The complete guide to Avios redemptions from UK regional airports

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I have been threatening to put together a full list of flights from UK regional airports which can be booked with Avios points for some weeks. The job has proved messier than I imagined.

I have given it my best shot but I am sure a few options have slipped past me. Please post below with any additions and I will add them in. This list should be considered a work in progress for now.

Short-haul redemptions are NOT covered by Reward Flight Saver unless operated by a BA franchise. These flights will often be a very poor use of Avios points because the taxes represent a very high percentage of the fair.

Avios wing 13

Some services may be seasonal. Some have not yet launched but are due to start later in 2015. Domestic British Airways flights have been ignored.

airberlin is not listed because it now only flies to Guernsey and Jersey with no UK mainland services.

A note on Flybe:

ba.com and avios.com have different Flybe reward availability so it is worth looking at both. Because not all routes are included, it has not been possible to list them here. The current list of Flybe UK departure airports can be found listed at the bottom of the page on the Flybe website.

A note on Vueling:

Vueling redemptions can only be booked using Iberia Plus Avios points. You need to have an active Iberia Plus account (ie have earned at least 1 Avios point in it) and the account must be 90 days old. You can then transfer points across from British Airways or avios.com.

Oneworld members

Aberdeen

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Belfast

Aer Lingus to Fara, Malaga, Palma

Vueling to Barcelona

Birmingham

American Airlines to New York

Aer Lingus to Dublin, Cork, Shannon (telephone booking via BA)

Air Malta to Malta (bookable via avios.com)

Vueling to Barcelona

Birmingham is also a major hub for Flybe

Some Monarch services from Birmingham are likely to be bookable via avios.com. You can see a list of current routes here.

Bristol

Aer Lingus to Dublin, Cork, Shannon (telephone booking via BA)

Air Malta to Malta (bookable via avios.com)

Aurigny to Guernsey (bookable via avios.com)

Cambridge

British Airways (SUN-AIR) to Gothenburg

Cardiff

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Air Malta to Malta (bookable via avios.com)

Vueling to Alicante, Barcelona, Majorca, Malaga, Barcelona

Doncaster

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

East Midlands

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Aurigny to Guernsey (book via avios.com)

Edinburgh

American Airlines to New York

Qatar Airways to Doha

Aer Lingus to Dublin, Cork, Shannon (telephone booking via BA)

Iberia Express to Madrid

Vueling to Barcelona

Exeter

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Air Malta to Malta (book via avios.com)

Glasgow

US Airways to Philadelphia

Aer Lingus to Dublin, Cork (telephone booking via BA)

Air Malta to Malta (book via avios.com)

Inverness

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Leeds Bradford

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Some Monarch services from Leeds Bradford are likely to be bookable via avios.com. You can see a list of current routes here.

Luton

Iberia Regional to Vigo

Some Monarch services from Luton are likely to be bookable via avios.com. You can see a list of current routes here.

Manchester

American Airlines to New York

American Airlines to Chicago

Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong

US Airways to Philadelphia

Qatar Airways to Doha

Air Malta to Malta (book on avios.com)

Aer Lingus to Dublin, Cork, Shannon (telephone booking via BA)

Aurigny to Guernsey (book on avios.com)

British Airways (SUN-AIR) to Billund and Gothenburg

Finnair to Helsinki

Iberia Express to Madrid

Vueling to Barcelona

Manchester is also a major hub for Flybe

Some Monarch services from Manchester are likely to be bookable via avios.com. You can see a list of current routes here.

Newcastle

Aer Lingus to Dublin, Cork (telephone booking via BA)

Air Malta to Malta (book on avios.com)

Newquay

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Norwich

Air Malta to Malta (book on avios.com)

Southampton

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Aurigny to Guernsey via Alderney (book on avios.com)

Southend

Aer Lingus to Dublin (telephone booking via BA)

Category

Aer Lingus and AerClub, American Airlines and AAdvantage, Finnair and Finnair Plus, Iberia and Iberia Plus, oneworld alliance partners, Qatar Airways and Privilege Club, Vueling and Vueling Club

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Steve says:

10 Mar10 March 08:23

Re the Monarch availability. I have only ever found availability from Manchester. Which is ok for us. Dalaman & Gibraltar
It is painfully slow looking for availability. you have to do it day by day & usually, only two months in advance.
MIM says:

10 Mar10 March 08:25

Really useful list, Raffles – much appreciated.

