MASSIVE AVIOS SALE – 50% off ALL long-haul flights, 25% off short-haul – and works with a 241

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British Airways has launched what is possibly the biggest Avios flight sale it has ever run.

All long haul flights, in all classes, are half price. Well, half points anyway.

Full details are on this special page of ba.com.

This is what you need to know:

ALL long-haul redemptions (all routes, all travel classes) are reduced by 50%

ALL short-haul redemptions (all routes, both travel classes) are reduced by 25%

Here are the key dates:

You must book by 13th October

You must travel between now and 30th June 2021

Full taxes and charges are due

The discount is valid on both one-way and return flights

The discount only applies to British Airways flights and not partner airlines

Can this offer be combined with a British Airways American Express 2-4-1 or Lloyds voucher?

YES. Well, with an Amex 241 anyway.

British Airways told me that it doesn’t, but it does!

This may or may be an error. The small print does say that ‘vouchers’ are excluded.

Should I cancel and rebook existing redemptions?

This is a tricky question.

For existing long haul bookings:

Clearly there are HUGE savings to be made if you cancel existing Avios long-haul redemptions and rebook them. You’d be crazy not to, to be honest, if it meant saving 50,000 to 100,000 Avios per booking.

(Do NOT do this with a Lloyds Avios upgrade voucher. As far as I know, these are still lost if you cancel a redemption flight which uses one.)

You need to be careful, however.

If you have enough Avios to make a fresh booking and didn’t use a 2-4-1 voucher, you don’t have any risk. You can make a new booking and then cancel your original at your convenience.

(Remember that, if you cancel online, you can only receive a Future Travel Voucher. This involves wrapping up the Avios, cash and any companion voucher in a voucher. You do NOT get the Avios, cash or companion voucher back in your accounts but you don’t pay any cancellation fees. Alternatively, you can ring BA, pay the £35 per person cancellation fee and get the Avios, cash and any voucher back directly.)

If you don’t have enough Avios to rebook, or need your 2-4-1 voucher back first, you are in a trickier position.

You need to call BA, trigger a Future Travel Voucher (which usually arrives within a few minutes, but isn’t guaranteed) and then call British Airways to rebook.

You should assume that your original seats will NOT go back into redemption availability. Only do this if you can see enough fresh seats available for the dates you want and you are willing to take the risk of them disappearing before you can rebook.

For existing short haul bookings:

For short haul, however, I don’t think it is worth the effort. The cancellation fees will outweigh a 25% Avios saving. Cancelling for a Future Travel Voucher and then rebooking to avoid cancellation fees is a bit of a faff for a modest return, even if seats are available.

Is there a special offer to buy Avios if I’m short?

No, unfortunately not. The 50% bonus promotion ended last week and I imagine there is no chance of a new offer before 13th October.

If you are happy to pay full price (1.6p per Avios plus a £15 handling fee), you can buy Avios via this page of ba.com.

Be careful not to get carried away …..

This is an exceptionally good offer. Offering 50% off all long haul flights, to all destination and in all classes, is not something you see every day.

However …. if you end up not flying the tickets you book, you will be paying £35 per person to cancel or taking a Future Travel Voucher, which comes with its own complications when you come to rebook (no name changes etc). Book with care.

Click here to visit the special sale page of ba.com and find out more.

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:

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.)

Category

British Airways and Avios

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

PolKuZZZ says:

6 Oct6 October 17:27

You people really do amuse me – so smart for some things, yet narrow sighted for many others. All this pent up urge to travel has definitely clouded your judgement.

Though it’s obvious, I’ll repeat it. Just because BA waves a discount in your face it doesn’t mean:
a) you’re actually being let into your destination
b) in the event you do get in, it’ll be a pleasant experience (e.g. social distancing, reduced amenities at hotels, etc.)
c) in the event your BA flights get cancelled, they’ll be any less horrific to deal with and won’t continue to squeeze you every step of the way possible, having you complain endlessly in forums like these

The travel game has changed a bit, and planning in advance does not work. For those of us fortunate to be able to book at short notice, the possibilities are endless. I was able to work remote for a month in Spain during glorious August, when it made sense to take a gamble like this.

