[Cwyfan]

Interesting counter-arguement, but even a club would not, for example, be able to have different rates for men or women, catholics or muslims, gays or straights, so what is different about nationality? Discrimination is still discrimination

[LuganoPirate]

It’s not based on nationality. Even a Brit living in Germany for example would be eligible. The criteria is based on where you live and nothing else.

[FaroFlyer]

It is not only BA that operate like this. LH do, if you don’t live in Germany or Switzerland, and I believe that Skyteam is similar. They are just trying to boost occupancy by gaining transfer passengers. BA is slightly unusual in that tier status is earned on points rather than miles flown.
There has to be a reason for anyone to choose an indirect flight, and tier status works as well as connection times and fares.

[MarcusUK]

Strayed from the point really?

More about BA being so desperate for revenue, having stripped away any loyalty for those choosing them Y or discounted fares or not, they now need us, & so are having to come back cap in hand!!

Some other airlines allow you to do this on sectors, eg KLM Flying Blue, for 30 sectors a year, OR on the distance in miles, that are graded to the amount paid. This means you earn miles to spend or renew, but also sectors for yr renewal.
If you make say 30 flights plus a year, or take a few worldwide sectors with one Airline, regardless of the class flow, you deserve some loyalty back.

Most Business customers don’t pay for their own tickets…those that do so & may choose a premium class, or fly frequently from their own pocket, are amply rewarded also by other Airlines. EK, MH, KL /AF, EY all do so much better.

But then again BA have always been very Class distinctive, reflecting their philosophy & service…they are bit desperate these days! Many of the Frequent Flyers i know, have set in their minds that BA have had their day, as well as probably on the way out…too little too late.

[Cwyfan]

Do people really change based upon on this?

I am English to the core, but I fly to the US quite frequently, almost always paid for myself these days, and fly American Airlines as their frequent flyer programme is so much better

I could now never change to BA, even if I wanted to, as I would have to start again from scratch with them, and lose at least a year’s benefits

If they are trying to poach passengers, then they should offer to match loyalty status of passengers in other airlines loyalty programmes as of now, so that the likes of me could switch and fly with them without losing my status for any time

Alternatively, they should match the scheme whereby AA offer a challenge that if you fly 10,000 miles in three months, you get platinum status

BA need to up their game

[continentalclub]

This is a retention strategy, not a conquest one.

[Hess963]

I definitely agree to continentalclub- AA has it’s policy of filling their platinum status holders and BA should stick with it’s own. If it is too class destinctive for some than let be it. Nobody is force to be an Exec Club member. Eventhough most of the BA followers get desperate sometimes, it is a matter of liking BA or not. The same as most people like AA matching schemes or not.

[VintageKrug]

And of course earning status, especially Gold status, with BA allows access to lounges which are far superior to those generally offered by Star Alliance in most locations – and BA’s outstation Terraces Lounge network is second to none, and can be accesses by all Gold cardholders whichever airline they are using via the terrific “open doors” policy.

[Cwyfan]

My American Airlines platinum status gets me in the BA lounge everytime, so there are easier ways

[Author]

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