Sarah Thompson, British Airways’ Campaign Project Manager, answers your questions about Avios redemption

How many redemption seats does British Airways offer its Members? 
More than nine million reward seats will be available on BA flights this year. This will include a minimum of two in Club World/Club Europe and four in World Traveller/Euro Traveller on all BA-operated flights for sale on ba.com. These seats will be made available 355 days before the flight and will remain available (if not booked) until 45 days before departure.

How do I pay for redemption seats? 
You can use your Avios to pay for the ticket price. However, as with all redemption tickets, you’ll still need to pay for applicable taxes, fees and surcharges. If you don’t have enough Avios to use for a full redemption flight, Avios & Money options will be offered, whereby a ratio of cash can be paid to supplement your Avios balance.

If you’re flying to Europe, BA’s Reward Flight Saver is the best-value way to use Avios. Members pay the Avios for the flight then a low, flat fee in cash while BA pays the taxes, fees and carrier charges for you. It’s available on return flights to Europe and southern Africa. Ba.com will always show you the Reward Flight Saver fare when available – as long as you have collected at least one Avios in the past 12 months.

Any tips for finding Reward Flight availability? 
The further ahead you plan your trip the better, as BA releases most of the reward seats 355 days in advance. We add additional reward seats closer to departure on some flights, so if you’re set on a particular destination, check again.

If you can be flexible on travel dates, look at BA’s new off-peak prices. Off-peak travel is available for two thirds of the year, including every Tuesday and Wednesday.

Since the Executive Club changes on 28 April, how can I get the most from my Avios? 
Off-peak travel now offers the best value. All BA’s off-peak European flights in both Euro Traveller and Club Europe require fewer Avios. If travelling long-haul, off-peak travel in Economy or Premium Economy is also now cheaper.

For example, a return World Traveller flight to New York during peak periods costs 40,000 Avios (the same as before 28 April 2015). However, if you travel off-peak, it costs 26,000 Avios.

Upgrade using Avios remains a great way to redeem. This can be done at the time of booking, or closer to departure, subject to availability. Later this year, Upgrade using Avios will be available from additional Economy classes.

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This article has been tagged BA, Travel Tips