I am a simple fellow and easily pleased. I didn't think I had traveled that much this past year, but it turns out that my last trip to Europe tipped me into Gold status with BA, for the first time in a decade. BA is busy eating its own brand and is very much not the airline it was (no more 1986 Margaux in First); but they put on a good show at Terminal 5, and being Gold raises the pleasing prospect of the occasional upgrade....just a pity I'm not flying through Asia at all - getting bumped up on Cathay long haul is (or was) a deeply spiritual experience.