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Lots of speculation, but the 2.5k TPs are probably only “valuable” to help you get to Silver/Gold. In which case they are valuable and deserve to be treated by AMEX as such – to manipulate customer behaviour to put more spend on cards. Given the £15k for a 241, you could see TP being earned after that, e.g. at a rate of TP/£5. That would mean an extra £12.5k spend to get 2.5k TP.
There’s nothing wrong with debating this.
I have 4 points around which Amex’s dilemma revolves.
1. Amex are not going to do anything that doesn’t benefit them , by benefit mean encourage people to spend more on card. Either that or a reason to increase income by higher fees.
2. Anyone who pays for this card will already be determined to spend 15k for 241.
3. There are a lot of people for whom extra teir points are of no benefit
4. A 241is worth more than 2500 teir points
Therefore there is no need for Amex to offer extra incentive to spend 15k , handing out teir points below this is of no benefit to Amex except as an excuse to raise either fees or the threshold for 241. Higher fees or threshold will put off aa lot of people for whom teir points are of no benefit.
Handing out teir points above 15k could incentivise people to spend more. However if they set spend need for full 2500 too high, too near 30k , then sensibly most people will opt for becoming a 2 card household, two 241s being more valuable.
3. There are a lot of people for whom extra teir points are of no benefit
… and in many, many cases no cost to BA either (unlike Avios). TPs only cost if they move a cardholder from one tier to another, and that person then exploits things like free seat selection that they would otherwise have paid for (or displace spending by another party).
BA could hand out 3,000 TPs for each cardholder on the 1 February each year at very little cost at all, and with no agreement from Amex either.
If they gave 3k tier points, then only 4.5k spend for Silver (£5.5k real cash?) – quite different to 7.5k (£10k real spend)
BA could hand out 3,000 TPs for each cardholder on the 1 February each year at very little cost at all, and with no agreement from Amex either.
That would be exactly same as dropping silver and gold requirements. Clearly they have just upped these thresholds to reduce numbers.
That would be exactly same as dropping silver and gold requirements. Clearly they have just upped these thresholds to reduce numbers.
No, because most people in the BA Club don’t hold a sodding expensive BA credit card, and many people with the card get nowhere near status in any year. The extra numbers achieving status would be tiny compared to the numbers they are about to shed.
If you read Rob’s article, the BAPP is actually very good value for money if used on a longhaul business or First ticket. You get back maybe 5 times the cost of the card.
Of course used on a short haul economy it is “sodding expensive”
BA handing out free teir points would be very nice, but the business case to do this alludes me. I t would equate to £1 per teir point, which is the same you get for spend a pound on the greenwashing SAF. So a free Amex card , not likely
No, because most people in the BA Club don’t hold a sodding expensive BA credit card
Personally, I’ll disagree – partly because many people are using the 241 as @Garethgerry says. £2.5k (1pp Avios and cash taxes for 2 in Club LHR/JFK) is a steal – especially since spending the £15k requirement helps pay for the fee in earned Avios.
I think BA made a boo-boo with the BAH 2x TP and are rowing back in a knee-jerk reaction. Normal service will resume in a year or so…
Just to be clear — I wasn’t suggesting the BAPP isn’t good value, but it is expensive. Many people won’t take it out regardless of value for this reason.
Giving BAPP holders a substantial leg up to status will not materially dent the huge loss of status holding passengers in the BA Club that is about to occur. The overwhelming majority of people crediting to BA Club do not hold a BAPP.
BA made a rash promise and there is an easy — and I’ll guess fairly cheap — fix available to them to keep their promise without involving Amex or estimating spend based on Avios earned. A goodwill handout to people holding “the logo in their wallet/purse” would land very well.
BA wants to reduce club numbers.
BA wants to reduce club numbers.
No doubt true, but they have promised at least 2,500 new TPs for BAPP holders, and I am suggesting a way they could easily deliver that. The trouble seems to be they expected Amex to pay them for the TPs, to sweeten a change that Amex didn’t make 🤣
I’ve said all along the BA promise of EARNING Teir points on Amex was in hindsight premature.
However it was about earning Teir points, not free Teir points. It is very hard to find a way that makes sense, especially if they want Amex to contribute something for them. Apart from a sweetener I don’t see any benefit to BA of people earning Teir points on Amex. The only benefit is payment from Amex which must be the sticking point
Well there would be a clear benefit to both Amex and BA.
Amex could expect to get increased spend from people who currently spend £15K, earn the voucher, then stick the card in a drawer for the rest of the year.
BA could expect to get increased spend from people going after a status level that would otherwise be unachievable.
I agree most people won’t actually benefit from the extra TP, but ultimately it’s all marketing designed to increase revenue.
Just offer tier points above £15k, even without a cap. If you offer 1TP/£5 then an extra £52K spend will get you silver 😏 Definite way to incentivise customers!
Just offer tier points above £15k, even without a cap. If you offer 1TP/£5 then an extra £52K spend will get you silver 😏 Definite way to incentivise customers!
I know you’re a bit tounge in cheek. But anyone intending to spend 30k or more is better off being a 2 card household.
Just offer tier points above £15k, even without a cap. If you offer 1TP/£5 then an extra £52K spend will get you silver 😏 Definite way to incentivise customers!
Exactly. Just put a crazy amount of expenditure required but allow to become bronze and silver with BAPP spending (I’d say even Gold)
I know you’re a bit tounge in cheek. But anyone intending to spend 30k or more is better off being a 2 card household.
Yes, but not every such household will contain two incomes high enough to qualify.
I know you’re a bit tounge in cheek. But anyone intending to spend 30k or more is better off being a 2 card household.
Yes, if you both qualify. Currently I have a Platinum and BAPP, once the BAPP hits 15k. But I think my idea is an interesting proposition, as it is another benefit after the 241 is reached. If you’re spending more than £30k on your AMEX you’re probably a customer BA would like!
Still waiting for BA to announce the Amex tier point’s scheme its now June
Still waiting for BA to announce the Amex tier point’s scheme its now June
Is there a hurry? Last time it ran from November to May.
BA website now says: https://www.britishairways.com/content/en/us/the-british-airways-club/faqs/introducing-the-british-airways-club
Earn with credit cards
In 2025, members who hold selected credit cards will have the opportunity to earn even more tier points by spending on their card. More details coming soon.Notice it says “credit cards” and does not mentions amex anymore. Barclays card maybe?
That would be annoying, since I signed my wife up (also Silver right now) for the BAPP card and she’s already using it!
But more seriously, with both partners at Silver and both using a joint BAPP it would be really useful to know how this 2500 TP offer is going to work, before I have to pay for holidays etc Will the 2500 TP be earned by each one using the card? Or only the main cardholder? And obvs ? How much spend? We’ve already earned a companion voucher this year….
BA website now says: https://www.britishairways.com/content/en/us/the-british-airways-club/faqs/introducing-the-british-airways-club
Earn with credit cards
In 2025, members who hold selected credit cards will have the opportunity to earn even more tier points by spending on their card. More details coming soon.Notice it says “credit cards” and does not mentions amex anymore. Barclays card maybe?
You’ve linked to the US version of the BA site. The US does not have a BA Amex card, so it would not be mentioned there.
If you go to the UK site for BA, it still mentions Amex and 2,500 tier points: https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/faqs/introducing-the-british-airways-club
Still no date and exact details of how many £ it will take to earn each TP and that’s really all that matters.
Just over 5 months on from the announcement and into the 3rd month since the changes came into effect it’s ridiculous BA still have no definitive date for this to happen!
I don’t have any skin on this game but it’s just a sign of how rushed this whole scheme was formulated and (not) implemented.
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