How to Redeem British Airways Avios Without Huge Fees
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Tomorrow marks the last day that those of us in the US with American Express Membership Rewards points can transfer to British Airways Avios at a 40% bonus, so I thought I'd remind people that it is possible to redeem Avios without paying the huge fees British Airways redemptions are known for.
I've done several series on maximizing British Airways Avios in the past (the most recent one is linked at the bottom of this post) if you are a newbie, but here are 12 quick tips on the basics of redeeming Avios in general, and then I'll get into situations where you can redeem them without incurring huge fees:
1. Avios awards are priced by distance. You can use the Avios Calculator to find out how much your award will cost.
2. Business class always requires twice as many Avios as economy, and first class is always three times as much as economy. A problem with this is that many domestic first class awards on American Airlines are three times the price of coach, when they should really only be 2x. See this post for more info.
3. Awards price segment by segment. So if you want to fly New Orleans-Dallas-Buenos Aires you will have to use the calculator to calculate New Orleans to Dallas (4,500) + Dallas to Buenos Aires (25,000) = 29,500 Avios in economy each way.
4. Most nonstop awards can be booked Britishairways.com -> Executive Club -> Spending Avios -> Book flights with Avios
5. Britishairways.com will automatically try to route you on British Airways flights. So if you are going from Miami to Madrid, you may only see options via London, when non-stops exist on American and Iberia. In this case, you should call.
6. Britishairways.com also has a difficult time piecing together multi-leg trips. So if you aren't going from point A to point B, don't expect it to pull in all routing options. I'd recommend using other sites like AA.com and then searching for MileSaaver availability, which is usually the award inventory American makes available to partners. Or use Qantas' tool and then call British Airways to book the flights.
7. British Airways' US-based call reps are not friendly and you'll usually have to wait at least 10 minutes for an agent. But unfortunately you have to call to book certain partner flights or complicated awards.
8. It's $65 to change or cancel an award - cheaper than most other programs, though they'll charge you for any change and it often takes 30+ minutes to make a simple change (just yesterday I had an agent put me on hold for 30 minutes while he emailed his "rate desk" for simply changing my Nice - London City/ Heathrow - Miami ticket to a straight-up Nice - Heathrow - Miami when better award space opened up after I had booked my original ticket).
9. Cash + Avios deals can be incredible value - especially on coach redemptions (check out the JFK- Montreal itinerary below: 2,250 Avios and $37.50 for a one-way $200+ flight!).
10. Most flights to Europe have huge fuel surcharges (even on carriers like American who don't assess them to their own frequent flyers). However, Air Berlin and Aer Lingus do not have fuel surcharges - so as you'll see below, a sample Miami - Berlin business class flight only has $2.50 in fees! Note: Aer Lingus awards can only be booked over the phone.
11. Using Avios to upgrade British Airways flights can be a great deal, especially if you get a decent World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) fare and can upgrade to Club World (business), like JFK-London only costing 10,000 Avios each way!
12. Iberia has its own Avios program and charges less fees on some awards as outlined here.
Flying On Partners With Lower Fees
Carriers that usually have $200+ fees per roundtrip: British Airways (except intra-European flights and mid-haul to Africa), Finnair (except EU), Royal Jordanian and JAL. However, searching for flights on other partners including American Airlines (not to Europe), Cathay Pacific, LAN and more might bring your fees and surcharges down.
Let's take a look at a few example itineraries I found where the fees and surcharges are quite low, bringing even more value to your Avios.
British Airways Istanbul to London in economy for 10,000 Avios and $20 one way
Iberia Madrid to Barcelona for 4,500 Avios and $20 one way in economy
American JFK to Montreal for only 4,500 Avios and $2.50 each way in economy
American Los Angeles to Kauai for 12,500 Avios and $2.50 one way in economy
JFK to Vancouver on Cathay Pacific in their great business class for only 25,000 Avios and $33.70 one way
Cathay Pacific first class (amazing) San Francisco to Hong Kong for 105,000 Avios and $159.20.
Cathay Pacific business class Hong Kong to London for 60,000 Avios and $150.98 one way
LAN San Francisco to Lima in business class for 50,000 Avios and $17.50 one way
Air Berlin Miami to Berlin for 50,000 Avios and $2.50 in business class one way
Qantas transcontinental Sydney to Perth in business class for 25,000 Avios and $20.01 one way
S7 from St. Petersburg to Moscow for 4,500 Avios and $38.05 one way in economy
Further Reading:
Distance-Based Awards, Spotlight on Taxes and Fees, Travel Together Companion Ticket, Household Accounts, Using Avios to Upgrade Paid Tickets, The Avios and Cash Option, Save Money on Fuel Surcharges by Transferring British Airways Avios to Iberia, Using Avios For Non-Flight Redemptions.
https://thepointsguy.com/2012/09/how-to-redeem-british-airways-avios-without-huge-fees/
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.