UK passengers flying with British Airways have been issued a warning following a major overhaul of its loyalty programme.

The airline has announced major changes that will affect how customers qualify for Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of its Executive Club having increased the number of points members will need to reach each status, meaning customers will need to spend more money to earn perks.

To qualify for Gold status, which grants access to First lounges and enhanced baggage allowance, customers will need to earn 20,000 points in a year – up from the current 1,500 points. To reach Silver status, customers will need to earn 7,500 – up from the current 600 points – and to reach Bronze status, you’ll need 3,500 – up from the current 300 points.

Customers will earn one tier point per £1 of “eligible spend” with British Airways, regardless of the distance of their flight or the class. It includes things like seat reservations and baggage fees, but not any non-airline taxes and fees.

Martin Lewis’ MSE warned: “The shake-up means you’ll likely need to spend a lot more with BA from 1 April 2025 if you want to earn any perks. You’ll now earn tier points based on the amount you spend with BA. Tier points determine whether you’re a Blue, Bronze, Silver or Gold member. 

“Previously, they were awarded based on the length of the flight and the class you travelled in, with longer flights and higher classes earning more tier points. This meant it was possible to earn status relatively cheaply if you got a particularly good deal on your flights. This will no longer be the case going forward.”

The changes will come into effect from April 1 this year and will see the scheme’s name change from the British Airways Executive Club to the British Airways Club.

According to MoneySavingExpert (MSE), the minimum spend needed to reach Bronze status from April 2025 is £3,500 (up from roughly £1,100), to reach Silver status you’ll need to spend £7,500 (up from roughly £2,200) and to hit Gold status the minimum spend will be £20,000 (up from between £3,000 to £5,000).

However, British Airways has stressed that its new loyalty programme is not comparable with the existing one because of changes in how points are earned.

Essentially, while customers will have to spend more money to earn points there will be a much broader way they can do this under the new scheme as points won’t just be limited to the distance flown. Instead customers can pick up points based on the cost of their flight, on package holidays, on credit card spending and, for the first time, for ancillary spend including seat selection and excess baggage.

A British Airways spokesperson said: “As part of a re-brand of our loyalty programme, we have introduced more ways than ever before to earn Tier Points, including packages with British Airways Holidays, spend on co-brand credit card and when paying for extras such as seat selection and additional baggage.

“The changes we have announced underline our continued investment in our executive club programme and in our customers, rewarding them for their loyalty. This is a similar model used by many other airline loyalty programmes across the world.”

But Rob Burgess, editor of frequent flyer website headforpoints.com, claimed the changes mean the airline is “effectively washing its hands of the leisure market” and going “all-in” to attract business travellers.

He added: “With a gold card now available for just over one-and-a-half £12,000 fully flexible Club World return flights to New York, it is clear who the target market now is. Realistically, it will now be impossible to earn gold for small business travellers, economy travellers or self-funded leisure travellers. Even silver will be a major stretch.”

Customers who already hold bookings for travel with British Airways after April 1, 2025 will be awarded Tier Points based on a conversion of the existing method. Any existing bookings will earn proportionally the same number of Tier Points, or more, as they would today. The airline is also offering a limited time bonus Tier Points, based on cabin, when booking before February 14, 2025 for travel from April 1, 2025.