this is all very good!

Carlson: "Gold Points can be exchanged into Avios in increments of 10,000 GPs into 1,250 Avios or in 2,000 GP increments at the rate of 8:1"

This is not entirely right, it is a sliding scale:
Points Miles Earned
2,000 points 250 miles
50,000 points 8,000 miles
100,000 points 18,000 miles

Feel free to delete this post after making the change!
Perhaps worth mentioning that for the last 3-4 years BA has done an annual '25% bonus on hotel conversions' promo

 

Would it be a nice idea to have a summary on how to best earn Avii per country? I am not suggesting you guys do all the countries in the world, but maybe some people could volunteer who have experience?

I would love to do either NL or FR for you but I have yet to identify any way to earn Avios outside flying or buying here.

 

Don't you have an Amex that earns MR points?

French or NL Gold cards would have the best earn I think. (I realise acceptance in France is next to zero though)

What about Hotel programs?

 

My AMEX if FB. Not that I can use it much here, agreed. For travel & amazon.fr it still adds up though. Given that the conversion rates are different per country I have no idea if a Dutch or French Amex (and which one?) would give the same 1.5/€1 mileage I now have for FB.

I use hotel programmes for hotel stays so I never looked into it. I also use Hertz and not Avis. I am really doomed.

 

In the status tier benefits list, you've sold Silver somewhat short

Mentioned under Gold, but actually available to Silver:

• An extra piece of checked baggage when you travel in Domestic/Euro/World Traveller classes.
• Reservation Assurance on full fare economy tickets, ensuring a seat even where the flight is full.

Priority boarding is mentioned (correctly) in both the Silver and Gold lists, but since the lists are "in addition to those experienced by [lower tier]" it's perhaps more consistent not to repeat it under Gold.

In term of lounge access, Silvers travelling LH in First and Club also have Arrivals Lounge access (for Gold's, as stated, this is always available irrespective of class of travel)

Perhaps also worth putting in the list the access to Silver and Gold phone lines?

 

They do, however that is because of the actual class flown and not as a benefit of having BAEC Silver status.