From 1 April 2026, The British Airways Club is changing how bonus tier points are awarded on flights. The flat per-cabin bonus that has applied since late 2025 is being replaced by a structure that also takes fare type into account. The more flexible your ticket, the higher the bonus. At the same time, earning on ancillary purchases doubles, and American Airlines and Iberia flights receive bonus tier points for the first time.
This article explains how tier points work, what the new bonus rates are, what the status thresholds unlock, and how the changes play out in practice.
How tier points work
Tier points are the currency that determines your status level in The British Airways Club. They are entirely separate from Avios — Avios are what you spend on reward flights and upgrades, while tier points are what move you through the tiers. Spending Avios does not earn tier points, and earning tier points does not give you Avios.
Since April 2025, tier points have been earned in two ways on BA-marketed flights. First, you earn 1 tier point for every £1 of eligible spend. Eligible spend means your base fare plus any carrier-imposed surcharges — the fees labelled YQ or YR on your booking — but not government taxes or airport charges. The split between eligible and non-eligible spend is shown on the Flight Summary page before you confirm a booking, and on your confirmation email.
Second, you earn a flat per-flight bonus on top of that spend total, based on the cabin you fly. From 1 April 2026, that second element changes: the bonus now also depends on the type of fare you book within each cabin.
Tier points accumulate within a membership year running from 1 April to 31 March. Status earned in one year is held for the following year — so points collected between April 2026 and March 2027 determine your status from May 2027 onwards. There is a one-month grace period at the end of each year before a tier drops.
What each tier unlocks
There are four tiers in The British Airways Club. Bronze and Silver are achievable either by tier point total or by sector count. Gold requires tier points only.
| Tier | Tier points | Sector route | Key benefits added at this tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 3,500 | 25 return flights | Priority check-in and boarding · Free seat selection 7 days before departure · Priority baggage handling |
| Silver | 7,500 | 50 return flights | Lounge access on BA and oneworld flights (plus one guest) · Free seat selection at booking for everyone on your booking · Two checked bags at 32kg in economy for everyone on your booking · 8 Avios per £1 on BA and AA flights |
| Gold | 20,000 | — | First and oneworld First Class lounge access · First and oneworld First Class check-in desks · Free seat selection at booking including exit rows · Lounge access plus one guest · Additional reward flight availability |
Silver is the tier most leisure travellers target, primarily because it is the first level that includes lounge access and free seat selection at the time of booking. Crucially, both benefits extend to everyone on your booking — not just the Club member. A couple or family travelling together gets lounge access and free seat selection for all passengers, which is where the practical value compounds most obviously. The baggage allowance at Silver also applies to travel companions on the same booking.
The new bonus tier point tables from 1 April 2026
These bonuses are awarded per individual flight sector. A return journey earns the bonus twice — once on the outbound, once on the inbound. Basic Economy fares, Reward Flights, and Avios upgrades do not qualify.
Short-haul BA-marketed flights
| Cabin | Fare type | Bonus TPs per flight | Previous flat rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euro Traveller (Economy) | Plus | 75 | 75 |
| Semi-Flex | 175 | ||
| Fully Flex | 275 | ||
| Club Europe (Business) | Business | 175 | 175 |
| Semi-Flex | 275 | ||
| Fully Flex | 375 |
Long-haul BA-marketed flights
| Cabin | Fare type | Bonus TPs per flight | Previous flat rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Traveller (Economy) | Standard | 150 | 150 |
| Semi-Flex | 250 | ||
| Flex | 350 | ||
| Fully Flex | 450 | ||
| World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) | Premium Economy | 275 | 275 |
| Semi-Flex | 375 | ||
| Flex | 475 | ||
| Fully Flex | 575 | ||
| Club World (Business) | Business | 500 | 400 |
| Semi-Flex | 700 | ||
| Flex | 900 | ||
| Fully Flex | 1,100 | ||
| First | First | 650 | 550 |
| Semi-Flex | 850 | ||
| Flex | 1,050 | ||
| Fully Flex | 1,250 |
American Airlines and Iberia flights (new from April 2026)
Previously, flights carrying an American Airlines or Iberia flight number earned tier points on spend only — no per-flight bonus applied. From 1 April 2026, those flights earn a flat cabin-based bonus. Fare type does not affect the AA or Iberia bonus amount.
