Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

New BA Holidays promo – NYC and other routes from £1,299 Club World including hotel

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British Airways Holidays has launched a special Club World promotion for travel over the Summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year on core routes to the US and Middle East.

There are some decent prices here but you need to book by Monday.  The prices are not as good as we saw last year but that is a moot point – they remain good value for what you get.

Click here to take a look at some of the deals available with Club World flights.

These are the ‘lead in’ flight and hotel offers based on Club World flights:

New York – £1,299 over Christmas including three nights in a 4* hotel

Boston – £1,499 over Christmas including three nights in a 4* hotel

Abu Dhabi – £1,199 over May – September including three nights in a 4* hotel

These prices are based on two people sharing.

Other routes included are Muscat, Dubai, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Las Vegas, Calgary, Los Angeles and Oakland.

The travel dates included are:

USA / Calgary – 1st July to 31st August, 21st to 28th November, 18th December to 2nd January

Middle East – 1st May to 30th September

A minimum three night stay is needed, with the exception of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland and Calgary which must include a Saturday night.

As usual with BA Holiday you don’t have to pay in full when booking. Apart from a small deposit, you only need to pay the balance five weeks before departure.

Remember that you also earn a bonus 2 Avios per £1 for booking with BA Holidays on top of the Avios you will earn from the flights and from your credit card.

One minor downside is that BA Holidays packages do not earn On Business points in BA’s small business loyalty scheme for the flights.

If you fancy a short break over the summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year, these offers are worth considering.  You would also receive 280 tier points which may be a helping hand towards your requalification or promotion for next year.

The BA Holidays Club World promo page is 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.

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.

Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (121)

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

  • James says:
    24 Feb24 February 12:43

    Does anyone have any advice about a good way to use Avios (~200,000) and/or Hilton points (~320,000) towards family holidays (children aged 7 & 10)?

    No shortage of options if travelling alone or with my partner, just can’t seem to find any worthwhile options when travelling as a family of four.

    Thank you

    • James67 says:
      24 Feb24 February 13:47

      James you need to provide a little more detail, e.g. do you want to go some place and stay put or are the kids good travellers? Do you want premium cabin or can you make do with economy? Can you go off peak or are you stuck with school holidays?

      • James says:
        24 Feb24 February 15:31

        Thanks for the reply. I see now I was asking a very broad question.

        Can anyone recommend a good Hilton property for a family holiday (needs to sleep 4) – aiming to maximise Hilton points with Hilton’s 5th night free offer?

        Or are we better saving the points for a more luxurious child free holiday another time?

  • Phil says:
    24 Feb24 February 13:19

    Hi Rob,
    Can you post again once you have more details about BA Domestic Club Europe?

    • Rob says:
      24 Feb24 February 14:32

      I will, but nothing new to say – except that the ticketing launch has been delayed until next week. 1st April remains the implementation date.

      • Phil says:
        24 Feb24 February 16:43

        Thanks!

      • Anon says:
        24 Feb24 February 16:56

        I’m flying Man-Heathrow-Prague at the end of April, the Heathrow-Prague leg is in CE. Just out of interest, as the domestic flight is only 35 mins, will it be classed as CE as well, and will we still be allowed in the lounge at Manchester?

        In future will it be 18,000 avios to be classed as CE from Man to Heathrow? I don’t think I’d part with that for the Manchester lounge experience, I’d just choose a longer gap between connections and make the most of the T5 lounges!

        • Kip says:
          24 Feb24 February 17:40

          The whole trip should be classed as CE (ticketed C iirc) and you will definitely get lounge access at MAN. On the way back, if you don’t have status, your MAN ticket will be declined at the T5 lounge but just show them the PRG-LHR boarding pass and you should get in.

    • CV3V says:
      24 Feb24 February 15:42

      Impressively Rob has the inside scoop on this one, no-one else has been reporting it. Saw it mentioned in the Oz Business Traveller website, i wonder where they got the story from…

      Good to know when its launched if you have existing redemption in CW or F involving a domestic connection so can jump in to reserve a seat.