I’d suggest cool heads over the next week this promotion is on…really think about what you’re doing.
- Anna says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 17:31
  
  You’re missing the point. These deals are a bargain even by the standards of HFPs readers and they can be cancelled. We wouldn’t be booking if we weren’t prepared to deal with BA!
- Cheshire Pete says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 17:33
  
  I agree. Short notice is the new Thursday is the new Friday!
- Coucou says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 17:39
  
  Spot on. People do behave like sheeps sometimes.
- Vit says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 17:40
  
  I was two-minded as well before I decided to book. Risks are there but as long as those who made the booking are okay with them. I might miss out something here but worst comes to worst it is £70 to cancel the flights. If it goes ahead, we will be able to visit our friend families after 2 years away for 50% of the avios. Am I missing something here? 🙂
- Josh says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 17:47
  
  I couldn’t agree more…no way am I booking any long haul travel until a semblance of normality returns. Good luck to everyone else but I’m out haha
- Rob says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 18:13
  
  It’s a punt innit? The maths are surely in your favour though.
  
  For a 100k Club World redemption, you are saving 50,000 Avios (worth £500) at the risk of spending £35 if you need to cancel. Or, actually, £0 if you take the Future Travel Voucher. I’d take those odds for June. Not sure about December, of course, but June ….
  - Harry T says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 19:06
    
    It’s just pure mathematics, as Rob says. If you can afford to loan some money to BA for a bit, then you may well profit massively. The total risk exposure is basically £35 per person.
    - Vit says:
      
      6 Oct6 October 20:25
      
      Very well-said Harry! Short and sweet.
    - Polly says:
      
      6 Oct6 October 21:02
      
      Exactly, way too good an op to pass up, just for the sake of 35pp…the excitement is actually in the planning too…even if we don’t get to travel!
      - paul says:
        
        7 Oct7 October 18:02
        
        yep !!!
- Garry Busey says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 20:22
  
  I think you’re missing the point, ‘you people’ maybe don’t want to take the risk of booking a flight with a £35 cancellation fee, this is good value in comparison to any redemption flight that has appeared before.
  
  “Don’t concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all the heavenly glory”
  
  P.s. thanks for the update on your glorious August in Spain……
  - Floyd "Money" Mayweather says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 21:49
    
    “Don’t think….feeeel”
cinereus says:

6 Oct6 October 17:29

Not remotely worth it once you factor in the crazy taxes/fees even for long haul in F. Alternatively just much much better value.
- Cheshire Pete says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 17:36
  
  Also agree with this! We got Manchester>LHR>JFK for cash £850 return , that’s about £200 more than the taxes. We added a hotel with BAH and just deposited £350 and we’ll hang on till February until balance is due.
  
  Now, that is a low risk, low cost bargain!
  - The Urbanite says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 17:47
    
    I checked LHR – JFK in F, £716 in fees!
  - Anna says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 18:11
    
    But £2k return if you need to travel over Easter weekend …
- Harry T says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 19:08
  
  Yes, I’m struggling to find a use for my 241. Just booked ex EU flights to Boston for next August with BA for £682 each. Upgraded the outbound to First for 40,000 Avios. I’m going to earn almost 16k Avios, and 420 tier points each, and we are paying less than the taxes of a 241.
  
  If you can be flexible about how and when you travel, the optics look different. If I had kids and fixed travel dates, I’d be more interested in this promotion.
  - Doug M says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 20:26
    
    How did you get to 420TP?
craig bryant says:

6 Oct6 October 17:39

Thanks to Rob for the initial heads up.

We had 4 x flights booked using Avios and 2 x 241 vouchers for Easter: LHR – SIN & then BKK back to LHR all in J.

