No-notice change: British Airways quietly increases European short-haul redemption prices
British Airways has made a change to the amount of Avios you'll need for European short-haul award redemptions. And unfortunately, it's not a good change.
As of Wednesday morning, all short-haul European redemptions appear to have increased by 750 Avios each way, as reported by Head for Points. The new rates are showing effective immediately and appear to apply to all 2021 flights and beyond.
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Before continuing to the European short-haul changes, it's worth noting for U.S.-based flyers, however, that BA doesn't appear to have increased domestic U.S. awards. For example, you can still expect to redeem 7,500 Avios one-way for domestic Zone 1 pricing (for example, New York to Boston) and 9,000 Avios for domestic Zone 2 pricing (for example, New York to Miami).
The increase applies to short-haul European flights in Zones 1 through 3 on BA's award chart. As a refresher, here's what BA's distance-based award chart has looked like, based on one-way flights. In Zones 1-3, you'll see the amount by which short-haul awards have increased:
| Zone #
(distance in miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Off-Peak | Peak | Off-Peak | Peak | Off-Peak | Peak | Off-Peak | Peak | |
Zone 1
(1-650) | 4,750 | 5,250 | N/A | N/A | 8,500 | 9,750 | N/A | N/A |
Zone 2
(651-1,151) | 7,250 | 8,250 | N/A | 13,500 | 15,750 | N/A | N/A | |
Zone 3
(1,152-2,000) | 9,250 | 10,750 | N/A | N/A | 17,750 | 20,750 | N/A | N/A |
Zone 4
(2,001-3,000) | 10,000 | 12,500 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 31,250 | 37,500 | 42,500 | 50,000 |
Zone 5
(3,001-4,000) | 13,000 | 20,000 | 26,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 68,000 | 80,000 |
Zone 6
(4,001-5,500) | 16,250 | 25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 62,500 | 75,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
Zone 7
(5,501-6,500) | 19,500 | 30,000 | 39,000 | 60,000 | 75,000 | 90,000 | 102,000 | 120,000 |
Zone 8
(6,501-7,000) | 22,750 | 35,000 | 45,500 | 70,000 | 87,500 | 105,000 | 119,000 | 140,000 |
Zone 9
(7,001+) | 32,500 | 50,000 | 65,000 | 100,000 | 125,000 | 150,000 | 170,000 | 200,000 |
As premium economy and First aren't offered on short-haul European routes, those amounts do not apply.
The new pricing applies to Reward Saver Flights, which are one of our favorite ways to redeem Avios. With them, you can redeem Avios with a flat fee for taxes, fees and carrier surcharges. The amounts in the chart above apply to the standard base pricing for BA awards, which charge £17.50 ($24) for economy redemptions and £25 ($33) in Club Europe (business class).
Let's take a look at an example. Say you wanted to book a one-way flight from London to Palma de Mallorca (PMI). On an off-peak date such as Sept. 8, you'll have the following Avios + cash options. Do note that the Avios amounts reflect the new 750-Avios increase in price — 7,250 Avios at the base rate. Also be prepared to double that amount for the return journey, for a total of 14,500 Avios return.
What about existing bookings? Well, if you go to change an existing short-haul reward flight reservation yourself to a new date, you'll have to pay the difference in fare — in most cases, 750 Avios more. However, if British Airways cancels your flight, you will be permitted to rebook without having to pay the higher rate.
"We strive to offer choice and value with our reward flights and have introduced more ways to combine Avios and cash — the largest range we’ve ever offered," an IAG Loyalty spokesperson told TPG. "We keep our pricing under review and while we’ve made some changes to our short-haul Reward Flight Saver pricing we continue to offer an industry-leading proposition to British Airways’ Executive Club members."
This is an unfortunate move from British Airways, increasing Avios redemption rates at a time when travelers are looking to redeem their stash of Avios for a post-lockdown getaway. Not only that, but it begs the question of "What is next?"
Immediate program devaluations are nothing new in the world of points and miles, but they never fail to surprise. British Airways' Executive Club has long been one of the preferred booking options for Oneworld flyers, thanks to its lucrative distance-based award chart. (Though it did devalue partner awards in 2019.)
Given its sweet spots in some areas, the BA award chart, which the airline doesn't publish any longer, has always been subject to no-notice changes. And with the introduction of Reward Flight Saver pricing on some long-haul routes, such as New York, there's the possibility BA could extend this increase to other, longer-haul routes.
At this time though, a 750-Avios increase on European short-haul flights doesn't seem too bad. Here's to hoping it doesn't get any worse.
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $6,000 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.