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A new ‘buy Avios’ promotion launches today

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British Airways Executive Club is launching a new ‘buy Avios’ promotion today.  It will also apply if you gift Avios to someone else.

BA has lifted the annual purchase limit to 200,000 Avios as part of this offer.  Here are the bonus tiers:

  • Buy or gift 1,000 to 15,000 Avios and receive 20% bonus Avios
  • Buy or gift 20,000 to 35,000 Avios and receive 30% bonus Avios
  • Buy or gift 40,000 to 90,000 Avios and receive 35% bonus Avios
  • Buy or gift 100,000 to 200,000 Avios and receive 45% bonus Avios

AerClub members in Ireland will have a similar deal.  The offer runs until 6th August.

At the top end, you are paying a whopping £3,215 for 290,000 Avios.  That is 1.11p per point.  This is not necessarily a great idea as the best value is generally obtained by buying a small number of Avios to top off your account. 

If you saw me on BBC1’s Rip Off Britain recently (you can watch the segment here, it is only 3 minutes long) you will know that one of the members of the public I tried to help had bought 100,000 Avios for £1600 without fully understand the restrictions behind them.

I am not a buyer at 1.1p.  However, as my core article on ‘What is an Avios worth?’ shows, it is easy to get a lot more than 1.1p when redeeming.  My valuation is low because I do a lot of Gold Priority Rewards (using double Avios to force open a seat) and don’t always have a BA Amex 2-4-1 voucher to use.  If you are strategic you should do better than me.

The BA ‘buy Avios’ page is here.  If the offer doesn’t show, check back later in the day.

However ….

Before you buy, you should know that Groupon has launched another cheap Avios promotion in Spain, with Iberia Plus.  Click here for details.

Here are the prices:

  • 4,000 Iberia Plus Avios for €54 (1.2p)
  • 8,000 Iberia Plus Avios for €99 (1.1p)
  • 15,000 Iberia Plus Avios for €189 (1.1p)
  • 20,000 Iberia Plus Avios for €249 (1.1p)
  • 35,000 Iberia Plus Avios for €439 (1.1p)

You might find this a cheaper option for smaller quantities.

These Spanish Groupon offers – unlike the recent Irish offer – can get messy.  All of the information is in Spanish (Chrome can translate) and if you have problems you are dealing with the Iberia and Spanish Groupon contact centres.

You can buy a LOT of points though.  The limit is 5 coupons per Iberia account for the 4,000, 20,000 and 35,000 Avios packages and 10 per account for the 8,000 and 15,000 Avios packages.  These Avios can be transferred across to British Airways via ‘Combine My Avios’ without any problems.  Buyer beware though.

The Groupon Spain page you need 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, Iberia and Iberia Plus

Comments (147)

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

  • paulm says:
    23 Jul23 July 07:03

    OT – new amex offer. 5k mr points for spending £500 at Hilton in Europe. Maybe of interest to some…

    • Paul says:
      23 Jul23 July 07:29

      Thanks for the heads up, I’ve got 5K MR for just £150 Hilton spend, easy!

      • Adubya says:
        23 Jul23 July 07:56

        just checked mine, I have 7K for £250 spend

      • Dave H says:
        23 Jul23 July 09:09

        I don’t know how accurate the list is as it has the Hilton Blackpool, which left the chain a few weeks ago.

        Also mine says payment on checkout, so it would seem to exclude the cheaper pre paid room rates.

      • John says:
        23 Jul23 July 13:20

        It always says payment on checkout but they have no way of telling for European hotels, since prepaid payments are processed the same way as they would be when actually checking out.

    • G says:
      23 Jul23 July 08:29

      Not so generous one here, 3k for £150. Only have it on one platinum card out of 4!

      • BJ says:
        23 Jul23 July 09:25

        Very generous considering some including my partner and i got nothing across our cards. We never got esso either. Feels like we have fallen out of favour with amex lately.

