Fresh off launching its first flights that are only bookable with frequent-flyer points, British Airways has announced that customers can now use Avios points towards holiday bookings.
Frequent-flyer points have long been used as part payment for flights on airlines around the world, with passengers using all sorts of avenues to maximise the points return on their spending. Now, the UK’s flag carrier is also expanding the services they’re valid for.
Members of the Executive Club who book with the airline’s package holiday provider can now redeem their points on the cost of flight and hotel (and/or car) packages, saving them money on trips to destinations ranging from Orlando to Malaga.
Although the basic concept of airmiles – fly more, gain more – has remained the same since their introduction decades ago, some ways of earning, spending and using them have become increasingly complicated, so we’ve explained some of the most important points below.
What are Avios points?
Put simply, Avios is the ‘reward currency’ that you collect when you fly with British Airways and its associated partners (such as Iberia, Spain’s flag carrier). When you’ve collected enough, you can spend them on more flights, or other related elements such as cabin upgrades and in-flight food and drink. But this doesn’t cover everything you can spend them on (more on that below).
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How do Avios points work?
Firstly, you have to sign up to the British Airways Executive Club. Sign up is free, and you’ll collect a minimum of 125 points every time you fly with BA or one of their One Worldassociated partners, including Qantas, American Airlines and Qatar Airways to name but a few.
In addition to buying flights, they are earned in a variety of ways, including through transactions with a British Airways American Express card, travelling with Uber, converting Nectar points and making purchases at over 1,500 different nationwide retailers via the airline’s shopping portal.
How much are Avios points worth?
There is no definitive answer to this, as people will use them in a variety of ways and more or less efficiently. Online articles estimate the price of one Avios to be worth anywhere between 1p to 98p. Their ‘value’ changes depending on flights, routes, time booked and various other factors. As a general rule, one…
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