✈️ British Airways Devalues Avios Redemptions AGAIN

Hello, Adventurous Travellers, and Happy Thursday!

This week, we've got some important updates for you, including news on Avios redemptions and a deep dive into BA Bronze status.

Let's get started:

• ✈️ British Airways Devalues Avios Redemptions: Changes to the cash element for Avios redemptions.

• 🌍 The Best Airline Stopover Programs: The best stopover deals with airlines like Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and more for free or discounted hotel stays and other perks.

• 🎖️ How Easy is It to Earn British Airways Bronze Status and Why You Should Be Working Towards It: Tips on achieving BA Bronze Status and the benefits it brings.

• 🛍️ Earn Avios with Online Shopping: Current Bonus Avios Deals: Boost your Avios balance with these top retailers offering up to 14 Avios per £1 spent. 7000 Avios for a £500 spend!

British Airways Devalues Avios Redemptions

There seem to have been a lot of BA devaluations recently…

Following last week’s devaluation of redemptions with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines via BA, the cash element for Club Europe redemptions has increased by £24 return (£12 one-way), whichever ‘cash and Avios’ option you pick. 

The cheapest one-way cash option is now £12.50, up from 50p, and the highest is now £74.50, up from £62.50.

Here’s an example of the new pricing for a one-way from Heathrow to Dusseldorf in Club Europe:

This flight would have previously started at 15,000 Avios + 50p. Eurotraveller remains unchanged.

This is quite a change from the previous approach of offering a flat £1 + taxes.

There has also been an increase in long-haul flights. An additional £25 return has been added to World Traveller Plus and Club World redemptions. 

While economy redemptions remain unchanged, the added fees make booking Club Europe and Club World flights with Avios more expensive, especially if you’re travelling as a family!

The Best Airline Stopover Programmes

I recently covered how to get a free stopover with Turkish Airlines. If you missed the email, you can get a 1-night stopover in a 4* hotel with most long-haul Turkish Airlines flights and a 2-night stopover in a 5* hotel with most business class long-haul flights. 

This is a great offer, but other airlines also let you have free stopovers (though they don't pay for your hotel). You can book one part of your flight for one day and another part for a few days later without extra cost.

We will cover some of the best offers in more depth in the coming weeks, but here are the airlines that offer stopover programmes, including how long you can stay and the extra perks you can get!

Here are the world’s best airline stopover deals right now:

If you want to extend your trip very cheaply, a stopover package with the following airlines is worth considering. You’ll get a FREE hotel and many other benefits.

• Turkish Airlines

• Etihad

• Qatar

• Ethiopian Airlines

• Royal Jordanian

• Air China

If you plan on visiting any other cities covered, a stopover is a great way to get extra perks like cheap or free attractions, hotel discounts, airport transfers, and a travel card.

How Easy Is It to Earn British Airways Bronze Status, and Is It Worth It?

Due to living far away from any UK airport with BA flights, I only fly BA when I get a reward flight paid for with Avios earned with credit cards and the BA Executive Club shopping portal.

However, the BA Executive Club is one of the best loyalty programmes out there, and even jumping one tier to Bronze Status will earn you a range of benefits with BA and partner oneworld airlines. 

Everyone joining the Executive Club starts at the Blue Tier and works through Bronze, Silver and Gold. 

When you fly on a paid flight with BA, you will earn Avios and Tier Points. Avios can be put towards flight redemptions, but Tier points are what matter when moving through the loyalty programme.

The amount you earn depends on your ticket type and fare class.

To earn Bronze Status, you need to earn 300 Tier Points. You can use the BA flight calculator to look at how many points you’ll earn on your flight.

Getting enough tier points is easy if you fly business class. You could earn 140 points on a single flight. However, a short-haul economy flight might only earn you 5 points, so you’d be better off aiming for the 25 qualifying flights.

You can do this by flying twice with BA, earning 300 points, or taking 25 BA flights in one membership year. 

Once you’ve reached Bronze, you’ll have a range of perks, including:

• Earning 25% more Avios per £1 spent so you can get flight redemptions and upgrades faster.

• Use of the Business Class check-in desks: You’ll start getting a premium airport experience even with Bronze.

• Priority Boarding in Group 3.

• Free seat selection

• Priority at lost baggage desks

• Receive The Club magazine

• A Bronze Status card and welcome pack sent by post.

