Buying airline points strategically can make a lot of sense, especially for first and business class redemptions. Some people might find the British Airways Executive Club's newest promotion worthwhile. You will want to act fast because this sale is only valid for a limited time.
The British Airways Executive Club is offering a 50% bonus on the purchase of a Avios. You can receive a 50% bonus if you purchase at least 2,000 Avios in one transaction.
The cost to purchase Avios with the British Airways Executive Club varies based on how many you buy, even without any promotions. British Airways Executive Club charges as little as 2.76 cents and as much as 5.3 cents per Avios, before taking in any bonuses or discounts.
The cost of British Airways Avios varies based on where you register your account. You can purchase up to 200,000 Avios and get a 50% bonus for a total of 300,000. Depending on where your account is registered, the pricing for that would be as follows.
Depending on where you register, the lowest cost per purchase would be between $0.0133 and $0.0184. That is a huge difference. Those in the European Union get the best deal, followed by those in the United Kingdom.
British Airways Executive Club allows members to purchase up to 100,000 Avios per account per year. The cap is usually increased during a promotion. You can buy up to 200,000 Avios before any bonuses.
British Airways purchases don't count as airfare purchases for credit card spending because they are processed by points.com. I recommend using a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending if you are trying to reach minimum spending.
The Capital One Venture rewards credit card has no foreign transaction fees and offers 2x miles. The Chase Freedom unlimited is a good option for maximizing everyday spending.
The British Airways Executive Club is a program that can be controversial due to its distance based award chart.
Many members find it frustrating that there are hefty fuel surcharges when redeeming their Avios for travel on British Airways. You will get the most value with the program if you buy it with an EU account.
Some of the best uses of British Airways are outlined in this post.
I value British Airways Avios at 1.3 cents each, based on the ways to get outsized value with the distance based award chart. I value points conservatively and there are many ways to get more value from British Airways.
British Airways has been inactive for 36 months. Your balance will be reset if you earn or redeem Avios.
I think there's a lot of value to be had with Avios, but do keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to earn it with US credit cards. British Airways Executive Club partners with a few points currencies, including Amex Membership rewards, Capital One, and Chase Ultimate rewards.
There are three credit cards in the US that earn Avios.
There is a detailed comparison of the three cards here.
It is possible to get a much better deal if you buy a Avios from Iberia Plus and get a 50% bonus.
If you're based in the US, you can buy the Avios at a much lower cost in Europe, even if you're not a US citizen.
You can only buy Avios in the currency of the country where your account is registered with British Airways, while with Iberia it's based on what country you're on. If you're based in the US, you could buy the plane at a lower cost.
If you have had both accounts open for at least 90 days, and the accounts have some activity, you can transfer the Avios between British Airways and Iberia.
British Airways is offering a bonus on purchases. This is one of the best offers we see from British Airways Executive Club, and it is a great value for those with accounts in Europe.
If you don't have access to a US credit card, this may be worth it.
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