Originally Posted by
tsg20
- I live in London now, so awards would be preferably based from here - I don't know if that removes the possibility of interesting redemptions?
Depends on your definition of 'interesting'. As a BA Silver card holder a WT+ return trip to Chicago will net you sufficient mileage (about 18,000 by my reckoning) for two return tickets to near Europe destination (France, Germany etc... - see
calculator) with taxes capped at £35pp return. BA offer cash+Avios combinations still with capped taxes which allow you to get further afield with those Avios, or failing that will let you knock real £ cost off purchase tickets by trading in your Avios (valuing them around the 0.5p/point mark).
I think the "Earn on longhaul for work, redeem on shorthaul for pleasure" combo for UK-based folks earning/burning on BA is pretty attractive overall.
If your employer pays for WT+ as you say then those Avios could potentially be used to upgrade to Business at negligible cost to yourself - 12,500 each way, and of course subject to availability - if that's what you'd rather use them for.