After being a Gold or Gold Guest List BA cardholder for the past 13 years, I will be downgrading to Silver from April 1st, although technically I can still use my Gold card until April 30th. While it may sound like a bad April Fool’s joke, sadly, this is true for what I imagine to be the majority of TLFL readers who were once loyal to BA. While some people have decided to try a different oneworld airline loyalty scheme, and others have switched to other alliances, many others like me have decided to give up the chase and go for the best value/most convenient flights.
Since my travel habits have changed, it’s not important for me to pursue single flight status. So this article will take a look at some of the things you can do to make it easier to move around without a standard or basement that doesn’t provide access to the living room.
The fastest way
Fast Track is available to buy at most airports and starts from £12.99 for Heathrow and £6 for Gatwick if you book online. There are also ways to get this for less or for free. At Heathrow you can book 24 hours in advance for a timeslot up to 2 hours before your flight. You can find information here.
Round Trip Tickets are included with Business First Class tickets on the Heathrow Express. Whether you have a single from Paddington to Heathrow or a return ticket in Business First Class, you get Fast Trakc coverage at Heathrow. All you need to do is go to the Mobile Systems area of your Terminal once you have arrived. Show your airline card and Heathrow Express Business First ticket to the desk officer.
If you are booking airport parking it is important to check if there is an option to add Fast Track security as it will often be discounted.
Living room access options and alternatives
As my home airport for my Spanish apartment is only served by Easyjet from my nearest airport, I now rely heavily on third party lounges. For this I use Priority Pass which works well for me. There are other similar projects like Dragon Pass.
Here are some ways to find a vacation spot without paying as you go:
First Pass
- American Express Platinum: This comes with a free Priority Pass, which allows you to take a guest on every trip. You can also get an additional card for free, which gives you a second PP, which is ideal if you are traveling as a family of 4. They also offer 8 credits of booking fees per year. it costs £48. Advance booking is not required, but at busy times strongly advised. The card costs £650 a year, but you can pay monthly. However, as you get a £400 dining credit, two Priority Pass cards (for 1,550+ lounges, allowing up to 4 people), hotel status including Hilton and Marriott, and comprehensive travel insurance, it’s a great deal. Considering all the cash back fees, I’m making a profit on my card!
- HSBC Premier Credit Card / Premier World Elite Mastercard: The Global Elite card offers free lounge access, while the Premier credit card offers access for a fee of £24 per visit.
- American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card: It offers four free Priority Pass trips per year.
- Halifax World Elite Mastercard: Includes First Pass for access to over 1,300 lounges.
- Lloyds Bank World Elite Mastercard: It offers free Priority Pass access.
- Buy Priority Pass directly: Right now there is a 20% discount here.
DragonPass
- NatWest/Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) – Premier Reward Black Account: It provides unlimited access to over 1,100 lounges worldwide for the account holder and joint account holder. It includes a digital DragonPass card, a monthly fee (£31-£36), and strict eligibility (eg £100,000 income or savings).
- Ulster Bank – First Personal Account: It offers unlimited access to the DragonPass lounge for £26 a month, which requires a £75k or £100k deposit.
- Barclays – Travel Plus Pack: Add-on to a standard Barclays account (£22.50/month) which gives you 6 free trips per year.
- Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard: It offers four free lounges a year when held with a Barclays Premier Banking account and Avios Rewards.
- Revolut – Ultra: It offers free, unlimited airport access.
- Revolut – Premium & Metal: Offer lounge discounts (£22 per visit) via app.
Other ways to relax
Airport Restaurants
If you don’t want to go to a lounge, a restaurant can often be a better option than most airport lounges.
Independent terminals
The latest trend in luxury travel is private terminals that mimic private jet terminals. Aether in Manchester usually offers high quality ads. You can read our experience review here.
The private, independent station has prices from £99 per person
This price is for backpackers only and includes:
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One course from the Adam Reid menu and two complimentary drinks
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To access the privacy protection of the aether terminal
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A chauffeur-driven car to the gate
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Arrive up to 2.5 hours before departure
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Must arrive at least 60 minutes before departure
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There is currently 40% off aether Arrivals when you spend £300 or more on Express International, Express Domestic, Inclusive Arrival Cabin or Inclusive Arrival Checked Bag packages:
- Valid on bookings made between 23 February and 30 April 2026 for travel between 23 February and 30 April 2026.
- Minimum £300 on Arrival packages
There is also a 30% discount when you book aether for travel between April and September 2026:
- Valid for bookings made between 5 and 31 January 2026 for travel between 1 April and 30 September 2026.
- Minimum spend of £390
- Use the code 30OFFSUMMER at checkout and your discount will be applied automatically
On board
Food and drinks
You can find a great picnic to take away from a number of restaurants at Heathrow, including Plane Food and Fortum and Mason. You can find more information here.
With most UK airports now equipped with new scanners, there is also more room to bring your own food without worrying about wet items. Most airports have an M&S Food outlet which always has good options for a DIY picnic.
Buying an extra seat for comfort
If you want to renew your “Club Europe” on a low-cost or economy flight, many major airlines allow you to book an extra seat for your convenience, but the booking process varies greatly. While some airlines offer an enhanced online option, others require you to contact their customer service.
Airlines with Online Booking Options
These vendors allow you to book an extra seat through their website or app, often using a special naming convention for a “second passenger.”
