Lots of First Class Avios availability to North America has appeared
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British Airways appears to have opened the floodgates on Avios availability for First Class on routes to the United States and Mexico.
Destinations include Boston, Chicago, Mexico City, New York and Philadelphia and more, with seats available throughout the summer, including August. I searched for two people, but in some instances as many as four seats have opened up on a single fight.
Take a look at the screenshots below from SeatSpy, our preferred seat searching tool.
The examples below are based on availability for TWO people. Red circles represent dates with First Class seats. Outbound flights from Heathrow are on the left, return flights are on the right.
Mexico City
As you can see, there is plenty of availability throughout the spring and summer to Mexico City. This is a long flight – around 12 hours on the outbound – so you definitely get your money’s worth!
Boston
Availability to Boston is a bit more odd. There’s a smattering of availability (again, for two people) in April and May, but the taps really have been turned on in August, during the peak school holidays:
Chicago
Flights to Chicago are a bit tighter, mostly with availability in April and May, although you can find more if you’re searching for just one ticket:
New York
First Class redemptions to New York are available throughout the next five months and deep into the summer holidays:
Philadelphia
…whilst Philadelphia is showing more availability in late spring and early summer:
Availability has also improved to other US destinations, including Seattle and San Francisco, although not quite as spectacularly as the routes above. It is worth taking a look if you are keen.
Our full guide on how to use Avios points for British Airways First Class flights is here.
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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