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Bits: join the Avios graduate scheme, Malaysia Airlines ‘upgrade to First Class’ promotion

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News in brief:

Join the Avios graduate recruitment scheme

If you, or a frequent flyer enthusiast you know, are currently in their last year at university or have recently graduated, you might find the Avios graduate recruitment scheme of interest.

Frankly, if you read this site every day you’re probably a shoo in for the job …..

Full details are here.  You will be based in sunny Crawley on a starting salary of £25,000, which seems surprisingly decent by IAG standards.

Over two years you will spend six months in four different roles before being slotted into the role that suits you best.  Travel perks include BA staff standby tickets (turn up the airport with your suitcase, if there is a seat left when check-in closes you can have it) and ‘New Joiner Avios & Birthday Avios’!

Malaysia A380 350

Malaysia Airlines offering free First Class upgrades from London

Malaysia Airlines has launched a ‘free upgrade to First Class’ promotion for travellers between London and Kuala Lumpur.  As Malaysia Airlines is a oneworld member, you will earn British Airways Executive Club Avios and tier points with your flight so they are worth a look if work takes you to KL this Spring.

Until 31st January – and only when booked via a travel agent as this offer is not available online – you will receive:

an upgrade to First Class (‘A’ ticket bucket, if available) when you book Business Class (‘C’ class)

an upgrade to First Class (‘F’ ticket bucket, so always available) when you book Business Class (‘J’ class)

Malaysia runs two flights per day from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur and, whilst they are due to be phased out in the medium term, both currently operate with an A380.

If you are travelling for leisure, Malaysia is currently selling business class tickets to KL for £1,800 in its sale, although these are not in the required ticket buckets to be upgraded.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (July 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 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

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 Card

30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express Credit Card

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 Credit Card

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

50,000 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 points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 on the FREE standard card and 1 Avios per £1 on the Pro card. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 0.8 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 Card

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.

The American Express Business Platinum Card

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

The American Express Business Gold Card

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.

Category

oneworld alliance partners

Comments (16)

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

  • Denis says:
    1 Jan1 January 03:50

    And I’ll be the first to comment in 2017! 🙂 Happy New Year!

  • Jon says:
    1 Jan1 January 08:37

    Happy New Year, all!

    Rob – any idea which travel agents have that Malaysia Airlines offer? Or do you have a link? Can’t find anything about it anywhere, least of all their own web site 😉

    • Rob says:
      1 Jan1 January 10:42

      It isn’t on their website, although I have the press release. I imagine it is automatic when an agent tries to book into a certain class. If you have any issues I can put you in touch with my contact there when the office reopens on Tuesday.

    • Kevin says:
      1 Jan1 January 12:38

      You can try Rexairs.co.uk, they are based in London and an agent of Malaysia airline.

  • John G says:
    1 Jan1 January 10:08

    If you booked through Trailfinders, Amex have a decent offer of £200 back when you spend £1000 which could be handy.

  • Zoe says:
    1 Jan1 January 12:19

    OT Intrepid Travel who are a Tesco Clubcard partner have 20% off most of their trips for the next week. Not sure if it can be combined with the clubcard deal.

  • will says:
    1 Jan1 January 15:56

    There’s £1999 LHR-SYD in business (and a bit more for First), on MH, bookable direct online, or similar on phone with Trailfinders (which can be split across 2 Amex cards to get £400 back etc) – best deal I have seen in ages – non refundable though.

    Unfortunately Amex deal has reached capacity if you haven’t linked your cards yet

  • the real harry says:
    1 Jan1 January 16:18

    good spot, 7000 is not 12000 but it’s OK

    only 1 stocks & shares ISA a tax year is allowable, though

    so I wonder if it’ll be around come the next tax year?

    • James67 says:
      1 Jan1 January 16:55

      Any idea if we can open a new one with the same provider having cancelled our 12k ISAs last month or does the one per year rule also apply to a single provider? Not 12k but then I think that was a one off. If the April offer is only 6k this year I will hold off in hope of something better. I note on this 7k offer minimum monthly subscription was raised from £75 to £100, still 6 months to cancel though.

      • the real harry says:
        1 Jan1 January 17:08

        I haven’t heard of Virgin refusing the bonus points just because you cancelled in the last 12 months

        it’s one per year per person by law – of course that also means 1 provider

        not bothered by the £100 bit – I lost £10 out of £450 by playing safe, as it happens any other investment choice would have been better thanks to Brexit but the whole point about slow, safe, boring is, er, slow, safe, boring outcome

        • TGLoyalty says:
          1 Jan1 January 17:12

          Took advantage of the 12k and withdrew, transfer was pointless I won’t use the ISA limit this year, recently with a £10 loss, I should have been braver and gone for the higher risk one as they would have paid off with the way we went after Brexit. But £10 for loss and forgoing f*** all interest for 12k points. Bargain.

        • the real harry says:
          1 Jan1 January 17:20

          there are ISA millionaires out there!

          I was working abroad when it all started (ISAs) so it wouldn’t be me

          but I do admire them, all tax free as well

        • James67 says:
          1 Jan1 January 17:32

          Thanks, I’ll just have to be patient until at least April like you and TG then but hopefully the 7k offer will work for some. I was happy to make just under £60 profit on my 12k ISA 🙂

        • the real harry says:
          1 Jan1 January 18:03

          you should have seen the % increase in my wife’s main pension holding 🙂

          pretty well balanced or so I thought, not really as although split across 10 funds it was mostly non-GBP so got the Brexit effect

          now we need to cristallise that

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