British Airways Executive Club and Avios

The British Airways Executive Club no longer exists under that name. On 1 April 2025 it became The British Airways Club, and tier points switched from distance-based to spend-based — Bronze now needs 3,500 tier points, Silver 7,500 and Gold 20,000. Call Airlaza on +1-888-890-4009 for premium-cabin fares that earn well.

What changed on 1 April 2025, and why your old figures are wrong

If you last checked your status before 2025, almost every number you remember has been replaced. British Airways retired the Executive Club name and relaunched the programme as The British Airways Club, and at the same time abandoned the distance-and-booking-class model that had defined it for decades. Under the old system a long-haul business class sector earned a flat 140 tier points regardless of price. Under the current system, that same sector earns according to what you actually paid.

The scale of the reset is easiest to see in the thresholds. Bronze moved from 300 tier points to 3,500, Silver from 600 to 7,500 and Gold from 1,500 to 20,000. Those are not comparable numbers — the currency itself changed meaning. Nothing was lost in the transition: membership numbers, Avios balances and existing status all carried across. But a cheap long-haul economy fare, which used to be a reliable route to Bronze, now contributes very little, while a full-fare Club World ticket contributes far more than it once did.

The tier ladder and what each level is worth

There are four earned tiers plus the entry level. The oneworld equivalence matters as much as the British Airways benefits, because it is what unlocks lounges and priority at American Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Iberia and the rest of the alliance.

Silver is the tier most frequent travellers aim for, because lounge access is the single benefit that changes an airport day. Gold's real differentiator at Heathrow is the First Wing — a dedicated check-in and security route straight into the Galleries First lounge in Terminal 5.

How tier points are actually earned on a British Airways flight

Earning on a British Airways-marketed flight has two components that stack, and this is the part most summaries get wrong by mentioning only the first.

The base earn is one tier point per £1 of qualifying spend. Qualifying spend is the base fare plus British Airways' own carrier-imposed surcharges — government taxes and airport charges are stripped out first, which is why a Heathrow departure earns less than its total price suggests. On top of that sits a fixed per-flight bonus that varies with cabin and how flexible the ticket is, so a restricted economy hop and a fully flexible First ticket on the same route earn very differently.

Those bonus ranges come from specialist reporting rather than a British Airways specification sheet, so treat them as the shape of the system rather than a quotable tariff. From April 2026, British Airways doubled the ancillary rate to two tier points per £1 on extra baggage and seat selection fees (reported).

Earning tier points without setting foot on a plane

One of the genuinely new features of The British Airways Club is that flying is no longer the only source of tier points. This was impossible under the Executive Club and is the change most likely to move someone from Silver to Gold.

Combined, the card and SAF routes are worth up to 3,500 tier points a year — exactly the Bronze threshold — without a single flight. For someone sitting at 18,000 tier points in March, buying SAF credits in single-pound increments is a legitimate published route to closing a Gold gap, and British Airways designed it that way.

Avios: how much you earn per pound

Avios moved to spend-based earning before tier points did, and the rate is set by your current tier. It applies to flights marketed by British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines, calculated on the net fare after taxes and carrier charges are removed.

Flights on other oneworld partners work differently — they still earn as a percentage of miles flown, varying by airline, cabin and booking class, so a Qatar Airways business class sector credited to your BA account earns on distance, not on price. If you are choosing which programme to credit a partner ticket to, that distinction is worth checking before you fly rather than after.

Milestone rewards and the fixed membership year

British Airways added milestone rewards when the programme relaunched — bonus Avios paid out as you climb, rather than only at tier boundaries. The membership year also changed shape: every member now runs on the same 1 April to 31 March calendar, replacing the old system where your year began on the anniversary of joining.

The practical consequence of a shared membership year is that everyone chases status at the same time. If you are 2,000 tier points short in February, so is a large part of the programme, and the flights that would close the gap are priced accordingly.

Gold Guest List and Lifetime Gold: the top of the programme

Above Gold sits Gold Guest List, which is not a tier you drift into. First-time qualification takes 65,000 tier points, of which at least 52,000 must come from British Airways-marketed flights, British Airways Holidays or BA add-ons. Renewal is easier at 40,000 tier points with a 32,000 British Airways minimum.

Lifetime Gold at 550,000 tier points is a meaningful change of character: under a spend-based system that represents roughly £550,000 of net British Airways spend, which is a very different proposition from the distance-based lifetime targets airlines used to set.

Avios expiry, Household Accounts and joining

Joining The British Airways Club costs nothing and is open to anyone, including children, so a family can collect on every ticket rather than one. The programme has more than thirteen million members.

Avios do expire, but the rule is forgiving: your balance is safe as long as you collect, spend, buy or share at least one Avios every 36 consecutive months. Any qualifying transaction resets the clock — a shopping-portal purchase or a small Avios top-up is enough, and no flight is required.

A Household Account lets a head of household pool Avios with up to six other people at the same address into one balance. It is free to set up, the head of household must already be a member, and the same 36-month activity rule protects the pooled balance. For a family that flies once or twice a year, pooling is usually the difference between four scattered balances that never reach a reward flight and one that does.

What the spend-based model means if you fly premium cabins

The rebuild rewards people who buy forward cabins and penalises people who chase cheap distance. Under the Executive Club, the classic status strategy was long, cheap routings in booking classes that earned disproportionate tier points — the so-called tier point runs. Those no longer work, because a £400 long-haul economy ticket now earns roughly 400 tier points plus a modest bonus, not the flat allocation it once did.

For a traveller buying Club World or First two or three times a year, the arithmetic has moved the other way. A pair of long-haul business return trips at realistic fares, plus the per-flight bonuses, plus card and SAF earning, puts Silver within reach in a way it was not before. If status is part of why you buy the cabin, ask for the fare basis and the net fare when you request a quote — that net figure, not the headline price, is what your tier points are calculated from.

Frequently asked questions

Is British Airways Executive Club still called Executive Club?

No. British Airways renamed the Executive Club to The British Airways Club on 1 April 2025, and moved tier points from a distance-based system to a spend-based one at the same time. Your membership number, Avios balance and existing status all carried across unchanged. The old name is still widely searched.

How many tier points do you need for Silver with British Airways?

Silver status in The British Airways Club requires 7,500 tier points in a membership year, up from 600 under the old distance-based Executive Club. Bronze sits at 3,500 and Gold at 20,000. Tier points are now earned mainly at one point per pound of qualifying spend.

How do you earn tier points on British Airways now?

Two ways on a British Airways-marketed flight: one tier point per £1 of qualifying spend, which is the base fare plus BA surcharges but not government taxes, and a fixed per-flight bonus that scales with cabin and ticket flexibility. Both are credited automatically to your account.

Do Avios expire?

Yes, but the rule is generous. Avios expire only if you have not collected, spent, bought or shared at least one Avios in 36 consecutive months. A single qualifying transaction — even buying something small through a shopping partner — resets the clock for another three years. This applies to Household Accounts too.

What is the British Airways membership year?

Every British Airways Club membership year now runs from 1 April to 31 March, replacing the old system where your year started on your join date. Status is reassessed at 31 March, with roughly a month allowed for late-period flights to credit before tiers change. Everyone renews together.

What does British Airways Gold status get you?

Gold is oneworld Emerald, so you get First and business lounge access across more than 600 lounges worldwide, the First Wing check-in route at Heathrow Terminal 5, Group 1 boarding, an extra checked bag, free seat selection from booking and nine Avios per £1. It needs 20,000 tier points.

Can you earn tier points without flying?

Yes. British Airways awards tier points on BA American Express Premium Plus card spend, capped at 2,500 a year, and on Sustainable Aviation Fuel contributions at one tier point per pound, capped at 1,000 a year. Seat and baggage fees also count towards your total. British Airways Holidays bookings qualify too.

How many Avios do you earn per £1 with British Airways?

Avios earning on British Airways, Iberia and American-marketed flights is based on the net fare after taxes and carrier charges are removed. Blue members get 6 Avios per £1, Bronze 7, Silver 8 and Gold 9. Partner-airline flights still earn on distance and booking class instead.

What is a British Airways Household Account?

A Household Account lets a head of household pool Avios with up to six other people at the same address, so a family reaches a reward flight faster. It is free to open, the head must already be a British Airways Club member, and the 36-month activity rule still applies.

What is Gold Guest List and how do you get it?

Gold Guest List sits above Gold and needs 65,000 tier points to earn for the first time, with at least 52,000 from British Airways-marketed flights and BA Holidays. Renewal drops to 40,000, of which 32,000 must be BA. Benefits include forcing open reward seats and gifting status.

Get a written quote on fares that earn

Airlaza quotes British Airways Club World, First and World Traveller Plus in writing, and we will state the fare basis so you can work out what a ticket contributes towards Silver or Gold before you buy it. No card details are taken on this site. Call +1-888-890-4009 or email sales@airlaza.com.