Those on the path toward gaining status with an airline know just how important it is to have one’s spending fall within a given year. While the perks associated with the higher loyalty status begin as soon as one spends enough to qualify, most airlines require the spending to occur within a set timeframe and reset one’s points once the new calendar year begins.

The end to any “rollover miles” was one of the changes that caused a particularly strong outcry when Delta  (DAL) – Get Free Report tried to crack down on lounge overcrowding by making it more difficult to earn the status that gives access to them.

Related: Airlines are cracking down on lounge crowding in a way you won’t like

For many years, International Airlines Group  (BABWF) – Get Free Report-owned British Airways gave members of its Executive Club loyalty program a “tier point year collection end date” based on when one first started collecting points — the eighth day of the 13th month after one’s join date.

These are the changes to the British Airways Executive Club (and how they will affect you)

In what the airline says is an effort to simplify the process and “have the same Tier Point Collection Year as friends and family who are also members,” the British Airways Executive Club point-collecting period will soon run from April 1 to March 31 of every year.

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The new system will be introduced gradually and replace the old one fully by April 1, 2025 in order to give those currently collecting points the chance to earn their status before the end of their period. Those who are unable to do so will have their points adjusted to roll over before March 31. This gives those who fall in the gap of their collection year and the new start date some extra time to earn status.

But those who join the Executive Club after the change in any month other than late March or early April will have a shortened first year in which they can work toward status. The process of points collection as well as how many are needed to reach different tiers (300 on at least two qualifying flights for the Bronze level) remains unchanged. 

‘Rest assured, we’ll make the change gradually…’

“Rest assured, we’ll make the change gradually, and you can continue to enjoy the benefits you’ve earned in our current Tier Point collection period,” British Airways said while adding that it would “look back at the full 12-month period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 to determine the status you hold in the next membership year.”

While the new system makes it easier for families who joined at different dates and then take the same flights to sync up their status, it relies on people staying with the airline for a long time since those who join at different points in the year will only have the full 12 months to work toward status once April comes around and the year resets.

“Every Member’s Tier Point Collection Year end date will run from 1 April each year,” the airline specified. “For any new Members who join after such date, the collection period will run from the day of joining until 31 March.”