  • Barry cutters says:
    24 Feb24 February 13:26

    Just in the New first lounge @ Gatwick South.
    Really good & Very impressed.
    Had a little walk round the Club lounge too.
    Just tucking in to a BA Burger

    • Anon says:
      24 Feb24 February 14:01

      Barry I’m in there in 30 mins, black travel trousers and khaki jacket will be with my significant other 🙂

    • Anon says:
      24 Feb24 February 14:20

      Barry actually they’ve put us in the First lounge, I’m not the window with the funcy pink seats… 🙂

  • Anon says:
    24 Feb24 February 14:36

    Now I’m comfortable in the First lounge here’s an update on the story so far, unable to check in 24 hours before online for our UK domestic connection to LGW or the long haul onto MLE, also unable to reserve a seat in advance.

    Spent 40 mins at checkin this morning frustratingly being told we’d been downgraded, flight was oversold and automatically selected for downgrade by a new computer system that discriminates on 241 Avios bookings. Took me prompting the assistant after 30mins to even get an apology. No volunteering of any offer of compensation, again I had to ask and even then no details.

    My wife is staying in CW, I’m being forceably downgraded to WTP, this is a big disappointment for a flight that I earnt with a £10k spend on a BAPP Amex and stayed up until midnight to book 355 days out.

    Now awaiting a supervisor to come and have a chat with me whilst I’m in the First lounge.

    I’m also concerned this is a new standard policy, so any of you considering 241 or a sale fare such as the ones advertised above please consider that BA seem to care little about deliberately overbooking a flight and instantly downgrading lesser value pax..

    Unless I get a reasonable response, I’m willing to take this via EC261 to a SCC.

    • rams1981 says:
      24 Feb24 February 14:49

      keep us updated, how can they split a 2 for 1 into different cabins.

      How did you get into first lounge if original booking was in Club?

      • Anon says:
        24 Feb24 February 15:17

        They can, they have and they do so quite often.

        This is not a tech aircraft issue, our Flight to Maldives was deliberately and aggressively oversold for maximising profit with very little customer care for people that booked a year out.

        Had chat with nice BA rep, offered initial gift card of £200. After lengthy discussion we agreed it’s probably inappropriate to accept (even in part) of any EC261 compensation given the circumstances and the frustration and stress encountered this far.

        Also briefly met Barry cutters, nice chap giving moral support.

        Got 2 hours to try and destress and hopefully relax…

        • Rob says:
          24 Feb24 February 15:29

          Any on the spot compensation offered is not allowed to be deducted from any EU261 payment.

      • Anon says:
        24 Feb24 February 15:29

        Getting in the First lounge was offered as goodwill by a very nice Lounge receptionist concerned and frustrated with our news. Like BarryCutters I’ll have a wander to have a gander at the Club lounge.

        BA need to remember to focus on the human elements of empathy and compassion to prevent their reputation slipping further still since A. Cruz’s arrival…

        • Barry cutters says:
          24 Feb24 February 15:43

          To be fair all the staff do seem nice in the lounge with more of a personal service than the Heathrow lounge. Looked like the girl you were talking to was nice enough too. Such a disapointment for you though . Very sorry to hear, especially with the destination you are traveling to. Anyway I’m sure you will have a good time when you get there. Nice to meet you and make sure to finish what’s left in the bottle of jonnie walker blue label that I couldn’t quite finish . Enjoy your holidays .. – I’m off to Turin for a long weekend of skiing. All the best -Barry

          • James67 says:
            24 Feb24 February 17:18

            IMHO their staff are the only valuable asset BA has left.

          • the real harry1 says:
            24 Feb24 February 21:14

            OMG Bazz cutters is in real life a pleasant combination of Pa Larkin & Ernest Hemingway

            we live & learn lol

        • Anna says:
          24 Feb24 February 17:08

          Focus? Find out what they are more like!

    • Kinkell says:
      24 Feb24 February 15:13

      Oh dear! How utterly disappointing and frustrating. Surely Amex would want to know that their customers are being treated shabbily and take this up with BA?
      We have 2×241 trips organised, booked, like you at -355, midnight etc. Have booked seats, screen shotted the cabins showing we seem to be the only ones in any of the CW flights. It’s an Anxious time bagging the seats in the first place to fit in with dates. No one wants to be on tenterhooks until 24 hours before to find out whether you actually get what you have paid for. It’s all very well to say its’free etc’. But I’ve paid by all the spend I’ve done,so in my mind I should be just as valued as the next ,’ cash bearing person!
      Try and enjoy your trip…..drink the galley dry!

