The destination: Munich

Oktoberfest, aka the world’s largest folk festival, attracts six million visitors to Munich each year, where they get through some seven million litres of beer during the festivities (beer tents have been a staple of the festival since the early 1800s). But this is not just any beer – it has to hail from one of nine designated local breweries, including Spaten, Augustiner and Paulaner. Meanwhile, thousands of bratwurst sausages and giant pretzels make up the menu. It’s not just about the food and drink, though: expect parades, fairground rides, plenty of dancing and a chance to admire the crowds of folk decked out in traditional Bavarian garb.

Avios: how many do you need?

With 18,500 Avios, plus £1, you can book an off-peak Reward Flight Saver to Munich.¹ If you’d rather save some of your Avios for future trips, you can also reduce the price of your whole holiday using Avios as part-payment on British Airways Holidays packages.² The latter includes some of Munich’s best hotels – the splashiest being Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski.

Step one: turn your thoughts into Avios

Have a spare five minutes in your day? To collect Avios without spending any money at all, try turning your hand to completing a few online surveys. Sign up for the Avios for Thoughts programme and you can bank 600 Avios off the bat: 100 Avios for completing the tutorial, which takes five minutes, and 500 Avios when you complete your first survey.³

Step two: relax with a craft beer before you go

For all you thirsty British Airways Executive Members, The Wine Flyer delivers delicious wines and spirits – as well as beers – and you also collect Avios as you sip. You can get in the mood for Oktoberfest with a selection of crisp pilsners and funky IPAs from a range of world-class breweries. For instance, swipe a 24-pack of BrewDog’s Speedbird OG (created exclusively for British Airways) and collect up to 230 Avios while you’re at it. And don’t forget to subscribe to The Wine Flyer’s newsletter, where you can be in with a chance of winning a whopping 50,000 Avios.⁴

Step three: ride with Uber

Thanks to Uber, every ride can get you closer to your dream trip. Link your Uber and British Airways Executive Club accounts and collect 1 Avios for every £1 spent out on the road.⁵ Even better, you can now pre-book your ride to the airport for your flight to Munich with Uber Reserve, and cross one more thing off your Oktoberfest to-do list. With Reserve, you can book from 90 days to 30 minutes ahead, and the fare includes up to 15 minutes’ waiting time. Open the Uber app, tap ‘Now’ and pre-book away. You can also collect Avios via train journeys booked via the Uber app.  

Step four: entertain yourself

With more than 1,500 retailers such as M&S, John Lewis, Boots, and Apple on our shopping portal, it’s possibly the easiest place to collect Avios. Plus, register your payment card to your British Airways Executive Club account and Avios can be collected when you shop in store at more than 100 retailers and restaurants.

It’s brilliant for retail therapy, sure, but there are lots for foodies to enjoy, too. Start the most important meal of the day with Nespresso coffee pods, then later enjoy a bite from YO! Sushi, or a fast food-fix at Honest Burgers or plant-based Neat Burger.

Rather stay in? Cosy nights can collect bonus Avios, too, thanks to takeaway services from Just Eat and Deliveroo.⁶

Step five: boost your balance

All of the Avios you’ve collected with the steps above can be boosted, courtesy of British Airways’ Balance Booster.⁷ The tool allows you treble your most recently collected Avios – those from within last 30 days. Simply select the transactions you want to boost, choose whether you want to boost 1x, 2x or 3x and then watch your balance fly.