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Bits: new BA First Liberty washbags, trick when earning Avios with SriLankan Airlines

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News in brief:

New Liberty washbags for British Airways First Class

If you are flying in British Airways First Class from the end of the month, you should get the latest version of the Liberty wash bag which features a new print.  They contain lip balm, moisturiser, pulse point (to help customers sleep), toothbrush and toothpaste, socks, a jersey eye-mask and ear plugs, provided in association with Aromatherapy Associates.

Here is the female one:

Liberty bag 3

and here is the dull looking male one:

Liberty washbag British Airways first class

Earning Avios with SriLankan Airlines

As a member of the oneworld alliance, you can earn Avios and British Airways Executive Club tier points when you fly with SriLankan Airlines.  You can also redeem Avios for their flights.

A reader pointed out a quirk recently which is worth knowing if you have any SriLankan flights booked.

As of 1st May 2017, Iberia Plus is more generous than British Airways Executive Club for economy flights.

Flights in Q and O earn the same in both schemes – 0.25 Avios per mile flown

Flights in V, S and N earn 0.5 Avios per mile flown in Iberia Plus but just 0.25 Avios in BAEC

Flights in L and R earn 1 Avios per miles flown in Iberia Plus but just 0.25 Avios in BAEC

Flights in B, P, H, K, W, M and E earn 1 Avios per miles flown in Iberia Plus but just 0.5 Avios in BAEC

Flights in Y earn the same in both schemes – 1 Avios per mile flown

So … if a) you are flying Economy with SriLankan and b) your flight is not in Q, O or Y and c) you don’t care about losing the British Airways tier points, you should credit your flights to an Iberia Plus account instead of a British Airways one.

You can move the Avios across to British Airways afterwards using ‘Combine My Avios’ so they won’t be orphaned in Iberia Plus.

You can learn more about BA’s earning rates on partner airlines on ba.com here.  The Iberia Plus page showing the earning rates on SriLankan 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, oneworld alliance partners

Comments (86)

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

  • Barry cutters says:
    27 Jul27 July 18:19

    BA flight to Poland and on a Qatar plane today, lovely way to travel short haul.

    • the real harry1 says:
      27 Jul27 July 19:34

      enjoy your carp tonight 🙂

      slightly muddy, most say lol

      • Barry cutters says:
        27 Jul27 July 23:55

        Christmas day is the worst- No Meat!!
        I have to get the mother in Law to make me salmon
        Carp isnt a bad tasting fish, its just the millions of tiny bones that i cant handle.

  • Clive says:
    27 Jul27 July 19:00

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/27/richard-branson-cedes-control-of-virgin-atlantic

    mentions coordinating frequent flyer schemes…

  • JamesB says:
    27 Jul27 July 19:49

    Probably a brexit insurance policy,

    • Clive says:
      27 Jul27 July 20:58

      Well it’s a way for Delta to control Virgin – they own 49% which is the maximum. AFKLM buys 30% and they buy 10% of AFKLM – so they effectively own approx 52% of VAA without breaking the ownership rules.

  • HAM76 says:
    27 Jul27 July 20:06

    Has BA really removed the eye gel from the First amenity kit? Can’t spot it on the picture.

  • the real harry1 says:
    27 Jul27 July 20:18

    latest (FT)

    BA offering staff travel back to strikers, in exchange for cancellation of further strike action. All crew have just been emailed

    • Mycity says:
      27 Jul27 July 21:34

      O/T. AF/KLM buying 31% in Virgin, how long before Virgin are in Sky Team

      • Aliks says:
        27 Jul27 July 21:45

        Yes indeed – I just got the email from Virgin as well. I’ve been saving my virgin miles to redeem on a flight to China, but maybe better to hang on and see if there are some better SkyTeam options coming up.

      • Andy S says:
        27 Jul27 July 22:25

        wonder if flying blue status is merged with vfc or vice-versa!

        reminds me, rob was advertising for someone to cover flying blue stuff a while back, i guess no-one suitable applied!

        • Rob says:
          27 Jul27 July 22:31

          I didn’t get anyone who was obviously suitable, although there were people I could have trained. I wasn’t convinced the volume of content made it worthwhile. I would have taken, say, a Dutch blogger who wanted some extra £ from letting me run English versions of his coverage.

  • Leo says:
    27 Jul27 July 21:20

    Just had the email from Flying Club. I can’t see this as beneficial ultimately. Time to cash out FC miles?

    • Alan says:
      27 Jul27 July 21:27

      Commented in the Virgin thread, but I wouldn’t mind if I get my VS status recognised on KLM and could spend some of my KL miles on VS!

    • JamesB says:
      27 Jul27 July 21:35

      Made a similar point on the VIrgin article: with business fares going east on KLM at around £1500 it is hard to see how redemptions might offer value, particularly if the FC miles required increase to reflect those of FB and SM. Furthermore, such a move may open the door to a further BA devaluation so there could be potential for loss-loss rather than win-win. Still, I think I’ll collect FC miles for a while and move them to Hilton if it looks like a bad move.

  • Ruth4325 says:
    28 Jul28 July 09:41

    O/T could anyone advise how to add a domestic CE leg to a BA CE city break? I see a break I want from LHR to Bologna but want it from Edinburgh. Must I price it separately (therefore a lot more expensive) or can they do it over the phone?

    • Alan says:
      28 Jul28 July 14:03

      BA Holidays website is London-only in my experience so you need to call, hopefully they can help although be prepared for not such a great discount!

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