Flybe launching flights from London Heathrow to the Isle of Man

Flybe has announced a new service from Heathrow to the Isle of Man.

Starting on 21st April and using a 78-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft, it is initially scheduled to run for the Summer season to 26th October.

It will, apparently, be the first direct flight in nearly 20 years between the two airports.  The service will operate daily, leaving the Isle of Man at 13.50 and landing at Heathrow at 15.10.  The return flight departs at 17.05 and arrives in the Isle of Man at 18.25.

It is not clear where the slot is coming from, but it is presumably a Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France or KLM slot which someone else had been slot sitting on their behalf.

Flybe will also be flying from the Isle of Man to Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester this Summer and is currently running a seasonal ski service to Geneva.

Tickets are available now at flybe.com.  I’m not sure if they will be made available for Avios redemption or not, given that the Flybe partnership with Avios ends on 30th April.

You will still earn Avios on cash flights to the Isle of Man as long as both the outbound and return legs are completed by 30th April.

Your best option to maximise your miles when paying is American Express Preferred Rewards Gold.  This offers double points – 2 per £1 – when you when you book flight tickets directly with an airline.  Our review of Amex Gold is here.

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.)