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Program Spotlight: British Airways

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As part of my Membership Rewards transfer partner series, today I’ll be looking at redemption options with British Airways.

If you missed my introduction, these spotlights are written to look at partners from the aspect of transferring Membership Rewards points into the programs for possible award redemptions; however, if you have earned points through other methods, these redemption opportunities are still available to you!

Membership Rewards transfer options include Aeromexico, Air CanadaAir France, Alitalia, ANA, Asia Miles, Best Western, British Airways, Choice Hotels, Delta, El Al, Frontier, KLM, Hawaiian, Hilton, Iberia, JetBlue, Jumeirah Hotels, Singapore Airlines, Starwood, Virgin America, and Virgin Atlantic.

Alliance: oneworld
Loyalty Points: Avios
Membership Rewards Ratio: 1 MR = 1 Avios
Hubs/Focus Cities: LHR, LGW
Fuel Surcharges: Yes, expensive on British Airways operated flights.  Many partner redemptions are free.

The Good News: I really like the Avios program since many of their best redemption values line up with the type of travel I do.  You’ll find great value in short-haul routes (under 650 miles), which despite their short distance can often be quite expensive.  With Avios, you’ll pay just 4,500 Avios one-way in coach, with no fuel surcharges when you redeem with partner airlines like American Airlines and no last-minute ticketing fees.

British Airways has a ton of partners, many of which offer surcharge-free rewards.  Fly to Dublin on Aer Lingus, to Europe on Iberia Airlines or Air Berlin, intra-Australia on Qantas, or to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines for a reasonable price.  Additionally, if you’re willing to pay the fuel surcharges, British Airways has excellent availability in their premium cabins from a large number of east coast hubs to London, meaning you might actually be able to find four seats in business class for your family on a date that works for you.

The Bad News: In my opinion, the biggest downside to Avios is that you have to pay everything segment-by-segment, so taking an extra connection can add significant amounts of miles to your total cost.  Unless you live in a hub, this can add up quickly.  Additionally, long-haul flights can be on the pricey side (I shudder to think of a flight from the east coast to Asia with 2 or 3 connections each way) and first class seats are triple the price of coach tickets.  Obviously the fuel surcharges (easily at $500+ per round-trip) are also a downside to the program, though creative travelers will find alternate routings and airlines to easily avoid this.

Worth Noting: Membership Rewards also offers transfer bonuses when you convert MR points into Avios, such as a 30% bonus running right now through January 14, making your award even cheaper.


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