Bits: exclusive Avios hotel redemption deals, 50% bonus miles on Virgin West Coast, BA to Tehran

News in brief:

Exclusive Avios hotel redemption deals

I have agreed with Avios that they will tip me off about their most aggressive hotel redemption deals.  You can book these hotels via avios.com using your points, but you can also pay in cash if necessary.

These are exclusive Avios deals and are priced at 40% – 70% less than you would pay on Expedia for the same hotel.  I was sent the comparison data but I won’t bore you with it.

If you are heading to any of the following places, it is worth pricing up these hotels on avios.com this weekend:

Hotel Mundial, Lisbon (4-star)

Nira Caledonia, Edinburgh (5-star)

Casa Nicolo Priuli, Venice (3-star)

1 Hotel South Beach, Miami (5-star)

The Crane, Barbados (5-star)

50% bonus Flying Club miles with Virgin West Coast trains

Until 3rd March, Virgin West Coast is giving a 50% bonus on Flying Club miles.  You will earn 3 miles per £1, instead of the usual 2.

This applies only to Advance tickets, but both East Coast and West Coast are included. You only need to book by this date, not travel.  The West Coast home page is here.

British Airways relaunches Tehran service

Finally, British Airways will resume flights to Tehran on 14th July.

It will begin as a six day a week service, increasing to a seven day service from the start of the Winter timetable.  It will use a four-class Boeing 777.

The problem with Iran, of course, is that you are no longer allowed to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme if you have visited the country.  This is likely to prove a stumbling block for many potential travellers.  I am assuming that BA cabin crew travel on business visas which, I think, exempt you from the US block.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios?  Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)