Do you collect Avios points?

[updin]

I've just started; how easy is it to redeem the points? I'm worried it's going to be really tricky. Is it very strict/limited as to how you can use them?

I have the Barclaycard Avios Plus, DH is going to get the Amex one but not just yet as I expect it'll be a couple of years before we want to utilise the companion voucher so not keen to pay the annual card fee just yet.

This shows availability to/from Nashville for the next year - first column is outbound, second column is inbound. It’s the number of days each month that has availability. So if you want business, booking 6 months ahead should be ok

I forgot to attach! This is from seatspy and you can access this info without a paid subscription

Ah brilliant thanks, I will be sure to sign up to one of those services once we have some points saved up!

I'm assuming we earn extra points booking flights with BA so it would be better for us to book BA going forward? I've got a couple of transatlantic flights to book in the next 12 months (that I won't have points for yet) we usually fly Virgin but think the Avios scheme is more flexible for us which is why we haven't opted to do the Virgin scheme, do we get extra points booking BA??

@updin on booking BA, don't loose sight of the relative cost of flights. They do seem to be more expensive generally than other airlines in my experience, but that may be because we fly from Edinburgh so need to add on connections to most flights.

The BA Amex with a fee (£250 p.a.) is the best card, yes. You will easily earn a companion voucher as you need to spend £10k on the card in a year to get that. You will earn 1.5 points per £1 spent, so for you, you would earn 15,000-18,000 avios per month, or 180,000-216,000 avios per year, which is plenty for a long haul business class return flight for 2 people with the companion voucher.

It’s easy to get avios flights to Johannesburg as there are two flights a day from Heathrow. Tough, near impossible, to get them to Cape Town, as only one flight a day.

Is it possible to cancel the barclay avios plus card after 3 months?

Slightly unpopular opinion to voice, but consider using the airmiles to fly economy.

We often read that people claim to have saved “6000£ on business class flights”. Which is great, but if you never actually would have paid cash to fly business then you haven’t really saved it.

Another thing, is that yes that specific BA flight is £6k but there is a Delta one one for £1.5k that leaves 20 minutes later eg.

For us, using the points and companion voucher is a way to actually save money we would have spent. For example, we have flights to Antigua in Econ on peak peak dates after Christmas and over the New Year. Even when released these flights were over £1000 each in economy. Instead we paid about 35,000 points each and £150.

@Nosejobent I believe so, just make sure the points have landed in your executive club account.

@smellymelinda yes I can totally see what you're saying and I'm sure we will do this sometimes down the line, for us it's always been one of those bucket list things to fly business class, we have a budget planned for Nashville (with economy flights) so if the Avios points enable us to essentially spend the same we were going to spend on economy but for business (considering taxes etc) then we will be chuffed!

But we wouldn't be aiming to use them like that always, would be great to reduce cost of family holidays (not sure how easy it it is to spend them on 4 flights though??) that's just the first aim. I have been warned it could spoil us for life though and we'll struggle to go back 😂

We use them to fly economy and take money off.

I love flying business class and see it as part of my holiday so I don’t mind getting fewer flights for my buck. However, have used them for short haul too. I like a lounge and the champagne….

The T5 lounge was amazing the first time we used it. The last time it was terrible due to all the changes from Covid. Nothing out, ordering by an app from a table if you could get one, nothing child friendly to eat. Hopefully it's gone back to how it was.

Yes- all our spending goes on Avios credit card however small. You used to be able to convert clubcard points to avios with a really good exchange rate but it’s not the same now.
You can use avios to upgrade flights which on long haul is great.

i have both the ba amex and barclaycard avios, ive only just got the barclaycard so i can collect avios in places that dont take amex
the amex i have you need to spend 12k in a year to get the companion voucher which is easy to do if you put as much of your spending on it as possible and the barclaycard i think i need to spend 20k in a year to get a upgrade voucher
also look at the ba shopping site https://www.shopping.ba.com/ where you can get extra avios when buying stuff online, i book all my hotels thru booking.com so going thru that link gives more avios, then you get the avios for paying with the amex

ive had 1 companion voucher and used avios for 2 upgrades to business in the past year

oh if you have a nectar card you can also convert nectar points to avios so its like 400 nectar points for 250 avios

And other way round. You can change avios to nectar points to spend on shopping etc.

Yes. I’ve been collecting Avios for many years. We’ve flown business/first class to the USA, Canada, Malaysia, Thailand, Jamaica, Qatar, Australia and Brazil.

DH & I have used companion vouchers for many of those trips (in fact - we are currently on holiday thanks to using a companion voucher in Business!) it’s so easy to rank up the Avios if you put your work expenses on it. I paid my council tax at the co-op as they take American Express whereas my borough’s council does not which helps.

The key is to be flexible with dates. Australia is notoriously hard to get seats in however we booked a year in advance and with a partner airline, Qatar Airways, which required fewer Avios and only £600 in fees to fly business! The cash price would have been £7k! Use websites like Flyertalk, Head for Points, TPG, etc to help maximize your points. There are some amazing sign up bonuses too. It’s so addictive!

Oh and we do our weekly shop with Sainsbury’s as you can convert Nectar card points into Avios. There is a website called “BA Avios eStore” which gives you bonuses (think 4x the Avios for the same purchase you would have made otherwise) for shopping. I love John Lewis so always wait until they have 4-6x the Avios per £1. There are loads of merchants on there so have a look there!

I did quite obsessively but something changed a few years ago and I think I lost them all. I worked hard for those !!!

I have my first companion voucher and am a little confused. How do I book DP and me on flights to Australia and how far ahead is usually wise? I can book in any class.

To get your first choice in first or business and on specific dates you need to be really on the ball, it's almost a year out and sears will be released daily. We often stay up until midnight and grab the seats as soon as they are released.

Although they are trialing some flights where all seats are available with avios! Which is amazing!

Oh, and you just book online ticking the relevant voucher.

We collect on a BA Amex. We earn a companion voucher every year but never have enough points to do a long haul business with it annually. We therefore let lots of companion go to waste and every 3 years or so do a long haul business on it. Last time was South America it cost £1400 on fees and taxes I think.
Believe Australia is especially hard to secure, maybe one leg only might be better to aim for.