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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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An excellent use of Avios: Understanding British Airways’ Reward Flight Saver redemptions
Featured image by DINENDRA HARIA/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET/GETTY IMAGES
Ben Smithson is a senior writer for TPG and is based in London. Originally from Australia and a qualified lawyer with a financial services background, he has almost a decade of experience writing about a broad range of travel and loyalty topics.
October 8, 2024 • 11 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
British Airways Reward Flight Savers allow travelers to redeem Avios for flights with significantly reduced fees, taxes and surcharges, especially on short-haul routes.
These awards are available on all British Airways-operated flights except first class, with pricing based on distance per flight segment.
Short-haul Reward Flight Savers within Europe and the Caribbean can cost less than $1 in fees per flight, offering strong value for Avios redemptions.
For long-haul flights, travelers can choose to pay more Avios to reduce surcharges, though the value compared to cash fares varies by route and cabin.
What to consider
To book a Reward Flight Saver, you must have earned at least 1 Avios in the 12 months before booking, which can be satisfied through transfers or earning activity.
All Avios redemptions include free checked luggage, and elite status benefits with partner airlines may apply.
TPG's October 2024 valuation places Avios at 1.4 cents each, which can help assess redemption value.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of Reward Flight Saver pricing, eligibility requirements and strategies for maximizing Avios redemptions on both short- and long-haul flights.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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?
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.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
Reward Flight Savers for short-haul flights
DANIEL ROSS/THE POINTS GUY
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.
You can also pay more cash and fewer Avios, if you wish to save your rewards.
Reward Flight Savers for long-haul flights
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)
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.
Applying for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card (see rates and fees) 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 new applicants to earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Per TPG's October 2025 valuations, TPG values Avios at 1.4 cents each, making the full bonus worth $1,050.
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.
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: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. terms apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $12,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 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.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
