-
Two threads show how people are trying to gain status on other one World airlines without flying on them.
BA have closed this loophole with a high percentage needed on BA flights.
I expect that others will follow suit. It’s the status airline that for example pays for your lounge access. If they are not careful they will end up with bills but no revenue.
I am very much of the opinion that despite the keening and wailing on here and Flyer Talk that the number of people switching (including paying for it) to the likes of IB, AY and RJ are, in the scheme of things, very small.
Even the people earning via RJ are still flying on and paying BA because BA has the route network.
I am very much of the opinion that despite the keening and wailing on here and Flyer Talk that the number of people switching (including paying for it) to the likes of IB, AY and RJ are, in the scheme of things, very small.
Even the people earning via RJ are still flying on and paying BA because BA has
the route network.I’m sure you are right about the relatively small number of people jumping to other schemes. The trouble is that many of those people don’t seem to understand the intricacies or practicalities of those new schemes they have joined and nor do they understand properly how to manage the transition phase while they have insufficient status in the new scheme so want to rely on higher status elsewhere. Of course they immediately blame the airline for correct application of the rules! All this is/was both entirely foreseeable and avoidable.
Two threads show how people are trying to gain status on other one World airlines without flying on them.
BA have closed this loophole with a high percentage needed on BA flights.
I expect that others will follow suit. It’s the status airline that for example pays for your lounge access. If they are not careful they will end up with bills but no revenue.
I was convinced of this theory (on ST at least) for as long as I can remember until I was told otherwise. Although I do confess not knowing the ins and outs of OW reciprocity. A few general factors:
– The vast majority who status match will not use up their share of airline compensation, offsetting that tiny fraction who do. (Don’t forget maintaining JAL Global Club via a credit card and no flights was essentially a lifelong status match…)
– Status challenges are far far more common than status matches, requiring a handful of metal flights. Even if the T&C’s on requalification don’t require metal, those initial flights will offset the cost for a few qualification periods. (Aegean had been doing this for over a decade).
– Many airlines have schemes that allow one to buy status miles, even further offsetting and essentially subsidizing that already tiny fraction of net-users.
– On a meta scale, many smaller airlines’ codeshare sales models are heavily influenced by a larger partners’ closeby hub, so they will already have calculated these costs on revenue flights into their pricing structures. Logical to tally these schemes into the margin.
– Some of the largest loyalty schemes, loyalty currencies or both are actually not actually owned by the airline/hotel etc. outright anymore, but divested by means of a myriad of structures (too many to get into: sold to a VC or majority staked, joint venture with another corporation, turned into a subsidiary shared by multiple airlines etc). Leveraging returns on award travel, selling points, margins on credit cards etc. are a two way street between the airline and the loyalty entity. Where/how much of that lounge entry payment eventually ends up can differ immensely.I am very much of the opinion that despite the keening and wailing on here and Flyer Talk that the number of people switching (including paying for it) to the likes of IB, AY and RJ are, in the scheme of things, very small.
Even the people earning via RJ are still flying on and paying BA because BA has
the route network.I’m sure you are right about the relatively small number of people jumping to other schemes. The trouble is that many of those people don’t seem to understand the intricacies or practicalities of those new schemes they have joined and nor do they understand properly how to manage the transition phase while they have insufficient status in the new scheme so want to rely on higher status elsewhere. Of course they immediately blame the airline for correct application of the rules! All this is/was both entirely foreseeable and avoidable.
Said it before, but I don’t think a “transition” is feasible for most for the long term, and if it is, said scheme should’ve been the choice all along (i.e. Lufthansa Miles&More if one is FRA/MUC/ZRH hub centric anyway). We are in a status match glut right now with the loosening of T&C’s but that will dry up.
I’m quite happy with eligible flight rules, even those that exclude codeshares.
@titaniumostrich – I would be fairly confident that a great many of those who (rather prematurely in my view) rushed to status match with other alliances in a fit of pique on announcement of the new BAC won’t actually follow through and re-qualify.
BA have closed this loophole with a high percentage needed on BA flights.
no idea to what you’re referring to? there’s no such requirement (they removed the 4 flight quota, so pretty much the opposite of what you’re stating)
You’ll earn tier points on every eligible flight with British Airways and our oneworld® partners.
“Eligible flights are defined as those flights marketed by British Airways.
‘Marketed’ means the flight will have a BA flight number (in your itinerary or on your ticket). The aircraft you travel on can be either a British Airways aircraft or belong to one of our franchises or air partners.
Flights marketed by other airlines, reward bookings and agency or industry-discounted bookings aren’t eligible.”
Eligible flights must be bought via BA, on BA metal or BA code share , so BA either get all revenue on BA metal but incur cost, or a % on partner metal if its a code share
Does this mean even the pretence that the Oneworld alliance provides benefits that matter when flying on another member of that same alliance, is going to stop?
I can only add IMHO. BA was my first choice (living close to LHR) as having Silver it meant FT and lounge access. Without that, and having AMEX Plat and Barclays/lounge access… When status drops next year I no longer have any loyalty (maybe 20-30 flights per year by the family). So I’m waiting until 2026 when other airlines drop a status match and hoover up customers (presumably non-OW airlines).
I can see why they’ve done it – the BAH offer was stupid. But for every £15 they are saving from me not visiting the lounge, I wonder what that costs in in reduced load factors. We’ll see – no’one chases status more than those that fly the most!!!
Does this mean even the pretence that the Oneworld alliance provides benefits that matter when flying on another member of that same alliance, is going to stop?
No my reading of you’ll still get oneworld benefits , lounge access etc
no idea to what you’re referring to? there’s no such requirement (they removed the 4 flight quota, so pretty much the opposite of what you’re stating)
If you want BA status you will have to do it with a large proportion of BA flights, or flights which give BA revenue. You will never again be able to get BA silver, as I did in one year, by spending £800 on a Qatar longhaul and £200 on BA positioning. Maybe those flights would have cost £2000 in 2024, but might not even get you 10% of the way to BA silver in 2026.
….If you want BA status you will have to do it with a large proportion of BA flights..
What’s your definition of a BA flight?
When is a flight with a BA flight number booked through ba.com not a BA flight?When it’s AA (or whoever) metal and on the day it goes pear shaped and they rebook you with an AA flight number instead of a BA codeshare.
Not a normal booking scenario of course, but I’m currently missing over 5K TP and Gold status because of that.
When it’s AA (or whoever) metal and on the day it goes pear shaped and they rebook you with an AA flight number instead of a BA codeshare.
Not a normal booking scenario of course, but I’m currently missing over 5K TP and Gold status because of that.
Keep fighting!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