        • Lumma says:
          23 Jul23 July 11:09

          Have you looked at the offers on the website rather than the app? Seems like many don’t appear on the app recently for some reason

        • BJ says:
          23 Jul23 July 14:48

          Thanks Lumma, it was website unfortunately. Hopefully It woll appear later, I think that sometimes happens.

    • Rob says:
      23 Jul23 July 10:39

      Just paid a £500 Hilton bill in Europe last week! Such is …

      • Pangolin says:
        23 Jul23 July 11:53

        And I get the offer on the day I’m going to cancel my Platinum (replaced with Gold).

    • Graham Walsh says:
      23 Jul23 July 11:57

      I got spend £250 and get 5k. Shame I’m staying in one tomorrow for a week but already pre paid 🙁

    • Brian S says:
      23 Jul23 July 12:16

      7k for £250 spend, pretty generous.

      Does this have to be one transaction or cumulative spend?

    • the_real_a says:
      23 Jul23 July 13:54

      A few years ago it was possible to buy a gift card from your local Hilton, the purchase went through the hotels POS….

  • Anna says:
    23 Jul23 July 07:12

    I think buying avios at these prices CAN give great value if you then use them for redemption seats with very high cash prices and in conjunction with a companion voucher, e,g, seats in F or in RFS in ET during school holiday periods when economy fares to the continent can easily hit 400 GBP. And of course, the more flexible you can be with your destination (even if not with travel dates), the better use you’ll be able to make out of them.

    • Andrew MS says:
      23 Jul23 July 08:10

      I agree. I am going to Johannesburg on my own with Iberia from Madrid for 85K return in business class so buying Avios is great value compared with 3 to 4K cash price from London? Same goes for the South American destinations that I visit.

    • Lady London says:
      23 Jul23 July 12:48

      At times like that sometimes a sneaky peak at the J prices just in case can get you something unexpectedly cheap and cheaper than Y. Particularly in the long school holiday periods. Most people wouldn’t even think to look at J if they see that Y is already so expensive.

  • S879 says:
    23 Jul23 July 07:12

    Is it too late to set my clubcard points to Virgin FC autoconvert to get 1000 miles and then turn it off?

  • Gin and Tonic Please says:
    23 Jul23 July 07:45

    We’re off to Portland in Sep, and I’m very much looking forward to using my PP for the House Spirits Distillery there too. 🙂

    • David says:
      23 Jul23 July 07:51

      Never sure whether to tip? In the States it would typically be 20% plus of the bill…but with Priority Pass paying???

      • paulm says:
        23 Jul23 July 08:26

        It’s expected!

      • Callum says:
        23 Jul23 July 08:32

        Tip the same you would as if you paid cash.

        I personally wouldn’t tip anything as Oregon doesn’t allow ripped employees too earn less than minimum wage like most states do, and I’m against tipping in general (so only do so if I think the server would be shafted if I didn’t).

        • Andy says:
          23 Jul23 July 11:09

          It’s a pity that they only extend that law to people who spend a lot of time at the gym…

          That typo made me chuckle.

      • Lady London says:
        23 Jul23 July 12:51

        The one to remember that for every drink in an airline lounge even if you’re just getting water, you had a dollar to the barman as a minimum. It seems to make us look like cheap Limeys if we don’t.

        • Genghis says:
          23 Jul23 July 12:58

          The expectation of a 20% tip of the full notional value of buffet breakfast (for HH Gold) for poor service and for only bringing over a coffee at Conrad New York annoyed me in May.

        • Rob says:
          23 Jul23 July 13:21

          But this is how you get to the position where NY hotel doormen are earning six figures and ensuring their kids get their job when they retire …..

    • Gin and Tonic Please says:
      23 Jul23 July 10:13

      Actually, Rob, I’ve just clicked on the House Spirits Distillery link in the article and it’s showing in Portland (PDX) not Phoenix (PHX). Quick Google search suggests there isn’t one in Phoenix, so I’m guessing it’s a mistake…?

      • Rob says:
        23 Jul23 July 10:33

        Doh! Sorry. Wrote this late last night after getting back from Heathrow. Thanks.

    • Lady London says:
      23 Jul23 July 12:49

      Which routing/airline are you using? I travel there relatively frequently and not sure I have got it best cracked for cash or Avios.

      • Gin and Tonic Please says:
        23 Jul23 July 14:31

        There was a price war between Virgin and BA a few months ago, which I jumped on. The mega price (£1,000) was available if you started in Jersey and finished in LHR, but the other half wasn’t up for that. We ended up starting in LHR, so it came to £1,400. We’re routing through Chicago in both directions – out on AA and back on BA (on A380) for the transatlantic.

  • Alex J says:
    23 Jul23 July 08:08

    If you’re going through Portland, due to the Alaska lounge being frequently filled to capacity, there are a total of three shops you can use the $28 credit for: the same House Spirits Distillery as in Phoenix, plus Capers Market (you can’t buy alcohol with it, just the food), and the sit-down restaurant Capers Cafe Le Bar (make sure to tip here as PP does not cover tips). The two Capers locations may demand you have an outbound ticket, but the spirits distillery is happy to serve you on arrival.

    Long story short, I got a total of $112 value with my PP last time I was in Portland, so I really couldn’t care less that there wasn’t a lounge available to use!

    • paulm says:
      23 Jul23 July 08:44

      Having used the Alaska lounge recently in Portland, it’s nothing special so I think your choices were good!

      • David says:
        23 Jul23 July 09:15

        I agree, nothing special. You have to go to a hatch to get served any alcohol and there is often nobody there

    • BJ says:
      23 Jul23 July 09:33

      I don’t think it is possibld to use PP at Alaska lounges anymord anyway.

      • Alex J says:
        24 Jul24 July 01:02

        It is, in theory, still possible, but every time I’ve tried in both SEA and PDX they have a sign out saying the lounges are so busy PP isn’t accepted.

    • Gin and Tonic Please says:
      23 Jul23 July 10:14

      Good to know. Thanks!

  • Mike L says:
    23 Jul23 July 08:43

    Many of us are on the grandfather rate of 800 Avios per £2.50, perhaps factor that figure into your calculations / article Rob.

  • Cat says:
    23 Jul23 July 08:44

    Nice one Nick!

    O/T, but is there a kind soul out there who’s flying a week on Wednesday (1st August), and has the ability (and will) to guest me into a lounge in terminal 5? This is the first time I’ve flown long haul economy in a little while and some lounge time and Champagne might dull the pain!

    I promise to return the favour and guest a HFP reader or two when I’m flying CX First next year!

  • Nick Morgan says:
    23 Jul23 July 08:46

    Completely ot but I took a look at the points break list this morning and was gutted. I wanted a weekend away in any one of maybe 30 European cities and not kne of them was on the list.

    I wonder if IHG may think about having a significantly longer list for spire members as some sort of incentive to achieve or retain status? The main incentive for IHG for me is the accelerate promos but by the time you get to spire they are generally unattractive due to higher thresholds (in my experience anyway).

    • Brian says:
      23 Jul23 July 09:00

      Where did you see the list? Are you sure it’s live yet? If you go to the usual page, I think the list there is either old or not yet complete – Brighton HI isn’t on it, for example.

      • Nick Morgan says:
        23 Jul23 July 14:59

        My mistake, old list.

        But the main point still stands- should there be a longer list for spire?

        • Rob says:
          23 Jul23 July 15:34

          You need to remember that PB is really IHG’s private gift to reward readers of frequent flyer blogs. The general membership is never emailed about them and has little idea when they go up. Sometimes IHG mentions them on social media, sometimes not (they are not on the IHG blog this time for example).

    • paulm says:
      23 Jul23 July 09:02

      I think that’s the current list up to end July

      • Claire says:
        23 Jul23 July 09:59

        Yes that’s definitely the old list, I’ve checked it several times over the last few weeks and it’s not changed at all.

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