If you are frequently flying to and from United Kingdom, or your international connections require you to transfer in London, British Airways Avios-Executive Club might be for you.

 

If you think that U.K.-based frequent flyer program wouldn’t have much to offer travelers living in the United States, you are deeply mistaken. Not only is it open to members living in United States, for some reasons, it offers much better incentives and choices of earning miles besides flying to travelers living in US!!!! British Airways’ membership in the One World Alliance — which includes American Airlines — makes the Executive Club an option for globetrotters with both international and domestic destinations in mind.

 

 

If you are new to earning Frequent Flyer Miles, do not get overwhelmed by number of details and ways to earn miles. It’s not that hard. Start with​ signing up for free ​​British Airways Executive Club Account ​and then use this article to slowly get comfortable with earning miles. Remember, I am doing this for almost 20 years and I learn something new all the time. Hope you
found this article helpful, and if you did spread the word about >​ !!!!!​ ​PointsTravels.com​ !!!!!

 

British Airways Executive Club: The basics

Terminology:

British Airways, in typical British fashion, has to make things much more complicated than they are.

The Executive Club is the official name of the British Airways rewards program, while Avios is the name of the miles that serve as the rewards currency.

To make it even more confusing, Avios program will be closing to UK residents, while Executive Club will remain intact. At the same time, no changes as of now are planned for US based members!!!!!

If you live in United Kingdom>Click Here for info!

Value of Avios points

The points value ranged from -2.1 cents (due to fuel surcharge) to 1 cent apiece for economy fares. Those surcharges pushed the average value for economy all the way down to 0.3 cents. For business/first class fares, the points value ranged from –0.1 cents to 2.3 cents each, averaging 1.2 cents.

I know, as compared to US based airline rewards programs this is just plane nuts!!!

How to calculate value of your points:

To determine the value of your miles for specific flights, divide the cash value of the ticket (less any applicable taxes/fees if you redeem miles) by the number of miles required for the flight. So if the ticket would cost either $100 or 15,000 miles + $10 in taxes/fees, the math would be as follows:
($100 – $10) / 15,000 = 0.006, or 0.6 cents per mile.

Beware of taxes and especially fuel surcharges that British Airways passes to Award Traveler!!

They can be outrageously high and make value of your Avios points negative.  This action generated numerous class action lawsuits against British Airways!!

For example, if you fly from NYC to London one way economy rewards ticket can cost over 500$ in surcharges (besides miles deducted), but on Priceline, or Expedia you can find same flight for $400 !!!!! However, First class ticket will have the same amount of surcharge ($500), however you can’t buy it for less then $4000.

Yes, it’s more complicated than it need to be, and that’s why I’m not a fun of British Airways.

 

 

The Executive Club has four membership tiers:

Blue membership: ​

You are a Blue member as soon as you join the Executive Club. Features include:
● Collect Avios ● Collect Tier Points* ● Member-only offers on travel and shopping

Bronze membership:

​Attain Bronze membership after you collect 300 Tier Points* during your membership year. As a Bronze member, you receive:

● All Blue membership features ● 25% bonus Avios on flights** ● Priority check-in and boarding ● Free seat selection seven days prior to boarding (British Airways flights only)

 

Silver membership: ​

Qualify for Silver benefits after you accumulate 600 Tier Points* during your membership year. Perks include:

● All Bronze membership features ● 50% bonus Avios on flights**
● Priority over Bronze and Blue members on reservation waitlists and airport standby ● Free seat selection when booking ● Access to business lounges ● Additional baggage allowance ● Reservation Assurance: Get a last-minute economy seat on any British Airways flight, even if the flight is full ● Select privileges with partner Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Gold membership: ​

Reach Gold status after you earn 1,500 Tier Points* within the membership year. As a Gold member, you get:

● All Silver membership features ● 100% bonus Avios on flights** ● Access to First lounges ● Access to additional reward flights ● Complimentary spa treatment at certain airports ● Select privileges with partners Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Langham Hotels and Avis Rental Service

*You can earn Tier Points by flying with British Airways and One World Alliance partners. Your Tier Points are reset at the end of each membership year. Once you reach a certain tier, you will remain on that tier for the remainder of the current membership year and the following membership year.

