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NEW: Loganair adopts Avios

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We knew that Avios was in discussions with a ‘small’ airline to adopt the currency, and now we know who – Loganair.

The Scottish airline will adopt Avios as its loyalty currency in 2025, making it the seventh airline to issue points.

The airline is promising to make ‘1 million seats’ available for redemption each year.

Loganair adopts Avios

It isn’t clear if there will be a guaranteed number of seats per flight or not – I suspect it is unlikely given the VERY small aircraft that Loganair runs on some routes, especially those connecting the Scottish islands.

It is also possible, of course, that Loganair only makes redemptions via its own website available on a dynamic basis (0.6p discount per Avios or similar) whilst BA offers them based on a traditional award chart basis. This is what happens with Vueling in Spain where you can book via the Iberia or Vueling websites at different prices.

Loganair is the UK’s largest regional airline and carries over 1.5 million passengers per year.

It operates almost 70 routes from hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Newcastle, including a handful from London Heathrow. The airline has been a British Airways codeshare partner for some years with flights bookable on ba.com.

The key benefit, I think, will be the ability to book connecting British Airways / Loganair reward flights on a single ticket, giving reward customers the same flexibility as cash customers booking a BA codeshare.

Loganair will convert Clan Points balances into Avios at launch.

We do not yet know:

  • when Avios will launch with Loganair
  • what the Avios accrual rates will be
  • what the Avios redemption rates will be
  • what the conversion rate from Clan Points will be
  • whether there will be any guaranteed availability

My review of a Loganair flight from Glasgow to Barra – the only scheduled flight in the world that lands on a beach – is here. This will be a great way for any avgeek to burn Avios.

The most expensive Avios redemption in the world ….

You may not know that the Loganair route from Westray to Papa Westray is the shortest scheduled passenger flight in the world.

The scheduled flight time is 90 seconds but in reality it can take a minute. The record is apparently 53 seconds.

This means that Westray to Papa Westray will probably become the most expensive Avios flight in the system on a ‘points per mile flown’ basis.

The best value Avios flight on that basis, on a British Airways aircraft, is London to Sydney as this HfP article shows. A business class seat requires 13.6 Avios per mile.

Where does Loganair fly?

Here, courtesy of Cirium, is the current Loganair route list – this does not include routes annnounced but not yet launched:

Aberdeen — Belfast City
Aberdeen — Birmingham
Aberdeen — Bristol
Aberdeen — Dublin
Aberdeen — Esbjerg
Aberdeen — Kirkwall
Aberdeen — Sumburgh
Aberdeen — Manchester
Aberdeen — Teesside
Aberdeen — Newcastle
Aberdeen — Norwich
Benbecula — Glasgow
Benbecula — Stornoway
Bergen — Edinburgh
Bergen — Sumburgh
Bergen — Newcastle
Belfast City — Aberdeen
Belfast City — Inverness
Belfast City — Isle of Man
Birmingham — Aberdeen
Birmingham — Isle of Man
Barra — Glasgow
Bristol — Aberdeen
Campbeltown — Glasgow
Donegal — Glasgow
Cardiff — Edinburgh
Dundee — Kirkwall
Dundee — London Heathrow
Dundee — Sumburgh
Dublin — Aberdeen
Esbjerg — Aberdeen
Edinburgh — Bergen
Edinburgh — Cardiff
Edinburgh — Exeter
Edinburgh — Inverness
Edinburgh — Isle of Man
Edinburgh — Kirkwall
Edinburgh — Sumburgh
Edinburgh — Newquay
Edinburgh — Southampton
Edinburgh — Stornoway
Exeter — Edinburgh
Exeter — Glasgow
Exeter — Newcastle
Glasgow — Benbecula
Glasgow — Barra
Glasgow — Campbeltown
Glasgow — Donegal
Glasgow — Exeter
Glasgow — Islay
Glasgow — Kirkwall
Glasgow — Derry
Glasgow — Sumburgh
Glasgow — Southampton
Glasgow — Stornoway
Glasgow — Tiree
Islay — Glasgow
Inverness — Belfast City
Inverness — Edinburgh
Inverness — Kirkwall
Inverness — Manchester
Inverness — Stornoway
Isle of Man — Belfast City
Isle of Man — Birmingham
Isle of Man — Edinburgh
Isle of Man — London City
Isle of Man — London Heathrow
Isle of Man — Liverpool
Isle of Man — Manchester
Kirkwall — Aberdeen
Kirkwall — Dundee
Kirkwall — Edinburgh
Kirkwall — Glasgow
Kirkwall — Inverness
Kirkwall — Sumburgh
London City — Isle of Man
Derry — Glasgow
Derry — London Heathrow
London Heathrow — Dundee
London Heathrow — Isle of Man
London Heathrow — Derry
Liverpool — Isle of Man
Sumburgh — Aberdeen
Sumburgh — Bergen
Sumburgh — Dundee
Sumburgh — Edinburgh
Sumburgh — Glasgow
Sumburgh — Kirkwall
Manchester — Aberdeen
Manchester — Inverness
Manchester — Isle of Man
Manchester — Newquay
Teesside — Aberdeen
Newcastle — Aberdeen
Newcastle — Bergen
Newcastle — Exeter
Newcastle — Newquay
Newcastle — Southampton
Newcastle — Stavangar
Newquay — Edinburgh
Newquay — Manchester
Newquay — Newcastle
Norwich — Aberdeen
Southampton — Edinburgh
Southampton — Glasgow
Southampton — Newcastle
Stavangar — Newcastle
Stornoway — Benbecula
Stornoway — Edinburgh
Stornoway — Glasgow
Stornoway — Inverness
Tiree — Glasgow


How to earn Avios from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 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 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

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, 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.

