How to join British Airways exec club from Australia?

[SYD]

I always assumed BA didn't want to pay for the QF refugees scooting around Australia utilising QF lounges at BA's expense.

Perhaps, but wouldn’t the USA be the same or in fact a much bigger issue with a lot more AA PAX hubbing across America?

 

[TonyHancock]

Perhaps, but wouldn’t the USA be the same or in fact a much bigger issue with a lot more AA PAX hubbing across America?

Quite possibly and a fair point.....with the exception that there are a lot more customers to chase for that transatlantic business, so BA has the potential to make some money there. Little or no potential in Australia with a single, pre covid, flight per day.

 

[JessicaTam]

Thank you everyone for the informative and hilarious responses. Tally ho and all old chaps, I'll try to find an address in a different colony. @JessicaTam, do you think that your card is skulling around somewhere in Austria? Seriously, did you ever receive one? TIA

My cards have arrived quite without incident.

 

[drron]

I always assumed BA didn't want to pay for the QF refugees scooting around Australia utilising QF lounges at BA's expense.

But,but it is only the Flounge that I use my BA card to enter.My LTP from AA gets me into the others.Surely that wouldn't be too expensive for whoever has taken over from young Willie.

 

[Jacques Vert]

MrsK tried to use her rightful title on a credit card application, but unfortunately they didn't accept it. She has managed to use it on a few Qantas bookings with Lady MrsK on her boarding pass, and did get odd looks as she boarded a Dash 8 out of Canberra - the staff seemed to be thinking, "... if she's a Lady, what is she doing on a Dash 8?"

I would have thought that flying into, or out of, Canberra would be perfectly fine for a "Lady". There must still be a few of those around those parts. It would be interesting to see the reaction when flying a Dash 8 out of Coffs. Might even get an upgrade to........or maybe not.

 

[kelvedon]

Given BAEC has a 3 year addition or your points expire rule, does anyone have any suggestions for adding a minimum 1 avio from Australia to keep your Avios alive ?

 

[kpc]

Given BAEC has a 3 year addition or your points expire rule, does anyone have any suggestions for adding a minimum 1 avio from Australia to keep your Avios alive ?

I TFd Amex to Marriot Bonvoy to Avios. I think 4500 to 3000 to 1000. Edit: How to prevent AVIOS from expiring

 

[VPS]

Given BAEC has a 3 year addition or your points expire rule, does anyone have any suggestions for adding a minimum 1 avio from Australia to keep your Avios alive ?

They have quite an extensive estore including Book depository and booking.com https://www.shopping.ba.com/ Be aware though they take quite a while to post (I think 8 weeks IIRC)

There is also this thread

How to prevent AVIOS from expiring

I have 55K AVIOS expiring within 5 months...been keeping them for a rainy day :) Apart from redeeming a QF flight or buying AVIOS, any suggestions for an easy and cheap way to keep my AVIOS from expring? thanks

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[TonyHancock]

Given BAEC has a 3 year addition or your points expire rule, does anyone have any suggestions for adding a minimum 1 avio from Australia to keep your Avios alive ?

You can launder points through SPG/Marriott, not a great rate but will solve the problem.

 

[JessicaTam]

My cards have arrived quite without incident.

And it looks like I have been comped GGL for another year as my new card arrived today. Via a slight European detour.

 

[Mattg]

BA do not permit AU or NZ addresses when joining. I was a bit clumsy when I joined and misspelt Australia. It seems I typed in a European country name that comes close. Oops.

I just typed my address in Australia and changed the last line to Austria. Interestingly my Ba card arrived in the post.

Am I the only person on this forum who listed an Austrian address on their BAEC account while actually living there?

Reminds me of the time I used the Expedia Brazil website to actually book a domestic flight in Brazil. I'm obviously doing it all wrong

Why *does* BA still prevent this still? The QF/BA tie up is long gone - may have been a reason prior?

Slightly OT, but how many, if any, other airlines have this silly rule?

