Avios - spend or save?
Mar 3, 2019, 8:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: Was BA GGL but no longer travelling
Posts: 583
Avios - spend or save?
Hi
what do you all tend to do with Avios? Do you save and hoard? Save and then use? Save until you have just enough for a trip?
I’ve got about 700,000 and wondered if I should keep on saving or use them? I have some GUF1 and GUF2, and also an AMEX Companion Voucher, so I guess I could benefit from combining? The vouchers obviously have a shelf life.
I’ve no pressing desire to spend, I just wondered if I was being daft building up a stash.
Jim
what do you all tend to do with Avios? Do you save and hoard? Save and then use? Save until you have just enough for a trip?
I’ve got about 700,000 and wondered if I should keep on saving or use them? I have some GUF1 and GUF2, and also an AMEX Companion Voucher, so I guess I could benefit from combining? The vouchers obviously have a shelf life.
I’ve no pressing desire to spend, I just wondered if I was being daft building up a stash.
Jim
Mar 3, 2019, 8:44 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leicestershire / Dubai
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite & Lifetime Gold, Heathrow Rewards Premium, Tesco Clubcard
Posts: 663
I spend usually on shorthaul redemptions or UUA on longhaul, but I never allow my balance to go under 6 figures 
Mar 3, 2019, 9:14 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,112
Spend if you want/need to and dont if you dont would be what most would say I assume.
Other thoughts are that (1) you do have the risk of devaluation with avios of and (2) its pointless having them if you dont use them
Personally I earn and burn but like to have a mimimum of 400k in avios to guarantee two lumpy 241 redemptions.
Other thoughts are that (1) you do have the risk of devaluation with avios of and (2) its pointless having them if you dont use them
Personally I earn and burn but like to have a mimimum of 400k in avios to guarantee two lumpy 241 redemptions.
Mar 3, 2019, 9:58 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Our travel patterns and earning lead to a completely affordable 2-4-1 and the occasional Avios abatement on s/h trips. Not sure we suffer from an excess of Avios, but we have plenty from flying and Amex spend ... to the point that we don’t really think about it.
Getting on for 0.5m in the HHA, but they will be used ... usefully!
Can’t use too many, though, or Gold renewal becomes difficult!
Getting on for 0.5m in the HHA, but they will be used ... usefully!
Can’t use too many, though, or Gold renewal becomes difficult!
Last edited by T8191; Mar 3, 2019 at 10:04 am
Mar 3, 2019, 11:33 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Best to kept a small sum ready in case of emergencies such as 500k (meaning you can go pretty much anywhere needed at very short notice - availability permitting). Anything over that I try to spend, but the opportunities are few and far between.
Mar 3, 2019, 12:04 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BAEC (Silver), IHG (Plat Elite)
Posts: 541
Bit of both tbh, save, hoard then spend ! Spent around 600k in the last few years; two F trips, a CE, a WT>WT+ upgrade and a 2 week car hire too. Still have around 400k in the HHA, and am planning on spending some of them next year. Well, spend this year for travel next year. I wouldn't like my balance to go under six figures, but like everyone else, my stash was affected by a de-valuation a few years back.
Get spending them I say ! Some, at least. There is always availability somewhere..............
Get spending them I say ! Some, at least. There is always availability somewhere..............
Mar 3, 2019, 12:46 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: England - UK
Posts: 512
Same as chris1922Mk2 although I don't like parting with them easily so depends how expensive cash flights are plus we use them for hotel stays. Trouble is once you start this hobby you hear of people with millions and you think that's a LOT!! But they reduce really quickly once you start spending them. IMHO hoard if you don't have an immediate use for them.
Mar 3, 2019, 12:46 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
Posts: 1,750
I think it's the availability that is the crux of the problem! Wishful thinking anywhere!
Mar 3, 2019, 12:57 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
It helps that I am incredibly flexible and can take creative routings, and can pick up cheap connecting flights to where I need to be very easily.
Edit: Taking a very quick cursory glance at the BA redemption finder, I can easily get a J flight from several parts of the world tomorrow (and that is purely on BA metal - there will be more availability on OW carriers).
Last edited by rossmacd; Mar 3, 2019 at 1:08 pm
Mar 3, 2019, 1:01 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,441
Keep a float of about 300K for emergencies/MFU/short haul RFS and an annual 241 and spend the rest. Airline FFP changes only ever result in devaluations of their fiat currency - even if there are some tweaks to soften the blow.
I imagine a revenue based scheme will land at BA someday and it won’t be good news...
I imagine a revenue based scheme will land at BA someday and it won’t be good news...
Last edited by Swanhunter; Mar 3, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Mar 3, 2019, 1:15 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
The issue is surely flexibility?
If you need to go from A to B on a certain date, options can indeed be limited. With an open mind, and complete flexibity, tne World is largely open to you. My challenge for this week, as it happens!
If you need to go from A to B on a certain date, options can indeed be limited. With an open mind, and complete flexibity, tne World is largely open to you. My challenge for this week, as it happens!
Mar 3, 2019, 4:41 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,048
Surprising number of answers that involve "hoarding" Avios IMO, at least running a high balance. Sooner or later we're going to see "dynamic pricing", and that's not likely to be good news for premium cabin travel.
There's no need to waste your miles unnecessarily, but for any itinerary where you can spend Avios well, you should... You can always buy Avios later if you need them.
There's no need to waste your miles unnecessarily, but for any itinerary where you can spend Avios well, you should... You can always buy Avios later if you need them.
Mar 3, 2019, 4:48 pm
#15
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
Believe me, I want to spend the six figure sum of Avios I've had for years but circumstances have prevented me from doing so.
However, as soon as I can I'll blow the bleedin' lot all in one go!!
However, as soon as I can I'll blow the bleedin' lot all in one go!!