How many Avios do you earn from Heathrow Express train tickets? Fewer than you thought
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I’ve no idea when this happened, but at some point in the last few months the Avios earning rate on Heathrow Express tickets has been halved.
You now earn 5 Avios per £1, instead of the previous 10 Avios per £1.
As a reminder, there are two ways to earn Avios by taking Heathrow Express:
The first is to collect Heathrow Rewards points on online bookings. This is a rewards currency offered by various Heathrow services, including duty-free shopping, and can be easily transferred into Avios (or many other frequent flyer currencies). You earn 1 point per £1 spent and these transfer 1:1 into Avios. This article explains more about Heathrow Rewards.
The second is to take advantage of a special Heathrow Express / Avios deal
To take advantage of the Avios offer, you need to book your ticket in advance via this special Avios / Heathrow Express link.
The promotion is significantly more generous than earning Heathrow Rewards points and converting them to Avios, even after the Avios rate was halved. You now earn 5 Avios per £1 spent.
There is only one snag – you cannot use other promotional codes or book (cheaper) Advance Purchase tickets via this route.
If you are booking an Advance Purchase ticket or taking advantage of a package deal such as Duo Saver for a couple travelling together, the only reward you can claim is Heathrow Rewards points.
When choosing your means of travel from Heathrow to London you should consider what fits best for you. This article (click) outlines the various ways you can save money on Heathrow Express – including some non-Avios promotions – which may save you more money than the Avios collected.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 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 Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 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
30,000 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.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 30,000 Avios. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 80,000 Avios! The spend requirement is changed to £10,000 in six months for this offer. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
Huge 80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large 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
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) and NO FX fees Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business
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
50,000 points when you sign-up 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.
