British Airways App Malfunction Causes Widespread Customer Distress
British Airways customers are confronting a significant technical malfunction within the airline's mobile application, resulting in persistent login difficulties and, alarmingly, the apparent erasure of accumulated Avios loyalty points from numerous accounts. The issue, which has been escalating since mid-January, has provoked considerable frustration among travellers who rely on the platform for managing their rewards.
Widespread Reports of Account Access Issues and Point Disappearance
Since the middle of January, a growing number of British Airways patrons have turned to social media platforms to voice their concerns regarding problems they suspect may be connected to recent automatic smartphone updates. Many individuals initially found themselves completely locked out of their accounts, unable to access their travel details or loyalty information.
For others who managed to regain entry, a more distressing discovery awaited: their carefully accrued Avios balances had plummeted to zero overnight. This has occurred despite customers attempting standard troubleshooting methods, such as uninstalling and reinstalling the application or submitting formal feedback through available channels. Some users report that the app no longer recognises them as registered members, even though their accounts appear fully functional and intact when accessed via the British Airways website.
The Value and Function of Avios Loyalty Currency
Avios serves as the core loyalty currency for The British Airways Executive Club and its partner airlines. These points can be redeemed for a variety of rewards, including flights, hotel stays, shopping, and other purchases. For context, reward flights can begin from as little as 10,000 points plus a nominal £1 fee each way, while premium redemptions like Club World flights often require in excess of 150,000 points. The sudden disappearance of such valuable assets has therefore caused significant alarm.
Social Media Platforms Abuzz with User Complaints and Experiences
The malfunction has become a hot topic of discussion on platforms such as Facebook and Reddit, where users have detailed a range of persistent issues. Common reports include repeated login failures, constant prompts asking if they wish to log out, and balances displaying as zero—even though accompanying tier points often remain visible. Several affected customers believe the problems originated following the application's most recent update, with particular prevalence noted among iPhone users.
One user sparked a substantial conversation in the r/BritishAirways subreddit on 16 January, inquiring if the app was "completely down" after being unable to sign in for several days, while confirming the website worked normally. The thread quickly filled with similar experiences.
- One customer shared: "Mine is down, keeps asking me 'are you sure you want to log out?' over and over again."
- Another commented: "I can’t sign in either. For me, this seems to be a new issue since the latest update. I’m on iPhone."
- A third revealed: "I had to delete and reinstall mine to get it to work. It’s now showing me as having 0 Avios (but still all my tier points). Odd."
- A fourth added: "Same. I can’t access my account info... I even tried to submit app feedback via the menu but said it didn’t recognise me as a user."
High-Profile Case Highlights the Severity of the Glitch
The Daily Mail's Motoring Columnist, Ray Massey, a former Transport Editor with fifteen years of experience covering aviation, found himself among those impacted. On the evening of 26 January 2026, he discovered that over 600,000 Avios points, accumulated over many years, had vanished from his account overnight.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Massey expressed his shock: "You build up a pot of Avios points over years, and I was actually just at the point of cashing some in, and they just suddenly disappeared. They went from a lot to zero..." He confirmed that after navigating what he described as a customer service "doom loop," an agent informed him the issue was attributable to an application glitch. Massey suspects the problem is widespread, given the volume of similar reports appearing online.
Ongoing Customer Struggles Throughout the Month
Issues have continued to surface throughout January. Another customer, Keith Hicks, shared his experience on Facebook on 23 January, noting his surprise at seeing his Avios points listed as zero on the BA app, though they were available when logging in via the website to make a booking. A reply to his post suggested the glitch was confined to the app's display, advising that logging out and back in might temporarily resolve the visual error, with the website showing the correct balance—a fix that Hicks confirmed worked for him.
Despite these workarounds, the underlying technical fault appears unresolved for many. Daily Mail Travel has contacted British Airways for an official statement regarding the persistent application malfunction and its impact on customer loyalty accounts.
