Proposed changes to frequent-flyer programmes may be bad news for budget travellers
ALONGSIDE Eurocrats, straight bananas and anyone who opposes Brexit, Britain’s tabloid press has found something new to hate this year: British Airways (BA). Britain’s flag carrier has been criticised for cutting legroom in economy, axeing free food and drink on short-haul flights and—horror of horror—the amuse bouche that used to be served before dinner in first class. To save face, this week BA’s chief executive, Alex Cruz, who has come under sustained criticism for the cuts to service quality, announced that the carrier would be tarting up its offer. This would include more free meals, better wi-fi and 72 new planes. “We’re bringing back the glory days”, Mr Cruz proudly crowed. But not all of the improvements may be as good for frequent flyers as he advertised.
Among the changes planned for 2018, BA is moving to so-called “dynamic award pricing” in Executive Club, its loyalty programme. This means that tickets paid for with points from the programme will be no longer calculated in distance, but the cost BA is…
