Fly to Athens with a flat bed in BA Club World for £197 – and earn 160 tier points
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As we covered over the weekend, British Airways has decided to make deeper fare cuts as its September sale comes towards its end.
There are some genuinely crazy Club Europe fares currently available. These are worth 80 British Airways Executive Club tier points return – and in some cases 160 tier points return.
Given that the requirements for status are currently reduced by a quarter (Bronze requires 225 tier points, Silver requires 450 tier points, Gold requires 1,125 tier points) you could earn status for very little money indeed. You would also get a few short breaks in the New Year too.
What are the 160 tier point routes?
Here is the list of the cheapest routes which earn 160 tier points which I published on Saturday:
(The list of 80 tier points routes, which starts at £119, is in this article.)
- Algiers £242
- Bucharest £172
- Catania £228
- Funchal £208
- Gran Canaria £204
- Istanbul £182
- Kalamata £274
- Lanzarote £184
- Malta £164
- Marrakech £205
- Paphos £198
- Preveza Lefkada £246
- Reykjavik £154
- Sofia £146
- Tenerife £204
- Thessaloniki £222
- Tirana £176
However, I forgot one: Athens.
This was a big mistake, because Athens is currently being served by a Boeing 787 on selected dates for cargo reasons.
If you book yourself onto these flights, you will get 160 tier points for under £200 AND a flat bed.
(Catering is the standard Club Europe food, unfortunately!)
When is Athens served by a Boeing 787?
At present, it is only showing on a few dates in October:
- Friday 2nd October at 12.40
- Friday 9th October at 12.40
- Friday 16th October at 12.40
- Friday 23rd October at 12.40
The aircraft turns around immediately, as the 19.55 from Athens. This means that you’ll be returning on a standard short-haul aircraft unless you stay for a week.
These flights can be booked for £197 return in Club Europe / Club World.
Remember that you do not need to quarantine on your return from mainland Greece (unless you live in Scotland) and you do not need to present a coronavirus test result to enter.
You need to be aware, of course, that BA could swap the aircraft at any point. These flights are being run for cargo purposes and so should stick, but the further ahead you book the riskier it is.
You can also find long haul aircraft running occasional services to Amsterdam, Zurich, Madrid and Larnaca.
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 Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
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.
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