BA has retired the Executive Club and given us “The Club” – a rebrand that comes with a new way of earning status, refreshed thresholds, and enough fine print to make your eyes water. But fear not: here’s the full WingTips breakdown of how it works – no fluff, confusion, or missed tier points. This is our British Airways Club guide.
In This Post
The Basics: What is British Airways Club?
British Airways Club (formerly Executive Club) is BA’s loyalty program. There are two separate currencies:
- Avios – used for redemptions (flights, upgrades, wine, etc.)
- Tier Points – used to climb the status ladder
As of 1 April 2025, BA moved to a spend-based system for Tier Points. Click here to read our article on the new changes.
Your membership year is now fixed: 1 April – 31 March.
How to Earn Avios and Tier Points
Flying British Airways
- 1 Tier Point per £1 spent (base fare + BA-imposed surcharges only)
- Earn Avios based on spend and status:
- Blue: 6 Avios/£1
- Bronze: 7 Avios/£1
- Silver: 8 Avios/£1
- Gold: 9 Avios/£1
Includes spending on seat selection and luggage. Excludes taxes, APD, and airport fees.
British Airways Holidays
- 1 Tier Point per £1 spent, capped at 400 per booking
- Tier Points are split equally among travellers aged 2+
- Avios earning depends on your Flying Club tier (2–4 Avios/£1)
Bonus Tier Points (Limited Time)
For cash flights booked by 31 December 2025:
- 75 TP for Euro Traveller
- 175 TP for Club Europe
- 150–550 TP for long-haul cabins
Partner Flights
- Must be BA-marketed (BA flight number) to earn Tier Points
- You’ll earn Avios on most Oneworld flights, even if not BA-marketed
Credit Card Spend (Coming 2025)
- British Airways Premium Plus American Express
- Up to 2,500 Tier Points/year via spend
- Full rules TBC, expected conversion: £10 = 1 TP
- No other UK credit cards earn Tier Points
Avios Earnings from Credit Cards
British Airways American Express (UK):
- BA Amex (Free):
- 1 Avios per £1 spent
- 2 Avios per £1 with BA
- Companion Voucher at £12,000 annual spend
Click here for our full British Airways American Express Credit Card review.
- BA Amex Premium Plus (£250/year):
- 1.5 Avios per £1 spent
- 3 Avios per £1 with BA
- Companion Voucher at £10,000 spend (valid in all cabins)
Click here for our full British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card review.
Barclaycard Avios (UK):
- Barclaycard Avios (Free):
- 1 Avios per £1 spent
- Upgrade Voucher after £20,000 annual spend
Click here for our full Barclaycard Avios Credit Card review.
- Barclaycard Avios Plus (£20/month):
- 1.5 Avios per £1 spent
- Upgrade Voucher after £10,000 yearly spend
Click here for our full Barclaycard Avios Plus Credit Card review.
Amex Membership Rewards Cards:
- American Express Preferred Rewards Gold:
- 1 MR point per £1 (transfer 1:1 to Avios)
- Bonus points for airline and overseas spend
Click here for our full American Express Gold Credit Card review.
- American Express Platinum:
- 1 MR point per £1 (transfer 1:1 to Avios)
- Hotel status, travel insurance, and lounge access are included
Click here for our full American Express Platinum Credit Card review.
- Amex Rewards (Free):
- 1 MR point per £1 (transfer 1:1 to Avios)
Other Transfer Partners:
- Marriott Bonvoy Amex (£95/year):
- 2 Marriott points per £1 (transfer to Avios at 3:1)
- 5,000 bonus Avios for every 60,000 Marriott Points transferred
Click here for our full Marriott Bonvoy American Express Credit Card review.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Credits
- Buy SAF credits: £1 = 1 Tier Point + 10 Avios
- You can use Avios to pay at a rate of 200 Avios = 1 Tier Point
Shopping, Hotels, Transport & More (Avios only)
- BA eStore: Earn Avios from hundreds of retailers. Click here to learn how to earn Avios while shopping in the e-store. Click here to read more about it.
- Hotels:
- Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Accor, and more
- Earn Avios or convert hotel points
- Car hire: Avis, Budget, Zipcar – earn Avios per booking
- Tesco Clubcard: 1 Clubcard Point = 2.4 Avios
- Nutmeg, The Wine Flyer, Heathrow Rewards, BPme – investments, wine, fuel, parking. Click here to read our complete guide on the Heathrow Rewards program.
- Uber UK: Link your BA Executive Club to your Uber account
- Earn 1 Avios per £1 on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders
- Must pay in GBP and use a UK Uber account
Avios Subscriptions
- Subscribe to buy discounted Avios monthly
- Available via BA and Avios.com – good for top-ups during promos
Avios to Nectar (and Back)
- Transfer 250 Avios = 400 Nectar Points (or vice versa)
- Handy for converting excess Avios into Sainsbury’s/Argos credit
Combine Avios Between Programs
- Move Avios between BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, and Qatar Airways via Avios.com
- Enables access to Iberia sweet spots (e.g., MAD–JFK in Biz)
Status Tiers & Benefits
| Tier | Tier Points Needed | Sample Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Free | Earn Avios + access to Household Account |
| Bronze | 3,500 TP or 25 eligible BA flights | Seat selection, business check-in, priority boarding |
| Silver | 7,500 TP or 50 eligible BA flights | Lounge access, extra bags, Fast Track |
| Gold | 20,000 TP | First Wing check-in, First lounges, additional baggage |
| Gold Guest List | 65,000 TP new / 40,000 renewal | Concorde Room access, guesting rights, extra Avios bonuses |
| Lifetime Gold | 550,000 cumulative TPs | Forever Gold, even if you quit flying |
Redeeming Avios
- Reward Flights (incl. Reward Flight Saver): use fewer Avios + capped fees
- Cabin Upgrades using Avios (one cabin upgrade only)
- Must book eligible fare (e.g., WT+ to CW)
- Gold Priority Rewards: Golds can unlock seats not available to others (2x Avios cost)
- Part Pay with Avios: discount your cash ticket
- Experiences, hotels, car hire, wine, shopping via BA portal
Household Accounts & Avios Pooling
- Up to 7 members at the same address
- Avios pooled for redemptions
- Each member earns Tier Points separately
Oneworld Partner Perks
- Silver = Oneworld Sapphire: lounge access on partners, extra bags, priority
- Gold = Oneworld Emerald: First lounges, fast track, extra privileges
- Must fly with Oneworld carriers to benefit (e.g. Qatar, Iberia, Finnair, etc.)
Soft Landings, Lifetime Status & Extensions
- BA typically offers soft landings (e.g. Gold drops to Silver)
- Extensions for maternity/paternity possible
- Lifetime Gold at 550,000 Tier Points (not spent)
Final Thoughts
In this article we ran through the British Airways Club and gave you our guide, the British Airways Club has entered its next era: spend-based, restructured, and (thankfully) still layered with opportunities if you know where to look. Whether you’re racking up Avios through credit cards, shopping portals, or partner flights, the options are still strong. And while Tier Points are now harder to game, routes like Holidays, SAF credits, subscription Avios, and cross-program transfers keep it competitive. I hope that this British Airways Club guide was indeed helpful, and if I’ve missed anything, please drop me a comment down below.
If you’re serious about Tier status, fly smart, spend cleverly, and know when to switch to Iberia. Then click here to join the club.
Still taxiing? Read on
1 comment
The guide is simple.
If you pay for your own flights then use a carrier that delivers what they market, has functioning IT systems and some reachable customer service on the ground.
If your employer pays for your flights, you don’t have a choice and will probably have to book for a BA experience.
Almost every other One World frequent flyer scheme is more generous / rewarding and comes with fewer caveats following BA’s decision to shake down it’s customers even further.
BA – Best Avoided