Ask Alisha - British Airways Club

At Reward Flight Finder (RFF), we get plenty of questions about the British Airways Club, previously known as the British Airways Executive Club. So we called upon our resident “Points Professor”, Alisha Collins, to answer some of those most frequently asked, to create this handy guide. 

How do I join British Airways Club? 

It’s easy to join. Simply fill in your details on the BA website here. Then you can start earning Tier Points and Avios and all the perks that come with them.

Is it free to join?

Yes, but you must be 18 or over. 

What are the benefits of joining?

Joining the Club enables you to collect Avios from flights and BA’s many travel and non-travel partners. You can use these to reduce the cost of a flight or save enough to earn you a full reward flight. British Airways guarantees a minimum number of Reward Seats on flights to and from Heathrow and Gatwick: at least 12 on standard short-haul flights and 14 on standard long-haul flights. Availability in each cabin can still disappear quickly, and extra seats may be released later. 

The BA Club also lets you log Tier Points so you can advance your club status and become entitled to treats like priority check-in and worldwide lounge access. 

BA Club members also get to hear first about any special offers or promotions. 

What are the different Tiers?

The four BA Club tiers are Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold. You are given Blue automatically when you join the Club and then can move up the other tiers by earning certain numbers of Tier Points. Curious about how British Airways Tier Points work? You can find a full breakdown on our dedicated page here.

Do I earn more Avios if I’m a member of the BA Club?

On qualifying British Airways and American Airlines spend, Blue members collect 6 Avios per £1, Bronze 7, Silver 8 and Gold 9. Iberia uses euro-based rates. Partner-airline earning can follow different rules, so check the live BA table for the flight.

With those extra Avios, you could soon be using our reward seat finder to find a free ticket. Just remember you can’t earn Avios on flights you’ve fully paid for with Avios. 

Can I get lounge access with BA Club?

You automatically get lounge access if you’re flying business or first class whether or not you’re in the Club but you can also earn it as a BA Club member. 

Once you reach the Silver tier you’re entitled to Business Class lounge access, even when flying economy, while Gold will treat you to first-class lounges.

You can even invite one guest per flight to join you in the lounge, so long as they’re also travelling with BA or one of its Oneworld partners. 

Do I get priority boarding with BA Club?

Priority boarding is a Club perk and, unlike lounge access, it kicks in at the Bronze level. Bronze members can choose seats seven days before departure (rather than the standard 24 hours) but Silver or Gold members can choose seats at the time of booking.

What’s the difference between Tier Points and Avios?

As a Club member, you can earn both Avios and Tier Points. 

Avios are reward points you can earn by flying with BA, using certain bank accounts and credit cards and/or shopping with a host of BA’s retail partners. Notably, Avios are linked to the Nectar loyalty scheme so you can convert the Nectar points you earn from shopping with Sainsbury’s or eBay, filling up at Esso, and so on, into Avios.

Tier Points can be earned on eligible flights, British Airways Holidays packages, paid bags and seating, Sustainable Aviation Fuel contributions and qualifying Premium Plus Card spend during the published offer period. On BA-marketed flights, the total combines eligible spend with any fixed extra award for the route, cabin and fare type.

The way you redeem Avios and Tier Points also differs. You automatically move up a Club tier as soon as you hit certain Tier Point amounts and are entitled to more perks. This is their sole purpose, but Avios can be spent in a variety of ways. 

You can save your Avios up to get a reward flight – this is when you pay for the whole flight in Avios (except the fees and taxes). Or, you can part-pay with Avios instead (see RFF guide to this scenario here). 

There are only a few reward seats issued per flight so to hunt them down you’ll find our Avios flight finder, which lets you set alerts on your preferred routes, super helpful. 

You could also upgrade your seat by paying cash for Economy but adding Avios to upgrade to business class. 

Or, you can spend your Avios on other travel products like car hire and hotels, experiences like spa days and even on wine, through companies that BA has teamed up with.

Alternatively, you can turn your Avios into Nectar Points via the Club website. 

What is a BA Household account?

A household account lets you pool your Avios with up to six people you live with even if you are not related. It speeds up collection, so before long you could be using our Avios flight finder to track down some reward seats. 

You can even include children in the account. They will be awarded Avios for their flights, though they won’t be able to spend them themselves. 

Any adult in the group can access and spend the Avios, so trust is important. Spent Avios are deducted proportionately from each member’s balance.

Though you’re pooling your Avios, everyone in your Household Account will collect Tier Points and move through the club tiers individually. 

How do I open one?

You’ll need to nominate a head of household who is already a BA Club member. The other members don’t need to belong to the BA Club beforehand.

The head of household completes an application form online and then receives all communication related to the account. This founder member is the only person who can add or remove others. Parents or guardians should ideally be third-party nominees for under-18s. 

Changes to the registered household account address can only be made every six months, so don't set one up if you’re expecting to move soon. 

How long does my British Airways status last?

The Tier Point collection year runs from 1 April to 31 March for every member. Annual Tier Points reset on 1 April. Status earned during the year applies for the rest of that membership year and the following one; check your account for the exact expiry date. So, if you reach a tier early in your membership year you could end up with nearly two years total at that level. 

To stay in the same tier after that you must maintain the same number of Tier Points, otherwise, you’ll drop back to the tier below.  

Your expired points are simply kept as part of your Lifetime Tier Points total.

Does British Airways Club offer lifetime status?

You can achieve this, but it takes some doing! British Airways awards Gold membership for life at 550,000 Lifetime Tier Points.
If you’re a member of the BA Club collecting Avios for reward seats, you’ll be pleased to know that you can use our reward seat finder at rewardflightfinder.com to find BA reward flight availability up to a year ahead. Even better, by signing up for a RFF membership allows you to maximise your chances of getting your ideal British Airways reward seats by setting travel Alerts, and we’ll notify you when your preferred seats are available to book.