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Rate my redemption: New York to London in British Airways economy, using Avios

May 15, 2022
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4 min read
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Rate my redemption: New York to London in British Airways economy, using Avios
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Editor's Note

This article is part of a new series to help you redeem your miles and points for maximum value

. If you would like our loyalty experts to rate your redemption, please email ben.smithson@thepointsguy.co.uk with a description of what you redeemed your airline, hotel or credit card points or miles for, and why. Please do not include any personally identifying information like passenger name records or passport details.

We bring you tips and tricks to earn and redeem your points and miles every week here at TPG, so you can maximize your travel.

Our team loves hearing success stories about how you're using your loyalty currencies. Unsure if you're getting a great deal from your next redemption?

Why not ask the experts?

Today, TPG UK's own social media superstar Liam Spencer shares his most recent redemption:



In July I'm flying to New York to film a very special video for TPG UK's YouTube channel (stayed tuned!) with a few other members of the team. It will be the first time I've visited the Big Apple since COVID-19 halted travel all the way back in March 2020, so I wanted to give myself a good amount of time to become reacquainted with the city.
I booked a week's vacation in the city following the work trip, with plans for another friend to fly out of London and meet me in NYC. This meant I needed to book a flight back home to London in early August.
After a quick scan on Google Flights, the cheapest nonstop one-way economy fare available was a 422 euro [$519.53] ticket with Delta, and a British Airways flight would have cost 515 euros [$634.03].
Neither of these options was particularly appealing, especially given that I'd built up a fairly hefty balance of over 200,000 points across various programs during the last couple of years, with little chance to use them thanks to the pandemic.
I found excellent award availability with British Airways, and decided to book a one-way ticket from JFK to London Heathrow in World Traveller economy for 30,000 Avios and 46 euros [$56.63] in taxes and fees. This to me felt like a great savings on the cheapest cash price, and also gave me a chance to dip into my points balance for the first time in a couple of years.
How do you rate my redemption?

Ordinarily, I don't recommend redeeming any airline points or miles for long-haul economy flights. This is because the fees, taxes and surcharges can be close to the cost of a normal cash fare. For example, I can see round-trip nonstop flights from London to New York from as low as $453 in off-peak periods.

You could alternatively redeem 13,000 Avios plus $492.45 in fees, taxes and surcharges. This would not be a good redemption as you would be paying more in fees, taxes and surcharges than the cost of a cash fare, plus be parting with 13,000 Avios.

British Airways offers a sliding scale for Avios redemptions like this — you can reduce the cost of your fees, taxes and surcharges by paying with more Avios — this is what Liam did to pay only 46 euros ($56.63) on top of his Avios for his one-way flight.

(Screenshot from British Airways)

Related: Why are the fees, taxes and surcharges on Avios redemptions so high?

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A quirk of transatlantic flights is that one-way fares are often more expensive than a round-trip flight on the same route and dates. Liam found a one-way BA flight for 515 euros ($634.03), though the price would have dropped to as low as 431 euros ($530.61) if he had booked a New York-to-London round trip, rather than a one-way flight.

Even compared to the $530.61 price, Liam is getting good value from his Avios redeeming the way he did. Using our current valuation of Avios of 1.5 cents each, his 30,000 Avios plus $56.63 in fees, taxes and surcharges would be worth $506.63. Using this to save $530.61, he's getting around 1.7 cents in value per Avios.

He would have achieved slightly better value by paying less Avios and more fees, taxes and surcharges on the sliding scale above, but I recognize Liam is keen to use more Avios as he has a large balance.

Related: The best flights to ease jet lag when traveling to or from London

So, I rate this redemption a smart use of Avios. Just remember to check the price of round-trip cash fares across the Atlantic next time, as you may find them cheaper than one-way.

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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at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    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. (Partner offer)

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.