In this article
British Airways has just announced its latest Avios-Only flights, and this time it's a proper summer holiday pairing: Heathrow to Palma in Majorca and Heraklion in Crete, out on Saturday 14 August 2027 and back a week later. Every seat in every cabin can only be booked with Avios, and they go on sale tomorrow (Thursday 22 October).
BA's headline is "from £5 plus Avios". The more useful question is whether you're actually getting a good deal, so I've checked the prices against BA's normal reward pricing. Short version: you're paying for availability, not a discount - and for some of you, that's still well worth it.
AT A GLANCE
What
Two Avios-Only return flights from Heathrow - Palma and Heraklion, 14-21 August 2027
Who it's for
Families tied to school holidays, BA Amex Companion Voucher holders, and anyone who's struggled to find August reward seats
Cost / value
Palma from 28,000 Avios + £5 return; Heraklion from 33,500 Avios + £5 return (Club Europe: 49,000 / 60,000 Avios + £40)
Deadline
On sale on ba.com from Thursday 22 October 2026
Two August Saturdays, every seat for Avios
WHAT // Both flights are open to members of The British Airways Club and run for exactly one week, Saturday to Saturday. Here are BA's flight details (local times):
BA Amex Companion Vouchers can be used on both flights. BA also says it has now operated more than 50 Avios-Only flights since the idea launched in 2023 - we covered the 50th (Madrid and Toulon) back in February and the Reykjavik and Tenerife half-term flights in June.
WHY IT MATTERS // Mid-August is one of the hardest times of year to find reward seats on BA's holiday routes, because families are all chasing the same few school-holiday weeks. A whole aircraft of Avios seats on a peak Saturday is a genuine fix for that problem - even if, as you'll see below, it isn't a bargain on price.
Heraklion harbour, Crete (image: British Airways)
The price is BA's normal peak rate, not a discount
Here's the bit the press release doesn't spell out. BA prices short-haul reward flights in distance bands, with separate off-peak and peak prices, and mid-August is peak. Double the standard one-way peak price and you land on exactly the Avios-Only number:
Palma, Euro Traveller: 14,000 Avios + £2.50 each way = 28,000 Avios + £5 return
Palma, Club Europe: 24,500 Avios + £20 each way = 49,000 Avios + £40 return
Crete, Euro Traveller: 16,750 Avios + £2.50 each way (the same as BA charges for Chania, Crete's other airport) = 33,500 Avios + £5 return
Crete, Club Europe: 30,000 Avios + £20 each way = 60,000 Avios + £40 return
So there's no discount at all. What you're buying is certainty: a full plane of reward seats on a peak Saturday that would normally have only a limited number. If you want to compare other routes yourself, our Avios flight cost tool shows the price for any BA destination, and our Great Circle Mapper measures the distance between airports (which is what drives the bands).
A few other trade-offs worth knowing:
It's a fixed week. Out on the 14th, back on the 21st. No 10-night stays and no midweek departures.
Heathrow only. If you live outside London, add the cost and time of getting to Heathrow.
Check the cash options. BA's release only quotes the £5 and £40 pricing. Normal BA reward bookings show a few "fewer Avios, more cash" combinations at checkout, so look at what ba.com offers before you click book.
A Majorcan cove in summer (illustrative image)
💡 WHAT TO ACTUALLY DO
Have a BA Amex Companion Voucher? This is where it shines. Two seats to Crete in Club Europe come to 60,000 Avios + £80 instead of 120,000 Avios + £80. Two seats to Palma in Euro Traveller come to 28,000 Avios + £10. Travelling solo, BA says the voucher gives you 50% off the Avios fare instead. Not got one yet? Compare the British Airways Amex cards and their Companion Vouchers →
Be ready on 22 October. Log in to ba.com, make sure your balance covers the whole party, and have everyone's passport names to hand.
Short of Avios? Amex Membership Rewards points convert to Avios at 1:1. If you're thinking of buying Avios, run the numbers in our Avios balance booster calculator first - it shows whether BA, Qatar or Finnair is cheapest.
My take
I like Avios-Only flights, but I think we should be honest about what they are. They're partly marketing - BA gets a headline saying Avios are easy to spend in peak season - and partly a real solution for the people who find reward seats hardest to get: families locked into school holidays.
What I'd really love is for BA to price one of these below the normal rate. It has shown it can do it: the BA and Amex 25th anniversary flight to New York this year was 25,000 Avios return - less than half the usual off-peak economy price. At standard peak pricing, the Majorca and Crete flights fix availability, but not value.
Whether 28,000 Avios is a good use of your points depends on what that same Saturday would cost in cash. School-holiday Saturday fares to the Mediterranean are rarely cheap, but check the cash price for the same dates on ba.com before you decide. If the cash fare is low, save your Avios for a longer flight where they stretch further.
For full disclosure: I don't currently hold either personal BA Amex card, so there's no Companion Voucher in my wallet for this one. Most of my Avios come from business spending on my Amex Business Platinum, Amex Business Gold and Capital on Tap cards, which all convert to Avios. If you run a limited company, they're the easiest way I know to build a balance for a trip like this: apply for Capital on Tap → or see the Amex business cards →
My verdict
If your dates fit and you'd be flying in August anyway, book it - especially with a Companion Voucher, which halves the Avios cost for two. Just go in knowing you're paying the standard peak price for guaranteed seats, not getting a discount. BA also guarantees a minimum number of reward seats on all its flights, so other dates can work at the same price if this week doesn't suit.
If you're flexible, off-peak dates are a little cheaper: 13,000 Avios each way to Palma in Euro Traveller instead of 14,000, and 15,000 instead of 16,750 for Crete. Use Award Travel Finder to spot reward seats on other dates. If you do book these flights, Flight Queue shows live security queue times at Heathrow, and Club Europe passengers (or BA Silver members like me) can check their options with our lounge access finder.
I'll update this piece if the seats sell out quickly. Booked one? Tell me on Instagram - I'd love to know which island wins.
🧰 USEFUL TOOLS & GUIDES
Tools: Avios flight cost · Avios balance booster · Award Travel Finder · BA494 seat map · BA698 seat map · Heathrow queue times · lounge access finder. If your mobile network charges for EU roaming, an Airalo eSIM covers Spain and Greece.
Have your say
Would you book one of BA's August Avios-Only flights?
That's all from me for now. Any questions, just hit reply - I read every email.
Safe travels,
Jack
✈️ NEW TO SMART WITH POINTS?
Welcome aboard. We help UK travellers turn everyday spending into flights and hotel stays - honestly, and with the numbers to back it up. New to all this? Start with our beginner's guide to collecting points and miles, then have a look at the best Avios-earning credit cards in the UK.
Some links above are referral or affiliate links. If you use them, Smart With Points may earn a commission or bonus at no extra cost to you - it helps keep the newsletter free. Points and miles values are our own estimates and can change; always check current terms before you commit.