Get a 15% discount on hotel and car hire bookings made with Avios – worth it?

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British Airways Executive Club has emailed some, not all, members with a special deal. Until 30th September, you can book a hotel or car with your Avios and save 15% on the usual price.

Stays must be completed by 31st December.

Because it is a targeted offer, you won’t see anything online to prove that it is actually working. Trust me, it is if you got the email. If the results of your search look poor, it is because this deal IS poor.

Under this promotion, you will be getting 0.66p per Avios redeemed. This is poor in my book, although better than the standard rate which works out at around 0.57p per Avios. Above is an example.

As the cost is 29,850 Avios or 1,000 Avios + £190, you are saving £190 by using a net 28,850 Avios. This is (19000/28850) 0.66p per Avios.

Even worse, the stays will be non-qualifying so you won’t receive any hotel loyalty points or status benefits either.

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: