My club

Senior businessman Gavin Stirrat joined the Executive Club 17 years ago, and his frequent travels have helped him reach Silver status. Here, he shares his top five benefits of being an Executive Club Member – as well as some tips on how to maximise your Avios earnings

Lounging around

The benefit I really value of being a Silver Member is access to the Executive Club lounges. Being able to relax in a lounge away from the crowds takes the stress out of the airport experience. I can take a shower between connecting flights or have a pre-flight meal before an overnight, meaning that I can go straight to sleep once I board the plane.

Keeping it in the family

I recently got a Household Account, so the whole family can earn Avios when we take trips together and we can then pool them. Even my baby son is a Member of the Executive Club (though he hasn’t flown yet). Before I registered a few months ago, it was just me earning Avios – but now that we’re accruing them collectively, my wife is keen for us to get out to New York at some point soon.

Going back home

I use my Avios to fly back home to Glasgow, with my wife and two kids, about four times a year to see my family. It’s a trip I know I’m going to make regularly, so I book well in advance – weekend trips are reasonably easy to commit to and you get the best selection of flight availability. My Perfect Day would be flying in Club with my family to the South of France, sitting on a beach in the sun with a glass of rosé, and then going to Quillan, a quaint village set in the middle of some very dramatic countryside. I have very fond memories of weekends there eating great food and drinking wine with my wife and friends.

Trading up

My business travel used to be First Class all the way and although that’s not always the case nowadays, I can use Avios to upgrade on longer flights. My top tip is to keep an eye on availability of reward seats right up to the day of departure as seats are sometimes made available which weren’t accessible at the time of booking. I’ve been able to upgrade on the last four flights I’ve taken to America: twice from Club to First both ways, and twice from Premium Economy to Club both ways.

More ways to earn

Whenever you fly, think about whether the trip can be extended to cover a Saturday night. That brings down the cost of the flight, opening up the opportunity to fly in a higher class, which earns more points. It gives you a chance to spend more time in whichever city you’re travelling to, rather than just seeing it through a hotel, taxi or office window. I also have a BA Amex card, which I put as much of my business expenses through as I can. I almost doubled the amount of Avios I earned through the Amex.

Have an opinion on The Club that you’d like to share? Let us know

This article has been tagged BA, Travel Tips