500k Avios points – what to do?

[danniemorris12]

Hi all, I’m new to this avios game. But I have 500k avios points, looking for recommendations where I can fly and if possible in business class, what are the best options? For 2 people return uk preferred.

[Rob]

Start here!

https://www.headforpoints.com/2024/08/29/how-many-avios-do-i-need-to-fly-to-2/

[Ihar]

The best option is to get a 241 AMEX voucher 😁 You need to spend £15k on the BAPP card and it then is instantly obtained (if you have 500k Avios I guess that’s not so difficult).

[BJ]

Convert most of them to ‘cash’ at Sainsbury’s because you can fly most places you likely want to go for under £2k return in business class any day of the year but either bloggers wont tell you that or they haven’t figured it out themselves.

[Scott]

Not saying a Nectar transfer can’t work, but how much under £2k are you talking about?

100,000 Avios = 100,000 Nectar = £500 of spend at Sainsbury’s. So up to 400,000 Avios needed to save enough for a £2k flight.

On the other hand 100,000 Avios with a £400 co-payment will get you from Madrid to many places in South America.

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

Go somewhere you want to go to not somwhere because it somehow fit’s in with how many points you have.

Surely you both have a wish list of places you want to visit? That’s your starting point.

[BJ]

Scott wrote:

Not saying a Nectar transfer can’t work, but how much under £2k are you talking about?

100,000 Avios = 100,000 Nectar = £500 of spend at Sainsbury’s. So up to 400,000 Avios needed to save enough for a £2k flight.

On the other hand 100,000 Avios with a £400 co-payment will get you from Madrid to many places in South America.

Obviously depends where from and where to but all the way to West Coast USA or East to Japan is £1500-2000, down under just a little more.

[BJ]

To be fair though I should acknowledge that 500k avios can still be immensely valuable, particularly if sweet spots work for you or if used to underpin more complex travel itineraries by mixing and matching with revenue fares. I echo @BA Flyer that OP shoukd decide where they want to go, and then figure out how best to achieve that with the avios and budget available.

[BBbetter]

danniemorris12 wrote:

what are the best options?

The best options are the places you actually want to go.
Figure out a couple of destinations first.

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Honestly my best advice to a newbie with 500K Avios is to ask your spouse to change your BAEC password so you can’t do anything hasty with the points. Then take at least 2 weeks to read up on HfP et al on how the scheme works, where the sweetspots are that remain, etc. And ask questions if you think you’ve read something that is still unclear to you (though on that point, may I draw your attention to the HfP glossary).

Basically don’t do anything hasty with your points balance till you feel much more comfortably informed.

[NorthernLass]

Probably avoid Japan for your first redemption!

[masaccio]

BJ wrote:

Convert most of them to ‘cash’ at Sainsbury’s because you can fly most places you likely want to go for under £2k return in business class any day of the year but either bloggers wont tell you that or they haven’t figured it out themselves.

Are you just trolling now?

We must fly to different places because that’s utter nonsense. And I don’t count LHR-CPH-AUH-BKK as a nice start to a holiday.

[BJ]

masaccio wrote:

BJ wrote:

Convert most of them to ‘cash’ at Sainsbury’s because you can fly most places you likely want to go for under £2k return in business class any day of the year but either bloggers wont tell you that or they haven’t figured it out themselves.

Are you just trolling now?

We must fly to different places because that’s utter nonsense. And I don’t count LHR-CPH-AUH-BKK as a nice start to a holiday.

Why is that? Most people here already know you can Fly AY J return from AY+ Zone 1 for as little as £1100-1200 avios equivalent (at 1ppa) inclusive of the tax and fees. Add UK return in J yo Zone 1 if you like for another £250 or so giving you less than £1500 return for essentially fully flexible return for under £1500. If you get your aviis for less than 0.8ppa from cc SUB, insurance etc it’s a lot less than that.

That’s just for starters, if you really get to know the new avios universe inside out you’ll find lots more but don’t waste your time with BA,, focus on all the others.

[masaccio]

So for the inconvenience of transiting Helsinki, possibly staying overnight I see BKK but no flights to GND, NBO, BOM, AUS, LIM, MIA and then I gave up searching for places I’ve flown to the past 18-24 months.

It’s great for you that AY flies where you want to go but it’s not suitable for everyone.

Loads of blogs love to crow about ex-EU fares, but I’d rather not go through the pain of that especially if bags are not checked through to my destination.

[Rui N.]

Blair Waldorf Salad wrote:

Honestly my best advice to a newbie with 500K Avios is to ask your spouse to change your BAEC password

Great advice, mainly as it reduces the chance of the points being stolen!

[BJ]

masaccio wrote:

So for the inconvenience of transiting Helsinki, possibly staying overnight I see BKK but no flights to GND, NBO, BOM, AUS, LIM, MIA and then I gave up searching for places I’ve flown to the past 18-24 months.

It’s great for you that AY flies where you want to go but it’s not suitable for everyone.

Loads of blogs love to crow about ex-EU fares, but I’d rather not go through the pain of that especially if bags are not checked through to my destination.

AY to East Asia was just an example and it’s not just BKK, the comments have been littered with successes to other destinations. Not to mention values on QR and IB. It’s too bad if those in London and SE feel put out that they are now faced with inconvenience of two or more sectors to realise the best value from their avios. They’ll simply now have to get used to the inconvenience the regions have long suffered or pay a premium to fly nonstop on the inferior BA, it’s a tough life. More seriously, it’s what we make of it, we try to use exEurope departures to facilitate extra value such as short breaks or visiting friends. We will also accept the invonvenience if muxing and natching reward and revenue flights where it otk jdes a bokd fut to our travel goals. However, where the inconvenuence does not work we will pay a premium for better options. We have the luxury of being flexible though and I do appreciate the difficulties and frustrations experienced by people, perhaps like yourself, who don’t

[RonnieB]

How can a newbie collector have 500k avios?

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

RonnieB wrote:

How can a newbie collector have 500k avios?

It’s not uncommon. I regularly meet people who have been passively collecting Avios for a few years, are high spenders, but haven’t the foggiest how or where to redeem. Surprisingly many of them have the BAPP!

[Aston100]

BJ wrote:

you can fly most places you likely want to go for under £2k return in business class any day of the year

You can’t be serious?

[Ihar]

Aston100 wrote:

BJ wrote:

you can fly most places you likely want to go for under £2k return in business class any day of the year

You can’t be serious?

Apparently so. I’d gladly swap the Avios I’m buying at 0.9ppp for Nectar @ 0.5ppp. Buy high, sell low!

Whilst I’d certainly echo “decide where you want to go”, getting maximum value from Avios is about being flexible (IMHO). We collect/use almost exclusively for long-haul in F/J with a 241AMEX (that can open up extra availability) – so if you’re flexible First to USA/return for less than £3k total (cash for taxes etc plus Avios @ 1ppp value) is achieveable.

I wouldn’t squander 500k Avios on anything else.