No more Avios points earning or redeeming on Flybe flights from 30th April

Flybe and Avios announced yesterday that the Flybe / Avios partnership will come to an end on 30th April.  The full details are here.

This is not hugely surprising, given the imminent takeover of the airline by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium, although it is arguably a quicker switch than expected.

Even if you have never earned an Avios via a Flybe flight, it is important to know that your redemption options on Flybe will be closed off after 30th April.  You will no longer to able spend Avios on Flybe.  I’m not sure if British Airways Executive Club will be contacting members directly or not.

I would anticipate that Flybe will soon start issuing Virgin Flying Club miles.  I don’t yet know if the airline will be fully integrated into Virgin Flying Club or if it will remain semi-detached in the same way that Avios and Flybe currently operate.

The email sent out by Flybe says “we are actively working on an exciting new programme” which implies it will not disappear entirely into Flying Club.  Does the colour scheme used in their email give a clue ….?

Here are some things you need to know:

avios.com accounts which are ‘attached’ to Flybe will ‘not be accessible’ from 30th April – you will need to use ‘Combine My Avios’ to move your points into a British Airways Executive Club account by then

You won’t earn Avios for Flybe flights after 30th April, even if they are already booked.  You also won’t earn Avios for a Flybe flight BEFORE 30th April if the return leg is afterwards.

If you have an Avios booking on Flybe, it remain valid.  However, you cannot amend it after 30th April.  Your only change option is a full cancellation with no rebooking allowed.

If you will need an avios.com account after 30th April (eg to move Avios from Iberia Plus to BA Executive Club) you should open an Aer Lingus AerClub account which will continue to work at avios.com

I see this as a loss for British Airways Executive Club.  Whilst Avios redemptions on Flybe were rarely great value, it did provide a lot of options for members who lived outside the M25.

The loss of Flybe – when added to the loss of Monarch, Aurigny and Air Malta – means that direct flight redemptions for anyone who does not live near Heathrow, Gatwick or City will be few and far between.

You can find out more about the Avios changes on this page of the Flybe website.

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.)