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Book now – wide open Avios flight availablity to East Coast USA and Canada in Club World

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British Airways has opened the floodgates on Avios availability to the US East Coast and Canada in Club World for the rest of 2020.  This even includes Easter and key Christmas dates.

Our main article on Wednesday covered the amazing Avios availability to Asia.  Unsurprisingly, this is not top of many peoples lists although I would be happy to risk a (refundable, remember) Avios booking for later in the year.

There are no risks to the US or Canada at the moment, of course.

Lots of Avios business class availability to the USA

The availability is astonishing on East Coast routes.  Here are some screenshots showing days where there are NINE or more Club World seats available on one aircraft.

I have even seen dates with 9+ seats available on the BA New York flight from London City, which only has 32 seats on it!

If your family is smaller than nine, you will have even more choice.

My gut feeling is that this is a cash grab by British Airways.  It needs money, and quickly.  Getting you to pay a couple of thousand pounds in taxes and charges for four Club World redemption seats is a FAR easier way of getting a few quid in the door than trying to sell a flight to Singapore for cash …..

Here are screenshots from seatspy.com taken on Wednesday.  A ‘hollow’ circle is off peak, a ‘full’ circle is peak.  Click to enlarge.  Remember that these are dates with at least NINE Club World seats showing on one aircraft.

(Do not look for First Class availability because, due to issues with the BA data feed, you will get false positives.  The Club World data is perfectly fine.)

Seats are wide open for Easter weekend (10th-13th April) on most routes.

It doesn’t work everywhere.  Orlando doesn’t have much, for example, and neither does San Diego.  Miami has a huge amount in late April but not much else.  It doesn’t cover new, niche routes like Portland, Nashville, New Orleans or Charleston either.

Turning to Canada, there is a lot between now and April if you need 9 Club World seats.

There is a lot to go at here.  See what you can find.

If you are looking into next year, you can find the 2021 calendar of peak and off-peak Avios redemption dates in this article.

PS.  If you missed it, take a look at our recent article on 10 good benefits of the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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

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 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. 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

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, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 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.

Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (111)

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

  • Anna says:
    19 Feb19 February 11:39

    I’ve got a return leg from GCM booked on a single PNR in Y at the end of April for 3 of us (they rarely release more than 2 in CW so not usually an option on avios). I booked this when the seats were released online and then rang BA to get one lot of avios refunded as I used a 2 4 1 on the (separate booking) outbound leg.

    So, my question is – if I cancel the return leg in order to rebook in CW from the US, will I still be able to have it as my 2 4 1 return sector? I presume it would have to be done on the phone as half a voucher can’t be refunded.

    • Anna says:
      19 Feb19 February 11:40

      To clarify – we’re currently flying out in F to MIA, connecting to GCM 3 days later, then travelling home directly from GCM in Y at present. The MIA and GCM legs are on award seats using a 2 4 1.

      • Anna says:
        19 Feb19 February 11:46

        Though BA aren’t even answering calls at the moment as they are so busy. 😫.

        • Lady London says:
          19 Feb19 February 13:17

          That’s always what their answerphone says.

          • Anna says:
            19 Feb19 February 13:27

            It cut me off after the message!

          • Lady London says:
            19 Feb19 February 14:41

            Usually cuts me off when I have been holding on for 50-60 mins !!

          • Mikeact says:
            20 Feb20 February 09:47

            If you call from a mobile with the usual ton of free minutes, BA automatically cut the call off after exactly 60 mins while on hold…..as I found out. The call handler told me that if using a land line, this cut off does not apply. When I looked at my mobile, sure enough, last call showed 60 minutes.

          • Lady London says:
            20 Feb20 February 12:06

            Good tip @Mikeact. Thanks.

    • Rhys says:
      19 Feb19 February 11:48

      Should be possible, although you may have to pay a change fee. Worth giving them a ring.

  • Secret Squirrel says:
    19 Feb19 February 11:48

    Wow, those SeatSpy charts are what dreams are made of.

  • Craig says:
    19 Feb19 February 12:00

    I wish Virgin would do something similar for Christmas, I can fly to Hong King or LA but not New York. Outbound is available but nothing on the return for the 9th Jan.

  • Russ says:
    19 Feb19 February 12:00

    ‘My gut feeling is that this is a cash grab by British Airways. It needs money, and quickly.’

    Come on your excellency – buy the rest of it!!!

    • ADS says:
      19 Feb19 February 13:02

      ah … i thought the cash grab sounded weird …

      but if the draft purchase agreement has a specific liquidity ratio, then it all becomes clear !

      although surely having a non European owner would cause problems with some of the flying rights treaties ?

      • Russ says:
        19 Feb19 February 13:27

        Well I don’t know what Rob was thinking however my thoughts are the real prize is south of the UK.

        Olé !

  • Lev441 says:
    19 Feb19 February 12:27

    Shame the taxes and fees are at a stupidly high level. £680+ For Usa destinations. My first redemption back in 2015 was under £400 to the big Apple in club world.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      19 Feb19 February 12:56

      Yup not far off good cash fares and using Avios to bring down the price even at 0.8p-0.6p

      F can still be good value especially F out CW back.

