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BA adds new Mauritius services for November and December – excellent Avios availability

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British Airways seems to have added a new route between Heathrow and Mauritius today.

This is a route which normally goes from Gatwick – I have it booked for next May – which is how we can tell they are additional services.

Fancy Christmas in Mauritius? You can book it (as of 8pm Thursday).

Here is a SeatSpy screenshot from 8pm today showing the dates with FOUR Club World seats available. As you can see, there is a lot.

There is also excellent availability on the new services in World Traveller Plus and, of course, Economy but I have not shown that.

Outbound is to the left, return to the right:

There is also a First Class cabin, but no Avios seats ….

The outbound is 9pm (arr 12.55) with the return leaving Mauritius at 22.10, arriving at 06.20.


How to earn Avios from UK credit cards

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 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.

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.

Comments (35)

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

  • Kevin D says:

    Cool. Might jump on this. If there are no First seats is that because BA haven’t made them available to Avios redemptions or because they’ve all been booked up? I thought with the change to Companion voucher etc. BA had more availability in all classes?

    • Rob says:

      The extra voucher seats are only in Business and, of course, you need a new style voucher.

  • Greg says:

    I lived and worked in Mauritius for 2 year 2015-17. Loved it.

    Just changed my LGW-MRU flight in mid Jan to LHR-MRU over Christmas / New Year. 787 as opposed to the old style Gatwick 777 AND my old apartment in Bain Boeuf is free.

    My birthday today – what a present.

  • Neil says:

    Just booked flights from the 22nd – 30th of December for Xmas! Thanks a million Rob, we were going to book flights last night with Emirates so the timing of this is incredible!

    • Greg says:

      Yea !! But I told him about it. Ha Ha. Greg told Rob the miracle man something – a first. I got an email from seatspy at 6pm, booked by 6.30 using BA 241 voucher.

      Check seatspy tomorrow everybody. I’m cancelling 1-14 Jan Business from Gatwick to MRU, so should be available again soon after BA answer the phone (could be Sunday).

  • G says:

    This is good. Thanks Rob. So where’s best to stay?

    • Greg says:

      Depends what you want. All hotel groups are there (you pays your money you takes your choice) if you want to stay in by the pool and the beach. LUX at Grand Gaube was being renovated when I left in 2017 so may be an option. The island is tiny (50 minutes drive from North Coast where I used to live to the airport on the south coast). You can easily drive around the coast road visiting beaches and top top hotels. Otherwise head for Grand Baie. A few tourist shops and some great bars inc The Beach House, Sunset. Coco Loco and Sauterelle restaurant. A taxi drive from wherever you stay in the top third of the island. Otherwise hire a car.

      • AndyGWP says:

        Thanks for highlighting this deal in the comments thread yesterday Greg, I was a little late to the party (as always flick through them at the end of the day), but I managed to jump on board this one.

        Do you have any recommendations on best part of island to stay in December? I’ve stayed on the north coast before and recall a faint recollection that there can be different climates across the island depending on the season.

        Main goals whilst I’m there will be to:
        – lounge by a pool
        – float in the sea

  • Polly says:

    Maybe head over there instead of SIN then…

  • Hotelier says:

    In Mauritius at the moment for 2 weeks after booking flights last minute using some of the e-vouchers from the JER-LGW trick few weeks back! What an amazing place.

  • NigelthePensioner says:

    The standard of hotels in Mauritius is extremely high as is the reception and hospitality. A lovely place. I would agree that the Lux (Le Morne) is probably one of the better residences but the Prince Maurice is a tried and tested beautiful property.
    Regarding Avios availability there seems to be plenty in Club just now, but F availability (where the cabin exists!) is atrocious!

  • Johnny5a says:

    Those booking to Mauritius, please make an effort to visit the island itself, there’s loads to see and helps the local economy.

    • Anna says:

      We definitely plan to one year, we are used to hiring cars and doing our own thing. I think they drive on the left as well which is always a bonus!

      • Hotelier says:

        7 days in resort stay ( as per quarantine guidelines) plus 9 days visiting the island B&Bs/ small places – very few visitors until full reopening in October and most of them only coming for the 1 week in resort and back.

      • Johnny5a says:

        Yes they drive on the left. Though the Japanese cars are Japanese spec, where the indicator is on the right stalk not left, so you’re always switching on the wipers to indicate 😅

    • Kevin C says:

      If you are in the south, go visit the cassava biscuit factory.

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