| Haul | Cabin | Bonus TPs per flight |
|---|---|---|
| Short-haul | Economy | 75 |
| Business | 175 | |
| Long-haul | Economy | 150 |
| Premium Economy | 275 | |
| Business | 500 | |
| First | 650 |
What else changes from 1 April 2026
Two further changes apply alongside the new bonus structure. Eligible ancillary purchases — seat selection and additional baggage on BA flights — now earn 2 tier points per £1 rather than 1. The base fare and carrier surcharge rate remains 1 tier point per £1. Sustainable Aviation Fuel contributions also double to 2 tier points per £1, capped at 2,000 tier points per membership year. SAF can be purchased with cash or Avios.
Worked example: London to New York return
To show how the numbers interact, here is a comparison for a return World Traveller flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK, using an approximate eligible spend of £650 (base fare plus carrier surcharges, excluding taxes). The figures below are illustrative — actual eligible spend will vary by date and booking class.
| Fare type | Spend TPs (£650 × 1) | Bonus TPs (2 flights) | Total TPs | % of Silver (7,500) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 650 | 300 (150 × 2) | 950 | 13% |
| Semi-Flex | 650 | 500 (250 × 2) | 1,150 | 15% |
| Flex | 650 | 700 (350 × 2) | 1,350 | 18% |
| Fully Flex | 650 | 900 (450 × 2) | 1,550 | 21% |
On a standard fare, you would need approximately eight similar returns to reach Silver through flights alone. On a Fully Flex fare at the same spend level, that falls to around five — though the flexible fare will cost more, so the all-in figure requires individual comparison at the time of booking.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as eligible spend?
Your base fare plus any carrier-imposed surcharges (labelled YQ or YR). Government taxes and airport charges do not count. For BA Holidays packages (flight and hotel or flight and car booked together), the full package price is eligible. For ancillary add-ons — seat selection and extra baggage — the full amount paid is eligible, and from 1 April 2026 earns at the doubled rate of 2 tier points per £1.
Do Reward Flights earn tier points?
No. Flights booked using Avios as the primary payment earn no tier points. However, eligible add-ons attached to a Reward Flight — such as pre-paid seat selection or additional baggage — do earn tier points at the ancillary rate.
Do Avios upgrades earn bonus tier points?
No. Upgrades purchased using Avios, or promotional upgrades purchased at the airport, do not qualify for bonus tier points.
Do I need to register to earn the new bonuses?
No. The new structure applies automatically to all eligible Club members from 1 April 2026. No opt-in is required.
When are bonus tier points credited?
Bonus tier points are credited automatically — within 48 to 72 hours of completing a BA-marketed flight, or up to seven days for AA and Iberia flights. They appear on your account statement alongside the standard spend-based tier points and Avios earned for the same flight.
Do flights before 1 April 2026 earn at the new rates?
No. Flights taken before 1 April 2026 earn under the previous flat-rate cabin bonus structure, regardless of when they were booked. The new fare-type-based rates apply only to flights flown on or after 1 April 2026.
Does the fare type on my existing bookings change my bonus?
Yes. BA applies the bonus based on the fare type at the time of travel, not booking. If you change your fare type before travel, your bonus tier points will reflect the updated ticket.
Takeaway: The base-level bonus for the cheapest fare in each cabin is unchanged or slightly higher than before — nobody earns fewer tier points as a result of these changes. The meaningful shift is for flexible and semi-flexible fares, which now earn substantially more, and for AA and Iberia flights, which enter the bonus structure for the first time. Ancillary spend also doubles, which benefits anyone paying for seats or extra bags.
If you are weighing up whether pursuing BA status makes sense given how you actually fly, our article Have Recent Changes Made Status Irrelevant? sets out the broader strategic picture.
