I woke up to some genuinely surprising news yesterday.

Vueling - IAG's budget carrier and sister airline to British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus - just announced they're basically stopping Avios earnings for most passengers.

And get this: they're calling it an improvement. The email said the loyalty programme is changing "for the better" to help you "enjoy travelling with us even more."

I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when IAG Loyalty heard about this one.

Before we dive in, quick quiz:

How many Avios will you earn on your first Vueling flight under the new system?

Answer's waiting near the bottom... keep scrolling 👇

Here's what's changing with the new Vueling Club loyalty programme:

Starting imminently (the full details haven't been published yet), you'll need to clear a hurdle before earning any Avios:

Only then do you unlock 'Smart' tier status and start earning Avios.

The one saving grace? You get a 500 Avios bonus when you hit that threshold, which at least compensates for the Avios you'd have earned on those first few flights.

But here's the kicker: if you don't hit €200 or 3 flights? You earn nothing. Zero. Nada.

Vueling's new system ties tier points directly to spending: €1 spent (after taxes and fees) = 1 tier point.

Let's break down what you'd need to reach each tier:

That Premium tier is chunky. Spending £3,400+ excluding taxes with a budget airline? Most people booking their own leisure travel simply won't hit that.

And if your employer pays? You probably don't care about free seat selection or baggage since the company covers it anyway.

What's interesting is there's no crossover with Iberia status. Aer Lingus elite members get select benefits when flying BA. You'd think Premium members might get something like BA Silver benefits with Iberia... but apparently not.

Here's what worries me about this change:

American Airlines recently stopped giving miles on 'Basic Economy' tickets. Now Vueling's pulling back Avios from casual flyers.

Are we heading toward a world where British Airways and Iberia stop awarding Avios on 'Hand Baggage Only' fares?

If Vueling can strip Avios from budget tickets, what's stopping the rest of IAG from following suit?

Bottom line: For UK readers taking occasional Vueling flights (Barcelona weekend, anyone?), you'll now need to plan ahead. Take 3 flights or spend €200 to unlock Avios earning, or you're flying for nothing points-wise.

Some better news to balance things out:

Iberia has launched an Avios redemption sale with up to 40% off selected routes. The catch? You need to book by tonight!! - for travel until 24th March 2026.

The promotion covers a good range of Spanish destinations:

Heads up: Business Class isn't available on all routes in this sale.

If you've been eyeing a Spanish city break for February or March, this is worth a look. Just remember: tonight's your deadline.

Quick math example: A typical economy redemption from London to Bilbao might normally cost 9,000 Avios return. With 40% off, you're looking at 5,400 Avios plus taxes. If you value Avios at 1p each, you've saved £36.

The Wine Flyer is running an Avios redemption sale until 1st February with reduced Avios rates on mixed cases, wines, and spirits.

We regularly see bonus Avios offers when purchasing with cash. But reduced Avios redemptions? That's genuinely rare.

Some standout deals:

Let's break down the value:

Take the Cabalié Case at £6.99 + 20,460 Avios. If a similar case normally retails for around £211, you're effectively getting £204 worth of wine for 20,460 Avios plus £6.99.

That works out to roughly 1p per Avios - which is our baseline valuation for Avios points.

The beauty of Wine Flyer redemptions? No airline surcharges, no availability headaches, and no flight cancellations. You're just converting Avios into something tangible delivered to your door.

And honestly? If you've got Avios sitting idle and you enjoy wine, this is one of the more straightforward ways to extract value without the hassle of award flight searches.

How many Avios will you earn on your first Vueling flight under the new system?

The answer is 🔵 Zero Avios - you don't earn anything.

Under the new Vueling Club system, you won't earn any Avios until you've either taken 3 flights or spent €200 (excluding taxes) in a membership year. Once you hit that threshold, you'll get a 500 Avios bonus to compensate for what you'd have earned earlier. But until then? Nothing.

Good news if you've flown Vueling since January 2025 though: you'll be grandfathered into Smart tier for 2026, meaning you'll earn Avios straight away.

Do you think BA will follow Vueling's lead and stop giving Avios on Hand Baggage Only fares?

I'm genuinely curious what you think. Hit reply - I read every response!

That's all for today. Take care,

Smart With Points

Before you go, here are some noteworthy buy points opportunities worth considering (data via AwardTravelFinder):

JetBlue (TrueBlue) is offering 125% bonus at just 1.43¢ per point until February 23, 2026. Meanwhile, Lufthansa (Miles & More) has 50% bonus priced at 1.39¢ (ends February 12, 2026). And IHG (One Rewards) rounds out the highlights with 100% bonus at 0.5¢ through February 05, 2026.

Other notable offers:

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