BA domestic Club Europe – book with Avios today, check existing flights

As we revealed exclusively on Head for Points two weeks ago, British Airways will launch Club Europe business class on domestic flights from 1st April.

Some behind-the-scenes work was going on yesterday to get things ready.  No domestic flights could be booked for travel from 1st April.  Normal service was meant to resume at 8am this morning.

Firstly ….

If you have an existing domestic sector booked, take another look at it.

You may find that it now shows Club Europe.  This is especially likely if you are connecting to or from a premium class flight in London.

Anyone with a standalone Business UK ticket should also be upgraded.

Secondly ….

Take a look at your seat allocations over at ba.com.

As of last night BA had not rearranged seating on existing bookings.  However, I would expect it to be done by the time you read this.

If you have an existing domestic booking and were sat towards the front of the aircraft, you are likely to have been moved towards the middle or back.  You may want to check and move yourself if you aren’t happy with where you ended up.

If you were moved into Club Europe, you should check to see if the window or aisle seat you have been given is suitable.  If you are travelling with other people, check that they are still near you – remember that Club Europe seating is 2×2 rather than 3×3 in Euro Traveller.

Thirdly ….

Avios redemption seats for Club Europe on domestic flights should be available from 8am today when the booking system reopens.

I would expect two Avios seats in Club Europe to be showing on every flight.  If I’m right, this is a great opportunity to bag yourself some seats for peak dates – Edinburgh during the Festival, anything you may need for Christmas, New Year, Easter or Bank Holidays etc.  Yes, you’ll be paying 9,000 Avios each-way but that is still probably a better deal than paying cash.

Cash tickets for business class – which we assume will earn 80 tier points return – are pricing at around £199 at ba.com.  If you after a quick tier point run, they may be worth a look.  If you’ve got more time, however, you can get weekend breaks to certain European destinations for similar money and which are likely to be more fun.  A key difference is that these domestic tickets do NOT appear to require a Saturday night stay.

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.)