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For the second time this year, British Airways devalued its Avios program. Earlier this week, British Airways made an unannounced change to the number of Avios needed for select partner award redemptions. Here's what you need to know about the new British Airways partner award chart after this devaluation.
British Airways' March 2021 Partner Award Changes
In March 2021, British Airways increased the number of miles required for short to medium-haul flights. This round of devaluations only affected flights operated by British Airways; partner awards were not impacted by this change. All BA flights of up to 2,000 miles in distance were increased by 750 Avios. This increased these award redemptions by around $17 to $25 worth of Avios by our estimates.
Here's what British Airways' short-haul award chart looks like after the March devaluation:
| Flight distance (miles) | Economy (Off-Peak) | Economy (Peak) | Business (Off-Peak) | Business (Peak) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 | 4,750 (+750) | 5,250 (+750) | 8,500 (+750) | 9,750 (+750) |
| 651-1,151 | 7,250 (+750) | 8,250 (+750) | 13,500 (+750) | 15,750 (+750) |
| 1,152-2,000 | 9,250 (+750) | 10,750 (+750) | 17,750 (+750) | 20,750 (+750) |
The devaluations to the Avios program made in March were also unannounced.
How Many Additional Avios You'll Need for Partner Award Flights
Now, less than 5 months later, British Airways has devalued select partner award redemptions. The most recent round of devaluations is not as uniform as those made in March. While zones 1 through 3 are impacted by these changes, the increased number of Avios required varies from airline to airline.
Here's how partner awards operated by Cathay Pacific have changed as a result of these changes:
| Flight distance (miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 | 9,750 | 14,300 | 20,800 |
| 651-1,151 | 12,000 | 21,600 | 30,000 |
| 1,152-2,000 | 14,300 | 23,400 | 32,500 |
| 2,001-3,000 | 15,600 | 30,900 | 46,500 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 20,750 | 41,250 | 77,250 |
And here's how these changes impact award flights operated by Japan Airlines (JAL):
| Flight distance (miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 | 10,500 | N/A | 17,500 | N/A |
| 651-1,151 | 11,000 | N/A | 26,400 | N/A |
| 1,152-2,000 | 14,300 | 21,450 | 31,200 | N/A |
| 2,001-3,000 | 15,600 | 30,900 | 46,500 | 61,800 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 20,750 | 41,250 | 62,000 | 82,500 |
As these changes are unannounced, it is not clear why British Airways saw the need to increase the number of Avios needed for these partner award flights. As noted by One Mile At A Time, the main reason airlines increase the number of points or miles for partner award travel is related to the cost associated with reimbursing partner airlines for these award flights. That is, the cost associated with these award flights might have increased for British Airways.
Ultimately, these changes mean travelers will need up to 52% more Avios for these award redemptions. This significant change equates to an increase of up to $255 in value on Cathay Pacific business class flights between 651 and 1,151 miles in distance.
The Bottom Line
British Airways Avios program remains a solid program for both short-haul and long-haul award travel. However, British Airways has slowly chipped away at the program's value.
To add insult to injury, the two most recent devaluations were done with no advance notice. Moreso, these changes come at a time where many travelers are still unable to travel as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
While the increase in Avios needed for award travel isn't great for travelers, British Airways' failure to notify members about these changes is arguably worse.
What do you make of these changes? Do you have any plans to redeem Avios in the coming months?
H/T: Loyalty Lobby
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