- Ryanair: You can run two tickets and enter “EXTRA” as the first name and “COMFORT SEAT” as the last name of the second ticket.
- United Airlines: Select two seats at checkout and enter “ExtraSeat” in the first name field and your last name in the last name field.
- Delta Air Lines: Use the code “EXST” as the first name and your last name as the last name.
- JetBlue: Provides step-by-step instructions on its official website for purchasing an extra seat for comfort or class.
- TUI: Allows adding a seat at the time of booking or making a separate “flight only” booking online.
- EasyJet: you need to book the ticket / seat closest to you using these details:
- First name: OBJ [Your name]
- Name: OBJ [Your surname]
Airlines That Need Direct Connections
For these airlines, you usually can’t guarantee an extra seat by paying normally online, and you have to call or chat with an agent.
- British Airways: Contact customer service to discuss options and ensure two seats are assigned to match each other.
- Virgin Atlantic: Offers the option to purchase an extra seat in any cabin with the price of the ticket (excluding tax), but this must be done through customer service.
- Air France: Offers a 25% discount on the second Economy seat for personal comfort. You must contact them to ensure that the seat remains empty and tax-free.
- Finnair: Allows to reserve an extra seat by paying for the flight tax-free, but requires booking by chat or phone.
- Emirates: Allows booking of extra seats on most long-haul routes, although availability must be confirmed by calling reservations.
One of the “Empty Seat” Fees and Programs
Some airlines offer special programs where you can pay a small fee to reserve the seat next to you if the flight is not full. [
- Etihad Airways: Features a “Neighbour Free” offer where passengers can bid on up to three additional neighboring seats starting 72 hours before departure.
- Qantas: Provides a “Neighbour Free” travel option on select routes, allowing passengers to purchase the adjacent seat at a dynamic price.
- Virgin Australia: Operates a “Neighbour-Free Seating” programme where eligible passengers (in Economy only) can bid to keep a middle seat vacant.
- Fiji Airways: Offers a “My Bubble” seat purchase from 72 hours up to 4 hours before the flight.
Important to note:
- Tax Refunds: Many airlines (like Air France and Virgin Atlantic) waive or refund the taxes and fees on the extra seat, meaning you only pay the base fare.
- Check-in: If you book a second seat, you must check in for both tickets. Failure to do so may result in the airline reassigning the “empty” seat to another passenger.
Seat selection and baggage
If you have spare Avios to get rid of, you can use them to pay for seats and baggage:
British Airways
You can use Avios for full or part payment of seats and extra bags, but only for flights operated by British Airways.
- Seat Selection:
- How to do it: You generally cannot do this during the initial booking. Instead, you must complete your booking first, then go to Manage My Booking.
- Payment: The option to pay with Avios appears on the final payment page after you have selected your seats.
- Value: It is typically considered lower value (often around 0.55p per Avios) compared to booking Reward Flights.
- Extra Baggage:
- Pre-payment: You can pay for up to 10 extra bags using Avios or a “Cash + Avios” combination through Manage My Booking before you check in.
- Restriction: You cannot use Avios to pay for baggage at the airport; you must do it online in advance.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways allows you to use Avios for these extras through their “Cash + Avios” feature.
- Seats: You can select preferred seats (like extra legroom or window/aisle) and pay using a combination of cash and Avios on qatarairways.com.
- Baggage: Similar to seats, you can purchase additional weight or bags using Avios.
- Note: If you have an Avios Reward Flight in Business Class, be aware that Qatar recently introduced seat selection fees for “Saver” level awards unless you have Oneworld Sapphire (BA Silver) or Emerald (BA Gold) status.
“Buying” status
There are two ways to buy status. One is a paid status match, and the other is through the EasyJet Plus scheme. Most airlines now offer status matches, which can often include matching hotel status or matching BA Bronze status. It could be worth paying for status for even one flight if you work out how much you would have to pay for seat selection, lounge access, and baggage. Staus matches usually start from £99. Have a look through TLFL for the most recent status matches or this website lists all the airlines and status match opportunities.
EasyJet Plus is a good option if you would normally pay for seat selection, hand baggage or Speedy Boarding on a regular basis. As well as including free seat selection, a free large hand luggage item, and Speedy Boarding, you also get Fast Track security and 10% off on board food and drink. It costs £249 for a year, and you can get 10% off with Mastercard. You can add a card for your partner for £215 and £155 for children.
There are also a number of partnerships between airlines and hotel groups, which can help you get status:
- Marriott Bonvoy & United Airlines: If you hold Marriott Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite status, you can link your accounts to receive complimentary United MileagePlus Premier Silver status.
- World of Hyatt & American Airlines: These programs share a reciprocal partnership. Elite members in either program (e.g., Hyatt Discoverist and above) can link accounts to earn bonus points/miles on both stays and flights. Occasionally, they offer exclusive status challenges to Hyatt elites to earn AAdvantage status.
- Accor Live Limitless (ALL) & Qatar Airways: Linking these accounts can allow Accor Gold members to fast-track to Qatar Privilege Club Silver, and Accor Platinum members to match to Qatar Gold status (which includes Oneworld Sapphire perks like lounge access) after just one qualifying flight.
- Marriott Bonvoy & Emirates: The “Your World Rewards” program offers reciprocal earning and sometimes accelerated status paths for Marriott Gold elites and above
What are your top tips for flying without status? Let us know in the comments below.
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