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British Airways confirmed that it's limiting award availability to non-Avios-using airline partners. Effective immediately, the initial minimum release of award seats will only be bookable by British Airways Executive Club members or members of programs that use Avios as their points currency.
This is bad news for flyers who collect miles with other Oneworld airlines — such as American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan — since their availability is much more restricted. Here's what you need to know about these changes.
British Airways Award Availability Change Overview
British Airways offers a minimum number of award seats on every flight as follows:
- Short-haul flights each have a minimum of 12 award seats.
- Long-haul flights each have a minimum of 14 award seats.
Going forward, this first batch of seats will only be released to British Airways and its fellow Avios-using programs: Iberia, Qatar, Aer Lingus, and soon Finnair. Airline partners who do not use Avios will not have access to book this first batch of award seats. Flyers must wait for other award availability to become available.
One exception to this rule is British Airways first class awards. This new restriction does not apply to first-class awards. Therefore, you should see no change to the British Airways first-class availability pattern with the partner you use to book.
Related: How to Search and Book British Airways Avios Award Flights
Sample Award Comparison
To see how much change the new policy has made, we looked for a one-way award between London (LHR) and New York (JFK) on April 25, 2024. If you take the 9:45 a.m. departure, you can get into New York for lunch. On this flight, British Airways offers six seats with saver award availability: two in economy, two in premium economy, and two in business class.
If we complete the same search on American Airlines' website, no award space is available for that flight — although other space is open at other times of the day.
How will this availability shake out in the long run, and will we see dramatic changes? Only time will tell.
Boosting Your British Airways Avios Balance
You have many options if you are looking to take advantage of the increased Executive Club award availability but need to boost your Avios balance. Fortunately, British Airways is a transfer partner with five of the six major flexible points currencies.
Having so many partners gives you lots of flexibility to leverage your points for maximum value. If you hold Amex Membership Rewards, you can be patient and wait for another 30% transfer bonus to come around. Alternatively, if you are a Chase Ultimate Rewards collector, you can also bide your time until another 30% bonus comes around the corner.
With so many partners, travelers can consolidate small points balances into one substantial Avios balance. This way, you can still maximize the use of smaller balances that wouldn't otherwise be enough for premium awards.
U.S.-based travelers can boost their Avios balance directly through the British Airways Visa Signature® Card. Eligible new cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Plus, you'll earn Avios on everyday purchases at the following rates:
- 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL
- 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
- 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: British Airways Visa Signature Card Review
Transferring Avios Between Partners
One thing to remember is that, uniquely among airline loyalty programs, four airlines share the Avios currency. Furthermore, you can transfer your Avios between programs virtually instantaneously and at no extra cost. You can transfer Avios between the following programs.
- British Airways.
- Iberia
- Qatar Airways.
- Aer Lingus.
Remember that Finnair will join the Avios program in 2024, bringing the total number of Avios-participating airlines to five.
Related: How to transfer Avios between British Airways, Iberia, Qatar, Aer Lingus
Our Take
What is good for some people is bad for others, and unfortunately, award availability is a zero-sum game. The latest news is disappointing if you are used to booking British Airways awards with non-Avios partners like American Airlines or Alaska.
On the other hand, if you are a BA member or regularly book BA with an Avios partner, then this latest development is good news since you will now have more award availability restricted to Avios flyers. Whether it is worth shifting your entire travel strategy to take advantage of this enhanced availability will ultimately depend on your travel plans and goals.
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