No more earning or redeeming Avios points on Flybe flights from 30th April

Flybe and Avios announced yesterday that the Flybe / Avios partnership will come to an end on 30th April.  The full details are here.

This is not hugely surprising, given the imminent takeover of the airline by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium, although it is arguably a quicker switch than expected.

Even if you have never earned an Avios via a Flybe flight, it is important to know that your redemption options on Flybe will be closed off after 30th April.  You will no longer to able spend Avios on Flybe.  I’m not sure if British Airways Executive Club will be contacting members directly or not.

I would anticipate that Flybe will soon start issuing Virgin Flying Club miles.  I don’t yet know if the airline will be fully integrated into Virgin Flying Club or if it will remain semi-detached in the same way that Avios and Flybe currently operate.

The email sent out by Flybe says “we are actively working on an exciting new programme” which implies it will not disappear entirely into Flying Club.  Does the colour scheme used in their email give a clue ….?

Here are some things you need to know:

avios.com accounts which are ‘attached’ to Flybe will ‘not be accessible’ from 30th April – you will need to use ‘Combine My Avios’ to move your points into a British Airways Executive Club account by then

You won’t earn Avios for Flybe flights after 30th April, even if they are already booked.  You also won’t earn Avios for a Flybe flight BEFORE 30th April if the return leg is afterwards.

If you have an Avios booking on Flybe, it remain valid.  However, you cannot amend it after 30th April.  Your only change option is a full cancellation with no rebooking allowed.

If you will need an avios.com account after 30th April (eg to move Avios from Iberia Plus to BA Executive Club) you should open an Aer Lingus AerClub account which will continue to work at avios.com

I see this as a loss for British Airways Executive Club.  Whilst Avios redemptions on Flybe were rarely great value, it did provide a lot of options for members who lived outside the M25.

The loss of Flybe – when added to the loss of Monarch, Aurigny and Air Malta – means that direct flight redemptions for anyone who does not live near Heathrow, Gatwick or City will be few and far between.

You can find out more about the Avios changes on this page of the Flybe website.

---

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (September 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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 26th September 2024, sign up for FREE Barclaycard Avios Mastercard and you will receive a sign-up bonus of 10,000 Avios. This is double the usual bonus! You only need to spend £1,000 within 90 days. Our full review is here. Click here to apply.

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.

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

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