British Airways has been forced to downgrade thousands of frequent flyers after mistakenly informing them they could retain elite status in its loyalty programme.
The issue, attributed to a technical error by IAG Loyalty, saw some members incorrectly told they would keep their Gold or Silver tiers despite not meeting the required criteria. The mistake affected fewer than 1% of the programme’s more than 13 million members, but comes at a sensitive time as the airline rolls out major changes to its rewards system.
The revamped scheme shifts the focus from distance flown to money spent, a move aimed at prioritising higher-value customers while easing pressure on premium airport lounges and curbing system “gaming.”
Initially, the loyalty unit confirmed status renewals in line with what it believed were correct guidelines. However, further investigation revealed that some customers had been incorrectly upgraded due to the technical issue. Affected members will now be contacted and reassigned to their proper tier.
The error has added to the frustration of frequent flyers already affected by the broader overhaul, highlighting the challenges airlines face when modernising complex loyalty systems at scale.