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Welcome to Smart with Points, the podcast where we dive into the world of traveling with miles and points.

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I'm your host Jack, and today we're discussing some exciting developments in the loyalty program of British Airways.

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Just weeks after announcing some major changes, BA has softened their stance, and we're here to break down what it means for you.

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As someone who's deeply embedded in the points and miles game and a current BA Gold member, I've been watching these developments with keen interest. So let's get straight into it.

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The key changes are the return of flight-based qualification and extended bonus tier points.

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The return of flight-based qualification is great news for frequent short-haul flyers and business travelers on cheaper tickets. You can now earn status through pure flight activity,

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twenty-five flights for bronze and fifty for silver, regardless of fare price. This is a significant shift, and it's clear that BA is listening to feedback from their loyal customers.

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The extended bonus tier point offer is also a welcome change. Flights booked before the thirty-first of December will earn more tier points, with economy cabins earning seventy-five bonus tier points, up from fifty,

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and long-haul premium cabins seeing increases of up to five hundred and fifty points. So what does this mean for you?

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If you're chasing silver status, which is the sweet spot for most, most travelers due to lounge access, BA's modeling suggests you could achieve it through a combination of flights and other activities.

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For example, you could take one economy flight to Geneva with baggage, one business class flight to New York, one premium economy flight to Singapore,

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and one package holiday to Barbados, and spend three hundred pounds on sustainable aviation fuel credits.

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We've got a valuable tool on our website, the BA Tier Point Calculator, which can help you calculate exactly how many tier points you'll earn under the current system.

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We're working on updating it for the new system once more details are confirmed. As someone who recently completed a tier point run to achieve gold status, these changes are particularly interesting.

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The introduction of package holiday qualifying spend could actually make status runs more accessible, though likely a lot more expensive than the current system of hunting for specific route combinations.

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The reintroduction of flight count qualification is a smart move by BA. Many loyal BA customers simply fly frequent short-haul routes, and this change acknowledges their value to the airline. So what should you do?

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If you're planning flights for early next year, consider booking before the thirty-first of December to take advantage of the bonus tier point offer. Look at your typical annual travel patterns.

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The new flight count qualification might actually make status easier to achieve if you're a frequent short-haul flyer.

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And consider whether BA package holidays might now offer better value when factoring in the tier points earned on the total holiday cost.

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We'll be keeping a close eye on these developments and updating our tools accordingly. Don't forget, you can still get One World status via Royal Jordanian using their status match, or with Air France,

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who are also offering a status match. Thanks for listening to this episode of Smart with Points. If you want to stay up to date with the latest news and tips on traveling with miles and points,

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be sure to subscribe to our podcast on all major platforms or visit our website at smartwithpoints.co.uk. We'd love to hear your thoughts on these changes, so drop us a comment or reach out on our Instagram.

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Until next time, happy travels.