Last Updated: 20 Feb 2024
Searching for a British Airways reward flight deal can seem overwhelming, which is why we created Reward Flight Finder, to make the whole process simpler.
But it can be stressful to figure out which options can get you the most value for your Avios points.
So we asked our resident “Points Professor”, Alisha Collins, to answer questions from some UK-based Reward Flight Finder members who like to make the most of their Avios points pot.
Can Avios really save you money on flights?
Absolutely. When compared to the cash price you would pay for the flight, you are likely to save money on an Avios flight redemption for long-haul first class, business and premium economy, and short-haul business and economy tickets.
However, an Avios flight redemption for long-haul economy tickets tends to be of poor value because the taxes and charges alone often exceed the cash price you can get from travel agents.
Let’s take a British Airways flight from London to New York, for example.
Off-Peak return Club World (Business Class) seats from London in October 2023 cost around 110,000 Avios and £844, while the cash price is £3182. This is a saving of £2338 by booking Avios reward seats. If you’re happy to fly from elsewhere to get a bigger cash savings, fly from Dublin. You’ll pay more in Avios points but less in cash. Comparing the same dates and cabin class gives you a cost of 130,000 Avios and £288, a further saving of £556 for an extra 20,000 Avios, but this excludes the cost of getting to Dublin, so you’d need to consider if the overall savings would be worth it.
Now let's look at the value of Avios used to book Economy reward seats. Off-Peak return World Traveller (Economy) seats from London next October cost about 9,100 Avios and £480, while the cash price is £468, actually making reward seats more expensive - not something you want.
The really big savings come with BA Companion Vouchers, which you can earn with a British Airways American Express credit card linked to a British Airways Executive Club account. Using a BA Companion Voucher means that you’ll pay the taxes and charges for two people but the Avios points for one. Using the same Business Class example between London and New York above, the London departure costs 110,000 Avios and £1688 for two people, against a cash price of £6364, a huge saving of £4676!
To make sure you find the best value reward seats on your preferred travel dates, it’s best to set Alerts with our BA redemption finder as early as possible, so you don’t miss out on them when they become available.
Do I have to be a frequent flyer to get value from Avios?
This is a myth. You DO NOT have to be a frequent flyer to maximise the benefits from Avios. You can collect and spend Avios in many different ways, and not just from booking BA flights. Depending on your preferences, you should easily be able to get value from and enjoy using Avios.
Using a British Airways Avios credit card is a quick route to accumulating enough Avios points for a European flight. Especially given that you get sign-up bonuses and earn Avios on each pound you spend. Using a card for all everyday purchases quickly increases your balance, especially when you purchase items through the BA e-portal, where retailers offer extra bonuses.*
British Airways American Express® Credit Card and British Airways American Express® Premium Plus Card allow you to collect Avios even when you're not flying. As a new Cardmember, the British Airways American Express®Premium Plus Card gives you a 25,000 bonus Avios when you spend £3,000 in your first three months and a companion voucher (2 for 1) each year after £10,000 of spend.
With the British Airways American Express® Credit Card, you collect 5,000 bonus Avios when you spend £1,000 in your first three months and a companion voucher each year after £12,000 of spend. The Premium Plus card costs £250 per year, but it is refunded pro-rata if you cancel. The other card is free. So, in theory, you and your partner could apply for the Premium Plus card, get 50,000 Avios after three months and then cancel both cards, using the Avios for a flight.*
Until 7 June 2022, if you have not had an American Express card in the last 24 months, you can get an increased sign-up bonus of 30,000 Avios. Just use this link for the extra bonus*
You can also collect Avios points when you book British Airways flights or holidays, affiliated hotels, car hire and travel extras like airport parking, rail transfers and more.
In addition to reward flights, you can spend Avios on seat upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, memorable experiences and exclusive deals on wine.
You can even reduce the price of regular flight bookings by paying part of the price in Avios. But remember, the more Avios you use, the less you have to pay.
What taxes and surcharges do I have to pay?
Photo Credit: Hotels for 18 year olds
The cost of a flight is formed by the airfare and then there are the taxes and surcharges. The latter include air passenger duties levied by the Government, passenger service charges levied by airports, and fuel and other surcharges levied by the airlines themselves. The surcharges for flights are currently rising due to rises in fuel prices, and they vary by departure, the destination country and class of travel, but expect to pay £450+ in long-haul Economy, approximately £850 in Business and £1500+ in First Class.
Whilst your British Airways Avios points cover your airfare, they don’t cover the associated taxes and surcharges - you’ll need to pay those in cash.
Do I get more value per Avios when I spend it on reward flights, or would it be better to spend them on hotels and car hire?
Reward flights give much better value per Avios than hotels and car hire. At RFF, we tend to value an Avios point at 1p, higher than the fixed value of 0.8p implied by the Avios/Nectar partnership which allows convertibility between Nectar points and Avios. We use these values to calculate whether a deal is good or not in cash terms. In general, assuming no special promotions, hotels and car hire usually offer far less than 1p per Avios. For example, booking through BA Hotels gives you around 0.6p per Avios.
What I’m not accounting for here is each person’s perception of value, the flexibility that Avios rewards can have, and the emotional value we attach to flying in premium classes, staying in 5-star hotels, or using luxury lounges. Value is personal and only you can decide what options mean the most to you.
Which cabin class do I save the most on by using Avios?
In hard cash terms, probably long-haul Club World (Business) or First Class, especially if you can use a BA companion voucher. Flying further to say Japan, India or Thailand will save you even more in Business Class. First Class seats are becoming rarer to find as airlines reduce their available number or remove the class altogether. But, if you can find long-haul First Class reward seats, I’d consider this the ultimate saving.
Don’t forget upgrades of cash-bought tickets either. There is definite value to be had using your British Airways Avios to upgrade from Premium Economy to Business Class, or Business to First, provided reward availability exists in the higher class. Upgrades can be relatively cheap, costing the difference between the Avios cost of a return flight in the higher cabin and that in the lower cabin. Strict rules apply, but a move to Business from Premium Economy can cost as little as 22,500 Avios off-peak for shorter flights. Good news if you only collect modest numbers of Avios every year.
Use our BA redemption finder to find reward availability in the higher class and grab yourself an upgrade.
With a bit of careful planning, it’s simple to get the best BA reward seats for your Avios. And with the savings you can make, you can treat yourself to an extra cocktail or two once you arrive at your dream destination.
Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. You should seek separate specialist advice if unsure. Opinions are based primarily on the ability to earn Avios points. Reward Flight Finder discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself.