Video: 20 flights in 2 weeks to get a British Airways Gold card
TPG U.K. Head of Video Jean Arnas flies economy all the time. He says it's not his personal preference, but it happens to fit his budget better.
However, even when flying economy, he wants to enjoy some first-class-like benefits on those journeys. Think priority check-in, extra luggage allowance, free seat allocation at any time and access to first-class lounges, even when booking the cheapest economy seat.
The key to these perks is status. And for Jean, who's based in the U.K. and flies with BA most frequently, that comes in the form of holding a British Airways Gold card. When you achieve Gold elite status within the BA Executive Club after earning 1,500 Tier Points, you'll get said Gold card.
But for those not in the know, 1,500 Tier Points requires flying. A lot of flying.
You can watch his full experience taking 20 flights in just two weeks, and learn more about BA status, in the video below:
(Note that until June 2021, you only need 1,125 Tier Points to reach Gold status, given the 25% reduction due to Covid-19).
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