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British Airways just launched its best deal of the year! Now through October 13, all long-haul British Airways reward flights are 50% off when you use your Avios to book.
This promotion applies to any British Airways flight or seat—including first class—as long as there's award availability. Plus, you can book as far out as June 2021. So, if you have British Airways Avios, you'll definitely want to check out this deal!
British Airways Reward Flight Sale Promotion Terms
- No registration required
- 50% Avios discount on long-haul flights
- 25% Avios discount on award flights within Europe
- Discount applies to all cabins of service: World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business), and First Class
- Bookings must be completed by October 13, 2020
- Travel must be before June 30, 2021
- Only valid on British Airways-operated flights
The 50% discount applies to all long-haul flights. That's great news for anyone outside Europe, as all British Airways award prices have been cut in half. However, intra-Europe flights only get a 25% discount. That's only going to affect those in Europe (as I am).
World Traveller return flights between Los Angeles and London would usually cost 60,000 Avios. With this deal, they are only 30,000. Similarly, New York to London return flights are usually 50,000, but you can get them for 25,000 with your Avios this week.
Caveats
- Reward flights are subject to availability and some routes may have little or no reward flight availability.
- You will still need to pay a cash amount to cover taxes, fees, and carrier charges. And those can be steep on British Airways.
- If you need to cancel or change your booking, British Airways has reasonable cancellation fees that depend on your point of departure.
Where Can You Go With British Airways
I know there's a lot of uncertainty with travel these days, and border restrictions are changing all the time. You will need to do your own research on what countries you could book your BA flights for this week.
A couple of suggestions for countries that allow tourists without a quarantine (some may require a negative COVID test) are Croatia, North Macedonia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Serbia (Belgrade is an awesome city!), Kenya, Egypt, and the Maldives. All of these destinations are served by British Airways.
Just remember that you'll want to limit your connections. British Airways charges for reward flights by segment.
If possible, you'll want to book flights on routes that British Airways has reduced fees. For U.S. routes, that includes flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Newark (EWR), New York Kennedy (JFK), Orlando (MCO), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose, CA (SJC) and Seattle (SEA).
For example, an off-peak one-way economy flight from Boston to London costs just 6,500 Avios plus $82.90 in taxes and fees:
How to Get More Avios
If you're looking to top off your Avios account to book a flight, you have options. British Airways Executive Club is a transfer partner of:
- American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio, immediate transfer time)
- Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio, immediate transfer time)
- Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 transfer ratio, with a 5,000-Avios bonus for transferring 60,000 points, 10-hour transfer time)
Or, you can transfer Iberia Avios to British Airways Avios.
One of the most popular methods to earn more Avios is the British Airways Visa Signature® Card. The card currently offers up to 100,000 bonus Avios - 75,000 Avios when you spend $5,000 within 3 months of account opening, and 25,000 additional Avios when you spend $20,000 within the first 12 months of account opening.
You can also earn Avios toward future redemptions by shopping at certain online retailers via the British Airways Avios online shopping portal. Earning rates are currently up to 12 Avios on every dollar you spend. Read our article on the British Airways Avios Program for full information on getting more Avios and how to best redeem them.
Our Take
British Airways Avios can be excellent for booking partner flights. However, the high taxes and fees on British Airways-operated flights can be prohibitively expensive for some travelers. That said, at 50% off, these awards just got a lot more attractive. So now may be the time to book if you've been hoping to try out British Airways' new Club World Suites or legendary First Class product.
Change and cancellation fees on British Airways Avios bookings are reasonable. So, you can book travel well into 2021 without having to worry about losing too much if plans change. Just make sure to do your research quickly, as you only have until October 13 to purchase.
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