An excellent use of Avios: Understanding British Airways’ Reward Flight Saver redemptions --[Reported by Umva mag]

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Even if you don’t travel to the United Kingdom, Avios, the rewards currency of the British Airways Executive Club program (as well as four other major airline loyalty programs), is easy to earn and redeem. The downside of using this rewards …

Oct 8, 2024 - 15:35

An excellent use of Avios: Understanding British Airways’ Reward Flight Saver redemptions --[Reported by Umva mag]

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Even if you don’t travel to the United Kingdom, Avios, the rewards currency of the British Airways Executive Club program (as well as four other major airline loyalty programs), is easy to earn and redeem.

The downside of using this rewards currency, though, is that long-haul premium cabin redemptions booked through the Executive Club program can require travelers to pay a significant amount in fees, taxes and surcharges, making this currency appear less valuable.

However, Reward Flight Savers can be a fantastic use of Avios, as they allow you to pay less than $1 per flight in fees, taxes and surcharges (on short-haul flights). That’s about as close to free travel as you can get.

So, how do they work, and are they a good deal overall?

British Airways Reward Flight Saver basics

Reward Flight Savers are available worldwide on all British Airways-operated flights in all cabins except first class.

Reward Flight Savers are priced per flight, not per journey. So, if you fly from, say, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) via London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) on British Airways, the award is priced based on the distance per segment. Since you’ll be paying more Avios because of the transfer in London, booking a paid ticket or redeeming miles on another airline with a direct flight may be more convenient and a better value.

As well as having the Avios available in your Executive Club account, you must have earned at least 1 Avios in the 12 months before booking to take advantage of Reward Flight Saver awards. Transferring Avios from another Avios loyalty program like Qatar Airways Privilege Club or transferring credit card points to Executive Club satisfies this earning requirement.

Reward Flight Savers can be especially valuable for last-minute flights, as their fixed prices keep costs low. I have regularly used Reward Flight Savers for short-haul British Airways-operated flights within Europe a few days in advance when revenue fares were more than $250.

Reward Flight Saver awards can be booked online, just like normal redemptions. They are marked with a blue starburst and a banknote icon above the flight number.

Reward Flight Savers for short-haul flights

Reward Flight Savers are especially great deals for short-haul flights operated by British Airways to or from the U.K. and within the Caribbean.

For flights less than 2,000 miles, you will need just 50 British pence (about 62 cents) plus Avios per flight.

Distance flown per flight	Off-peak Euro Traveller economy class	Peak Euro Traveller economy class	Off-peak Club Europe business class	Peak Club Europe business class
0-650 miles	9,250 Avios plus 50 pence	9,750 Avios plus 50 pence	15,000 Avios plus 50 pence	16,250 Avios plus 50 pence
651-1,150 miles	11,750 Avios plus 50 pence	12,750 Avios plus 50 pence	20,000 Avios plus 50 pence	22,250 Avios plus 50 pence
1,151-2,000 miles	13,750 Avios plus 50 pence	15,250 Avios plus 50 pence	24,250 Avios plus 50 pence	27,250 Avios plus 50 pence

This is a great option if you are Avios rich. Remember, all Avios redemptions include free checked luggage. You can use elite benefits with Oneworld partner airlines like American Airlines as well.

You can also pay more cash and fewer Avios, if you wish to save your rewards.

Reward Flight Savers for long-haul flights

inside British Airways cabin — ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Standard Avios pricing for long-haul flights on British Airways can allow you to fly to London in business class for as little as 50,000 Avios each way. There’s only one catch: There are very high carrier-imposed fuel surcharges, which can add over $1,000 to your premium cabin redemption. Remember, too, that the U.K.’s Air Passenger Duty fees may also be payable.

If you choose the Reward Flight Saver option instead, you will pay more Avios in exchange for reducing the surcharges to a more reasonable level.

Whether you want to part with more cash or more Avios, the choice is yours.

Here’s how the Reward Flight Saver pricing breaks down on two popular routes from the U.S. to Europe with return flights on off-peak dates. The noted fees, taxes and surcharges were correct at the time of publication, but keep in mind that British Airways regularly adjusts the surcharges.

Route (round-trip)	Cabin	Avios required (Reward Flight Saver level)	Cost of fees, taxes and surcharges (Reward Flight Saver level)
New York to London	World Traveller (economy)	50,000	$133
	World Traveller Plus (premium economy)	85,000	$407
	Club World (business class)	160,000	$500
Los Angeles to London	World Traveller	60,000	$200
	World Traveller Plus	95,000	$474
	Club World	180,000	$634

Should you redeem Avios for Reward Flight Savers?

On short-haul flights within Europe, especially in Euro Traveller economy class on off-peak dates, Reward Flight Saver redemptions usually offer spectacular value and are arguably the best way to redeem Avios in the Executive Club program. Whether you choose to pay the minimal amount of 50 pence each way or my preferred option of 17.50 British pounds for the fees, taxes and surcharges, you’re likely to be easily obtaining TPG’s October 2024 valuation of Avios at 1.4 cents each, if not securing even more value.

While British Airways Club Europe short-haul business class isn’t too much to get excited about given its lack of proper premium seating, if you’ve never flown in a premium cabin before and would value the additional baggage, lounge access and priority everything perks, it can be a nice way to treat yourself for a few hours. The onboard catering by the award-winning company Do & Co is decent, and all drinks, including free-flowing Champagne, are complimentary.

On long-haul flights, the value of Reward Flight Savers can be harder to justify. On off-peak dates, you are likely to be able to find reasonable cash fares for the same dates. So, when using the New York to London example above, finding a cash fare for $500 or less would be a much better option than redeeming 50,000 Avios plus $133.

In premium cabins, it’s great to have the option of paying more Avios in exchange for lower surcharges. In the New York to London example above, 80,000 Avios each way in business class is a decent rate compared with competing programs, though United MileagePlus has similar Saver level pricing between these two cities with no surcharges.

With premium cabin cash fares currently still expensive, redeeming 160,000 Avios and paying $500 in fees, taxes and surcharges represents a solid deal compared with paying upward of $3,000 for nonstop cash fares in business class to London. If you choose to pay fewer Avios and more surcharges, 100,000 Avios plus around $1,000 in fees, taxes and surcharges is still likely to be a better deal than a cash fare.

Remember, you can choose to pay fewer Avios and more cash.

How to earn British Airways Avios

Applying for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card is an easy way to earn a meaningful number of Avios for everyday spending.

This card — issued by Chase and therefore subject to the 5/24 rule — currently offers 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values Avios at 1.4 cents each, making the full bonus worth $1,190.

The British Airways Visa Signature has a $95 annual fee and earns 3 Avios per dollar spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level. Plus, you can earn 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel. All other purchases earn 1 Avios per dollar spent.

TPG readers may know we recommend cards that earn transferable points because of their added flexibility. This strategy still applies if you’re trying to accrue Avios. British Airways is a transfer partner of Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making Avios one of the easiest currencies to earn.

Points and miles transfer from Chase, Wells Fargo, Capital One, Bilt and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (in addition to occasional transfer bonuses of up to 40%). Meanwhile, Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Avios at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, you’ll get a 5,000-Avios bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.

The following cards currently offer strong welcome bonuses that you could easily convert to Avios:

American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible restaurant purchases (up to $100) within the first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

You can also purchase Avios, which sometimes go on sale.

Bottom line

British Airways rightfully has a bad reputation for its surcharges on redemptions in all classes. The airline has addressed this by allowing Executive Club members to use more Avios in exchange for lower surcharges through Reward Flight Savers.

On short-haul flights, the option of paying less than a dollar plus Avios on a full-service airline across Europe is tough to beat.

For longer-haul flights, travelers with large Avios balances may wish to take advantage of this option to lower the cash cost of their next redemption.

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