Earning and spending points is one part of airline frequent flyer programs. Benefits and preferential treatment when traveling are the other. With British Airways Executive Club, there are four elite membership levels, providing increasing benefits when traveling. As British Airways is a member of the oneworld alliance, good benefits are also offered with all partner airlines.

Status levels with British Airways Executive Club

There are four primary status levels with British Airways Executive Club (BAEC): Blue, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. You may also hear about a fifth elite level, known as Gold Guest List, and one unpublished tier: Premier. We'll touch upon these as well, but the carrier keeps them more hidden.

All levels are awarded based on flight activity through Tier Points (TP) for all British Airways and oneworld flights. The following thresholds are currently in place.

• Bronze at 300 Tier Points (or 25 paid BA flights)
• Silver at 600 Tier Points (or 50 paid BA flights)
• Gold at 1,500 Tier Points
• Gold Guest List at 5,000 Tier Points (3,000 TP to renew)

Tier Points and achieving status

British Airways Executive Club's Tier Points system is separate from Avios earnings, which is now based on how much you spend on your ticket with British Airways. TP are only earned by flying with no shortcuts from credit cards or other spending. There are special promotions, like double Tier Points, when you book with BA Holidays, but those still require flights.

All flights with BA or any oneworld partner will earn Tier Points. These depend on the airline, flight length, cabin flown, and booking/inventory code. BA does not publish formal tables of these earnings but has a helpful calculator tool that allows you to see this.

You'll earn Tier Points based on distance flown and travel class. Short-haul flights (under 2,000NM) earn anywhere from 5 TP (lowest-fare economy with 10/20 for more expensive fares) to 40 TP for business class. Long-haul flights (2,000NM to 6,000NM) earn anywhere 20 TP in basic economy (35/70 for other fares), 90 in premium economy, 140 in business class, and 210 in first class. Ultra-long-haul routes (6,000NM and beyond) will see 20/40/80 in economy, 100 in premium economy, 160 in business class, and 240 in first class.

Note that BA also has special routes with extra TPs, such as longer Ex-EU routes and flights to Sydney, which can be excellent for building up to status. The levels are generally the same for all of British Airways' oneworld partners. Note that you do earn Tier Points on Aer Lingus and LATAM flights as well, despite them not being alliance members.

For details, the two photos below are examples of the Tier Points and Avios you'll earn on a flight from London to Singapore and from London to New Delhi.

You can also earn earlier status levels just by the number of flights taken. Bronze status can be achieved with 25 paid BA flights and Silver with 50 paid flights. Note that British Airways Executive Club does not use the calendar year to determine this. Instead, each member has a collection year based on the date they first joined the Executive Club. Status will be valid from when the Tier Point threshold is reached, the whole of the following membership year, and two months beyond that.

Elite status benefits with British Airways

After all the jargon and math comes the exciting part: your benefits. British Airways has long stood as an exceptional way to unlock benefits early, as I covered in my one year with Bronze status. Here's what you get with each tier. Upon reaching Bronze, you'll get:

• 16% increase in Avios earned on flights with BA, Iberia, or American (6 per £1 spent)
• Free seat selection seven days before departure
• Priority/business class check-in and boarding
• Oneworld Ruby status

Silver adds the following benefits:

• 33% Avios bonus on BA, Iberia, or America (7 per £1 spent)
• Free seat selection from the time of booking (except exit rows)
• Access to oneworld business class lounges globally
• Additional baggage allowance (generally 1 bag, but does not apply to Hand Baggage Only fares)
• Oneworld Sapphire status

Gold status is the most coveted and comes with a plethora of benefits, such as access to the First wing at Heathrow Terminal 5 and much more:

• 80% Avios bonus on BA, Iberia, and American (9 per £1 spent)
• Access to first class check-in and first class lounges globally
• Free seat selection includes exit-row seats
• Increased award seat availability and ability to unlock Avios seats by paying double

British Airways Executive Club also awards continued Tier Point earnings beyond the Gold level. The following benefits are offered:

• At 2,500 Tier Points, you are given a voucher for two people to upgrade by one cabin.
• At 3,500 Tier Points, you receive one more upgrade voucher.
• At 5,000 Tier Points, you are upgraded to the Gold Guest List and can access the Concorde Room at London Heathrow and the Chelsea Lounge at New York JFK whenever you fly. You can also share Gold status with one other person and Silver with two people.

Read more about benefits within the oneworld alliance here, including upgrades and first class lounge access!

Do you have elite status with British Airways Executive Club? How easy do you find it to maintain status, and what benefits do you find most useful? Let us know in the comments!

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  British Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  BA/BAW

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport

  Year Founded:

  1974

  Alliance:

  oneworld

  Airline Group:

  IAG

  CEO:

  Sean Doyle

  Country:

  United Kingdom

  Loyalty Program:

  British Airways Executive Club

  Region:

  Europe