      • TigerTanaka says:
        24 Feb24 February 15:38

        I agree. Anon, whatever the resolution you need to inform Amex about your experience. I am sure their product manager would be interested if indeed BA are discriminating against 241 bookings.

        • EvilGazebo says:
          24 Feb24 February 16:36

          Absolutely. I ditched the Amex BA PP card a while back in favour of collecting VS miles via MBNA Virgin Black AMEX (better availability for 4 pax on our infrequent school holiday J redemptions) Was considering getting it again but this makes me think not.

          Odd logic – sure it saves a bit of EC261 cost but talk about a goodwill killer on what are very often “special occasion” premium cabin redemptions

    • CV3V says:
      24 Feb24 February 15:46

      Did the BA staff say that the computer system targets a 241 booking for the downgrade? If so, and this is BA policy then complain to Amex. Also puts all 241 bookings at risk of downgrade, not good.

      • Anon says:
        24 Feb24 February 16:35

        Yes this was confirmed to me by more than one BA staff rep today, new computer systems algorithm classes companion 241 pax as “the lowest of the low” compared to other Club World pax.

        Wat surprises me is why overbook a route like the Maldives? NYC fair enough, but the % of no shows for a CW flight to the Maldives must be minimal.

        • Kinkell says:
          24 Feb24 February 17:38

          I understood BA made 2CW and 4 economy reward seats available on all flights. Therefore if those seats are taken by customers claiming their reward, BA should not be reneging on their stated commitment and downgrading pax.Unless,….. They made more reward seats available as they sometimes do, and are now turfing you out. it would be interesting to find out if there are any other pax on the flight on reward 241 basis, but on that popular route , I would doubt it. Just an observation.

        • Crafty says:
          24 Feb24 February 17:52

          That is pretty horrifying news for all of us. Echo the point on taking it up with Amex. Their reward is massively devalued now.

          • Alan says:
            24 Feb24 February 18:03

            Agree re raising with Amex – if they’re going to start downgrading companion pax like this then this has a major impact on the appeal of the voucher – plus you’ve paid Amex a substantial sum by way of card fee!

    • James67 says:
      24 Feb24 February 16:40

      Do you mean it was not possible to check in or select seats on BA.com or you did not get a chance to do it? I have two flights I cannot reserve seats on, I’m wondering if BA is up to something,

      • Anon says:
        24 Feb24 February 17:14

        I tried checking in online it told me I had to go to the airport to check in.

        • James67 says:
          24 Feb24 February 17:29

          Can you please check with some of your fellow passengers if they were all prevented fron OLCI? I’m wondering if you were targeted for downgrade sometime before check in even opened. If so, this adds insult to injury because by failing to inform you they are denying you the opportunity to make alternative arrangements if you so wished.

    • Anna says:
      24 Feb24 February 17:06

      They have plumbed new depths now! You should tell them it’s your honeymoon and you will be contacting the Daily Mail.

      Used my 2 4 1 for CW to the Caribbean this summer for my husband and 11 year old, just hope they wouldn’t split a child and parent. I’m on a separate cash booking so hopefully they wouldn’t twig…

      • James67 says:
        24 Feb24 February 17:33

        Don’t bet on it, Rob wrote an article on his own experiences in this respect a year or two back.

      • Kip says:
        24 Feb24 February 17:48

        I thought the owner of the 2-4-1 had to travel using the voucher?

        • Anon says:
          24 Feb24 February 18:56

          It’s technically my husband’s, but I do all the spending and travel bookings! He just enjoys the perks and tells everyone what a brilliant deal “he” got!

    • Anon says:
      24 Feb24 February 17:22

      What is the situation with compensation for a companion voucher seat? You haven’t paid for it with cash or avios so I am wondering if it’s not covered by the rules, and maybe BA is banking on this to wriggle out of rectifying the situation. I hope I’m wrong, but I was looking at the rules for cancellation recently, and in that case compensation is only due for paid seats or those books with a frequent flyer reward scheme.

