AVIOS points with BA

[Bikerider2020]

I am looking at booking a flight to NYC, have the option to pay with AVIOS, but it seems that the "flight and taxes" that can't be paid for with points is £468 and the flights are £568 if paid for in cash and I'd have to use a lot of points to get that!

Am I doing something wrong or does this seem right to people?

Alternatively I can upgrade to world traveller plus on the way out there or world traveller on the way back. Has anyone done this? Is it a significant difference?

Avios are great if you fly in 1st or club or have a BA credit card 2 for 1 voucher. They are great for getting short haul flights cheap at the least moment or doing busy times (used a few to get 2 ticket to Grand Prix for £120 when they were selling at £600+).

They are not good to use in WT long haul.

How many do you have?

@Largeyellowdaffodil interesting! I have 40,000.

How do you get the companion vouchers?

There is also part pay with avios and get avios tickets. Not quite the same

Look on Headforpoints for lots more information about using avios or ask on the BA flyertalk forum for more specific route advice.

If you are not in a hurry getting a BA amex credit card- the paid one is a really good deal.

I just got 1st class flights to San Francisco over Christmas for just the 'taxes" and avios. About £1500-they were selling at £7k and are now £21k on the same plane.

Blimey well done @Largeyellowdaffodil !!

I wouldn’t bother upgrading to world traveller personally and use them for a short hop flight , the leg room is slightly better but the food is not that much improved

But you get extra luggage @mrsbyers?

I wouldn’t bother upgrading to world traveller personally and use them for a short hop flight , the leg room is slightly better but the food is not that much improved

World traveller is the basic cabin- do you mean WT plus?
WTP is the sweet spot for free same day upgrades to CW

Short haul is the best value or long haul premium cabins with a voucher. We are going to Rome for the rugby- booked out and back separately for about £50 each plus avios in club europe. Selling for about £1000 and £700 in economy.

Going to Inverness on 1st day of school holidays. Flights were £300 each 1 way in CE and £200+ in economy. £25 plus some avios for CE.

I am BA gold and get more bags that 1 person could ever manage anyway.

@Largeyellowdaffodil on the outward bound journey it says plus, on the return it doesn't. Which I don't understand.

You can fly in different cabins there are back and choose that as an option.

You can use avios to book whole flights or to part pay- sounds like you are trying to part pay?

As everyone else has said they are best used in Club or First. Head for Points and FlyerTalk are great for tips.
Companion vouchers are from the BA credit card or if you are a v frequent flyer as a reward.
Don’t use your avois on short haul, it is such a waste.
The other thing you can do is pay with cash and avios, that way you get money off the flight.

I have just tried a couple of dummy bookings for straight avios- choose book with avios from the left hand top of the BA home page.

an economy flight (WT) to lhr from nyc return is 26000 Avios + £ 268.26
a premium economy (WTP) from lhr to nyc 52000 Avios + £ 474.26

So WTP one way and WT the other would be 39000 Avios + £ 419.26

Companion vouchers are from the BA credit card or if you are a v frequent flyer as a reward You dont get companion vouchers as a rewards- you get GUFs which are not the same

Don’t use your avois on short haul, it is such a waste. not true- for late booking they can be very good value for money as they can for premium dates.

The other thing you can do is pay with cash and avios, that way you get money off the flight. it is almost never good value to do this. the exception is if they have a specific offer on- they had one in December 2018 where it was worthwhile - but not since*

If you travel out in 1 cabin and back in another you should get the highest cabin baggage allowance for both flights.

www.headforpoints.com/category/avios-redemption-university/

Rob has some great articles.

Thank you so much @Largeyellowdaffodil