British Airways PLC 401(k) Review & Grade
British Airways Savings Plan
New York, NYTransportation & Warehousing977 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$1,119Employer $ per active participant
$4,401Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$232.5MNet plan assets, end of year
$243,507Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity26.1 / 5052th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.5 / 2578th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.2 / 1568th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score56 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 52th |
| Lower admin cost | 78th |
| Employee saving | 68th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $50,414 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- British Airways PLC put in about $1,119 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,070). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $1,093,344 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $4,300,104 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $232,286 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $189,996 |
| Contract administrator fees | $300 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $7,138 |
| Benefits paid out | $29,782,564 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $222.1M / $232.5M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 758 / 1,196 |
| Participants with account balances | 955 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Eisneramper LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Alston & Bird | $118,660 reported compensation |
| Eisneramper LLP | $38,850 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $27,047 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015150515NAL0009931506001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 13-1546240, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.