Digital marketer Adam Rowland flew 18,479 miles in five days to earn his Gold Executive Club card last year, travelling through nine airports, three countries and seven cities. He talks to The Club about why he took on the challenge, his tips for upgrades and how he intends to spend the 51,169 Avios he collected on his mission

What inspired your challenge to get a Gold card?
It is the gold standard of airline frequent flyer programmes. Being a plane geek and a big fan of BA, I’d always wanted to know what the benefits were like. There was also a personal element to it – I love travelling, but I can be a nervous flyer at times. So to do that many flights in quick succession was almost therapeutic. It was completely worth it to get the shiny Gold card. The next challenge is how to keep up the Tier points.

Why did you join the Executive Club?
I joined in 2006 because I was living in Seattle and travelling quite a lot in the US. I also love airports, planes and the whole experience of travelling. The Executive Club enhances that experience.

What’s the best thing about being an Executive Club Member?
The tangible benefits – especially if you’re a Gold Member. I’m a big fan of the First lounge at Heathrow. It’s almost a destination in itself. When I did the challenge I used the lounges where possible – especially as I only left the airport at my last stop, Honolulu.

Do you fly more for business or leisure?
I do a lot of my business via the phone and video conferencing, but I’m hoping to do a few business trips to Dallas and Seattle soon. Much of my leisure travel is around the US – I recently flew to Austin and have an affinity with Washington State – but I am trying to broaden that out so that I get to see Asia and Africa.

Where is next on your list?
I want to trek Nepal’s Annapurna mountain range. I just got back from a trekking holiday in Ethiopia, which I absolutely loved. I grew up in the north of England near the Pennines – being surrounded by hills fuelled my interest in epic landscapes.

What do you spend your Avios on?
I’m a bit of a hoarder, but if I do redeem them, I usually spend them on other people – I’ve bought flights for my parents to Italy and other short-haul destinations. I’d love to do a long-haul trip in First. I’ve also used them to upgrade from World Traveller Plus to Club. It depends on availability, but I’ve had quite good success with that.

Can you share any tips on upgrading?
Look at the non-popular routes, especially in the US. You’ll find it hard to get an upgrade on a flight to or from New York, but it’s much easier on a route such as Boston. And choose flight times that business travellers won’t go for, say, the very last flight of the day. There also tends to be more availability on the outbound leg when it’s a day flight.

What are your tips for earning Avios?
You can get good deals with British Airways Holidays and collect bonus Avios for booking your hotels and flights together. And use your BA Amex card to pay for it all as that will really boost your collection.

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This article has been tagged BA, Travel Tips