British Airways goes OTT and gives 2 years of status to last weekend’s passengers
Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission. See here for all partner links.
There have been a few developments since I wrote my (well-received, I think) article last Tuesday on BA’s IT melt-down.
The good news is that British Airways is starting to back-peddle on its initial intentions to refuse to compensate passengers.
BA will now consider refunding passengers who bought alternative tickets on other airlines
BA has accepted that it will have to pay EU261 compensation, despite initially telling claimants that they would not be paid
BA will now consider claims for incidental expenses – the current issue is over whether it will insist you claim from your travel insurance first, which is likely to lead to you incurring an excess
The only issue where I don’t have any clarity is whether BA is still insisting that passengers who booked 2 x one-way flights instead of a return ticket will not be compensated for the return tickets they can no longer use.
That said …. if you read the comments under this article, you will see that the reality about what BA is offering to pay seems different (worse) to what they are telling the press.
A surprise gift for Executive Club status members
Some – but not all – travellers last Saturday, Sunday or Monday with British Airways Executive Club status received a pleasant surprise last night.
(Perhaps not as pleasant as being on holiday, which is where many of them were hoping to be but aren’t …..)
BA is extending the Bronze, Silver or Gold status of members travelling last Saturday, Sunday or Monday for two years. This is a decent gesture and is the first genuine sign of attempting to ‘make good’.
In fact, to be honest, it is a bit OTT.
I can perfectly understand doing this for anyone travelling on Saturday.
On Sunday, however, 2/3rd of Heathrow flights departed – albeit some with long delays. However, every single flight from Gatwick got away. Almost all flights on Monday departed as scheduled from both airports.
We are now in a slightly odd situation where there are people who may still be left out of pocket – such as those with 2 x one-way flights booked – whilst many others who were not disrupted at all have had a very generous early Christmas present.
For some reason not everyone who should receive it is receiving the email. I know of couples, both with the same status, where one has been sent it and the other has not. Anika also hasn’t had it despite a flight last Monday. Hopefully BA is not randomly picking out people to receive this, because if it is then there will be even more PR issues coming down the line.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
TripRep 
Ash 
Flyoff 
Worzel 
Rob 
RussellH 
Cheshire Pete 
the real harry1 
RIcatti 
Tony 
Nick 
Jovanna 
Lewis 
Alan 
Joe 
Kathryn 
Simonologue 
Comments (125)