British Airways Club changes explained: tier points and BA Holidays Avios (November 2026)

Last updated 1 November 2026. Every figure on this page comes from British Airways' own pages, checked on 1 November 2026. Sources are listed at the end.

In short

• Higher targets for Silver and Gold. From 1 April 2027 Silver needs 8,000 tier points (up from 7,500) and Gold needs 21,000 (up from 20,000). Bronze stays at 3,500.
• Fewer extra tier points on long-haul premium flights. This covers World Traveller Plus (basic Premium Economy fare only), Club World and First, for flights from 1 April 2027 booked on or after 25 November 2026. Short-haul and long-haul economy are unchanged.
• BA Holidays packages will earn 6 Avios per £1, split between travellers. This applies to packages booked from 12:00 GMT on 24 November 2026. It replaces flight Avios plus the lead traveller's 1 bonus Avios per £1.
• Not changing: your existing Avios balance. The 36-month Avios expiry rule also stays.

Key dates at a glance

1. New tier point thresholds from 1 April 2027

Tier points move you through the Club's tiers. You collect them between 1 April and 31 March each year. BA now lists two sets of thresholds:

Flight-count route. You can still qualify by number of flights instead. Take 25 flights with a British Airways code between 1 April and 31 March for Bronze, or 50 for Silver.

Milestone rewards from 1 April 2027:

Who's affected: anyone aiming to earn or keep Silver or Gold in the collection year that starts on 1 April 2027. Bronze members aren't affected.

2. Fewer extra tier points on long-haul premium flights

On BA-marketed flights you earn 1 tier point per £1 of eligible spend, meaning your fare plus carrier-imposed charges. On top of that you earn a fixed number of extra tier points per flight. That number depends on haul, cabin and fare type. BA is cutting the extra tier points on some long-haul premium fares.

BA-marketed flights: the rates that change

American Airlines- and Iberia-marketed flights:

• Long-haul premium economy goes from 275 to 175.
• Long-haul business goes from 500 to 200.
• Long-haul First goes from 650 to 300.

Short-haul and long-haul economy rates are unchanged.

Which rate do you get? BA's rule:

• Previous rates apply if your flight departs between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, whenever you booked. They also apply if you booked before 25 November 2026, whenever you travel.
• New rates apply only to flights departing from 1 April 2027 that were booked on or after 25 November 2026.

Worked example (BA's figures): take a return trip in Club World on the Business fare. That's two flights.

• Booked before 25 November 2026: 2 × 500 = 1,000 extra tier points.
• Booked on or after 25 November 2026, for travel from 1 April 2027: 2 × 200 = 400.

That's 600 fewer extra tier points. You still earn tier points on the fare itself as well.

Who's affected: members who pay cash for long-haul premium economy (basic fare), business or First, and count on those flights for status.

The full booking-date rule, with more examples: Booked before 25 November? How BA's old extra tier points still apply

Work out your own trips: BA tier points calculator

3. BA Holidays: 6 Avios per £1 from 24 November

For British Airways Holidays packages booked from 12:00 GMT on 24 November 2026:

• The booking earns 6 Avios per £1 on the total package price.
• The Avios are split evenly between the travellers on the booking.
• Every traveller who adds a Club membership number collects their share.
• Infants under two aren't counted.
• All tiers earn the same rate.

Today's system works differently. Each traveller collects Avios on the flight element, and the lead traveller also gets 1 bonus Avios per £1 on the package. In BA's words, the new single award "replaces the previously separate flight Avios and Holiday Bonus Avios awards".

BA's example: a 7-night Crete package for 2 adults in economy costing £3,600, with both travellers Club members.

Hotel or car hire booked on its own through BA Holidays: BA says you'll continue to collect 1 Avios per £1 on eligible hotel and/or car bookings made through British Airways Holidays.

Full guide and calculator: BA Holidays' new 6 Avios per £1

What hasn't changed

• Your Avios balance. None of these changes alters Avios you already hold.
• Avios expiry. BA's Club terms say Avios expire only if you don't collect, spend, buy or transfer any for 36 consecutive months.
• Gold for life. BA's lifetime tier points page still says Gold membership for life is reached at 550,000 lifetime tier points.
• Tier point collection year. It still runs from 1 April to 31 March.

Other 2026 Club updates worth knowing

• Reward Flight examples. BA's Reward Flights page quotes examples "correct as of May 2026":
• Europe, the UK and Ireland from 10,000 Avios + £2.50 each way
• Further afield from 55,000 Avios + £150 return
• Club World from 154,000 Avios + £350 return
• Avios-only flights. BA lists these flights as bookable only as Reward Flights by Club members:
• Heathrow–Palma on 14 August 2027 (BA494) and back on 21 August 2027 (BA495)
• Heathrow–Heraklion on 14 August 2027 (BA698) and back on 21 August 2027 (BA697)
• The offer runs from 22 October 2026 until 21 May 2027, a date BA may bring forward.
• Club terms, 21 October 2026. The terms now say extra tier point rates and qualifying criteria are published on ba.com.

What you can do now

1. Check what you've already booked. Flights booked before 25 November 2026 keep the previous extra tier points, even if you travel after 1 April 2027.

2. Don't book a trip just for tier points. But if you were already planning a cash trip in Club World, First or basic Premium Economy for 2027–28, the booking date now matters.

3. Compare BA Holidays quotes around 24 November. Packages booked before 12:00 GMT on 24 November earn under the current system. Packages booked after earn 6 Avios per £1.

4. Add a Club number for every traveller aged two or over. Under the new BA Holidays system, a traveller without a number doesn't collect their share. Joining is free.

5. Recheck your status plan against the 2027–28 thresholds above.

6. Don't panic-spend Avios. Your balance and the expiry rule are unchanged.

What BA hasn't said yet

We'll update this page if BA publishes more on:

• Gold Guest List. BA hasn't published new Gold Guest List levels on the pages we checked.
• Changed bookings. BA's pages don't say which extra tier point rate applies if you change a booking made before 25 November on or after that date.
• Thresholds after 2027–28. BA has published thresholds only up to the collection year starting 1 April 2027.

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FAQ

Do these changes affect my Avios balance? No. Existing Avios balances and the 36-month expiry rule are unchanged.

I booked a Club World flight for May 2027 in October 2026. Which extra tier points do I get? The previous rate. BA says flights booked before 25 November 2026 keep the previous extra tier point rates, whenever you travel.

Is Bronze changing? No. Bronze stays at 3,500 tier points, or 25 flights with a BA code.

Do short-haul flights earn fewer extra tier points? No. BA says there are no changes to extra tier points on short-haul or long-haul economy (World Traveller) flights.

Do children collect Avios on BA Holidays packages? Yes. They must be aged two or over on the outbound date, be Club members and have their number added before travel.

Sources and last checked

All British Airways pages, checked 1 November 2026: