Bits: exclusive Avios hotel redemption deals, 50% bonus miles on Virgin West Coast, BA to Tehran

News in brief:

Exclusive Avios hotel redemption deals

I have agreed with Avios that they will tip me off about their most aggressive hotel redemption deals.  You can book these hotels via avios.com using your points, but you can also pay in cash if necessary.

These are exclusive Avios deals and are priced at 40% – 70% less than you would pay on Expedia for the same hotel.  I was sent the comparison data but I won’t bore you with it.

If you are heading to any of the following places, it is worth pricing up these hotels on avios.com this weekend:

Hotel Mundial, Lisbon (4-star)

Nira Caledonia, Edinburgh (5-star)

Casa Nicolo Priuli, Venice (3-star)

1 Hotel South Beach, Miami (5-star)

The Crane, Barbados (5-star)

50% bonus Flying Club miles with Virgin West Coast trains

Until 3rd March, Virgin West Coast is giving a 50% bonus on Flying Club miles.  You will earn 3 miles per £1, instead of the usual 2.

This applies only to Advance tickets, but both East Coast and West Coast are included. You only need to book by this date, not travel.  The West Coast home page is here.

British Airways relaunches Tehran service

Finally, British Airways will resume flights to Tehran on 14th July.

It will begin as a six day a week service, increasing to a seven day service from the start of the Winter timetable.  It will use a four-class Boeing 777.

The problem with Iran, of course, is that you are no longer allowed to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme if you have visited the country.  This is likely to prove a stumbling block for many potential travellers.  I am assuming that BA cabin crew travel on business visas which, I think, exempt you from the US block.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.