Revealed … the peak and off-peak Avios redemption calendars for 2017

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We now have full visibility of the peak and off-peak Avios redemption calendars for both British Airways and Iberia for 2017.

The big change, as eagle-eyed HfP readers booking for February half-term had already realised, is that Tuesday and Wednesday flights will no longer automatically be off-peak.

If you want to travel on British Airways between 7th July and 5th September you will be paying the peak Avios price. If you are wondering why this covers nine weeks and not the traditional six weeks of the school Summer holiday, it is because it appears to be based on the public school calendar and not the state school one.

Avios wing 15

This is why October half-term straddles two weeks and Easter covers 3.5 weeks. That said, February half-term is only blocked out for one week and not two.

You will see calendars for both BA and Iberia below. There are substantial differences between them. If you are flying on a route shared by BA and Iberia, it may be cheaper to book on Iberia.

For example, 15th February is peak for BA and off-peak for Iberia. On that day, a Club World return from London to New York would be 120,000 Avios. It would only be 68,000 Avios from Madrid to New York. The tax would also be £335 lower on the Iberia ticket as long as you book via the Iberia website (£480 v £145).

British Airways calendar: (click to enlarge if necessary)

Iberia calendar:

Iberia peak offpeak Avios calendar 2017

How to earn Avios points from UK credit cards

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 BA Amex American Express card

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 BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

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: