How to earn a free flight using Avios points
If you’re someone who loves to travel and is always on the lookout for ways to save money, earning a free flight using Avios points is an excellent strategy. Whether you’re flying to a European city for a weekend getaway or heading to a distant international destination, understanding how many Avios points you’ll need for a flight can significantly enhance your travel plans. Here, we’ll help you work out how many Avios points for a flight, how to earn them, and how adding your Avios credit card to Curve Wallet can help you maximise your savings and rewards – giving you cashback ON TOP of your Avios points.
What are Avios points?
Avios is a travel reward currency used by several airlines, including British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. These points can be earned through flying, using Avios credit cards, shopping with partner retailers, or booking hotels with Avios partners. Once accumulated, Avios points can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other travel-related services, making them highly valuable for frequent travellers.
How many Avios points for a flight?
When it comes to calculating how many Avios points are needed for a flight, it largely depends on the distance of the journey, class of service, and availability of reward seats. A general rule of thumb is that an Avios point is worth approximately 1p, although it can range from less than that to up to 1.5p. Let’s look at an example to give you an idea of what to expect:
European return flight (e.g., London to Paris)
For a short-haul return flight from the UK to a nearby European destination like Paris, you can expect to pay around 9,000 Avios points for a one-way flight in economy class. For a return trip, that would typically double to around 18,000 Avios points.
Now, let’s compare that to the monetary cost of purchasing a standard economy ticket for the same flight. A return flight from London to Paris can range from £60 to £150 depending on the airline, the time of booking, and whether you catch a promotional deal.
Therefore, the monetary value of 18,000 Avios points (based on the cost of a standard economy ticket) could range from £60 to £150. This is a great way to travel for free or at a significantly reduced cost, especially if you can earn these points through daily spending or flying with partner airlines.
Long-haul flights
For long-haul flights, such as from the UK to New York, you would need approximately 26,000 to 40,000 Avios points for a one-way flight in economy class, with return flights costing around 52,000 to 80,000 Avios points. This would normally cost anywhere from £250 to £700 or more if you were to buy a standard economy ticket, depending on any promotions. By accumulating Avios points, you can save a significant amount on these longer journeys.
How to Earn Avios Points
There are several ways you can earn Avios points. Here are some of the most effective methods:
1. Flying with British Airways and partner airlines
One of the most straightforward ways to accumulate Avios points is by flying with British Airways and its partner airlines, such as Iberia, Aer Lingus, and American Airlines. You’ll earn Avios based on the distance of your flight and the class of service you choose. The more miles you travel and the higher your class of service, the more points you’ll collect.
2. Using an Avios Credit Card
Adding an Avios credit card to your wallet is one of the best ways to boost your points balance. With many credit cards offering Avios points for everyday purchases, you can earn a significant number of points just by doing things you already do, like grocery shopping, dining out, or booking travel. By using your Avios credit card frequently, you’ll quickly accumulate points that can be redeemed for flights.
3. Shopping with Avios partners
You can earn Avios points by shopping with a wide range of partner retailers. Many online and high street stores offer Avios points for every purchase you make. Simply link your credit card to your Avios account or use Avios-specific platforms to collect points while shopping.
4. Hotel stays and car rentals
You can also earn Avios points when booking hotel stays or renting cars with Avios partners. Many hotel chains allow you to convert your loyalty points into Avios, which means you can earn while you’re on the move.
5. Transferring points from other programs
If you have points in other loyalty programs (such as American Express Membership Rewards or HSBC), you can often transfer them to your Avios account. This can be a great way to quickly boost your points balance, especially when there are transfer bonuses or promotions available.
How to redeem Avios points for flights
Once you’ve earned enough Avios points, redeeming them for flights is simple. You can use your points on the British Airways website or their partner airlines and book reward flights. It's important to note that reward seat availability can vary, so be sure to plan ahead and be flexible with your travel dates. You can also use your Avios points to upgrade to a higher class of service (e.g., from economy to business class) for an even more luxurious travel experience.
Maximising Avios rewards with Curve
Earning a free flight using Avios points is a great way to save money on travel. But if you want to be really clever about Avios, link your Avios credit card to a Curve wallet. Curve kills foreign transaction fees from your cards so you can rack up Avios points while travelling without being charged fees – saving up to 3% on every trip. You can also earn serious cashback rewards on top of your Avios for a double helping of rewards on a single transaction.
- Up to 20% cashback from top brands (with weekly in-app offers)
- Up to 10% cashback every time you shop at select retailers like Primark, Argos, IKEA, Waterstones, and more.
- 1% cashback on all spend outside Euro and GBP (on any premium plan)
- 1% cashback at up to 12 retailers of your choice (on top premium plan)
