British Airways extends Executive Club elite status by additional 12 months

It's been nearly one full year since the coronavirus pandemic took hold on our lives. And, that includes the travel and aviation industries, with the pandemic having grounded us at home and without any foreseeable travel plans.

Since the start of the pandemic, airlines had introduced status extension offers for their elite and loyal customers. With elites not being able to fly, their status was at risk of expiring. But with the extensions, airlines paved a path for flyers to return to the sky when actually permitted to do so with their same elite benefits.

After first having extended Executive Club elite status in June 2020, British Airways announced on Tuesday that it's "protecting" the Tier status of Executive Club members whose Tier Point collection date falls between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2021. BA says that the members' Tier status will be protected for an additional 12 months, irrespective of how many Tier Points they earn.

In June 2020, British Airways announced that all members, regardless of renewal date, would benefit from a 12-month extension of status. The move started with members whose Tier Point collection year began in July 2020 through to June 2021. The move also means that BA will have extended elite status for some members for two years.

Tuesday's announcement picks up where that extension left off. Now, members who are set to expire between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2021, will see an additional extension of 12 months.

For example, if you have Executive Club status that is set to expire in October 2021, it will now expire in October 2022 — allowing you 12 additional months to collect Tier Points to achieve or upgrade your level of status.

You should see your new status expiration date shown in your Executive Club account in the coming days and weeks.

25% Tier Point threshold reduction

In addition to Tuesday's announcement that it's extending elite status for an additional 12 months, BA will also be continuing its 25% Tier Point reduction threshold, which was originally announced in June 2020.

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Until July 2022, British Airways has reduced the number of Tier Points needed to gain Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gold Guest List and the Concorde Room Card by 25% for the year after the 12-month extension kicks in, making it easier for members to renew or upgrade a level.

Related: What does British Airways elite status get you, and how do you earn it?

The new amount of Tier Points required are as follows:

• Bronze — 225 Tier Points
• Silver — 450 Tier Points
• Gold — 1,125 Tier Points
• Gold Guest List — 3,750 Tier Points (2,250 Tier Points to retain)
• Concorde Room Card — 3,750 Tier Points

For members resetting on Aug. 8, 2021, your status is protected until Sept. 30, 2022. So, you will need to have achieved the 25% reduced qualification requirement by Aug. 8, 2021 to retain your status through to 2022.

The reduced Tier Point requirement does not apply to earning Gold Upgrade Vouchers or any other membership benefits that are awarded at various other levels.

Continued 6-month Companion Voucher extension

Tuesday's announcement also reiterated that BA had already extended Companion Voucher expiry dates for an additional six months. In February, the airline announced that all Companion Vouchers and Gold Upgrade Vouchers with an expiry date before Dec. 31, 2021, have been extended by a further six months.

That announcement marked the third time during the pandemic that British Airways had extended its Companion Vouchers. It first extended them in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, followed by a six-month extension in October 2020.

Bottom line

As an example of what this all means, say you are currently a Gold member and your Tier Point year ends on Aug. 8, 2021, and therefore your card expiry is Sept. 30, 2021. Your Gold status will now expire on Sept. 30, 2022, and for your collection year (Aug. 9, 2021 – Aug. 8, 2022) you will need to earn 1,125 TPs to achieve Gold after Sept. 30, 2022.

Ultimately, up to two years of status extension from BA is a nice lift for elite members. The all-around status extension for all Executive Club members is welcome news for frequent travelers who have been grounded since the start of the coronavirus crisis — and may continue to be so while travel picks back up.