Although your Tier Points expire each year, they are added to your Lifetime Tier Points. Once you’ve earned 35,000 Lifetime Tier Points, you receive Gold membership for life.

**For example, if your flight earns you 1,000 Avios, you’ll receive 1,250 as a Bronze member, 1,500 as a Silver member and 2,000 as a Gold member.

 

Cards that earn Avios (for US residents only) British Airways Visa Signature® Card from Chase.com

● Earn 50,000 bonus Avios after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Earn an additional 25,000 bonus Avios after you spend $10,000 total on purchases within your first year from account opening for a total of 75,000 bonus Avios. Earn a further 25,000 bonus Avios after you spend $20,000 total on purchases within your first year from account opening for a total of 100,000 bonus Avios.

● Earn 3 Avios per dollar spent on British Airways purchases

● Earn 1 Avios per dollar spent on all other purchases

 

How to get more Avios for a frequent flier program

 

Since British Airways does not offer many co-branded credit cards with large sign up bonuses in United Kingdom, where bulk of its Frequent Fliers reside, it is uncharacteristically generous in providing opportunities to collect Avios:

Flying:

​Earn Avios every time you fly on British Airways or one of its One World Alliance partners. The amount you earn depends on the airline you fly, the type of cabin, the fare class and your Executive Club tier. Use the ​Avios flight calculator​ (login required) to determine how many Avios you would earn for a given flight.

Other travel:

​You can collect Avios by staying at certain ​partner hotels​ or booking a car rental with Avis. Plus, you can earn bonus Avios when booking vacations by British Airways that include a flight, hotel and/or car rental.

Shopping and lifestyle: ​

Receive up to 12 Avios per dollar spent on over 150 online retailers through the British Airways’ ​Gate 365​ shopping platform.  To join and for tutorial>Click Here!!

This is a great way to multiply you miles!!!

You can also earn Avios by participating in a selection of online surveys or subscribing to Business Traveler magazine through the Executive Club.

 

Transfer partners:​

The Executive Club has teamed up with other loyalty programs to allow you to convert points you hold with those programs to Avios at a specified rate:

● Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio)

● American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio)

● Golden Circle Awards (1:1 ratio)

● Le Club Accor (2:1 ratio)

● Hyatt Gold Passport (2.5:1 ratio)

● Marriott Rewards (starts at 5:1 ratio)

● IHG Rewards Club (5:1 ratio)

● Hilton HHonors (10:1 ratio)

● Club Carlson (10:1 ratio)

● Jin Jiang Hotels J-Club (10:1 ratio)

The Executive Club sometimes has special offers for point transfers. Always check for those.

 

Purchase Avios:

​You may buy Avios in increments of 1,000 up to 35,000 in a calendar year. The purchase rate operates on a sliding scale. For example, if you buy the minimum 1,000 Avios, the rate is 5.3 cents apiece. If you buy the maximum 35,000 Avios, the rate is 2.8 cents each. Because industry value Avios at an average of 1.6 cents each, purchasing Avios might not be worth it, even if you get the best purchase rate.

How to redeem Avios

Good redemption options

Based on the industry’s calculations, you can score business/first class international flights with British Airways at an average value of 1.2 cents per Avios. Some of the flights tested provided better value, offering Avios redemption at up to 2.3 cents apiece.

You can also book international flights with One World Alliance partners, though the redemption value varies by distance and carrier.

Although British Airways doesn’t operate domestic flights in the United States, you can take advantage of its One World Alliance membership to book flights with American Airlines directly through the British Airways site.

Alaska Airlines is also a British Airways partner, though not a One World Alliance member. You can use the ​reward flight calculator​ (need to sign in) to determine how many Avios you need for both domestic and international flights.

