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- 🎄 How to Use Avios for European Christmas Market Trips
🎄 How to Use Avios for European Christmas Market Trips
Plus: Don't Miss the Adagio Aparthotel Sale and the KrisFlyer - Accor transfer bonus...
Hello, Adventurous Travellers, and Happy Thursday!
This week, we’ve got exciting deals to help you save on your next trip.
Let's get started:
🎄 Use Avios to get to the European Christmas markets this year: how many miles you need for off-peak and peak redemptions + how to get a good deal.
🛏️ Accor Adagio Sale: Book before 2nd October for stays between 26th October 2024 and 28th February 2025.
✈️ Transfer Between KrisFlyer and Accor: 50% bonus on transfers.
🎄 Use Avios to Get to the European Christmas Markets This Year
The European Christmas markets are an excellent excuse for a city break this year. Why not use some of your Avios to get there?
Remember, you can book flights with 32 airlines using Avios. Airlines useful for Christmas markets include:
Aer Lingus
Iberia
British Airways
Finnair
Iberia
Vueling
We know that short-haul flights are often not the best way to use miles, but you can use the Smart Redemptions Extension to see whether the redemption would be good or bad value for money and the value of each mile.
EXAMPLE: Heathrow to Vienna Economy Class - 20th November 2024:
Here’s how many miles you need to get to some of Europe’s best Christmas markets.
British Airways calculates redemptions based on the miles flown. The further away the destination, the more miles it will cost. It will also cost you more miles to fly during peak times. Here’s the lowdown:
Christmas Market Destination | Dates | Economy Off-Peak | Economy Peak | Club Europe Off-Peak | Club Europe Peak |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vienna | 16th November - 23rd December | 11,750 miles + £0.5 | 12,750 miles + £0.5 | 20,000 miles + £12.5 | 22,250 miles + £12.5 |
Budapest | 17th November - 23rd December | 11,750 miles + £0.5 | 12,750 miles + £0.5 | 20,000 miles + £12.5 | 22,250 miles + £12.5 |
Prague | 30th November 2024 - 6th January | 9,250 miles + £0.5 | 9,750 miles + £0.5 | 15,000 miles + £12.5 | 16,250 miles + £12.5 |
Berlin | 14th November - 22nd December | 9,250 miles + £0.5 | 9,750 miles + £0.5 | 15,000 miles + £12.5 | 16,250 miles + £12.5 |
Brussels | 29th November 2024 - 5th January 2025 | 9,250 miles + £0.5 | 9,750 miles + £0.5 | 15,000 miles + £12.5 | 16,250 miles + £12.5 |
Paris | 16th November 2024 - 7th January 2025 | 9,250 miles + £0.5 | 9,750 miles + £0.5 | 15,000 miles + £12.5 | 16,250 miles + £12.5 |
Salzburg | 21st November 2024 - 1st January 2025 | 9,250 miles + £0.5 | 9,750 miles + £0.5 | 15,000 miles + £12.5 | 16,250 miles + £12.5 |
Frankfurt | 25th November - 22nd December 2024 | 9,250 miles + £0.5 | 9,750 miles + £0.5 | 15,000 miles + £12.5 | 16,250 miles + £12.5 |
Note: Christmas market dates may be changed nearer the time! Book from the second week of December for guaranteed opening.
Christmas Markets with British Airways Holidays
Remember you can also book package breaks with British Airways, including your flights and a hotel. You can get money off BA holidays with Avios.
Here are the best Christmas market deals currently:
Tips
Book now before flight availability runs out.
Why not use some of your hotel loyalty points for a free hotel stay?
Remember to look at the cash price of flights to see whether it’s worthwhile spending your miles!
Look at the cost with other airlines, too. It may be worthwhile paying cash, not miles. Budget airlines like Ryanair sometimes have very cheap flights to Christmas market destinations.
If your dates are flexible, opt for off-peak travel times to save on Avios.
If you're short on Avios, you can top up your balance by transferring points from credit cards like the American Express Membership Rewards programme.
To make sure you’re getting the best value from your Avios, use the Smart Redemptions Extension to help you find the best value for your Avios based on current cash prices.
What's Your Favourite European Christmas Market Destination? |
🛏️ FLASH SALE: Save 15% on Your Next City Break with Adagio Aparthotels
Book a minimum 3-night stay at an Adagio Aparthotel before 2nd October, and enjoy 15% off stays between 26th October 2024 and 28th February 2025.
Adagio has aparthotels in some of Europe's most exciting cities. Most are located in France, mainly in Paris, but there are also options in cities like Rome, London, Birmingham, and Brussels.
The apartments have kitchens, laundry facilities, and a home-like environment. They're also pet-friendly and flexible. The longer you stay, the cheaper your nightly rate.
Adagio Aparthotels are part of the Accor group and Accor Live Limitless loyalty programme (covered in yesterday's newsletter).
✈️ OFFER: 50% Bonus When You Transfer Between KrisFlyer and Accor
You can now convert KrisFlyer miles to Accor points and vice versa with the new KrisFlyer-Accor partnership.
There’s a promotion running from now until 30th September. With each successful conversion, you'll receive a 50% bonus. That means for every 2,000 ALL points converted, you’ll get 1,500 KrisFlyer miles—an additional 500 miles just for making the transfer during the promo period!
Use KrisFlyer miles to book flights with Singapore Airlines or their partner airlines, upgrade to business or first class, or redeem for dining and travel offers.
Some of the redemptions with KrisFlyer
Thanks to the two-way partnership between Accor and Singapore Airlines, you can also transfer KrisFlyer miles to ALL points. However, the transfer rate is typically less favourable.
Usually, you get 2 ALL points for every 9 KrisFlyer miles transferred. While this promotion offers a 50% bonus (9 miles = 3 ALL points), it's generally not the best deal, as it devalues your KrisFlyer miles.
Transfer | Standard Rate | Promo Rate (50% Bonus) |
---|---|---|
ALL Points to KrisFlyer | 2,000 points = 1,000 miles | 2,000 points = 1,500 miles |
KrisFlyer to ALL Points | 9 miles = 2 ALL points | 9 miles = 3 ALL points |
Is This Promotion Worth It?
For ALL to KrisFlyer transfers: Yes, the 50% bonus makes this a great way to boost your KrisFlyer miles. If you have an upcoming Singapore Airlines flight, transferring your ALL points to KrisFlyer miles during this promotion can help you save miles for future redemptions or upgrades.
For KrisFlyer to ALL transfers: It’s still a lower-value conversion, even with the bonus.
Transferring KrisFlyer miles to Accor points
How to Convert
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!
Want to continue the conversation? Come and join our free Facebook group.
Bye for now!
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