How do I earn Avios when buying British Airways on-board duty free?

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How do you earn Avios when buying duty free on a British Airways flight?

Like most airlines, British Airways offers a range of duty-free items when you fly, allowing you to save on taxes. You can see the product range on offer in the British Airways in-flight magazine.

To earn Avios on High Life Shop purchases, you must present your Executive Club card before the transaction takes place. The earning rates is 2 Avios per £1 spent.

However, most flyers do not know that you can pre-order items from the High Life Shop online and get them delivered to your seat when you fly (long haul only). This allows you to snag duty-free discounts without the stress of having to make an impulse decision or suffer any stock issues.

In general, there is a greater selection of products online since they do not need to be manually loaded onto the aircraft. However, you must complete your purchase at least three days before your flight. The Avios earning rate is the same whether you choose to buy on board or pre-order.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works. You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 1.8 million monthly page views. Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios? Click here to read our latest news stories, click here to join our email list and click here to read our ‘Avios Redemption University’ series.)

How to get 20,000 Avios from Amex Gold or 30,000 Avios from Amex Platinum (December 2021 offer)

The sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold converts to 20,000 Avios and the card is free for the first year. You can apply here.

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

You don’t qualify for the Amex Gold bonus if you have a British Airways American Express card. You DO qualify for the bonus on The Platinum Card, which converts into 30,000 Avios. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have your own small business, the best way of earning Avios is via the Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa. It has a sign-up bonus which converts to 10,000 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 look at the British Airways Accelerating Business card, because it currently has a limited time offer of 60,000 Avios when you sign up by 14th November. You can apply here.