If you don’t have enough points for a full fare, the Executive Club allows you to pay part of your ticket with Avios starting at 750 Avios for $7.50 off — this values your Avios at 1 cent each, matching our average evaluation. This is a good deal for occasional traveler.

If your travel plans include a hotel or car rental, you can redeem Avios for both. You can also spend your Avios on luxury experiences at your destination. For example, you can explore New York City from above with a helicopter tour or enjoy a dinner cruise on the Vltava River in Prague.

Keep in mind that these redemption alternatives may or may not be as valuable as saving your Avios for future flights.

 

Bad redemption options

One thing to watch out for is costly fuel surcharges on some British Airways flights, as they can actually give your Avios negative value.

Among the international economy class flights I examined, those surcharges resulted in a negative value of as much as –2.1 cents. If you’re confronted with a fuel surcharge when picking your itinerary, consider finding a flight to the same destination with another One World Alliance member that doesn’t charge such a fee. (For my Business Class flight out of Dublin, American Airlines charged $5.60 in taxes and fuel surcharge, while British Airways $258.00)

 

Transfer partners

Because British Airways is a member of the One World Alliance, you can book flights with any of the following airlines through British Airways’ booking platform:
● American Airlines ● Cathay Pacific ● Finnair ● Iberia ● Japan Airlines ● LAN ● TAM ● Malaysia Airlines ● Qantas ● Qatar Airways ● Royal Jordanian ● S7 Airlines ● SriLankan Airlines

The fine print

Avios will expire if you do not have any activity on your account at least once every 36 months. Some flights may not be eligible to earn Avios.

The Executive Club allows you to pool your Avios with up to six other people who live with you with a ​household account​, making family vacations more rewarding. Another great perk.

 

Top credit cards to help you get Avios

 

For US residents:

 

From Chase  British Airways Visa Signature® Card

With British Airways’ One World Alliance membership, the ​British Airways Visa Signature® Card​ is a solid choice for both international and domestic travelers. In addition to earning 3 Avios on British Airways purchases, you earn 1 Avios on all other purchases.

 

The British Airways Visa Signature® Card also comes with a great sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus Avios after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Earn an additional 25,000 bonus Avios after you spend $10,000 total on purchases within your first year from account opening for a total of 75,000 bonus Avios. Earn a further 25,000 bonus Avios after you spend $20,000 total on purchases within your first year from account opening for a total of 100,000 bonus Avios.

Another great perk is the Travel Together ticket, which lets you bring a companion for free on a flight purchased with Avios after you spend $30,000 on the card in a calendar year. International travelers will like that the card has no foreign transaction fees and offers chip-and-signature technology​.

Like many other travel cards, the British Airways Visa Signature® Card has an annual fee: $95.

The card is great for international travelers, but keep in mind that British Airways is limited in its U.S. offerings.

 

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (and its Small business equivalent: Chase Ink Business Preferred  with 80,000 bonus points)

​

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card doesn’t earn Avios directly, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to Avios at a 1:1 ratio. Let’s start with the sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has no foreign transaction fees, chip and signature technology and offers 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining. You also earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. It has an $0 for the first year, then $95.
Because Ultimate Rewards points are worth 25% more when you redeem them through the Chase Ultimate Rewards site, you may need to do the math to determine whether transferring your points provides more value.

Credit cards earning Avios for United Kingdom’s  residents

There are  two British Airways American Express credit card options.

They are nowhere as attractive as the offers for us residents.

For side to side comparison of offers and benefits> CLICK HERE!!

 

 

If you are new to earning Frequent Flyer Miles, do not get overwhelmed by number of details and ways to earn miles. It’s not that hard. Start with​ signing up for free ​​British Airways Executive Club Account ​and then use this article to slowly get comfortable with earning miles. Remember, I am doing this for almost 20 years and I learn something new all the time. Hope you
found this article helpful, and if you did spread the word about >​ !!!!!​ ​PointsTravels.com​ !!!!!