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New British Airways Avios Sweet Spots From Nine US Cities to Ireland
JT Genter
Contributor
JT is a location-independent digital nomad traveling 250,000+ miles each year with his wife Katie.
Dec. 14, 2016
•
4 min read
New British Airways Avios Sweet Spots From Nine US Cities to Ireland
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Last week we shared the unfortunate news that the Boston (BOS) - Dublin (DUB) sweet spot using Avios isn't quite as attractive anymore. British Airways is following Aer Lingus' new award chart and treating BOS-DUB as part of Zone 5, even though the mileage between the two cities should make it a Zone 4 redemption. This change raises the standard one-way redemption cost on this route by 7,500 Avios in economy and a whopping 22,500 Avios in business.
But there's a silver lining to this change. Concurrent with British Airways' move to follow the Aer Lingus chart, BA also started allowing Aer Lingus award flights to be redeemed with Avios at "off-peak" pricing. Formerly, only British Airways and Iberia flights were eligible for the off-peak pricing.
For the BOS-DUB route, this means that award flights on off-peak dates cost just 500 Avios more each direction than before. In business class, the difference isn't as minor. Off-peak Zone 5 costs 12,500 more Avios each way than the standard Zone 4 business-class redemption.
However, this off-peak change now opens 10 new routes at cheaper rates. Previously, you'd have to pay 20,000 Avios each way to book an Aer Lingus economy award flight on routes between 3,001 and 4,000 miles. Now, if you fly during Aer Lingus' off-peak dates (caution: PDF link), you'll pay just 13,000 Avios each way on these routes. For these off-peak dates, that's a savings of 14,000 Avios round-trip thanks to this change.
For routes between 4,001 and 5,500 miles, the standard Zone 6 award rate is 25,000 Avios. But, you'll pay just 16,250 Avios each way during off-peak dates.
Figuring the off-peak dates are super restrictive? Good news. The off-peak dates stretch through much of the year — excluding the winter holidays, the middle of April and peak summer travel. The exact off-peak dates are January 5-April 6, April 24-June 16 and September 11-December 15.
| City | Route | Flight Miles | Standard Rate (economy) | Off-Peak Rate (economy) | Savings (one-way) | Approximate Value of savings* (one-way) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford | BDL-DUB | 3,078 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | $105 |
| New York | JFK-SNN | 3,095 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | $105 |
| New York | JFK-DUB | 3,179 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | $105 |
| Newark | EWR-DUB | 3,193 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | $105 |
| Toronto | YYZ-DUB | 3,279 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | $105 |
| Washington DC | IAD-DUB | 3,404 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | $105 |
| Chicago | ORD-DUB | 3,674 | 20,000 | 13,000 | 7,000 | $105 |
| Orlando | MCO-DUB | 4,072 | 25,000 | 16,250 | 8,750 | $131 |
| Miami | MIA-DUB | 4,165 | 25,000 | 16,250 | 8,750 | $131 |
| San Francisco | SFO-DUB | 5,098 | 25,000 | 16,250 | 8,750 | $131 |
| Los Angeles | LAX-DUB | 5,181 | 25,000 | 16,250 | 8,750 | $131 |
*Based on the latest TPG valuation of British Airways Avios
There's similar savings for award redemptions in business class. During off-peak dates, Aer Lingus flights between 3,001-4,000 miles drop from 60,000 Avios each way to 50,000 Avios. Meanwhile, 4,001-5,500 mile flights drop from 75,000 Avios to 62,500 Avios.
Interested in booking off-peak Aer Lingus flights using Avios? First, you need to figure out generally when you'd like to travel. To get the off-peak rates, you'll need to travel between January 5-April 6, April 24-June 16 and September 11-December 15. Next, search for Aer Lingus award availability using United's website. Finally, call British Airways (1-800-247-9297) to complete the booking.
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Bottom Line
While we're still bemoaning the loss of year-round 25,000-Avios transatlantic round-trips, we can now celebrate 26,000-Avios transatlantic round-trips from six North American cities — and 33,000-Avios round-trips from four other cities — during eight months of the year.
H/T: Travel Miles 101
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- 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.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- 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.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $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.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $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.