Exploring the limits of Reward Flight Saver via Iberia

I am a huge fan of the Avios ‘Reward Flight Saver’ redemptions, which cap your taxes and charges at £27 for a return Economy ticket and £37 for a return Business ticket.  I wrote more about it here.

I decided to spend some time last week exploring what is actually possible with Reward Flight Saver tickets issued by Iberia. 

(Remember that you can transfer your BAEC or avios.com points over to Iberia Plus using the ‘Combine My Avios’ feature.)

Why did I do this?  Well, Reward Flight Saver redemptions are available on direct BA or Iberia redemptions where the main flight is under 2,000 miles. 

Flying from London on BA, this covers everything down to Marrakech and Istanbul.  You also fly to Moscow using Reward Flight Saver.  Now that this route has gone to 747’s with long-haul seating, this is your only chance to experience First Class or Club World whilst paying the heavily reduced level of Reward Flight Saver taxes.

However …. were there any interesting Iberia redemptions under 2,000 miles from their hubs in Madrid or Barcelona?  After all, Madrid is a lot further south than London, so in theory it should open up a number of different Reward Flight Saver destinations within a 2,000 mile radius.

I was, therefore, disappointed by what I found.  Most of Iberia’s routes are to Latin and South America.  There are only two routes, both ex-Madrid, which offer a Reward Flight Saver opportunity not offered by BA.  These are Dakar in Senegal and Nouakchott in Mauritania.  Neither of these are likely to be top of any tourist itinerary, although obviously the routes will be of interest to those in the UK with family in the region.

Madrid to Dakar prices out (return) at 30,000 Avios plus Euro 27 in Economy or 60,000 Avios plus Euro 37 in Business, with the flight stopping at Gran Canaria on the way.

Madrid to Nouakchott is the same, with an identical stop.

A Reward Flight Saver flight from the UK to Madrid to connect with these services would cost 15,000 Avios plus £27 in Economy.

Reward Flight Saver flights are also available on Comair from South Africa – I will take a look at these in a future article.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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 Mastercard

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

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 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

30,000 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large 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, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

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

50,000 points when you sign-up 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.