In September of this year, the BA Executive Club secretly adjusted the prices for award flights with Cathay & Japan Airlines. At that time, prices for numerous connections in economy & business class were raised by up to 30%.
Now, British Airways has done it again. In recent days, the mileage chart for flights with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines was adjusted without notice. Award flights with both Oneworld airlines now cost between 10% and 32% more than before, at least on short- and medium-haul routes.
New Prices from December 2023
Prices were increased for all flights in fare bands 1-4, i.e., for short- and medium-haul flights up to 3,000 miles distance. Depending on the travel class and distance, flights now cost between 10% and 32% more than before.
Flights in Economy Class
Regarding economy class, the most significant change is observed for flights between 1,151 and 2,000 miles. Examples include Los Angeles – Dallas or Anchorage – Seattle. The increase for short-haul flights up to 650 miles is a more modest 10%.
Here are the new and old values for comparison:
| Zone | Distance | Price (old) | Price (new) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | up to 650 miles | 7,500 Avios | 8,250 Avios | +10% |
| 2 | 651 – 1,150 miles | 9,000 Avios | 11,000 Avios | +22% |
| 3 | 1,151 – 2,000 miles | 11,000 Avios | 14,500 Avios | +32% |
| 4 | 2,001 – 3,000 miles | 13,000 Avios | 16,000 Avios | +23% |
Flights in Business / Domestic First Class
Prices for the business class were also raised by up to 32%. All domestic flights are marketed as Domestic First Class, but the mileage values remain the same. Unlike economy class, the very short routes are most affected here:
| Zone | Distance | Price (old) | Price (new) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | up to 650 miles | 12,500 Avios | 16,500 Avios | +32% |
| 2 | 651 – 1,150 miles | 16,500 Avios | 20,500 Avios | +24% |
| 3 | 1,151 – 2,000 miles | 22,000 Avios | 29,000 Avios | +32% |
| 4 | 2,001 – 3,000 miles | 38,750 Avios | 42,000 Avios | +8% |
Example
In September, I was able to book the following flight (part of the Alaska Milk Run with layovers in Cordova and Yakutat) for 7,500 Avios:
Now, this would cost 8,250 Avios and still approximately €6 in taxes. This is still one of the better sweet spots of the Executive Club. Fortunately, short routes like these were only increased by about 10%:
Conclusion
There are two types of frequent flyer programs: Some of them are fair enough to announce such changes several weeks or months in advance, allowing participants to redeem their existing miles in time. This includes, as of now, programs like Miles&More, Cathay, Singapore KrisFlyer, or Finnair Plus.
And then there are other programs where airlines simply do as they please. Recently, Qatar Airways, British Airways, and United (already “dynamic”) have chosen this path. Regardless of the legal assessment, it is very poor form to disappoint frequent flyers in this way. If prices are to be increased to such an extent, please do so with some advance notice.
Sources: One Mile at a Time & AwardWallet
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange