Bits: 60 free Avios via Clubcard, BA increases bag charges, BA launches Valencia

Three BA-related bits of news in brief:

60 free Avios for everyone via Tesco Clubcard

Tesco has launched a new online game in association with Kit-Kat.  You can find it here.

Whilst I wouldn’t normally waste time with such things, you will receive 25 Clubcard points the first time you play it.  This is worth 60 Avios or 62 Virgin Flying Club miles and potentially worth a few seconds of your time.  If you take it seriously there are various techy prize to be won as well.

British Airways increased extra bag charges

With immediate effect, British Airways has announced a substantial increase in baggage fees.

On short-haul and domestic flights from Heathrow or City, any baggage in excess of your allowance will cost you £60 per suitcase when booked in advance.  This is up 50% from the current £40.

On ‘hand baggage only’ fares, your first checked bag will cost from £20-£40 depending on route if paid in advance.  All excess baggage fees paid at the airport on all short-haul routes will be £65 per case.

Prices from Gatwick have not changed and are substantially lower than the Heathrow or City costs listed above.

On long-haul, the cost of a second case in World Traveller will rise £5, from £55 to £60, when booked in advance.  3+ cases will cost £120 each.  If paid at the airport, the cost is a stunning £65 /  £140 respectively.

These charges are one-way so you need to double them for a return journey.

If you live outside the UK, other excess baggage fares have also been increased when priced in € or $ to take account of recent currency fluctuations.

Full details of BA’s new excess baggage pricing can be found here.

New British Airways route to Valencia

Finally, British Airways announced a new route to Valencia from London Gatwick on Tuesday.

This will be a year-round service, starting at four flights per week from November 6th and increasing to six flights per week from next Summer.   If you’ve exhausted ‘the usual suspects’ of Spanish weekend break destinations then Valencia is well worth a look.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2023)

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive 30,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 30,000 Avios) with American Express Preferred Rewards Gold. You receive 25,000 points if you spend £3,000 in three months and a further 5,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive a huge 100,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 100,000 Avios) with The Platinum Card. You receive 75,000 points if you spend £10,000 in six months and a further 25,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

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.

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.