Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Bits: new HfP IT set-up, HfP reader wins 1 million Avios!, Charles Tyrwhitt offer

Links on Head for Points may support the site by paying a commission.  See here for all partner links.

News in brief:

We’re back in business …..

….. after a day off to finalise our IT server move.  Everything has gone to plan, I’m pleased to say.  Page load times have fallen sharply and we have hopefully seen the back of the ‘503’ errors.

I need to thank Neil Barrett for the huge amount of work he has done over the last week.   This involved rebuilding HfP from scratch, rather than just copying the old files across, to allow us to ditch some of the issues from six years of messing about with the old underlying WordPress database.  We also put in some overdue security improvements with SSL to follow in a few days.

Neil is a regular HfP reader but was actually recommended to me by another reader off the back of my request for support a couple of weeks ago.  I bribed Neil with the promise of a plug on HfP if he delivered everything he promised, and he has, so here it is.  He has been very easy to work with and I intend to keep using him for IT work on the site.

Neil is an IT consultant working in web technology for over 20 years and with a particular emphasis on the troubleshooting, functionality building and security of websites.   You can get in touch with him here. As well as his bespoke consultancy services, Neil has run Enbecom since 2002 providing domains, hosting, security and marketing for websites – the more ‘off-the-shelf’ types of services.

As a gesture for HFP readers, Neil has offered 10% off domains, web hosting, SSL and marketing packages bought through the Enbecom site until 31st December 2018, including any monthly or annual renewal payments which are made before then.   Just use this discount code at checkout: HFPREADER2018.

https://www.headforpoints.com/hfp/avis/

HfP readers wins 1 million Avios!

Reader Robert was the winner of 1 million Avios in a competition that Iberia Plus was running in conjunction with Avis.  This was discussed in the HfP comments although I never mentioned it in an article as it was only for Spanish rentals.

Avis has been giving away 1 million Avios per day from 1st to 10th December. 

Avios Charles Tyrwhitt

Earn Avios in the Charles Tyrwhitt shirt and tie sale

If you are coming to the Head for Points Christmas party on Tuesday, you will receive a very generous goody bag gift courtesy of Charles Tyrwhitt.  The company has also kindly donated a business suit as one of our raffle prizes.

The company has already launched its Winter sale, with shirts from £19.99. You will also receive 4 Avios per £1 spent, either online or in-store – just give your BA Executive Club number to the cashier.  Full details of the sale are here, details of the Avios partnership are here.


How to earn Avios from UK credit cards

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:

Barclaycard Avios Plus card

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios card

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

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

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

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.

Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa

Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review

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.

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

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.

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

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

Comments (91)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • John says:

    So you need to buy 3 extra shirts just to save 19p on each one….

    • Frenske says:

      Damn you beat me to it.

    • Mark says:

      Isnt it 4p on each one?

    • David says:

      Haven’t checked this sale, but CT’s pricing structure is usually only a few at the “from” price, with most between £24.99 and £34.99, which are still included in the multibuy offer, so you probably get more of a saving if you choose sensibly.

  • 7wood says:

    Don’t have a great deal of faith in Charles Tyrwhitt’s IT! Have made 3 purchases since October with not a single avios credited so far!
    I do have a credit of zero avios in my account so they do admit I exist.
    Quite like the shirts tho!

  • Hugh says:

    OT: I have a Lloyds Avios Duo card that I use for anywhere that doesn’t take Amex and a Halifax Clarity Card for when I am abroad. I am considering replacing the Lloyds card with a Lloyds Avios Reward card as the rate is better and I think it is as good to use abroad as the Halifax. I know there is no signup bonus but as an existing Lloyds Credit Card holder does anyone know if I get the double Avios for 6 months?

    • Mzungu says:

      Probably too late for you to see, but yes – I did exactly this a couple of months ago, and I’m getting the double Avios. Remember they’re only on the Amex, not MC transactions.

  • Mark says:

    I purchased twice in the last sale but only one was credited. Like 7wood, quite like the shirts!

  • Jak T says:

    OT: can’t find a definitive answer to this…does IHG offer status match? I’m SPG platinum, worth contacting IHG or it bother?

    Thanks!

    • Genghis says:

      No. Check status matcher. There are relatively easy ways to get status though: £99 credit card for Plat or virgin transfers / credit card spend for Spire Elite.

    • mark2 says:

      as Genghis says, but in any case SPG/Marriott Platinum is far, far superior to Spire.

  • CeliaG says:

    We always have difficulty getting Avios onto the account having bought CT shirts. Always have to chase, and with BAEC saying it is CT we should talk to, and vice versa.

    • RichS says:

      Same, always have to chase CT. Really bad IT and customer services whilst friendly aren’t usually much help.

      • Lumma says:

        A while back I had an offer from them that came through the post for 1000 avios with my first purchase. Website wouldn’t accept the code so went on their online chat and was basically told that the code didn’t have enough characters in and it was basically tough luck and couldn’t get the offer. Put me off using them ever since

  • CeliaG says:

    So if anyone has advice or a contact who can troubleshoot this, we would be most grateful…..

    • Rob says:

      There is a CT guy coming on Tuesday, will ask if I get a minute.

      • the real harry1 says:

        wow – he must have been good on the keyboard 🙂

        hope he got your size right, double cuffs are in

    • mark2 says:

      With Marriott you get an email in minutes and the points in a few hours.

    • Adam says:

      Hi Celia, the most common reason for avios not crediting on transactions is where the transaction name differs from your BA/avios account. Otherwise it usually credits in 28 days. Feel free to e-mail me at adam.cummins@ctshirts.co.uk and I can help alternatively info@ctshirts.co.uk for customer services

  • Mike says:

    Rob – welcome back. I missed you from my in box yesterday morning – I didn’t have anything to read over breakfast…

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

The UK's biggest frequent flyer website uses cookies, which you can block via your browser settings. Continuing implies your consent to this policy. Our privacy policy is here.