News: Qantas resumes non-stop London flights, Aer Lingus launches ‘Avios only’ flights
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News in brief:
Qantas resumes non-stop London flights
A few weeks ago, we reported that Qantas had decided to temporarily reroute its Perth to London flights via Singapore due to unfavourable weather and security concerns on its usual route through the Middle East.
This meant that the ‘non-stop’ route from Australia to London was no longer non-stop, diminishing the advantage of booking it.
The good news is that after two weeks, Qantas has reinstated its non-stop routing. Passengers can once again enjoy over 17 hours in the air on one of the world’s longest flights.
Whilst current aircraft can only just manage flying to London non-stop, Qantas is investing in a fleet of modified A350-1000s that will be able to fly the route with ease, and open up even longer non-stop flights to London from Sydney and Melbourne.
These aircraft are due to arrive in 2026 and will feature brand new seats in all cabins (image below).
Aer Lingus trials an ‘Avios-only’ flight
Aer Lingus has joined British Airways and Iberia in offering Avios-only flights to AerClub members. Unlike a normal flight, every single seat on this special service will be up for redemption, in every cabin.
British Airways launched the Avios-only initiative last year and has run a number of Avios-only flights since, including long haul options to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Iberia followed in May with flights to Santorini and Catania.
Earlier this week, Aer Lingus announced it would offer an Avios-only flight to Tenerife over Easter 2025. I was in the middle of writing an article to alert you when the offer sold out.
Unusually, Aer Lingus also offered a 50% discount on the flights if booked early. No doubt this added to the booking fervour!
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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (January 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 Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
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 – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
50,000 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.