• Bronze is a stepping stone to Silver, where you’ll get even more benefits, including lounge access.

• oneworld Ruby: Having Ruby status with the oneworld alliance means that when you fly on oneworld airlines you can receive similar benefits. You’ll get priority boarding, business class priority check-in, pre-reserved seating, priority on waitlists and when on standby and other benefits with most of these airlines.

oneworld airlines include:

• Alaska Airlines

• American Airlines

• Cathay Pacific

• Finnair

• Iberia

• Malaysia Airlines

• Japan Airlines

• Qantas

• Qatar Airways

• Air Maroc

• Royal Jordanian

• Sri Lankan Airlines

• Fiji Airways (connect member)

• Oman Air (later this year)

Once you have Bronze with BA, you get benefits with all these airlines. This is one of the things that makes Bronze so worth it.

The next tier is Silver, and you’ll need to earn 600 Tier Points or 50 qualifying flights in a membership year. I’ll cover Silver in more detail in the coming newsletters.

Earn Avios with Online Shopping: Current Bonus Avios Deals

Earning Avios through online shopping is an easy way to boost your points balance. If you usually shop online or plan to do a big shop soon, there are some excellent Avios bonus offers where you can earn four times more at selected shops.

Remember, you can pay with an Avios earning credit card to ‘double dip’ for even more Avios.

Shop with participating retailers through the British Airways Executive Club shopping portal, and you'll earn Avios on every pound you spend. 

Here are some of the top retailers and the Avios you can earn:

(The list is ordered with the best deals first)

• Harvey Nichols: Up to 14 Avios / £1 (Was up to 6 Avios / £1)

• Harrods: Up to 13 Avios / £1 (Was up to 5 Avios / £1)

• MANGO UK: 12 Avios / £1 (Was 4 Avios / £1)

• NET-A-PORTER: Up to 12 Avios / £1 (Was up to 4 Avios / £1)

• Levi’s® UK: 10 Avios / £1 (Was 5 Avios / £1)

• Tommy Hilfiger UK: 10 Avios / £1 (Was 5 Avios / £1)

• Free People UK: 8 Avios / £1 (Was 2 Avios / £1)

• Very Up to 12 Avios / £1 (Was up to 7 Avios / £1)

• Decathlon UK: 5 Avios / £1 (Was 2 Avios / £1)

• Notonthehighstreet: 8 Avios / £1 (Was 3 Avios / £1)

• Selfridges: Up to 12 Avios / £1 (Was up to 6 Avios / £1)

• Sunglass Hut UK: Up to 12 Avios / £1 (Was 8 Avios / £1)

• Ray-Ban UK: Up to 12 Avios / £1 (Was 8 Avios / £1)

• Oakley UK: Up to 12 Avios / £1 (Was 8 Avios / £1)

• Liberty London: Up to 12 Avios / £1 (Was up to 8 Avios / £1)

• PrettyLittleThing: Up to 9 Avios / £1 (Was up to 6 Avios / £1)

• Paul Smith: Up to 8 Avios / £1 (Was 5 Avios / £1)

• Charles Tyrwhitt UK: 8 Avios / £1 (Was 5 Avios / £1)

• Calvin Klein UK: 8 Avios / £1 (Was 5 Avios / £1)

• THE OUTNET UK: 8 Avios / £1 (Was 6 Avios / £1)

• Moss: Up to 7 Avios / £1 (Was up to 5 Avios / £1)

• QVC UK: 7 Avios / £1 (Was 5 Avios / £1)

• Crocs UK: 7 Avios / £1 (Was 5 Avios / £1)

• Hobbs: 6 Avios / £1 (Was 2 Avios / £1)

• Nobody's Child: Up to 10 Avios / £1 (Was up to 8 Avios / £1)

• John Lewis & Partners: Up to 4 Avios / £1 (Was up to 2 Avios / £1)

• Marks & Spencer: Up to 4 Avios / £1 (Was up to 2 Avios / £1)

• Antler Luggage: 5 Avios / £1 (Was 3 Avios / £1)

Harvey Nichols is an especially good deal! Each offer has its own terms. These rates are for buying clothing and accessories. The best Harvey Nichols deal is if you spend over £500 on fashion and accessories. You could earn 7000 Avios for a £500 spend.

Final Words

That’s all for this week! We hope these tips help you maximise your travel rewards and have better experiences.

Safe travels, and always aim for the upgrade!

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Bye for now!