      I think this needs a full analysis by Rob!

      • Rob says:
        24 Feb24 February 17:24

        As per the previous article, BA seems to be offering NO compensation if the companion on the 241 is downgraded. This is because you are due 75% of what you paid, and 75% of nothing is nothing. A reader has already experienced this.

        • Genghis says:
          24 Feb24 February 17:35

          But a court has yet to decide? A 241 does not have zero value. If they did, BA would give them away

      • Anon says:
        24 Feb24 February 17:39

        Just read Rob’s original post on this – the compensation seems not to apply to a companion. BA will be well aware of this, as will their computer! I presume that at least the difference in taxes would be refunded?

        • Crafty says:
          24 Feb24 February 17:54

          Unfortunately I think you are first in line for the full customer complaints experience. Good luck!

          • Yuff says:
            24 Feb24 February 18:50

            Anon

            Extremely sorry to hear of this shoddy treatment. You should get a complimentary upgrade to F on your next flight wherever you are travelling plus financial compensation.
            You’re spot on about no shows, what business man will have booked a ticket and cancelled. Disgraceful service!

          • Yuff says:
            24 Feb24 February 19:23

            Apologies for my sexist comment 🙁
            “Business man or business woman”

  • krys_k says:
    24 Feb24 February 15:03

    OT – need some quick advice. I’m missing 6500 avios from booking a 160k 241 F to the States in three weeks. Tickets came up today and may be gone soon. I’ve got 15k in an Avios household account but neither BA nor Avios can help move them to family Executive account, or so they say. Any ideas if this is in fact possible or how to get 6500 avois sharpish and cheapish? Thanks!

    • the real harry1 says:
      24 Feb24 February 15:12

      breaking up the avios.com HH a/c takes as little as 3-4 days – go on Live Chat and as them how quickly they can help you

      or could you open an Iberia a/c and try to punt the avios.com Avios over there then pull them into BAEC a/c?

      otherwise Tesco conversion or simply buying the Avios

    • AndyR says:
      24 Feb24 February 15:16

      You can break up the Avios household account with at least 6500 Avios going to yourself and then transfer them across to BA. I did this recently and they did it in 5 days via email. If you chase them via the phone maybe it will get done quicker. Good luck.

    • JamesWag says:
      24 Feb24 February 15:52

      If you’re really worried that the flights will disappear (as I would be) I would seriously buy the missing Avios, book the flights and ask for a refund of the money you paid to buy the points given that their error could have cost you this redemption. (Its their error in awarding you 6500 of the points you’re owed, am I correct ?!)

      I suspect (but can’t guarantee) that BA would do the honourable thing if they agree the 6500 missing points is their fault and would reimburse you.
      Even if I’ve misunderstood and BA owe you nothing, I would buy the points rather than lose that redemption if you have your heart set on it.

      If you can’t buy them I would phone BA and BEG them to credit you the 6500 they know you’re good for in your other account. Haven’t they started offering an option to book award redemptions before you have the Avios in your account now anyway (I know this is not relevant to this booking but shows they are open to it as a concept !!).

    • Liz says:
      24 Feb24 February 19:09

      When I broke up our Avios household account I did it over the phone and was given 3 new account numbers there and then – must have got a helpful member of staff.

  • JamesWag says:
    24 Feb24 February 15:55

    Hit them up publicly on Twitter or FB too, might prompt a faster & better response.

  • JamesWag says:
    24 Feb24 February 16:01

    Ooooh, had forgotten how pricy Avios are to flat-out purchase.
    7,000 for £127. 1.81p per Avios. BRUTAL.

    Still if I wanted that F redemption I wouldn’t want to lose it over £127.
    AND If BA really have cocked up and owe you 6500 which should be in your account already (if I have read correctly) I think they’d refund you. But don’t absolutely count on it.

  • JamesWag says:
    24 Feb24 February 16:07

    Sorry, not sure how I mistook that the ‘missing’ Avios just genuinely haven’t been earnt yet ! Somehow thought they were missing from an award BA had previously lade for a paid flight.
    Its Friday afternoon, been run ragged, brain failing, need the pub 🙂

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