It’s common knowledge among Executive Club Members that Avios equal time in the skies, but what if we told you there’s a whole lot more to these versatile little points than just Reward Flights? Whether you have 5,000 Avios or 50,000, The Club’s Avios Agony Aunt is on hand to help you kick-start some smarter spending

What can I do with 5,000 Avios?
You’re starting to rack up the Avios, but really there’s nothing more you’d rather collect than experiences. Luckily, there are hundreds of cultural excursions across the route network – from tango lessons and wine tastings to photography workshops and silent discos – that can be bought with just a smidge of Avios. In London alone you can race around the capital’s most exalted museum (Treasure Hunt at the British Museum from 5,000 Avios per person on selected dates throughout 2021)¹ or take a two-and-a-half-hour walking tour that celebrates the city’s feminist movers and shakers (Women of Westminster Walking Tour from 4,050 Avios per person on selected dates throughout 2021)¹.

What can I do with 15,000 Avios?
Turns out that Avios can take the weight off any upcoming dinner party thanks to the extensive range of high-end wines, beers and spirits that are available for purchase with your Avios. Six bottles of Italian Prosecco, Merlot, rosé or white wine can be delivered to your door for just 15,000 Avios (with some wines available for less than 10,000)², as can an assortment of beers. And consider all palates pampered, with everything from dark and fruity Argentinian Malbecs (13,200 Avios)² to light Sauvignons from New Zealand (15,000 Avios)². Choose one of the bargain ‘mixed’ collections if you’re catering to a picky crowd.

What can I do with 25,000 Avios?
Redeeming Avios for flights is one of their most popular uses, and there’s a very good reason: you get a great deal. With British Airways’ Reward Flight Saver, you could be sunning yourself in Porto or lounging on a Venetian gondola for just 23,500 Avios (plus £1)³ for an off-peak return in Euro Traveller.* Destinations closer to home, such as Paris and Edinburgh, are an even bigger bargain, clocking in at fewer than 20,000 Avios (18,500 Avios plus £1 for an off-peak return in Euro Traveller) a pop.

*Reward Flight Savers are British Airways’ best value reward flights. Reward Flight Saver offers customers great value flights with a low, flat fee to cover taxes, fees and carrier charges and a fixed Avios amount. To be eligible for a Reward Flight Saver, you need to have collected at least one Avios in the past 12 months.

To find out more about Reward Flights and/or Reward Flight Savers, click here. All prices shown are Reward Flight Saver redemptions and based on off-peak fares for Euro Traveller (short haul) and World Traveller (long haul); standard Reward Flights will be the same Avios amount but full taxes, fees and charges will be payable. (All Avios amounts quoted in this piece were correct upon date of publication). Reward Flights are subject to availability.

What can I do with 30,000 Avios?
A holiday really begins on the plane, so a strategic cabin upgrade can be a great and truly memorable use of your Avios. On a one-way, off-peak flight upgrade from World Traveller Plus to Club World from London to New York, you can go from ‘comfortably seated’ to ‘luxuriously prone’, spread out on a six-foot bed (pictured above) in Club World, pampered with The White Company goods and delighting in delicious gourmet food – all for just 24,000 Avios⁴. Plus, with priority check-in, extra baggage allowance and lounge access, it’ll feel as if you’re a world away before you even take your seat.

– Nicky Kelvin, The Points Guy UK

What can I do with around 50,000 Avios?
Spending your hard-earned Avios should mean treating yourself, and what better way to do that than with a decadent five-star stay in Europe for you and a loved one? For less than 50,000 Avios (49,700 per person, to be exact), you could be drinking in temple views at The Royal Olympic in Athens (based on a double or twin executive room, B&B, non-refundable on selected dates in August 2021)⁵. Or, for just a few more Avios, washing away work worries at Iberostar Selection Lisboa’s outdoor pool (two nights for 51,200 Avios per person based on a non-refundable double superior room, room only, on selected dates in August 2021)⁵. Sleep in sumptuous sheets, enjoy top-end amenities and use the money saved on the hotel to book your next trip.

What can I do with around 100,000 Avios?
Always dreamed of hitting the open road with nothing but the wind in your hair and money in your pocket? Not only can Avios help make this a reality but, for 103,950 Avios⁶, you can do it in style, too, bagging a Group H car from LAX for seven days. British Airways’ car hire partners Avis and Budget offer a range of vehicles, including SUVs, seven-seaters and convertibles, in more than 5,000 locations around the world, so all you need to do is pick a destination, choose a car and head out on that bucket-list adventure.

What can I do with 200,000 Avios?
The only thing better than spending your Avios on a Reward Flight, is spending your Avios on a Club World Reward Flight seat, en route to those far-flung destinations you’ve always longed to visit. That could mean flying to an Indian Ocean island paradise or to cosplay conventions in Japan via a Club World bed that’s comfier than the one you have at home (both destinations can be reached in Club World for less than 200,000 Avios off-peak, plus taxes, fees and carrier charges)⁷. Or, opt for economy (from 70,000 Avios + £200 off-peak return to Tokyo and 60,000 Avios + £150 off-peak return to the Maldives)⁷ and use your remaining Avios balance on a few nights in a five-star hotel. All without denting the bank balance. 

All flights quoted in this piece are subject to availability. To discover more ways to spend your Avios, click here. For tips and tricks on how to collect Avios, read The Club’s guide to building your balance from the comfort of home here

¹ Prices correct as of 11 June 2021 for peak dates in September. Price is per person.
² Prices correct as of 11 June 2021.
³ Prices correct as of 11 June 2021. Off peak return in Euro Traveller on selected dates in November.
⁴ Prices correct as of 11 June 2021, based on one-way upgrade from World Traveller Plus to Club World on LHR-JFK route.
⁵ Prices correct as of 11 June 2021.
⁶ Prices correct as of 11 June 2021. Based on a seven-day rental, Group H, with pick up and drop off at LAX, on selected dates in November.
⁷ Prices correct as of 11 June 2021. Based on off-peak economy return LHR-HND flights and off-peak economy return LHR-MLE flights on selected dates in November. Prices quoted are per person.

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This article has been tagged BA, Avios