British Airways is to help businesses reach new heights with the re-launch of its On Business scheme, aimed at small and medium enterprises.

Last year alone the On Business scheme saved firms £34 million on travelling to do business face-to-face, and the re-vamped programme will now enable travellers to choose between an immediate discount of at least five per cent off selected flights, or On Business points that can be used towards future trips and upgrades.

And to get them off to a flying start, the airline is offering companies who sign up to the free-to-join scheme, the opportunity to earn triple On Business points on their first six flights or on selected routes with eligible partner airlines within their first 12 months of joining.

Business travellers flying on behalf of their company will collect On Business points which benefit the whole organisation as they can be redeemed on upgrades and reward flights for any staff member flying across the British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia network.

For example, 9,000 On Business points can be redeemed for a return economy flight from Heathrow to New York.

The team member travelling for business personally benefits too under the airline’s Executive Club, as they can collect Avios points when they fly for business, which they can redeem on personal travel.

They can also progress through the Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold Executive Club tiers with their attendant benefits.

The changes to On Business include:

• Simplified earn and spend, so that customers can now earn on the money they spend on each flight rather than the sectors flown. Companies have the flexibility to choose between earning points on flights or having a cash discount.
• More flights to collect and redeem on, by flying on British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia. There will also be more reward flights and upgrades available. Customers who are members of the British Airways Executive Club or Iberia Plus can also earn Avios from their flights.
• A new three-tiered programme, with each tier related to the amount spent on flights in a year, rather than distance travelled. The higher the tier, the greater the points towards reward flights and upgrades.
• Easier and straight forward account management, with a simple-to-use management information tool with custom reporting, providing a clear view of who is earning points, where and when.

Andrew Crawley, British Airways’ chief commercial officer, said: “We recognise that small and medium sized enterprises are the back-bone of the economy in the UK, and are vital for Britain’s economic success.

“When they do business, we do business and so does Britain.

“We want to do everything we can to help them reach their full potential and punch above their weight.

“We know it can be a struggle to make budgets stretch so On Business enables small and medium sized businesses to make the most of their travel expenditure by realising genuine benefits in terms of immediate discounts, reward flights and upgrades for their travelling staff across the partnership between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia, enabling them to efficiently reach every corner of the globe through one scheme.”

The new On Business scheme combines the business loyalty programmes of British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia, under the On Business name in the UK, Europe and rest of the world.