The Points Audit

You probably think you haven't got British Airways status because you don't fly enough. That's what most people reckon.

In reality, you're probably flying plenty and chucking most of the points in the bin. Usually because of one setting nobody's ever bothered to mention.

Here's the expensive version. A £72 return to Madrid on BA's cheapest fare gets you 17 tier points. Pay £95 for the same flight, same day, and you get 190. The only difference is a checked bag you don't even need to fill. You could put a single sock in it if you like.

That's just one of seven ways your points go missing.

What this is

An 18-page audit of the seven places tier points go missing, written for UK flyers who use British Airways a handful of times a year and have started to suspect that the people in the lounge know something they don't.

Every fix is free. No extra flights, no new spending, nothing to buy. Most take less than two minutes. You can get through the lot in an afternoon with your BA account open in another tab. Maybe with a cup of tea. Or something stronger, depending how many points you've already lost.

There's a tally sheet at the back so you can add up what you find. Plus a one-page reference card for what each fare actually earns. That's the bit most people end up keeping on their phone.

What it isn't

It's not a list of loopholes, and it won't tell you that points are magic. If you already know the rules inside out, this won't help much. It's for people who fly BA and want to stop losing points to admin, not for people who read frequent flyer forums for fun. If that's you, you probably need a new hobby.

On accuracy

British Airways replaced the Executive Club with The British Airways Club in April 2025, and a great deal of the advice still floating around the internet describes a system that no longer exists. Everything here was checked against ba.com on 10 September 2026. Where I'm working from strong evidence rather than a published BA rule, I say so, and I tell you how to check it yourself before you spend money.

None of this is financial advice. Every figure is just an example. The method is the point, not the prices. If you want investment tips, you'll have to ask someone in a suit.

The rest of it

Free, forever, and the only catch is your email address. At the back there are two £7 guides for anyone who wants the full picture: one on what status should actually cost you, one on what a BA Amex companion voucher is really worth. Both are optional. The audit stands on its own.