Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Bits: see BA’s new BOB menu, 25% off Radisson Blu and Park Inn, BA / Avis deal renewed

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News in brief:

Changes to BA’s buy-on-board menu

British Airways has made changes to their short-haul economy buy-on-board menu – and, if you click the link, you’ll see they don’t look great.

There is a new tapas meat and cheese platter with a couple of crackers, a new roasted falafel and spinach wrap as well as a turkey sandwich. But several (healthier) options have been taken off the menu and if you are avoiding wheat or gluten, you’ll have to be happy with cashews and crisps.

The couscous salad and the fruit salad have disappeared without a decent replacement. You can’t get olives any longer and the sweets selection has been reduced from 12 items to 5.  Yoghurt seem to have disappeared  too.  Basically, if it was at risk of going off, it has gone.

If you want to know what the menu was like before, here is a link to our buy-on-board article in January.

The new menu can be found on this ba.com page.

British Airways short haul food menu

25% off Radisson Blu and Park Inn

Radisoon Blu and Park Inn have launched a half term offer aimed at families.

Club Carlson members can get up to 25% off during the Autumn holiday, free wifi, kids under 16 stay for free in the UK and Ireland and kids under 12 eat for free.

This offer is valid for stays between 16th October and 27th October in the UK and Ireland and stays between 13th October and 12th November in Belgium and France.

The Radisson Blu page to book is here .

The Park Inn page to book is here.

You must book by 24th October to get up to 25% off.  The offer is also available at Radisson Red and Quorvus Collection.

Avis Budget renews British Airways IAG deal

IAG renews its exclusive Avis / Budget car rental deal

Avis Budget Group has renewed its car rental partnership with IAG.

The brands will remain the exclusive car rental partners of British Airways, Iberia and Iberia Express, with Aer Lingus to be added later.  The two brands will also remain the only car hire brands to earn points in any of the Avios loyalty schemes.

In general, I think the Avis partnership has worked well. The ability to earn bonus Avios by paying with a British Airways American Express card is a rare example of partner brands working together.

Regular Hertz renters will have to stick with crediting to Virgin Flying Club, although their 1,000 miles per rental deal is attractive.


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.

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.

Comments (102)

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

  • Anon says:

    OT: Re the free weekend night stay with HH visa, does it ever include free breakfast? And if not, is there any way of getting this? Thanks.

    • Radiata says:

      …with Hilton Gold (incl. by way of holding the AMEX Platinum Chahrge Card).

      • Rob says:

        Not unless you book into a Hampton, where everyone gets free breakfast, or you get upgraded to a club room with lounge access.

      • Genghis says:

        Or putting £10k through the HH Visa in a calendar year

    • Mr Dee says:

      If gold yes you do get breakfast if not then no, unless at the Hampton hotels

  • Joe B says:

    So irritating they got rid of the salad! Usually I have that even when I’m in club Europe so I don’t have to have that bloody smoked duck salad!!!

    • Tilly says:

      My husband really likes that smoked duck salad.

      I get a vegan sushi plate in CE.

      • Joe B says:

        Yeah they need to change it up though, it’s been that for ages, gets boring if you are having to eat it twice a week!!

        • Tilly says:

          We don’t fly that often and certainly not enough to get bored of it. As leisure travellers we only take 2 European (sometimes 3) trips a year and one long haul. Can see if you travel regularly for work you’d be fed up of it. Unfortunately for me the furthest work sends me is York so far and everywhere inbetween there and London – all by train.

    • HAM76 says:

      It’s better than the chicken piccata, though. I can’t even imagine having that twice a week. Once was more than enough for me.

  • Barry cutters says:

    The rye IPA from Addams is good. Had one yesterday. Will try the tapas on the way hope later tonight

  • Tilly says:

    Hope the falafel wrap is free from milk products. Have complained after every ET flight I’ve taken since they stopped the inclusive meal and introduced BOB as apart from plain nuts and crisps there was nothing available I could eat that didn’t have milk products in which I’m allergic to. If I am in ET I now bring my own picnic or make sure I eat before boarding.

  • Anna says:

    I still can’t get my head around how BA can claim to be saving money and offering good value when they are routinely pouring away litres of wine after every flight. On my last CE trip there were 5 open bottles when I got off the plane, all which only had a glass or two missing. I’m sure this represents a missed opportunity to secure good value for the actual customers!

  • W says:

    Just for the record avoid EasyJet/Europcar out of Inverness. The station is a shambles and, if, for example rogue charges appear and you need to challenge, good luck!

    It is, however, the only option arriving late.

  • Anna says:

    OT: We need to fly from Washington DC to the Caribbean next August. Avios price pp is 15,000 avios plus £4.30 in tax because it’s two sectors. Cash price is only £134 pp, which doesn’t really make it worth using the avios IMO. If I book these flight with AA, will I get any avios and/or tier points?

  • Genghis says:

    OT. Inspired by my recent Scotland trip, I’m keen to explore more of the UK.
    Never been to Northern Ireland. Any locals have any tips?

    • Trent says:

      Titanic Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, a Black Cab Tour of Belfast… all very good!

      • Stu_N says:

        First time in Norn Ireland for me this summer. Antrim Coast is spectacular – Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Causeway was brilliant (and that is despite the massive tourist trap it has become – do the clifftop walk on the way back from the Causeway and skip the visitor centre) and the beaches amazing. Derry-Londonderry wall walking tour is great as well if you’re heading over that way. Really enjoyed Belfast too. Belfast City is a great wee airport and nothing is that far away from anywhere.

    • John says:

      Don’t recommend Giant’s Causeway at this time of year unless you like getting drenched.

      Fly to George Best City (BA, Aer Lingus, Flybe) rather than Belfast International (EasyJet, Ryanair) which is miles from Belfast.

      Non privatised Translink runs trains/buses/coaches and has surprisingly good deals (anywhere by train all day Sunday for seven of eight quid, 33% off train day returns after 9.30am, ultra cheap Web train fares to Dublin booked 72 hours in advance etc).

      Londonderry stroke Derry (aka Stroke City) good for walls, Tower museum but not worth an overnight: day return from Belfast or head across to more tourist friendly Donegal.

      In Belfast, ignore black cabs and walk or use red buses. Ulster Folk and Transport Museum ( few minutes by train from Belfast) much better than Titanic centre.

      Then stroll round Titanic centre’s striking building for free but instead of paying to go inside, do the free tour/new exhibition in City Hall – much more interesting.

      County Down coast great if dry-ish: train to Dublin excellent (sit on left hand side heading south).

      Lot of good restaurants and bars in Belfast: cultural activities pretty underwhelming.

      Bring rain gear. Avoid Ulster Fry.

      • Genghis says:

        Cheers John.

      • Alex W says:

        I did giant’s causeway on new year’s Day last year. It was dry but windy, wrapped up warm and it was fine.

      • Jimmy says:

        agree BHD – avoid BFS

        Avoid Ulster Fry??? Are you mad!?

        Eat Tayto cheese & onion crisps (ubiquitous yellow packs)

        Mourne Mountains & Tollymore (Game of Thrones territory)

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