FREE Upgrade to British Airways Brand New Club Europe Business Class

Today I’m flying British Airways Club Europe business class on a tier point run to earn the final tier points that I need for Gold Status in the British Airways Executive Club.

I originally planned to fly economy on the outbound flight but received a free upgrade to business class due to my current silver status. We also flew out on a brand new airbus a320neo with BA’s newest seat and configuration.

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[twobins]

My best free upgrade on BA was from Singapore to Sydney on the overnight flight. We had been in premium economy but were upgraded to the new club suites the day before travel. We only had Bronze status.

[hughjaars]

Really useful - Thanks. I’ll need 70TP for my status and bagged a cheap return to NCL, so the tips re lounges are appreciated.

[natashadyer]

Do have any videos about all the BA perks? I'll be silver status by the end of the year but I dont know what im entitled to or where to access these services. This video showed a separate entrance for fast track security which I had no idea existed! Any tips would be great!

[tonytony]

Your presentation is highly interesting to watch. Thank you very much and take care 😊

[marttravels]

Personally, I would upgrade for £95 only if I needed the additional 35 tier points. But like you, I’m gold also so lounge access, gold seat blocking, more chance of an upgrade are good enough for me. I went for a 1300+ tier point run at the beginning of my new year and got gold which lasts the remainder of the year plus all of the next. Managed to get JER-SFO/LAX with BA holidays and double TPs for just a shade over £2k

[MrStuartAllan]

Great video Charles. I did a tier point run yesterday, EDI > LCY and back. Alas it wasn't for Gold just Bronze. I think you are spot on. I have zero benefits being blue and paying for a CE ticket meant I had lounge access in EDI and got fed on the flight. I really enjoyed it. Aiming for silver one day.

[orcaswaling]

I lost my Silver status in March this year, i had it since Jan 2022, when BA were offering great prices from Heathrow.. so i flew 14 times to Tenerife and used the lounges at both ends. In October I'm flying to Tenerife again with BA, but this time I've purchased AA One World Emerald Status for 4 Months, so that gives me First class lounge access plus all the other perks.. maybe a nice upgrade ..👍

[petermc]

Hi There, a great Video and thanks for sharing your thoughts, it's greatly appreciated, what a nice surprise to have the free business class upgrade. Cheers Peter 🙂

[richardstreet]

Depends on how much I need the tier points ... as to whether I would upgrade or not... my recent T5 domestic was rammed with 12 rows of CE.. lounges packed and queuing to get in.. fast track very slow... must be the holidays!!

[BenRadford]

As I fly from Heathrow quite a lot on long haul I always go to the B Gates but with short haul flights are you allowed to still go to the B Gates lounge so I can know for next time?

[lesegomtshali]

Please do a vlog on all the flights and tier points you earned in the past year to get to gold status.

[justinr]

Great balanced review of BA Club Europe.

BA theoretical seating is another unpublished benefit of status even if you don't receive a upgrade. With status the BA seating algorithm blocks the seat next to you before general checkin opens and only releases it to most passenger for allocation once all other free seats are allocated. Doesn't always work but with status you have a significantly increased chance of having a free seat next to you in economy or the entire row to your self on the business cabin. I probably benefit from the theoretical seating algorithm on circa 50% of my shorthaul BA flights. Can't be sure but your free business class row may well have been due to theoretical seating at work in the background. As blocked seats are released inversely to status our chances of a free adjoining seat as Gold will be higher than as Silver.

[Barra]

Which Heathrow lounge is the one with the horse and lighting art installation??

[pennybaxter]

Unfortunately if the flight is over booked in club Europe sometimes the middle seat is used and it’s pretty rough if that happens, great free upgrade and lovely video thank you .

[_Tripsandtips]

It's such a shame that this newer plane has no IFE monitors.

[mqrkldn]

Slightly new to all this so would appreciate all your insights on this:

Tier Points - if I'm not mistaken my Tier Points will reset annually. So let's say I do manage to make it to Bronze or Silver, I'll get knocked back down to Blue after 12 months - is my understanding correct?

Lifetime Tier Points - this is just a total of Tier Points I've collected when travelling with BA and partners and has no value besides, if I reach 35, 000 lifetime points, I'll be upgraded to Gold for life?

Is my understanding on the above correct?

Thanks!

[BigOldScout]

How tall are you? I'm 6'2" (188 cm) and love to know how much legroom I'm getting on my next flight with BA.

[Joe-lbqn]

Its arguable if the upgrade was actually an upgrade. You got less legroom by being moved away from the exit row and also in an exit row you dont have someone reclining back in your face.
All that traded for a free drink and meal you probably wouldnt have ordered / eaten anyway? (plus, TBF lounge access if you have time, maybe the best benefit)
I wonder, if you don't want to be upgraded, if theres a way of stopping that? I'm guessing not because normally upgrades are regarded as a positive thing. What if, say you were travelling with a companion and got split up?

[tobymitchell]

I’ve had silver since 2018 and never had an upgrade

[chriswoodward]

can't believe they've updated it and kept the middle seat. massive wasted opportunity to really improve the offering and all the PR that would have come from it.