Bits: two BA-related competitions, new Innsbruck lounge, new BA / China Southern codeshare

News in brief:

Two interesting BA competitions

The latest issue of British Airways’ ‘The Club’ magazine contains a couple of interesting competitions.  These literally take 30 seconds to enter (name, email address, BA number) so you’re nothing to lose.

First up is two VIP tickets to the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on 25th February, with full hospitality, and a one-night stay at Dorsett Shepherds Bush either before or after.  You need to enter this on the Dorsett site.  Closing date is 31st January.

Secondly, I was quite taken by this cashmere hat and scarf set from MrQuintessential, classy and suitably expensive at £190.  You can win this on this page of ba.com here.   Again, the closing date is 31st January.

Innsbruck now has a lounge, available via Priority Pass

A few months I wrote this popular article listing British Airways European routes where you do not receive lounge access.

One airport on that list was Innsbruck.  This wasn’t the fault of BA – Innsbruck simply didn’t have a lounge.  Now it does.

The Tyrol Lounge is open from 5.30am to 7pm daily.  It is airside, between gates 11 and 12.  The two photos above and below show what it is like.

I don’t know if British Airways has arranged for Club Europe or status passengers to get access.  You CAN get in using a Priority Pass (free with Amex Platinum or buy one here) or a Lounge Club card (two free passes when you get the free Amex Gold card).  It is also available via Lounge Key if you have a HSBC Premier World Elite card.

British Airways signs a codeshare deal with China Southern

British Airways has agreed a codeshare deal with the largest Chinese airline, China Southern, to add four new destinations to the BA network –  Shenyang, Harbin, Changchun and Dalian.  Seats are available for sale on ba.com.

Connections will be available:

• Via Shanghai to Shenyang and Harbin
• Via Beijing to Dalian
• Via either Shanghai or Beijing to Changchun

You will earn Avios when travelling on a China Southern flight if you have a BA flight number.  However, these can only be booked in connection with a long-haul British Airways flight.

In return, China Southern flight codes will be added to BA domestic flights from Heathrow to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and Belfast.

---

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:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

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.

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.

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.

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.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.