    • tony says:
      19 Feb19 February 12:59

      +1. With the rampant inflation in both charges and points required, I fear BA may have priced themselves out of the game when it comes to redemption bookings. Long haul J with a 2-4-1 used to be a real sweet spot, but with £600 in charges, plus the avios, plus the usually restricted availability, it makes no sense when you have offers like the recurrent LX/LH sale fares on the table.

      I used my most recent 2-4-1 on a pair of one way flights to Europe. BA was only selling full J or Y, but kindly loaded up 2 business award seats (LON-SZG last Saturday). I’m sure scalping the market like this wasn’t what air miles were invented for, but it’s where I think the market now sits.

  • John A says:
    19 Feb19 February 12:35

    Is it possible to book the 2-4-1 as two one ways? The taxes and fees tend to price lower this way, so I assume it is not permitted….

    • Lumma says:
      19 Feb19 February 12:55

      I thought that one-way from the USA is now insanely expensive for taxes and fees?

      • Lady London says:
        19 Feb19 February 13:13

        +1. Huge from US to Eur as a one way

        Delta miles plus 5 to 25 USD.
        AS also reasonable?

        • LewisB says:
          19 Feb19 February 13:49

          BA Y from the US can be very cheap. SFO – LHR for example is around £78.

          • Lev441 says:
            19 Feb19 February 13:56

            Only Y – W or J incredibly expensive on BA as a one way US-UK

          • Lady London says:
            19 Feb19 February 14:45

            On a s t a n d a l o n e basis?
            Seen it all the time for nearly two years now as part of a return ticket but never standalone.

            That’s Norwegian-level/ Level pricing.

            But not BA for pure one ways. Are you sure?

          • Lev441 says:
            19 Feb19 February 16:49

            @Ladylondon – the US – Uk y redemptions around £75-80 but even cheaper via iberia. Last time I checked nyc-Lhr it was £57 on Iberia plus

          • Lady London says:
            20 Feb20 February 12:07

            You mean just the taxes, surely?

        • Mikeact says:
          19 Feb19 February 21:21

          That’s how we’re getting back in a few weeks time, not much more than a fiver each…..no brainer, and e can use Delta lounges as an FB Premium.

  • Tony says:
    19 Feb19 February 12:43

    I have just stopped buying regular avios redemptions with BA and VS. Between the “taxes” and avios it is almost always better to just pay cash in a sale. I will however buy PE and upgrade with avios. That is the only useful long haul use of avios for me. Especially combined with an Ex-EU where the base PE fare is less than or equal to what the “taxes” would have been on a straight redemption from London.

    • Freddy says:
      19 Feb19 February 12:57

      Probably a newbie question but how do you work out the avios/fees you need to upgrade

      • Shoestring says:
        19 Feb19 February 12:59

        log in to BAEC, search flights using Avios – it will show you the difference between classes of fare (in both Avios needed & fees)

        you pay the difference

      • Rob says:
        19 Feb19 February 13:00

        Avios is the difference between the two cabin classes. The fees number is a mystery – the only extra is BA’s mythical surcharges.

  • Henry says:
    19 Feb19 February 12:44

    I don’t think I appreciated this. A return Business class from Manchester to Washington (for example) is £400 more in “Fees” than going from Heathrow. I thought the two fingers up to non london was for short haul no long haul. Was I mistaken?

    • Anna says:
      19 Feb19 February 13:34

      You still have to pay the RFS fee for the domestic leg, however that should only be £50 return in CE. Have you clicked through to the next page? For reasons which have never been explained the “fees” element always seems to be too high on the page where you choose your flights, then adjusts downwards on the next page.

      • Henry says:
        19 Feb19 February 14:22

        I did find that it dropped back on the next page. I was halfway through updating my comment but got sidetracked.

        It is very off putting to see the level of fees being suggested on the first page.

      • Charlieface says:
        19 Feb19 February 14:34

        No you don’t pay RFS fees on long haul domestic connections.
        You do pay a bit more YQ (surcharge), this seems to be more on the LHR outbound than on the inbound. On certain flights the YQ is actually less, MAN-LHR-NYC in particular

        • Anna says:
          19 Feb19 February 14:38

          I thought you paid the RFS fee but not the avios? Fee element is always higher when I add on a MAN connection, though I’ve never broken it down by sector.

          • AndyGWP says:
            19 Feb19 February 15:14

            No. Charlie is right. It’s just extra YQ 👍🏻

          • Phil G says:
            19 Feb19 February 16:20

            I’ve been looking at some economy redemptions to he usa out of manchester via lhr and comparing to lhr direct.
            Going from manchester adds on £70 carrier charges return and appx £16 of passenger service charge in taxes to a return. Maybe its coincidence but £70 carrier charges looks awfully like two lots of RFS to me

          • AndyGWP says:
            19 Feb19 February 17:25

            Hmmm. I’d agree it does seem too exact to be coincidence Phil.

            In contrast, the LHR to MAN legs of a LAS-LHR-MAN journey, cost me an extra £7.92 per person in F (well, J for that sector) when I booked a few months ago (so if true, it may have changed since then?)

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

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