Club insider • July 2015

The Gurus

Richard
Richard Carroll

There are many ways to collect Avios, even when you’re not flying. This month, BA’s Campaign Project Manager Richard Carroll answers your questions about Avios collection partners to help you get the most from your Executive Club

Is there any danger of me losing my Avios?
Yes and no. Executive Club accounts become inactive if you don’t collect or redeem at least one Avios within a three-year period. However, you only have to collect one Avios to keep it active for another 36 months. If you’re not flying, you could do that either by buying Avios outright, or through the BA partners. This means shopping, renting a car with Avis, staying in a partner hotel, using a BA credit card, or transferring your credit card loyalty points to Avios. You can see all the ways you can collect Avios here

Which hotels can I collect Avios with?
Take your pick from BA’s 8,000 partner hotels around the world, including the luxurious Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, the boutique Ambassador a L’Opera in Switzerland, and the iconic Fairmont Plaza in New York. Click here for the full list. You can also swap hotel points for Avios if you’d rather use them on flights, upgrades or car hire. 

I’ve heard I can claim Avios by buying Apple products. How do I do that?
If you live in the UK or the US you can collect Avios for every pound or dollar spent on Apple products. Simply visit BA’s shopping portal Gate 365 and sign in with your Executive Club number. There are more than 300 brands available, including Nordstrom, Fortnum and Mason, Cath Kidston, Lulu Guinness, Matchesfashion.com and Paul Smith.  

Do I have to fly to use Gate 365?
No. As long as you log in to the site using your Executive Club membership details, you can collect up to 12 Avios for every £1/$1 you spend. 

Other than Avios what else should I look out for from BA partners?
Discounts, competitions, bonuses and giveaways. In the past, these have included opportunities to upgrade to First and discounts on Laithwaites’ wine. Make sure you visit the offers page regularly so you don’t miss out.

This article has been tagged BA, Travel Tips