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Avios, the rewards forex of the British Airways Executive Club program, are simple to earn and redeem even if you happen to do not journey to the United Kingdom.
Long-haul premium cabin redemptions booked via the Executive Club program may require vital charges, taxes and surcharges, making this forex seem much less precious.
However, Reward Flight Savers are a incredible use of Avios, as they permit you to pay lower than $1 per flight in charges, taxes and surcharges. That’s about as near free journey as you will get.
Reward Flight Savers can be found on all British Airways-operated flights worldwide in all cabins besides first-class.
Related: Lower gas surcharges: Reward Flight Saver rolled out on all British Airways flights
Reward Flight Saver fundamentals
Reward Flight Savers are priced per flight, not per journey. So, if you’re flying from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Geneva through London on British Airways, the award is priced primarily based on the gap per section. Since you will have a stopover in London, it could be extra handy and a greater worth to e-book a paid ticket on one other airline with a direct flight.
As nicely as having the Avios obtainable in your Executive Club account, you could have earned a minimum of 1 Avios within the 12 months earlier than reserving in an effort to reap the benefits of Reward Flight Saver.
Reward Flight Savers could be particularly precious for last-minute flights, as their fastened costs maintain prices low. I’ve frequently used Reward Flight Savers for flights lower than 650 miles a couple of days prematurely when income fares have been greater than $200. That’s a incredible use, primarily based on TPG’s Avios valuation.
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Reward Flight Saver awards are marked with a blue starburst with a financial institution notice icon above the flight quantity.
Reward Flight Saver for short-haul flights
Reward Flight Savers are an particularly nice deal for short-haul flights operated by British Airways to or from the U.Okay. and inside the Caribbean. You will want simply 50 British pence (about $0.62) per flight plus Avios for flights lower than 2,000 miles.
| Distance flown, per flight | Off-peak financial system class | Peak financial system class | Off-peak enterprise class | Peak enterprise class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-650 miles. | 9,250 Avios + 50 pence. | 9,750 Avios + 50 pence. | 15,000 Avios + 50 pence. | 16,250 Avios+ 50 pence. |
| 651-1,150 miles. | 11,750 Avios + 50 pence. | 12,750 Avios + 50 pence. | 20,000 Avios + 50 pence. | 22,250 Avios + 50 pence. |
| 1,151-2,000 miles. | 13,750 Avios + 50 pence. | 15,250 Avios + 50 pence. | 24,250 Avios + 50 pence. | 27,250 Avios + 50 pence. |
This is a superb possibility if you’re Avios wealthy. Remember, all Avios redemptions embrace free checked baggage. You may use any elite advantages with Oneworld companion airways like American Airlines.
You may elect to pay additional cash and fewer Avios, if you want. To get the perfect redemption worth in your Avios, the candy spot on short-haul redemptions is selecting the 17.50 British kilos ($21.90) possibility in financial system or 25 British kilos ($31.30) in enterprise class.
Reward Flight Savers for long-haul flights
Standard Avios pricing for long-haul flights on British Airways can permit you to fly to Europe in enterprise class for as little as 50,000 Avios every means. There’s just one catch: There are very excessive carrier-imposed gas surcharges.
If you as an alternative select the Reward Flight Saver possibility, you’ll pay extra Avios in alternate for decreasing the surcharges to a extra cheap degree.
Whether you need to half with additional cash or extra Avios, the selection is yours.
Here’s how the Reward Flight Saver pricing breaks down on two fashionable routes from the U.S. to Europe with return flights on off-peak dates.
| Route (round-trip) Cabin |
Cabin | Avios required | Cost of charges, taxes and surcharges |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York to London | World Traveller (financial system). | 50,000. | $200. |
| World Traveller Plus (premium financial system). | 85,000. | $560. | |
| Club World (enterprise class). | 160,000. | $700. | |
| Los Angeles to London | World Traveller. | 60,000. | $300. |
| World Traveller Plus. | 95,000. | $660. | |
| Club World. | 180,000. | $900. |
Related: British Airways’ Club Suites don’t disappoint: On board a retrofitted 777 from London to New York
How to earn Avios
Credit playing cards
The best solution to earn a significant variety of Avios for on a regular basis spending is by making use of for the British Airways Visa Signature Card.
This card — issued by Chase and due to this fact topic to the 5/24 rule — at the moment presents as much as 100,000 Avios to new candidates. Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening and earn an extra 25,000 Avios after you spend $20,000 within the first 12 months of account opening. TPG values Avios at 1.5 cents every, making the total bonus value $1,500.
The British Airways Visa Signature has a $95 annual charge and earns 3 Avios per greenback spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level. Plus, you’ll be able to earn 2 Avios per greenback spent on resort lodging when bought straight with the resort. All different purchases earn 1 Avios per greenback spent.
Transferable rewards playing cards
Savvy TPG readers know that we often advocate sticking with playing cards that earn transferable factors due to their added flexibility. This technique nonetheless applies if you happen to’re making an attempt to accrue Avios. British Airways is a switch companion of Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making Avios one of many best currencies to earn.
Most factors switch from Chase, Bilt and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (along with occasional switch bonuses of as much as 40%). Meanwhile, Marriott factors switch to Avios at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, you will get a 5,000-Avios bonus for each 60,000 Marriott factors transferred.
The following playing cards at the moment provide robust welcome bonuses that you may simply convert to Avios:
- American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening. Terms apply.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $6,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Check to see if you happen to’re focused for a 125,000-point welcome provide via CardMatch (provide topic to alter at any time). Terms apply.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus factors after you spend $15,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
You may buy Avios, which typically go on sale.
Bottom line
British Airways rightfully has a foul fame for its surcharges on redemptions in all lessons. The airline has addressed this by permitting Executive Club members to make use of extra Avios in alternate for decrease surcharges by the use of Reward Flight Savers. On short-haul flights, the choice of paying lower than a greenback plus Avios on a full-service airline throughout Europe is hard to beat.
For longer-haul flights, vacationers with giant Avios balances might want to reap the benefits of this selection to decrease the money value of their subsequent redemption.