[Anonymous]

[Bullfrog]

I’m moved to write this post after reading the Open Skies European Offer that excludes the UK.

I’m mainly based in the UK & have always had my Executive Club membership UK based.

I’d be very grateful to know what advantages I would gain by transferring my membership to either a European or American address.

[fclassflyer]

I too would be interested to know if there are advantages (and any disadvantages) to registering under a non-UK address.

Would it be possible to change ones current membership to non-UK and would any benefits be immediately reflected or would I need to sign for a whole new account and start back from blue.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Guys

You can change your address on an existing account. I moved from the UK to Malta some years ago and so did my account.

Advantages = more offers, lower fares, Silver = 400 tier points, Gold = 800 tp.

You lose some benefits, I can’t remember which, but I never used them anyway.

[Bullfrog]

When you say ‘lower fares’ .. surely that is based on where the ticket is issued & where the journey begins.

I am well aware that fares ex Europe with BA via LHR/LGW are significantly lower than a ticket originating out of UK.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Bullfrog

More offers with lower fares, to clarify.

Also more offers with extra points al la Open Skies.

[Bullfrog]

@Disgusted….

Thanks for that. I appreciate that lower fares are on offer I am presuming that if I book in France, I have to commence my journey in France as the first portion of the lower fare ticket would be a route from France into LHR/LGW.

[flier74]

Bullfrog, yes this is correct. If you book a ticket from somewhere via LHR/LGW, regardless of your EC membership country, you MUST start your jounrey there or subsequent sectors will be cancelled as you would be classed as a No Show. But as a UK member you can of course also commence your journey wherever you want.
Benefits vary by conutry, i.e. Credit Card companies or EC partners and different promotions are made for different countries from time to time.

[MartynSinclair]

For me the benefit is that all benefits faster:

Gold card

Extra miles by getting to gold card status faster

Quicker upgrade vouchers

More offers for additional miles. Some years ago I gained an extra 150,000 miles just for taking 4 sectors.

I know some say we should stay quiet about these workarounds, but quite frankly, I would far prefer the system to be fair and equal – on both sides, i.e. Brits dont getted ripped of for flying ex London rather than ex Europe on BA.

As many say, BA can do want they want with the prices becasuse they can. Well, the passengers/customers can do what they want becasue they also can!

ps – didnt HRH Kate look beautiful. I wonder if they will be enjoying BA F later tonight or a private jet.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

@bullfrog

Regardless of where you may wish to book, there are offers that we get in Europe that you don’t get in the UK and vice versa.

It depends where your EC address is located.

[Bullfrog]

I’ve now changed my Exec membership to my home address in France.

I’ve got an LCY – JFK/ YUL – LHR routing at the end of May.

Will I get more miles & tier points for being registered in France ? and if so, what are the figures.

Thanks folks for being so quick with your responses.

[MartynSinclair]

You do not get more airmiles or tier points – you achieve gold status quicker, thereby you are awarded the gold uplifts quicker.

[dutchyankee]

Hi Bullfrog:

You will not get ‘more’ miles or tier points being registered in France, but you will qualify much quicker for Silver/Gold by being registered in France as the trips and Tier Points are lower to move up the scheme. And as already mentioned by yourself, by being registered in France, you will benefit from a number of special offers giving bonus miles that are not open to UK residents, such as the aforementioned Open Skies offer (although I haven’t recieved that offer and am registered in Belgium)

[David]

Hi Bullfrog,

Having lived in the UK and another European country (and having held BAEC memberships in both countries as well) I can respond with some degree of authority.

To answer your latest question, the answer is no. You will not get any more credit for simply moving your membership address. No matter where you are based, you will earn the miles/tier points of the actual route flown (ex ARN to JFK via LHR will give you more miles/tier points than just LHR to JFK).

The major benefit of being a non-UK member is the lower threshhold levels for the elite membership levels (if your level of flying doesn’t already take you to the 1500 points, for example to earn Gold in the UK). these numbers are discussed earlier in this thread. The major disadvantage (if you are indeed doing most/all of your flying ex UK is that you will not qualify for some of the UK-based incentives. I remember an incentive several years back for example where you received a case of wine for every r/t Club or First flight you made, but it was only available for those with BAEC memberships in the UK.

Club/First pricing is always less if you start your journey outside of the UK (travelling through London) but then again this pricing is available for anyone, regardless where they hold their membership, so long as they do indeed start the journey ‘abroad.’

Worth checking to make sure that if you move your membership to another country that you are not required to have your Credit Card main address there too. Not an issue of course if you actually do have a credit card tied to that foreign address.

Lastly, note that you can only move your address once every 6 months so once you’ve moved it, your ‘stuck’ with that country’s programme (for better or worse!) for at least that amount of time.

Best wishes.

[Bullfrog]

Thank Home@FL350

I just logged back on to check about UK American Express mileage accrual for BA Exec cards.

You make reference to that, thank you. I’m not sure what the result would be with a French BA Exec Membership but I guess not in my favour.

[Author]

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