With so many non-London airports having routes into DUB, this is a great way to get across the Atlantic without having to head to LHR/LGW.

One question I have, which I posted on FlyerTalk but got no responses, relates to the taxes and charges for Avios redemptions.

I’m contemplating MAN-DUB-ORD with Aer Lingus (with an overnight in DUB on the way out), but a straight ORD-MAN with American on the way back.

Trying to make an appraisal of cost vs. convenience, and would appreciate any observations.
- Rob says:
  
  10 Mar10 March 08:50
  
  Outbound, you want MAN-ORD on a separate ticket or you will have to pay long-haul APD rather than short-haul.
  
  Coming back, if you use Avios BA will add a fuel surcharge to the American flight. If you have some American Airlines miles there will be no surcharge on an AA plane. You would probably save £200 going via Dublin again, offset by the cost of DUB-MAN.
  - Think Square says:
    
    10 Mar10 March 09:22
    
    But with the current ex-DUB sale, is this a good use of Avios? DUB-ORD in J is under £1000 for various dates in April and July.
    
    For me, these recent sales have devalued Avios far more than any programme tweaks. Long may it continue!
    - Rob says:
      
      10 Mar10 March 11:45
      
      Difficult to justify £550 tax on a Dubai redemption if you live near London (and have time to kill) when Qatar will sell you a 787 service out of Brussels for £630 plus a Eurostar ticket!
grex9101 says:

10 Mar10 March 08:30

*fare

Sorry.
John M says:

10 Mar10 March 09:45

How do you book Belfast – Barcelona with Avios?
Can’t see it on Iberia Plus – should I be looking elsewhere?
- Rob says:
  
  10 Mar10 March 11:44
  
  Use the Vueling website to see which days it operates (this is a very limited service) and then plug the dates into the Iberia site and see what comes up.
Tom H says:

10 Mar10 March 10:17

Thanks for this. How does one book the Vueling flights? I’m interested in booking Cardiff-Alicante but can’t find availability via avios.com or ba.com, and Iberia Plus doesn’t allow Cardiff as a departure airport.
- Rob says:
  
  10 Mar10 March 11:52
  
  You won’t find it on avios.com or ba.com, only Iberia’s site. And, as you say, they haven’t added Cardiff as a destination. That would force you to use the Iberia call centre which is probably not a great experience unless you speak Spanish ….
- Kipto says:
  
  10 Mar10 March 20:45
  
  You can view AVIOS redemption for vuelling flights from Cardiff. You need to have an Iberia plus account and type the number into the Iberia website and look for reward flights. You can get an Iberia account number by going into their website and entering your details
  - Rob says:
    
    10 Mar10 March 21:28
    
    I tried it today and, to be honest, I couldn’t get them to show either!
TigerTanaka says:

10 Mar10 March 10:39

Good list, I did not realise Air Malta could be booked on Avios.com.

Availability on the other hand is a disaster
- Rob says:
  
  10 Mar10 March 11:59
  
  With the non-Manchester Air Malta flights, they generally only have one flight a week during the Summer. Use the Air Malta timetable to work out when that flight is and it will make searching quicker.
  - TigerTanaka says:
    
    10 Mar10 March 21:48
    
    I actually tried that (they fly on a Tuesday) but nothing for all dates this summer. Worth keeping in mind for 2016 though.
Ian says:

10 Mar10 March 10:42

If the press releases are to be believed, you can add Carlisle to that list later this year when Aer Lingus start flying to Dublin.
Geoggy says:

10 Mar10 March 11:24

Am I going blind or have you completely eradicated Liverpool John Lennon airport from the map?

Scousers won’t be happy !
- Rob says:
  
  10 Mar10 March 11:58
  
  Which of their five airlines (excluding Flybe who are covered by the ‘catch all’ comment) were you thinking about?! WizzAir, easyJet, Ryanair, Czech Airlines or the mysterious Blue Air?!