Managed to cancel and rebook the same flights out, switched the return flight from HKG to LHR (and managed to upgrade to F!) and still managed to save about 150k Avios! A great result all thanks to HPP.
- Amber Lynn says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 18:43
  
  Sound great! Only problem is no one will be flying then, Have a week in Southend instead.
Andrew says:

6 Oct6 October 17:55

JFK 12,500 and £50 each way in WT including luggage. Amazing value. IF the USA opens up before end of June and you don’t mind sitting in economy.
Simon in Italy says:

6 Oct6 October 18:00

Sorry to ask what will be obvious to many yet I cannot put my fingers on the answer – wanting to fly LON-SFO business in May using Avios and 2-4-1. If I have to cancel (for example US not open to UK people, Hawaii still closed …) what are my options? TIA!!
- Rob says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 18:08
  
  Pay £35 per person to get Avios and cash back or take the BA Future Travel Voucher and don’t pay the fee. You CANNOT change the date without paying additional Avios to take you back to the original price.
  - Simon in Italy says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 19:24
    
    MANY thanks for the quick and concise answer!
  - Simon in Italy says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 20:46
    
    Oh, and if I pay the punitive seat charges would I get that back too if I have to cancel?
    - Polly says:
      
      6 Oct6 October 21:07
      
      Not worth the risk, some argue here it’s your right for a refund, but so much hassle.
    - Rob says:
      
      6 Oct6 October 21:17
      
      No. You lose the money. Don’t do it.
      - Simon in Italy says:
        
        7 Oct7 October 05:55
        
        Again, thanks for the clarity! Much appreciated
    - Lady London says:
      
      7 Oct7 October 14:54
      
      Dont do it because BA is being mean about these – why play into your hands?
      As and when BA’s refusal to refund change fees onto flights they then cancelled, and seat reservations on those cancelled flights, comes to court I am sure they will end up having to refund those things on cancelled flights – but for now, BA;s keeping your money and saying “so sue us, then”.
      
      Possession of your money is 9/10s of the law, that BA is operating here. I hope they get their comeuppance.
Fenny says:

6 Oct6 October 18:01

Absolutely no use to anyone unless they know for certain that the flights are going to happen, they will be allowed into the destination country and they can cope with quarantining at home on return.

I know the airlines want people to book, but most people going on expensive holidays what some certainty that the trip will happen or they will get a refund. I don’t mind having the £1500 for my holiday this year held over to 2 bookings for next year because I know the holiday company will give me a refund if it they don’t happen. But I don’t trust BA as far as I could drag a 747.
Andrew says:

6 Oct6 October 18:02

As many have said, obviously most of the flights we have booked today will be cancelled but in for a penny in for a pound – we have to have hope or what else is there?
- Lady London says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 18:55
  
  And fortunately for us based in the UK/Europe, if flights are cancelled by an airline then our rights are fairly well covered. Granted some airlines have really dragged out refunds.
  
  I feel sorry for Australians who do not seem to have very strong consumer law at all. I read somewhere that if a flight is cancelled by an airline in Australia for reasons that are beyond the control of the airline, the airline doesn’t have to refund and can force a (potentially useless) voucher. I do hope Australia sorts out some decent consumer rights if airlines are allowed to basically not fulfil a contract without having to put the customer back in the position they were in (i.e. give them their money back if the airline didn’t provide the service paid for).
  - PolKuZZZ says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 19:20
    
    Random thought – what happens for the majority of these flights taking place presumably in 2021 in a post-Brexit world?
    
    Will the UK subscribe to the same rights provided under EU rules?
    - Sukes says:
      
      6 Oct6 October 20:02
      
      It already has. See bottom of p4 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/278/pdfs/uksi_20190278_en.pdf. The body of EU law that underpins certain UK law is so vast significant swathes of it were simply directly retained in UK exiting the EU legislation already with minor amendments such as replace text ‘EU carrier’ with ‘UK carrier’. Of minor interest… the Eur600 under eu261 art 7 max possible cancellation compensation was enacted at Gbp520, vs spot now is Gbp542.
  - DANi says:
    
    6 Oct6 October 23:59
    
    Exactly my situation…Virgin Australia. Flight cancelled..but due to covid, so not our fault..so no refund!!
    
    I paid with curve, tried a charge back and failed, so advised that I would be taking it to the ombudsmen and got a courtesy refund a week later.
    I was really shocked at the Ts+C’s that were copied and pasted that I had agreed to within the initial booking…rediculous
- Polly says:
  
  6 Oct6 October 21:08
  
  Agree, bit of excitement in the planning, and it’s a punt, really
LeCB says:

6 Oct6 October 18:02

Occurs to me if you’re Avios rich and planning multiple trips you’d be better off not using companion voucher(s) as that effectively devalues the voucher (if you can otherwise use it after June 21)?