BA Launches Part Pay with Avios

This values Avios at less than 1 pence per point (0.6666666 to be precise.)

Very poor value.

When you can upgrade a WTP to Business from JFK for 10,000 points that in comparsion is very poor value. But for those who never seem able to redeem points at least it is another option for them. In the grand scheme of improvements they should make to the scheme it is a tiny step forward – but nothing to be singing from the rooftops about.

I really can’t see the point of this. The trick to using Avios is to get the maximum notional value per point which is why upgrades are such a popular option, or destinations where the fare makes up a high percentage of the total cost.

To use up 1500 Avios to save only £10 seems a total waste.

Hmm…I have found BAEC pretty useful. So far this year I have used Avios points to fly two people to Istanbul for a weekend in Club class, a day return trip to Milan for work, a flight on the 787 to Stockholm in Club, a one way first class on MAS to KUL for work, a return trip for me and a colleague on MAS between SIN and KUL in business. All of these trips have been when I wanted them. Of course not everything I have looked for has been available. I have never been able to use my Avios points on say a return in Club World to Singapore. This little extra use for Avios may not be too exciting for everybody, but I have plenty of friends who have very few points and I can imagine that this will allow them to use their points in some useful way.

Hmmm ….

On the one hand, yes it is pretty poor value, but that’s probably because most of the posters above (including myself) are savvy Avios users who have a mountain of points allowing access to book high value rewards.

But, there are some who aren’t big Avios points holders, for whom this is a benefit that they can use – they may never reach the big values required for a New York return in Club, for example, so there is an incentive for them to accumulate small amounts and redeem that way. Each to their own, and BA should be applauded with giving another option to redeem miles – it’s there for those who want to use it, but if you think you can use your Avios in a better way, no one is forcing a redeem down this route.

On the subject of Avios availability; I know that posters think SM or VK or whoever else always trumpets availability which is a different reality to the real world. Truth is, flexibility, hard work and a bit of luck do bring its rewards: this year, I managed to redeem a CW return to/from New York, using my Amex 2-for-1 voucher and flying out on the CWLCY service – in August. Was it easy? Not at first, and especially not in getting the return leg, but after playing with dates and plans, I made it happen. Is this for everyone? No – I can appreciate some people’s plans are more rigid than others. But let’s stop with this “because when I looked, I couldn’t get any long haul premium Avios availability, it must be the case that there is none available”, because that’s really no the case.

To be fair, MartinJ I didn’t say that they are readily available. Far from it: I originally booked my return leg from IAD and then shifted it to EWR about 3 weeks after the initial booking (at a cost of £50, it has also to be said).

As ever with these things, YMMV; all I’m saying that there are options out there even at the height of summer .

Cant see any benefit, a total waste of avios.

During 2013 I have made between 15 – 20 avios European bookings, generally 4,500 avios per sector and usually every single flight needed is wide open if booked 5 – 7 days out..

Only needed to buy one revenue ticket during this period and I did sweat a little on another return sector, but got it in the end.

Where BA could reduce the number of avios in circulation is to find a balance for use on longhaul which as we all know remains challenging to say the least..