Lower fuel surcharges: Reward Flight Saver rolled out on all British Airways flights
If you’ve gasped at the sky-high fees, taxes and fuel surcharges for Avios redemptions on long-haul British Airways flights, there is now a solution.
From Wednesday, British Airways is rolling out its Reward Flight Saver offer on all BA-operated flights — long-haul and short-haul — in every cabin except first following a trial on some long-haul routes in economy class.
The popular offer on short-haul flights has long been a great deal; it requires low Avios and fixed fees, taxes and surcharges for redemptions across the airline’s expansive European network.
As a solution to the ever-increasing surcharges passengers must pay on long-haul flights operated by British Airways, Executive Club members can now redeem more Avios in exchange for paying less cash.
Using a round-trip ticket from New York to London in Club Suite business class as an example, this new Reward Flight Saver long-haul option gives members the chance to redeem 160,000 Avios and pay only $700 in fees, taxes and surcharges. With traditional rates, this same trip would require you to redeem 100,000 Avios plus $1,900 in fees, taxes and surcharges. You’d also have the option to redeem fewer Avios and pay more cash — down to 50,000 Avios and $3,360 — to cover taxes and fees.
So, while you would be using an additional 60,000 Avios — which TPG values at $900 — you would save $1,200 cash on surcharges.
How to get the best value from new long-haul Reward Flight Savers
The new Avios/Surcharges pricing options will be especially valuable for Travel Together voucher redemptions. This is because when redeeming one of these vouchers — which requires paying the Avios for the other passenger on your reservation — both passengers still need to pay the fees, taxes and surcharges.
With the traditional rates for a New York to London redemption, you would need to pay 100,000 Avios plus roughly $1,900 in fees, taxes and surcharges per person. This comes out to an eye-watering $3,800 for both passengers combined.
Using the new Reward Flight Saver option in conjunction with a Travel Together voucher would reduce this cash amount significantly, letting you pay 60,000 additional Avios to save $2,400 in surcharges across both passengers, which is a fantastic use of Avios.
Here’s how the new Reward Flight Saver pricing breaks down on two popular routes from the U.S. to Europe with return flights on off-peak dates.
Route (round-trip) | Cabin | Avios required | Cost of fees, taxes and surcharges |
---|---|---|---|
New York to London | World Traveller. | 50,000. | $200. |
World Traveller Plus. | 85,000. | $560. | |
Club World. | 160,000. | $700. | |
Los Angeles to London | World Traveller. | 60,000. | $300. |
World Traveller Plus. | 95,000. | $660. | |
Club World. | 180,000. | $900. |
Bottom line
If you are sitting on a large Avios balance — especially if you earned those Avios with little effort through your everyday spending — this is a fantastic option to save money on your next redemption. Having an additional choice is never a bad thing.
Remember that you can still redeem your Avios at normal rates. This is just an additional option for Executive Club members.
Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh.
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There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
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- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
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- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
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Rewards Rate
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. |
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). |
3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. |
Intro Offer
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.60,000 bonus pointsAnnual Fee
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Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
- 4x on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x)
- 3x on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
- Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Cons
- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and 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, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees