British Airways is doing an Avios redemption sale, with up to 40% off certain destinations. It’s always fun when airlines do points sales, and it’s especially fun for young professionals, who are just starting to get into the business, and would see their first redemption as a quite exciting one. If you’re a young professional with some Avios or credit card points knocking about, here’s how to make the most of this fare sale.
Manage your expectations (this is for economy and short-haul business class travel only)
Many people start collecting points because of aspirational long-haul travel in premium cabins. This is an awesome way to redeem points (Virgin Atlantic points generally give you the best shot at long-haul travel), though with British Airways’ current fare sale, this isn’t the case. British Airways is only offering their 40% fare sale for economy class travel worldwide, as well as short-haul business class travel (this is intra-European business class, which is just economy class with a blocked middle seat, a meal, and lounge access).
The full list of destinations is here. I’d say that for any short-haul destination, most of the time I’d just recommend booking an economy class flight. It’s a steal to book a flight for as low as 5,500 Avios, and that’s possible to many destinations around Europe.
Fly British Airways’ economy class for 40% off Avios (as low as 11,000 Avios roundtrip)
There are a few destinations where I’d consider flying business class. If you’re flying to Budapest, Phoenix, or Vienna, you get to depart out of Heathrow’s Terminal 3. Business class tickets to Phoenix aren’t part of the fare sale, though if you can find award space, you can fly to Budapest or Vienna, and spend the day at Qantas and Cathay Pacific’s lavish Heathrow lounges, which feature awesome drinks and unlimited made-to-order food. (If you have Oneworld Sapphire status or above, you’ll also get to use these lounges without flying business class.) Even then, I would only book business class one way, and return in economy.
Drop by the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge before your 9,750 Avios flight to Budapest
There are also some nice outstation lounges where I’d consider paying the extra ~4,000 miles for the one-way flight to upgrade:
- If flying Club Europe out of Paris Charles de Gaulle you get access to the Qatar Airways lounge, which I’d say is one of the best Oneworld lounges in Europe (frankly, you can’t access if on a Oneworld Sapphire membership)
- If flying Club Europe out of Amsterdam you get access to the whimsical Oneworld lounge, which isn’t nearly as good, but does feature good cocktails
- While business class tickets to Los Angeles and San Francisco aren’t part of the deal, if flying economy out of these airports with Oneworld status, you would get access to good lounges
- While not a lounge, if flying into Heathrow’s Terminal 3 in the evening as a non-UK passport holder, it might be worth considering getting business class so you get Fast Track
The slightly whimsical Oneworld lounge in Amsterdam
Generally it isn’t worth visiting any of the lounges at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, and I don’t think there are any particularly remarkable lounges out of any of the other airports where this deal applies.
Be flexible on where you travel, and don’t forget about accommodation cost
Unfortunately with fare sales like these, award space can be scant. Be open to flying anywhere that you’d be keen to visit, and don’t put your expectations up if there was somewhere specific you wanted to check out.
Of course, when booking a fare sale, you’re not factoring in the cost of accommodation. I’d do a quick Google Hotels check to gauge accommodation prices before booking, especially if you’re planning on staying for a long weekend. Some destinations can be pricey, especially over the summer.
Check what hotel options you have access to before booking your flight – these can easily offset the few miles you save
You’ll save the most miles longhaul, but you’ll be taxed accordingly
While I haven’t looked into this as much, you’ll be able to save the most miles when flying longhaul in economy. For example, a one-way flight to New York is going for 15,000 miles, and a one-way flight to Dubai is going for 22,500 miles. Do note that you’ll have to pay the Air Passenger Duty and higher fuel surcharges (~£100 per direction), though, so the overall cost of these flights may be more than expected.
You might be able to snatch a great deal long-haul if you don’t mind paying a higher Air Passenger Duty tax
This can be a great option if you’re already looking to travel long-haul, though may not be as much of a last-minute purchase.
If there’s award space in only one direction, consider paying for the other direction
There are probably going to be a few routes that only have award space in one direction. If you happen to find a good deal somewhere that you’ve been hoping to visit, use Google Flights to see whether you can come back – whether that be on British Airways, or a low-cost airlines such as Ryanair or easyJet. Bear in mind that if you fly economy on most full-service airlines you can bring a carry-on bag with you, whereas you’ll have to pay extra to do so on an airline such as Ryanair.
This means that your £24 one-way flight might actually cost £53 with a bag. It might still be £5 cheaper than British Airways, though you’d miss out on miles earning opportunities and qualifying flights towards status (as well as a free snack). As much as I don’t mind waiting 25 minutes standing in a boarding queue waiting for a Ryanair 737 that’s yet to arrive, I’d gladly pay £5 extra to buy myself out of that experience. Of course this is a moot point if you’re backpacking, in which case you might get a much better deal on Ryanair or easyJet.
Do the maths before booking your Ryanair flight – if you’re bringing a roller bag, British Airways might actually be cheaper
Earn your points back on Hostelworld
If you’re a hostel stayer, use the Avios shopping portal to book with Hostelworld. I’ve not seen a promotion like this before – Hostelworld is offering 30 Avios per £1 spent – meaning that if you spend £188 (or ~£47/night for 4 nights), you get half of the points back that you spent on your British Airways economy class roundtrip. If you’re keen on getting a private room, there are some hostels on Hostelworld that offer private hotel rooms as well. The big selling point of hostels isn’t necessarily cost – it’s the ability to meet people, especially if you’re solo travelling or travelling with a frequent travel partner.
I’m quite new to staying at hostels, and a general tip is to filter for hostels with 24h security, sort by rating, then choose the hostel that looks like a best fit for you.
Conclusion
Here are some tips on how to take advantage of the latest British Airways redemption sale. Since it’s a percentage discount you’re more likely to save more longhaul, though due to the Air Passenger Duty tax on longhaul flights, this is more likely to incentivise travellers to book last-minute short-haul travel to nearby destinations.