Get 5,000 bonus Avios and discounted Club Europe prices via BA Holidays

For a few years now, British Airways has been playing ‘catch up’ with the Expedia‘s of this world by trying to sell discounted ‘flight and hotel’ packages.  These are very lucrative because of the healthy commission on the hotel room and the ability to sneak out flight tickets at a discount without damaging the ‘headline’ ticket price paid by corporates.

This occasionally means that you can book a Club Europe flight plus a hotel via BA Holidays for less than a weekend-away Club Europe flight on its own.

There is a decent combination of deals available at the moment which makes this option even more interesting.

If you click here, you will see the bonus Avios you earn as a British Airways Executive Club member when you book via BA Holidays.  1,000 Avios for a short-haul Economy flight holiday is not exciting.  5,000 Avios for a short-haul Club Europe holiday is better!

Amusingly, BA has also launched ‘book now and pay later’.  As long as your travel dates are more than 10 weeks away, you can pay a £150 deposit and settle the rest later.

Let’s look at Dubrovnik, the lovely walled Croatian city, as an example.  From the 15-17 March, using the ‘flight and hotels’ booking option at ba.com, I can get 2 nights at the Hilton Dubrovnik (a very smart restored historic property) for 2 people for £555.  This is with Club Europe flights.

The price is competitive – the flights on their own, via ba.com, come out at £424 so you are getting the Hilton – which is a five-star property – for £65 per night.

BA Holidays is definitely worth a look if planning a weekend away in Europe.

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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.