Posted by Noob Master on Apr 16, 2012 in American Airlines, Avios, British Airways, Credit Cards, Uncategorized | 0 comments
If you haven't heard, the British Airways 100k Visa is Back (kind of…you get 50,000 Avios miles on the FIRST spend), and this news has a lot of noobs wondering exactly what Avios miles can do for them. Since 50,000 "no spend requirement" bonuses are almost as rare as Zooey Deschanel not being annoying, this was definitely worth looking into.
Check out my previos blog post introducing British Airways Avios programs and the British Airways 100,000 Visa.
A quick FYI before I get into Avios miles redemption: All new BA card holders have the opportunity to earn 25,000 more Avios miles by spending 10k in 12 months. That's pretty reasonable. There is also a third tier bonus of an additional 25k Avios miles if you spend another 10k in 12 months. I signed the wife up for the BA card and plan on hitting the first 25k Avios bonus by spending 10k in 12 months. Plus, you earn 1.25 Avios per $1, so we will actually earn 87,500 Avios miles. Pretty damn swell.
So what will 50,000 Avios Miles get me? That's what all the Noob readers want to know. The short answer is, the shorter the distance, the more value you'll get. Unfortunately, international travel incurs some ridiculous fuel surcharges on British Airways, so you're going to get the best value using your Avios miles for domestic travel, short haul flights, and intra Euro flights. Here are a few examples:
DFW HUB
Having Avios miles is just like having American Airlines miles because you are able to book American Airline flights on the British Airways website. DFW is an American Airlines hub, so you can get some great value with Avios there. For example:
- DFW to San Juan is 25,000 Avios miles roundtrip.
- DFW to Hawaii is 40,000 Avios miles roundtrip.
- DFW to Cancun is 15,000 Avios miles roundtrip.
LAX to Hawaii | Alaska Air Partner Hawaii Flights
I want to go to Hawaii. Who doesn't? If you live in Los Angelas or close by, then flying American Airlines (can book on BA website) is a great bet. American Airlines out of LAX will fly to many Hawaiian islands for only 25,ooo Avios miles in coach! Who's calling them "Adios" miles now?
Alaska Air is a a partner airline of British Airways as well, so you can book Alaska Air flights with Avios miles. You will have to call in and pay a $25 booking fee, but it's well worth a flight to Hawaii. There are more departure city options for you to fly out with Alaska Airlines such as: Denver, San Francisco, Portland, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Diego. Oh, the options. Flights can be redeemed for 25,000 Avios miles! I'm starting to like these Avios miles.
Chicago (ORD) to Florida
If you live in Chicago, chances are you're begging for some warmer weather now and again. Well, Florida is a great opportunity for just that. Here are some ideas of the value of Avios miles to escape the windy city:
- ORD to JAX is 15,ooo Avios miles roundtrip. Chump change.
- ORD to Tampa is 15,000 Avios miles roundtrip.
- ORD to Miami is 20,000 Avios miles roundtrip.
These flights can all be booked on American Airlines using British Airways Avios miles on the British Airways website. Pretty straight-forward.
Caribbean Travel
If you live South or East or how about Southeast, then a trip to the Caribbean may be just what you're looking for.
- DFW to Nassau is 20,000 Avios miles roundtrip.
- Miami to Nassau is only 9,000 Avios miles roundtrip. TOTAL!
- ORD or DFW to San Juan Puerto Rico is 25,000 roundtrip.
- JFK to San Juan is 20,000 Avios miles roundtrip.
Once again, you will be booking these flights on American Airlines via the British Airways website. Are we starting to get the picture?
Intra-Europe Flights
A great way to utilize Avios miles is by flying short hauls flights in Europe to other Europe cities. There are so many cool destinations in Europe and we know that Avios miles aren't great in getting us over the pond, but once in Europe it's a good idea to have some Avios for flexibility. Check it:
- London to Rome is anywhere from 3,750 – 7.500 Avios one way!
- London to Dublin is 4,500 Avios miles. Love it.
- Berlin to Madrid is 10,000 Avios miles. Random, but the possibilites are endless. Endless.
Obviously, if you are an American living overseas or traveling overseas for an extended period of the time- the new BA Visa is a great option for you.
50,000 Avios miles can be very useful. Told ya. These examples are just a glimpse of the value to be had with British Airways Avios miles. I know there are many more examples, and if you have some, please leave a comment below.
If you live in an American Airlines hub city, then the British Airways Visa is an easy 50,000 points that can be used in a variety of ways. The American Airlines hub cities are: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York JFK and LaGuardia. If you fly out of these cities, then you should seriously think about the British Airways 100k Visa. It's just like having American Airlines miles, except you can't book long-haul flights to Europe (BA's fuel surcharges are redic.).
You can apply below for the British Airways 100,000 (50k on first spend) Visa. Only use my link if you think I'm cute. Ok people, only use my link if you are satisfied with the service I provide.
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