Introducing British Airways 'On Business' program

British Airways' On Business program lets your company earn frequent flyer points alongside your own serve of points, so you'll be eligible for that upgrade or free reward flight even faster than before.

This article is sponsored by British Airways.

If you’re a frequent traveller with British Airways, you’ll most likely be aware of its Executive Club frequent flyer program and the reciprocal benefits available on other Oneworld airlines.

However, British Airways also runs a parallel program under which companies can earn rewards on.

It's called On Business and anyone with a business is eligible to sign up and accrue On Business points on top of those which flow into their personal frequent flyer account.

On Business is strictly for companies, and to join the scheme you’ll need to be operating a valid business.

UK members have to show evidence of their company being registered for VAT, while in Australia you’ll need a valid ABN to sign up for the program and begin earning points.

The sign-up process takes around 10 minutes to complete online, after which you’re issued with an On Business member number (beginning with letters OB) that you can plug in when making bookings to earn reward points.

Double dip

It’s worth noting that signing up for On Business does not affect your personal rewards earnings.

If your employer books you on a flight with British Airways you’ll still accrue rewards points through your personal frequent flyer membership, while the company will also earn the On Business points.

If you’re self-employed this gives you a chance to potentially double-dip on rewards points.

On Business also extends to flights with American Airlines (AA refers to it as 'Business Extra') and Iberia, so bookings with either BA, AA or Iberia will accrue rewards points for your company.

Because On Business is targeted at companies, the program is split into three tiers based on your yearly spend, which is adjusted based on your preferred currency (upon signup you’re asked whether you prefer Euros, Pounds or US Dollars for booking).

For UK customers of On Business the tiers for rewards point earning are:

• On1 – up to £29,999 spend – 1 point per £1
• On2 – £30,000 to £299,999 spend – 1.25 points per £1
• On3 – £300,000+ spent – 1.5 points per £1

When we signed up for the service with an ABN and our preferred currency as US Dollars, the tiers were much more favourable:

• On1 - up to $19,999 USD - 1 point per $1
• On2 - $20,000 to $119,999 USD - 1.25 points per $1
• On3 - $120,000+ USD  - 1.5 points per $1

To reach the spend for each tier, flights must be booked with either of the three partner airlines that compromise the program.

The points earned are based on your spend on the ticket price + fuel surcharges only, and excludes other taxes and fees.

For example, a test booking from Sydney to London (Heathrow) at a price of AUD$1,754 will allow you to accumulate 1,108 points

On Business also offers a new type of benefit – certain flights may be available to On Business members at a discounted purchase price, but only in lieu of rewards point earnings for that flight.

So rather than booking a flight and earning reward points on it to use later, BA is offering a cash discount to give those points up.

There are other interesting offers, including double points on flights to major European capitals like London and Paris, as well as triple point earnings for your first six sectors as a new member.

These offers are constantly changing and expiring, and you’ll need to be a member to make use of them.

Reward Flights + Upgrades

If we take a look at the On Business program and the rewards that are available, there are some clear advantages to having it available.

On Business is especially useful if you’re looking for reward flights and upgrades as availability is much higher than on your personal frequent flyer program.

This is fantastic for last minute flights (after all, business can be unpredictable), as well as for booking upgrades.

Keep in mind though that On Business points can only be used at the time of booking, so you’ll need to plan ahead.

Typical point outlays for reward flights and upgrades are broken down below:

Setting up your company to take advantage of the On Business program is highly recommended if you’re a frequent traveller on BA, AA or Iberia – and since it doesn’t affect your personal frequent flyer program, there aren’t any drawbacks to having it.

On top of that, the fact that there’s much more availability for reward flights and upgrades makes it especially attractive to have during busy periods of the year.

This article is sponsored by British Airways. For more on British Airways' On Business program, visit onbusiness.britishairways.com.

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