Can you cancel the return leg of an Avios redemption after flying outbound?
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I thought it was worth digging out an interesting story which we first ran a couple of years ago and which highlights a quirk when it comes to cancelling Avios reward flights.
A reader had flown to Australia with his girlfriend for an extended trip. They decided to stay for an even longer period and no longer needed their return flight.
The couple had paid 250,000 Avios for a Club World redemption to Sydney, using a British Airways American Express 241 voucher.
Don’t ask how he managed to snag the seats, given how tough Sydney is to get. He didn’t say!
The outbound had been flown. They wanted to cancel the return flight and get 125,000 Avios back. The BA agent said ‘No’.
Was this correct?
My first thought was that the call centre agent was wrong.
Return Avios tickets used to be notoriously inflexible once the outbound was flown, which was silly as there were rarely savings to be made booking 2 x one-way versus a return.
About ten years ago, however, BA changed its policy. You can now CHANGE the date or time of your return Avios flight after the outbound has been flown. I have done this myself. It is a handy feature if a better-timed flight opens up at the last minute, or your trip is going very well or very badly.
It seemed logical to me that full cancellation would also be possible. I was wrong.
You cannot CANCEL the return leg of an Avios ticket, after the outbound has been flown, for a refund.
One reason you may need to cancel – apart from if you decide not to return at all! – is if you want to change dates but there is no BA Avios availability. In such a scenario you may decide to pay cash for a return ticket on a different date and refund your existing Avios return.
When should you book an Avios flight as a return?
So, you may well ask, what is the point of booking Avios flights as returns, given that I have less flexibility? Here are a few reasons:
- Because you’re using a British Airways American Express 2-4-1 companion voucher
- Because you are flying to a country where British Airways charges higher surcharges than the UK – the USA is a prime example. Booking 2 x one-way flights means that you pay a mix of the UK and US fuel surcharges and, overall, you pay more than booking a return starting in the UK.
In other cases, consider booking 2 x one-ways – you may even save money
Booking a trip as 2 x one-ways gives you added flexibility to cancel or change the return leg.
It can, in some cities, also save you a substantial amount of money. Sao Paulo and Hong Kong are cities where local rules on surcharges should make 2 x one-way tickets cheaper.
You cannot do this with an American Express voucher, however, which means that there would have been no way for our readers in the example above to get around their problem.
But don’t forget ….
Booking a redemption as 2 x one-way flights has one snag.
If you need to cancel, you will be hit with double the cancellation fees. It would cost £70 per person to cancel rather than £35, as each person is taking two separate flights on separate bookings.
You need to take a gamble on whether the saving in surcharges – or the ability to cancel your return flight without having to fix a return date – is worth the risk of doubling your cancellation fee.
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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