Cost fewer miles and dollars ...
It’s been well over a year since I wrote in detail about British Airways upgrades through its loyalty program, Executive Club. That’s far too long to go without paying homage to this program.
Forget the bells and whistles. There are only two things that really matter when evaluating mileage programs: the cost in miles to upgrade and the cost of the lowest ‘upgradeable’ fare. Executive Club is the hands-down winner in the former category—international Business Class upgrades start at only 25,000 miles round-trip. It often finishes first in the latter category as well, frequently offering upgradeable fares from New York to London for less than $800.
Get miles fast to save a small fortune
- Take only three or so flights in Business Class and you’ll have enough miles for a free upgrade. In effect, that’s about a 25%+ discount on a Business Class ticket purchase.
- You can buy 19,000 miles ($547.50) directly from the airline, and every person at your address can, too. Then just pool the miles into a household account and—voila!—you have enough for a Business Class upgrade—which can save you thousands of dollars.
- Sign up for the airline’s credit card (www.ba.com) and you’ll get 20,000 bonus miles. Then just buy the 5,000 more miles required for a Business Class upgrade.
Availability of mileage seats
It’s always an issue when flying on miles. Our experience with BA tells us availability is great from the Northeast but scarce from the West. From there, booking far in advance, being flexible on dates, or connecting via the Northeast might be required to get the benefits of Executive Club.
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Good international coverage
As you can see in the chart back on page 1, British Airways can take you to numerous destinations beyond London—many are often hard to find values otherwise. For some destinations, upgrade availability will be much easier than others.
Comfortable Business Class seats
The airline’s Business Class seats recline to 180 degrees. If the price is right, there’s no reason to look anywhere else..
More ways to get miles to upgrade…
- Transfer Starwood Starpoints to BA Executive Club miles.
- Buy Starwood Starpoints and transfer to BA miles.
- Transfer Diners Club points to BA miles.
- Get someone else at your address to share their points/miles with you!
Cost fewer miles and dollars ...
It’s been well over a year since I wrote in detail about British Airways upgrades through its loyalty program, Executive Club. That’s far too long to go without paying homage to this program.
Forget the bells and whistles. There are only two things that really matter when evaluating mileage programs: the cost in miles to upgrade and the cost of the lowest ‘upgradeable’ fare. Executive Club is the hands-down winner in the former category—international Business Class upgrades start at only 25,000 miles round-trip. It often finishes first in the latter category as well, frequently offering upgradeable fares from New York to London for less than $800.
Get miles fast to save a small fortune
- Take only three or so flights in Business Class and you’ll have enough miles for a free upgrade. In effect, that’s about a 25%+ discount on a Business Class ticket purchase.
- You can buy 19,000 miles ($547.50) directly from the airline, and every person at your address can, too. Then just pool the miles into a household account and—voila!—you have enough for a Business Class upgrade—which can save you thousands of dollars.
- Sign up for the airline’s credit card (www.ba.com) and you’ll get 20,000 bonus miles....