Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Buy a British Airways ‘BA 100’ lapel pin badge to support the Flying Start charity

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When I was at the oneworld 20th anniversary event on Friday, I was given one of the limited edition ‘BA 100’ pin badges.  You will see these being worn by British Airways staff this year.

As I know these are popular with many people, I have decided to sell this one on eBay.  All of the net proceeds will go to the British Airways Flying Start appeal.

The eBay auction listing is here and you have another five days to bid.  Good luck.


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 (115)

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

  • S says:

    Flying Vegas to lhr in August, is too Much to hope that the 747 on that route will be replaced by then?

    • Frankie says:

      I could hardly breath when I went to Vegas in August it was that hot. It was like breathing in an oven.

    • Nick says:

      Vegas (and Phoenix) will be the last to lose the 747. The heat in the summer means the performance penalty on take off for anything with only two engines will be too severe. The schedule will take a beating when that does happen – the replacement flight will have to leave much later in the day (when it’s cooled down). Norwegian found this to their cost in Vegas remember.

    • Victor says:

      You’ll be in Vegas sooner on a 747.

      I can’t see all the hate for them myself

  • Robert says:

    Really nothing wrong with the refurbished 744s (all the high J ones, and now some of the low J too) but the un refurbished ones are looking tatty for sure.

  • MikeL says:

    Nice touch Rob re the badge but consider posting it via another postal method as 2nd class won’t provide enough insurance cover if it goes awol. Max £20

    • BJ says:

      +1 I like BA Flying Start, it has a good range of charities and projects. I tend to avoid spending coins overseas and always put them in the airline envelopes or collection points in airports. Also add £10 in the donation section each time I book a flight.

    • Rob says:

      Will do. If bidder is local I might drop it off in person anyway.

  • Roger says:

    I have some UA miles expiring this month.
    Anything can I do (other than buying miles + Marriott transfer) to preserve these over next couple of weeks.

    • Liam says:

      I have a small number of UA points (around 5,000) expiring at the end of this month too and no prospect of being able to credit any miles before then in order to keep them active. I discovered the other day that you can buy various gift cards with UA points. I’m not sure the rate is great, but it’s only a small number of points and it’s better than letting the points go to waste if you can’t find a way of preserving them that works for you.

    • marcw says:

      The app uses the Singapore time (I think), so if you do you first check in before 5 pm, you can do another one after 5 pm.

      • Roger says:

        Care to post any link?
        Is it Avianca Life Miles or some other app?
        Can’t figure out too much on general google search.

  • Axel says:

    No 1 Edinburgh no longer listed on LongeKey app 🙁

    Aspire only

    • Colin JE says:

      No1 still listed on DragonPass. Signs were saying new lounge was opening in January but not surprised it’s now Feb. The reworking of Edinburgh arrivals is bizarre, with everyone having to troop downstairs to baggage hall and no escalators. There’s a lift but… really? No escalators any more.
      I fear I’ve hit my ‘grumpy old man’ peak.

      • BJ says:

        Edinburgh Airport is totally bizarre IMO. Lots to dislike about it exceot it is a 15 minute drive from home. Despite that I would have prefered to see EDI and GLA both closed in favour of a new single airport someplace around Falkirk with a rail station.

        • David says:

          I’d suggest Perth, if we were going to have a single station. Would also open up the north of the country as well, by improving the links.

          But it will never happen…

        • BJ says:

          Opportunity was missed, only way I see it happening is if Glasgow declines and Edinburgh continues to grow it might become the ‘one’.

    • Rob says:

      But it is closed, which is probably why.

  • RTS says:

    Hi, does anyone know when BA release their peak/off peak dates for next year?

    • Anna says:

      It’s been asked a couple of times recently, it seems to be around June most years. For earlier bookings you just have to do a dummy run and look at the actual travel date.

    • Rob says:

      June, for the last 2 years

  • Russ says:

    BA are also reverting two of their A319 (???) tail fins back to Benyhone tartan for the anniversary. Edinburgh run I think.

    • BJ says:

      A319s usually on INV but perhaps some EDI rotations although I don’t recall having one in recent years.

  • Tracy says:

    O/T got some bonus points awarded for a Hilton stay yesterday I wasn’t expecting. 5k for “2019 VISA Platinum APAC”, “2500 Barclays 1st Stay bonus” and “2019 points unlimited”. I was expecting the 2000 points unlimited but not the other 7500. I paid using my Hilton Barclaycard but it wasn’t the first time I have used it or my first Hilton stay…….first use and stay in 2019 though??

    • Tracy says:

      Was a one night stay in UK…

    • Tilly says:

      I also got the 2.5k Barclays first stay bonus which I wasn’t expecting for a stay last weekend was my first stay this year. No 5k for the Visa platinum though . Also got the points unlimited 2k but was expecting that. I paid on my Hilton Barclaycard too.

      • Tracy says:

        Any bonus points are a bonus, just wondering if they are one offs or would I get them again lol

        • Tilly says:

          My thoughts exactly, have another stay next month so I’ll find out then. I am envious of your extra 5k that I didn’t get – are you diamond? I’m only gold.

        • Sean says:

          I only got the HH visa bonus on my first stay this year, not the next one

          • Alan says:

            I never got any of the welcome ones, although did eventually get them to credit the 10k manually. Not sure if it being my 6th churn of that card had anything to do with it or not 😂

    • Alan says:

      I didn’t but see Loyalty Lobby mentioning folk getting these too.

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