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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.

  • Wally1976 says:
    27 Jul27 July 08:50

    OT – sorry – going to be at LGW South in a few weeks with wife and 2 children, arriving about 08.00-08.30 on a Wednesday morning. Have Priority Pass through Amex Plat with supp card for wife so free entry for 4 to No1 Lounge and/or £60 credit at The Grain Store.

    Considering whether to pay the £5 for guaranteed entry to the No1 Lounge and fast track security (it’s before 31st August). Just wanted people’s thoughts on:

    (1) What are our chances of getting in the No1 lounge at that time without paying the fiver for guaranteed entry?
    (2) Could we get away with paying the fiver just for the adults and take the kids along with us?

    Many thanks 🙂

    • ankomonkey says:
      27 Jul27 July 09:36

      On the Saturday at the start of February half term we were denied entry to No1 due to it being full. Hopefully you’ll have better luck than us. We went to Grain Store instead and my kids played with the phones in one of the electronics shops.

      • Wally1976 says:
        27 Jul27 July 13:29

        Thanks, I think we’ll bite the bullet and pay the fiver each. Wouldn’t want to miss out on Prosecco for breakfast 😉

        • John D says:
          28 Jul28 July 00:41

          Hi was at Gatwick South last Friday at around 1pm hoping to use my 2 free No 1 lounge passes we got through Amex Gold Card. Totally full and no entry available unless prebooked. I quizzed the agent at the door and asked if it was a particularly busy day. FWIW She said that at the moment it was pretty much solidify full all the time and only accepting prebooked. So I would agree , based on my recent experience , that if you want to guarantee entry then splash out and prebook it especially since I’m led to believe moorings when you plan to travel are even busier than the time I went.
          When denied access i remember recent article on Grain Store and went there. Had very nice lunch and using lounge pass was easy. The server just had to call supervisor who presented in a couple of minutes a modified bill.

          • Wally1976 says:
            28 Jul28 July 08:38

            Thanks for the input John; it sounds like a very busy lounge at the moment.

  • Ben says:
    27 Jul27 July 09:40

    Does anyone know if you can use Avios to upgrade on Sri Lankan Airlines?

  • Dale says:
    27 Jul27 July 09:50

    Sorry O/T but I got caught up in the Gatwick Air Canada puncture delay last Monday and got into LGW 5 hours late from Edinburgh on BA having landed at BHX first! They have refused any compensation saying it’s not their fault. Is it a legitimate reason that it was caused by another airline?
    Thanks

    • Will says:
      27 Jul27 July 10:18

      In this case it is really out of their control I would say, but if you still want to Perdue maybe use one of the no win no fee internet companies to chase for you. They take a proportion of any compensation should your claim be a success.

      • Nick says:
        27 Jul27 July 18:47

        What do you expect it to be reasonable to do? Land at LGW regardless of whether another plane is in distress on the runway?

        No chance of compensation in this case I’m afraid, it really wasn’t anything in their control or that they could have done anything about.

    • Chris says:
      28 Jul28 July 02:05

      5 hr delay? And having to go via BHX.

      Bummer. Gotta take it on the chin I’m afraid.

  • Simon says:
    27 Jul27 July 10:09

    O/T I had a pop up on my BAPP and my wife’s one offering 3k Avios for adding supplementary cardholders…. Want to add a few to each account. but the pop ups don’t appear anymore? any way to lock this deal in now?

  • Marknewstart says:
    27 Jul27 July 10:49

    O/T anyone have trouble opening an virgin ISA on their wedsite?

    • The Original Nick. says:
      27 Jul27 July 13:02

      Nope..

      • the real harry1 says:
        27 Jul27 July 14:10

        easy as 🙂

        sure you’re not on FBI Most Wanted?

        • Marknewstart says:
          27 Jul27 July 14:38

          Maybe always having trouble

        • Joe says:
          27 Jul27 July 23:24

          Hi, might you (or another fellow Edinburgh/Scottish reader) know which co-ops still accept Amex in Edinburgh area? The one I normally use declined my transaction tonight (tried three times). I’ve not used Co-Op (for Amex PayPoint purposes) in many months, but it certainly worked before and I recall it had a £150 limit and today I was told its changed to £200. Am wondering if they now blocked Amex though. Thanks in advance…

  • Liz says:
    27 Jul27 July 15:04

    I see Virgin are taking advantage of BA’s bad press and advertising using the Sunday Times slogan “Anyone But British Airways” ABBA – Gimme Gimme Gimme Virgin Atlantic!

  • dorset says:
    27 Jul27 July 15:29

    OT:
    I hold a BA Blue card. If I upgrade the card to Black BA card shortly before I reach £10,000, will I then be eligible for the 241 voucher lasting 2 years? While my spend up to now since the beginning of my card year count?
    Will I then be charged the fee for the card in the month I ugrade to the Black card?
    Many Thanks.

    • mark2 says:
      27 Jul27 July 16:05

      And do you get any welcome bonus?

    • Louise says:
      27 Jul27 July 18:31

      Yes just done this. Fee charged same month you are upgraded. Voucher issued a few days after spend reached and it’s for two years

  • Bariummeal says:
    27 Jul27 July 17:03

    I have been collecting the biz class washbags on Etihad – they look a bit like the ladies washbag you mention but 5 different versions. Got all of them now, and they are beautiful as well as actually useful as made of wet suit material.

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