British Airways Club: Tier Point Changes from 1 April 2026
British Airways is updating how bonus tier points are earned under The British Airways Club, with new rates applying to flights taken from 1 April 2026. The headline change is that bonus tier points on BA-operated flights now vary by fare type for the first time — the more flexible your ticket, the larger the bonus you receive per flight. Bonuses are also being extended to American Airlines- and Iberia-marketed flights for the first time, and the earn rate on ancillary spend is doubling across the board. There is no registration required: the new rates apply automatically to all Club members.
There are four distinct changes, each with different implications depending on how you typically book. Here is what is changing, why it matters, and what it means in practice for leisure and business travellers trying to build or maintain status.
One important context point before the detail: these are updates to the bonus tier points structure, not the base earn rate. You still earn 1 tier point per £1 of eligible spend on every BA flight — the base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges, but not airport taxes and fees. The changes below sit on top of that.
1. Segment bonuses on BA flights now vary by fare type
Previously, BA members earned a flat bonus per flight segment based solely on the cabin flown. From 1 April, that flat bonus becomes a range — with the minimum matching the old flat rate and the maximum reserved for fully flexible fares. Nobody earns fewer bonus tier points than before; flexible fare travellers simply earn considerably more.
The full breakdown by cabin and fare type is as follows:
| Cabin | Base fare | Semi-Flex | Flex | Fully Flex | Old flat rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-haul economy (Euro Traveller) | 75 | 175 | — | 275 | 75 |
| Short-haul business (Club Europe) | 175 | 275 | — | 375 | 175 |
| Long-haul economy (World Traveller) | 150 | 250 | 350 | 450 | 150 |
| Long-haul premium economy (World Traveller Plus) | 275 | 375 | 475 | 575 | 275 |
| Long-haul business (Club World) | 500 | 700 | 900 | 1,100 | 500 |
| First | 650 | 850 | 1,050 | 1,250 | 650 |
Bonuses per flight segment. Short-haul has three fare tiers (no separate Flex tier). Long-haul has four. Where BA cannot determine fare type, the base fare bonus applies.
The bonuses apply to British Airways Holidays packages as well as direct flight bookings.
2. Segment bonuses now apply on American Airlines and Iberia flights
BA Club members can already earn spend-based tier points when crediting American Airlines- and Iberia-marketed flights. From 1 April, a flat segment bonus also applies to those flights — making it meaningfully more practical to build BA status from an AA or Iberia-heavy travel pattern.
Unlike on BA flights, the bonus on AA and Iberia flights does not vary by fare type — it is flat by cabin and haul. Basic Economy fares on American Airlines are excluded.
| Cabin | Bonus tier points per segment |
|---|---|
| Short-haul economy | 75 |
| Short-haul business | 175 |
| Long-haul economy | 150 |
| Long-haul premium economy | 275 |
| Long-haul business | 500 |
| First | 650 |
Flat rate regardless of fare type. Basic Economy fares on American Airlines are excluded. Applies to flights marketed by AA or Iberia, per segment.
3. Seat, baggage and SAF spend now earns double
Spend on seat selection, excess baggage, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) contributions all move from 1 tier point per £1 to 2 tier points per £1 from 1 April. The annual cap on tier points from SAF contributions doubles from 1,000 to 2,000 per membership year. SAF contributions also continue to earn 10 Avios per £1.
4. Existing bookings earn at new rates
Flights already booked for travel on or after 1 April 2026 will earn at the new rates, not the rates in place at the time of booking. There is no need to rebook or take any action.
What this means in practice
These changes are good news for most members, but they are structured to be particularly beneficial for travellers on flexible fares. A Club World passenger on a Fully Flex fare now earns 1,100 bonus tier points per segment — more than double the 500 they earned before. A World Traveller passenger on a base fare earns the same 150 bonus points as before.
The gap between leisure and corporate travellers is a real one under this structure. Two travellers flying the same route and cabin, spending similar amounts, can end up with materially different tier point totals depending solely on fare type. The spend-based element is identical; the segment bonus is where the divergence occurs. Leisure travellers on base fares are not worse off than before in absolute terms, but the distance between their earning rate and that of a corporate traveller on a flexible fare has widened significantly with this change.
Status thresholds — a reminder
The tier point requirements for each status level are unchanged:
| Status | Tier points required | Key benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 2,500 | Priority check-in, extra Avios earn |
| Silver | 7,500 | Galleries Club lounge access (self + guest), priority boarding, extra Avios earn |
| Gold | 20,000 | Galleries First lounge + First Wing access, confirmed upgrades, guaranteed seating |
| Gold Guest List | 65,000 + invitation | Invitation-only top tier |
Silver also remains achievable via 50 flight sectors in a membership year, regardless of spend — a route that remains relevant for frequent short-haul leisure travellers.
The April 2026 changes are a genuine improvement for most BA Club members — particularly those flying AA or Iberia who previously earned no segment bonuses at all, and premium cabin travellers on flexible fares who can now earn more than double the previous bonus per flight. For leisure travellers on base fares, the ancillary spend doubling is a modest but welcome gain. The segment bonus changes, however, make the earning gap between leisure and corporate travel patterns wider than ever. Status is more achievable for flexible fare travellers; for everyone else, the goalposts have not moved.
