Bits: two BA-related competitions, new Innsbruck lounge, new BA / China Southern codeshare

News in brief:

Two interesting BA competitions

The latest issue of British Airways’ ‘The Club’ magazine contains a couple of interesting competitions.  These literally take 30 seconds to enter (name, email address, BA number) so you’re nothing to lose.

First up is two VIP tickets to the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on 25th February, with full hospitality, and a one-night stay at Dorsett Shepherds Bush either before or after.  You need to enter this on the Dorsett site.  Closing date is 31st January.

Secondly, I was quite taken by this cashmere hat and scarf set from MrQuintessential, classy and suitably expensive at £190.  You can win this on this page of ba.com here.   Again, the closing date is 31st January.

Innsbruck now has a lounge, available via Priority Pass

A few months I wrote this popular article listing British Airways European routes where you do not receive lounge access.

One airport on that list was Innsbruck.  This wasn’t the fault of BA – Innsbruck simply didn’t have a lounge.  Now it does.

The Tyrol Lounge is open from 5.30am to 7pm daily.  It is airside, between gates 11 and 12.  The two photos above and below show what it is like.

I don’t know if British Airways has arranged for Club Europe or status passengers to get access.  You CAN get in using a Priority Pass (free with Amex Platinum or buy one here) or a Lounge Club card (two free passes when you get the free Amex Gold card).  It is also available via Lounge Key if you have a HSBC Premier World Elite card.

British Airways signs a codeshare deal with China Southern

British Airways has agreed a codeshare deal with the largest Chinese airline, China Southern, to add four new destinations to the BA network –  Shenyang, Harbin, Changchun and Dalian.  Seats are available for sale on ba.com.

Connections will be available:

• Via Shanghai to Shenyang and Harbin
• Via Beijing to Dalian
• Via either Shanghai or Beijing to Changchun

You will earn Avios when travelling on a China Southern flight if you have a BA flight number.  However, these can only be booked in connection with a long-haul British Airways flight.

In return, China Southern flight codes will be added to BA domestic flights from Heathrow to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and Belfast.

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.)