Comments (79)

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

  • Martin says:

    For anyone wanting to do the Westray – Papay hop, they do a special sightseer fare as part of a round trip from Kirkwall – it’s £45, but only available on the day if there’s space available.

    It’s a memorable experience for many reasons – when we did it, the pilot did the seating assignments while we were walking across the apron. As tourists, we got row 1 (the front of the front) for the view; the lucky 9th passenger – a regular – was next to the pilot and got a headset for a chat. When we got to Westray, we had to get out to let the passengers in row 2 out, and one of them asked if we needed a lift anywhere. The pilot also apologised to us afterwards for not having taken a more scenic route back to Kirkwall because he didn’t have much time before his next flight.

    I’d highly recommend the experience, Avios or no!

    • marcolau says:

      Or if you want to walk around the island (and see lots of sheep), pre-book a return for £36 (refundable until T-24h), pack some sandwiches and enjoy a day trip.

      Did it before covid and it was a great experience – choose the first flight in the morning and you can still enjoy the short Westray – Papay hop, then meeting the friendly people (or sheep rather)!

  • gavalar says:

    Don’t think you can go Inverness – Edinburgh direct, they do these as positioning flights

    • Chris says:

      It was cargo when they still had the Saabs as it was always one with the blacked out windows in the cabin.

  • HayMow says:

    For years I’ve been telling my husband I’ll take him to Islay – his favourite place for single malts – and drive him around the distilleries in the hire car, since I’m no whisky fan … so this may give me the push to finally make it happen. (Though the fact that The Botanist gin from Bruichladdich is so good may spoil that plan!)

    • CJD says:

      Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg are all about a mile apart and there’s a cycle path you can walk along between them all. It’s a great route if the weather’s nice.

      You can also get driver’s drams at the distilleries so you’re not missing out.

      • HayMow says:

        This is great to know – thanks, @CJD. Yes, I’d just come across the driver’s dram idea while, coincidentally, re-researching the week before – even better.

  • Evan Davis says:

    Will these be Avios points that can be transferred to BA?

    Or will they be “Loganair only” Avios points, in the same way that Vueling Avios are stuck with Vueling (and I believe Iberia)?

    • ChrisBCN says:

      Vueling avíos are NOT stuck with Vueling. You can move them into BA or IB through the standard combine my avios page, and then on to elsewhere if desired.

    • daveinitalia says:

      The only Avios that were never transferable were Air Italy (remember them?)

  • gerjomarty says:

    I semi-regularly fly Heathrow – City of Derry and collect Clan Points. They are very straightforward at the moment: 400 Clan Points for a Fly Flex one-way fare, 2000 points for a one-way redemption. On the City of Derry route those fares start at around £89 one way, so it always felt like getting a decent return, although I haven’t done the maths.

    I can’t help but feel like it’s going to worsen in value with the switch to earning Avios, but that remains to be seen.

    (I do like these flights, but I wish they still went to Stansted. Really hate having to be bussed to the terminal every time, just to do the long walk to the train station from Terminal 2.)

    • Ryan Carroll says:

      Is this definitely the case? Don’t you mean 4000 for a one way redemption?

      • gerjomarty says:

        Oops, yes, I do mean that. Thanks for catching that.

        • JMac says:

          They have had a half price redemption for the last couple of years at various points. Some very cheap hops to Donegal and Bergen!

  • captaindave says:

    Recently flew exeter Edinburgh return with loganair ( first time used them )
    I didn’t bother joining the Clan points scheme….. is it possible to get the points retrospectively if I join now ?

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    I’ve been wondering how Loganair plan to release 1m seats when they currently only fly 1.5m people. Here’s my answer…

    They’ve just finished replacing there Saab 340s that held 34 passengers with ATR 42s that hold 48 passengers. A 40% increase, which will negatively affect load factors. (Note, ATRs are probably a lot cheaper to operate per flight)

    There load factor for April 23 to March 24 was 59.5%, down from 62.8% the prior year. So they flew 1m empty seats. The additional capacity on flights they already can’t sellout will make this issue worse. I think they’re planning on dumping any unsold tickets at the last minute to try and fill up the plane.

    Great news for me in Manchester!

  • doug says:

    Do we yet know what the situation will be regarding Tier Points?
    Currently on some Loganair routes, but not all, you can earn Tier Points by booking if booked via BA.

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

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