FEARS FOR TIERS

The game is up for points chasers, with the new BA loyalty rules set to reward the highest spenders

- RICHARD TAMS

A reader of a frequent flyer blog exclaimed: "This feels like a death in my family." "I'm actually still numb, I didn't see this coming," said another. "I'm profoundly in shock," wrote a third. What drastic news are they referring to? A tragic air crash? A major cybersecurity breach? The outbreak of a new pandemic? In fact, it was the changes that BA is making to its Executive Club – or the newly named 'The British Airways Club.

The main controversy that has frequent flyers apoplectic with rage seems to centre around how BA will award its much-coveted Silver and Gold card status in future. Put simply, from 1 April, it will move to a spend-based tier point system – BA will reward you based on what you spend rather than the distance you fly.

This seems entirely reasonable to me. But for those who have enjoyed the heady perks of gaming the system, the rules of the game are about to change and put that practice under perilous threat.

Chasing status

As their names suggest, blogs like Head for Points