I submitted a media enquiry with BA last year on behalf of AFF to try to find out the answer to this question. Never got a response.

FWIW, Velocity Frequent Flyer only lets people join if they live in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Christmas Island or Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

 

[siri]

Hi, call me hopeful but I decided that I would try to get some Avios points happening so that next time there’s a point sale offered I can buy in. However I just filled out all the documentation online and it told me that I couldn’t join from where I live (e.g., Australia). How do people get around this please?
tia
lyn

Use UK or EU address to join, good thing is even if you are booked on BA Avios and travelling on BA UK FF number, EU countries BA lounges accept Qantas status (gold or platinum)..Most EU airports now accept Aus passports on their smart gates.
Heathrow got special immigration counter path for Bus class traveller and it use to be good and fast and now its being used by doggy immigrants to bypass scrutiny and now delay on that is very high and use the smartgate to scan ur passport and its fast.

 

[ABC]

I always assumed BA didn't want to pay for the QF refugees scooting around Australia utilising QF lounges at BA's expense.

As far as I understand it in Oneworld the airline operating the flight pays for the lounge visit rather than the frequent flyer program. In those circumstances I'm sure BA Executive Club would be happy for people to fly around Australia on QF as there would be no cost to BA. In fact there would be some revenue earned as QF would presumeably have to pay for the avios that would be earned on the QF flights.

 

[JessicaTam]

As far as I understand it in Oneworld the airline operating the flight pays for the lounge visit rather than the frequent flyer program. In those circumstances I'm sure BA Executive Club would be happy for people to fly around Australia on QF as there would be no cost to BA. In fact there would be some revenue earned as QF would presumeably have to pay for the avios that would be earned on the QF flights.

Someone posted the breakdown a while back (@serfty ?) but from memory if lounge access is by class of service, the airline pays, and if by status, the FF program pays.

 

[louie-m]

now its being used by doggy immigrants to bypass scrutiny

I do hope their rabies passports get scrutinised....

 

[mick]

I'm not sure whether this has been mentioned elsewhere but when I logged into my BAEC account today I saw this announcement:



So it seems the previous restriction on an Australian address has now been lifted.

 

[serfty]

So it seems the previous restriction on an Australian address has now been lifted.

I'm sure Qantas may find that somewhat interesting.

Someone posted the breakdown a while back (@serfty ?) but from memory if lounge access is by class of service, the airline pays, and if by status, the FF program pays.

This was the case but appears to have changed - advice from @trippin_the_rift.

Old:

Behind the Scenes: Who's Paying Whom for Airport Lounge Access

Whenever you enter an airport lounge, a transaction is taking place behind the scenes. Somebody is paying the lounge operator.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Rewarding Long Term Frequent Flyer Loyalty

The thing is.. you would go to the airport when not flying just to use a QC or J lounge? I've heard of someone who used to do exactly that. Friday night drinks at the airport. Often with guests in tow. It wouldn't surprise me if blatant abuse like this is part of why QF is probably never...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

New reference:

Qatar Airways status match to Virgin Australia

anyone else experiencing issues with logging in on the qatar website? It’s been taking two attempts for me the last few days. I log in and then a few seconds later it “times out” and makes me log in again

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I assume that when you enter the QF lounge as a QR gold, QR has to pay QF for this. Is this not a good thing for QF overall?

The operating carrier pays, but it may also depend on other contractual and partnership agreements between the individual airlines.
...

 

[WeeGraeme]

I don't know if it was just a glitch, but I just managed to convert my ba.com login to a BAEC membership. It showed Australia in the list of countries for the first time I can remember.

EDIT: Just read Mick's post after I'd posted. But I can at least confirm that it works.

 

[beardoc]

Finally, I don't have to use an address in California for me or my nominated card holders! I'm so glad this has finally been removed.

 

[StevePER]

They don't want to let me move from Wales to Australia.

According to the new information you have attempted to give us, your preferred address is no longer within the country to which you are currently registered. As this requires us to transfer your membership to another region, you will need to contact your current Service Centre in order to make this change.