New Parents Can Extend Their Elite Status With British Airways
Last year, we told you how both Air Canada and Qantas are now offering elite status holds for new parents. With the added benefit, elite members and new parents from the respective frequent flyer programs can put their status on hold while they take time off from traveling to spend it with their kids. Now, British Airways is the latest carrier to offer such a program.
BA announced the new benefit on its website. In the message, BA is letting Executive Club members know that if you're in the middle of a maternity, paternity or adoption leave, you can put your account on hold for one year to protect your status. When in the hectic stages of becoming a parent, it can be hard to find the time to travel with a goal of retaining elite status.
In order to be eligible for the status hold, you need to be a Bronze, Silver or Gold status member. You'll also need to provide a letter from your doctor, a birth certificate or documentation related to the adoption or paternity leave. Once you have the proper documentation, email it to baby@ba.com. In the email, be sure to also include your name and Executive Club number. If you're accepted, BA will also give your baby 1,000 Avios when you enroll them in your Household Account.
There's a maximum of two approved applications per Executive Club member every five years. If you're approved and you still fly, you'll continue to collect Tier Points and Avios as well as enjoying elite benefits. If, during the period, you reach a higher level of elite status, you'll get that new status and the "held" status will expire.
Especially in recent months, BA has been on a kick of reducing perks that travelers have come to expect, such as scaling back meal service on some transatlantic flights, so it's nice to see the carrier (finally) make a positive change for its flyers.
H/T: One Mile at a Time
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Annual Fee
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month