Spill the beans ... on your Avios points boosting successes

MSE_Jenny · 21 February 2012 at 8:42PM

Spill the beans... on your Avios points boosting successes you[IMGRIGHT]http://images.moneysavingexpert.com/images/spillthebeans2.gif[/IMGRIGHT]

Avios is the merged points scheme formed, with much public disquiet, from Airmiles & BA Miles (see Avios launches). We've got a new full guide coming, but meanwhile we'd love to hear your tricks to earn extra points and max points' value when you spend 'em. Do you play the Avios scheme like a symphony?

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malkie76 · 21 February 2012 at 9:33PM

The best way to earn Avois is through flights - particularly in premium cabins, even better if someone else is paying.

Triple Dipping - Buy something from Tesco Direct using your BA Amex through the BA eStore. Avois for the Amex spend, Avois for buying through the BA eStore, Avois from converting Tesco Clubcard points.

The BA Amex is an absolute must to double the redemption values of your avois.

Without the BA Amex your best spend will always been to upgrade using avois (UUA) from world traveller plus (premium economy) to business - a few hundred quid, and a few thousand avois will see you flying to the USA in business class.

Roger1 · 22 February 2012 at 9:49AM

malkie76 wrote: »

The BA Amex is an absolute must to double the redemption values of your avois.

Yes. Note that there are TWO BA AmEx cards currently available.

There's the fee-free ('Classic') card earning 1 Avios per £ and the Premium Plus card earning 1.5 Avios per card, double for expenditure direct with BA. The Classic card offers a 2nd 'free' companion award ticket after £20,000 expenditure in a year. The Premium Plus card costs £150 and offers a 2nd 'free' companion ticket once a year if expenditure exceeds £10,000.

Is the PP card worth £150 a year? This depends on your circumstances and how you would use the card. Given the 50% extra Avios earning rate (200% extra for BA spend), you would hit £10k spend sooner and qualify for a 2-4-1 redemption.

Otherwise, use the Avios for upgrades, as malkie76 suggests, or business class tickets. As award tickets incur charges for taxes, fuel supplements, captain's cheese sandwich etc etc, it is generally a bad idea to redeem for economy seats.

If you don't want an AmEx card, the Tesco Clubcard Mastercard offers Clubcard points which can be exchanged for Avios. The standard redemption rate is 600 Avios per £2.50 in Clubcard points. There is currently a promotion offering an extra 400 Avios per £2.50 making 1,000 Avios per £2.50. This expires at the end of March.

CAHA · 22 February 2012 at 9:50AM

Totally 100% endorse/agree with this post. Have been doing it for years, combined with the use of a Tesco Credit Card to use in non-Amex places, has resulted in us enjoying two business class flights to the USA each year. One word of warning the taxes BA charges for these "free" flights has escalated (£500 per person now) but it is still good value overall. If you know someone who has a BA Amex card get them to recommend you as you both receive bonus miles - think it is around 9,000 each

Roger1 · 22 February 2012 at 9:57AM

Yes, that's another good way of boosting Avios!

The referrer needs a name and e-mail address to do the job. I imagine posters giving information in this thread know what to do.

chris_k · 22 February 2012 at 10:11AM

I just logged into my BA Amex account and checked the referral bonus on offer currently for the BA Amex cards.

There is:

9,000 Avios Bonus for the Standard BA Amex

19,000 Avios Bonus for the Premium Plus.

You earn 1.5 BA Avios per £ and get a 2 4 1 voucher for the Premium Plus card, which is valid for 2 years. This gives gives you a second seat on the plane. You do have to pay for the taxes and fees for both tickets.

The Standard card provides 1 Avios per £1 and the voucher is valid for one year.

The seats need to be booked out of their award availability and as the taxes and fees are high the best value is business or upgrading from World Traveller Plus to Club.

On_The_Ball · 22 February 2012 at 10:33AM

Are there any great benefits of the BA Amex over the Lloyds Amex?

9000 Avios for joining and spending £1000 in three months is pretty good, but past that I'm not sure.

Roger1 · 22 February 2012 at 10:42AM

The main benefit of the BA PP AmEx is the companion ticket after £10,000 expenditure in a year. This can be in any class. Most users believe that business or first class tickets offer the best value.

There is a companion ticket offer for the LloydsTSB Duo AmEx Premier but only in economy.

On_The_Ball · 22 February 2012 at 10:50AM

That's clinched it for me then - since the change to Avios I'm only going to use them for "reward saver" (ha!) flights. I'd rather pay for my long-haul flights as upgrading isn't something I do.

Thanks for that!

chris_k · 22 February 2012 at 10:59AM

OnTheBall

The Premium Plus card comes with good travel insurance if your plane is late or your bags go missing or are delayed. It does not cover medical care. The standard card does not come with this benefit.

I had my case delayed once and Amex were happy to cover nearly a £1000 of spend to buy essentials. If a flight is delayed, I think it is 4 hours, they will pay for meals, accommodation that is charged to your card.

Amex are also quite good at offering incentives on an occasional basis. This might be to shop at certain stores and get £30.

megamezzosoprano · 22 February 2012 at 11:26AM

I've just converted a bunch of unused Tesco vouchers to Avios to get the better deal. I hasn't realised that if you log in to your Clubcard account, they show you all your unused vouchers (doh), and you can print them out too.

Previously, my vouchers had been getting dog-earred on my noticeboard, and when I checked them against the printout, there were some that I hadn't got paper vouchers for, so I had more than expected. Bargain!

Hand on heart, BA is not my favourite airline after a pretty torrid trip to Oz late last year, but for short haul, I'll brave it! I will still be checking that easyjet isn't 'cheaper', however; it's all about the flight distance you can get for the ££s and the miles, after all.

Spill the beans ... on your Avios points boosting successes

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