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Intra-US reward flights are becoming increasingly difficult. Not only can it be hard to find availability but the new variable cost structures also mean that you need an unlimited supply of miles. One option you might not have thought about are British Airways Avios.

British Airways Avios – Even In The USA

But maybe I should be looking east for redemptions. British Airways partners with American and Alaska Air, so its points can be used domestically. Several years ago, British Airways changed their program and renamed miles “Avios,” since it sounds pretentious. The farther you fly, the more it costs (although it works bests for non-stops).

Given the geographical make-up of the US and concentration of cities, particularly on the coasts, you can get some bargains using Avios. We’ll hit international flights at a future date.

Here’s how to accumulate Avios and best use the award chart.

Finding The British Airways Avios Redemption Sweet Spots

Redeeming British Airways Avios Awards | New York to Miami
From cold to hot for only 9,000 miles Avios | New York to Miami

The best value with Avios comes on flights greater than 650 miles.* For example, I searched for a popular leisure flight, New York to Miami. The distance is just under 1,100 miles, so it falls in Avios’s “Zone 2,” which are flights from 651 — 1,151 miles. That gave me a price of just 9,000 points in coach and 16,500 in business. On American, that flight would be 12,500 and 25,000 miles, respectively.

Sample BA bargains (BArgains?):

ORD-SFO (Zone 3; 1,152 — 2,000 miles): 11,000 miles in economy, 22,000 in business

LAX-JFK (Zone 4; 2,001 — 3,000 miles): 13,000 miles in economy, 38,750 in business

What to Watch When Using British Airways Avios

Naturally, there’s two sides to every Schwartz. Here are some of the BArriers when using Avios:

  • Redemptions are per segment. In other words, if you have a connecting flight, you’ll pay Avios price for each segment.
  • The award tool is not always intuitive and requires you to log in. There is no printed award chart, though it’s easy enough to figure out.
  • The British use funny spelling. Just keep a sense of humour about it.

How To Accumulate Avios

You can go the traditional route, of course, and earn miles by flying on either British Airways or one of its partners, including American Airlines. (as well as any of the other oneworld Alliance partners). The miles you earn are based on the distance you fly, of course, as well as the fare that you paid and whether you have elite status.

How To Accumulate Avios Fast (As In 120,000 Avios)

The British Airways Visa Signature Card ($95 annual fee) from Chase is the fastest way to pick up Avios. You’ll earn one point per dollar spent, and the card comes with a bunch of handy benefits, including:

  • 50,000 Avios when you spend $3,000 in your first three months, and an additional 50,000 when you spend $20,000 total in the first year.
  • Three points per dollar spent on BA, Iberia and Aer Lingus when using the British Airways Visa Signature Card.
  • Spend $30,000 in a year and they’ll give you a complimentary companion pass, which allows you to bring a buddy for free (except for taxes and fees).

Don’t want an airline card? You have a couple of other good options that offer points which transfer to Avios:

  • The Chase Sapphire Preferred card ($95 annual fee) has an initial sign-up bonus of 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months. You earn two points per dollar on travel and dining purchases.
  • There are a handful of American Express cards that offer Membership Rewards points, which also translate 1:1 to Avios. American Express also offers frequent bonuses when you transfer to Avios.

Regardless of how you get there, though, credit cards are a great way to accelerate the accumulation phase for Avios.

*When the program first launched, flights under 650 miles cost only 4,500 miles in coach (double that in first). Then, everyone involved realized that the concentration of popular, expensive cities in the northeast was allowing for too many bargains. They quickly bumped the minimum to 7,500 (in the US only).

Further Reading – Points & Miles