Are Avios as garbage as they look to be...
Sep 30, 2019, 3:20 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: BA, Aer, VA, AMEX Plat
Posts: 5
Are Avios as garbage as they look to be...
.. or am I completely missing something?
So I have about 60K AMEX rewards points, and the 40% Platinum bonus for transfer to Avios ends tonight. I thought I'd take a look at some travel options with Avios, based out of Orlando travelling to interesting places in Europe.
MCO to LGW 1/15-1/20/20 cash price with BA $440, Economy. "Rewards" ticket on the same flight is 32,500 Avios + $308.50. This translates to a value of 0.4 cents per point. Even with the 1.4 multiple from AMEX its only 0.57 cents per point. I'd get better value using points to pay for Amazon purchases.
What am I missing here? Looked at from an objective, pure numbers perspective this is a terrible use of my AMEX points.
So I have about 60K AMEX rewards points, and the 40% Platinum bonus for transfer to Avios ends tonight. I thought I'd take a look at some travel options with Avios, based out of Orlando travelling to interesting places in Europe.
MCO to LGW 1/15-1/20/20 cash price with BA $440, Economy. "Rewards" ticket on the same flight is 32,500 Avios + $308.50. This translates to a value of 0.4 cents per point. Even with the 1.4 multiple from AMEX its only 0.57 cents per point. I'd get better value using points to pay for Amazon purchases.
What am I missing here? Looked at from an objective, pure numbers perspective this is a terrible use of my AMEX points.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:22 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: AA: CK
Posts: 2,230
.. or am I completely missing something?
So I have about 60K AMEX rewards points, and the 40% Platinum bonus for transfer to Avios ends tonight. I thought I'd take a look at some travel options with Avios, based out of Orlando travelling to interesting places in Europe.
MCO to LGW 1/15-1/20/20 cash price with BA $440, Economy. "Rewards" ticket on the same flight is 32,500 Avios + $308.50. This translates to a value of 0.4 cents per point. Even with the 1.4 multiple from AMEX its only 0.57 cents per point. I'd get better value using points to pay for Amazon purchases.
What am I missing here? Looked at from an objective, pure numbers perspective this is a terrible use of my AMEX points.
So I have about 60K AMEX rewards points, and the 40% Platinum bonus for transfer to Avios ends tonight. I thought I'd take a look at some travel options with Avios, based out of Orlando travelling to interesting places in Europe.
MCO to LGW 1/15-1/20/20 cash price with BA $440, Economy. "Rewards" ticket on the same flight is 32,500 Avios + $308.50. This translates to a value of 0.4 cents per point. Even with the 1.4 multiple from AMEX its only 0.57 cents per point. I'd get better value using points to pay for Amazon purchases.
What am I missing here? Looked at from an objective, pure numbers perspective this is a terrible use of my AMEX points.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:23 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
I moved over 300k to BA on this bonus. not garbage at all. booked a lot of domestic as flights In first . booked three business class flights from lax to lhr and a bunch of in europe flights for super cheap. . best bonus ever
Sep 30, 2019, 3:24 pm
#4
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,964
Economy long haul is a poor use of avios, and even more so exUS where carrier surcharges are quite high. There are much better was to use avios out there, you have just stumbled on the worse way.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:26 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,754
Agree with the OP. I use them for the occasional short haul flight. Especially now they've dropped the cost to £1 plus a few extra points I find it a good way to use them when the price is already climbing. That said, just picked up a couple of cheap flights to AGP for next year and it wasn't worth using points.
What's the offer of 40% ? I don't see it. I guess I don't have the right Amex card colour?
What's the offer of 40% ? I don't see it. I guess I don't have the right Amex card colour?
Sep 30, 2019, 3:31 pm
#6
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Hello Mick Davidson and welcome to Flyertalk. There's also a very useful guide in the dashboard that you may find here:
Your guide to spending Avios | 2019 edition
While economy tickets are not the best use of Avios they can be useful as one-way refundable options which would be considerably more expensive if booked with cash.
Your guide to spending Avios | 2019 edition
While economy tickets are not the best use of Avios they can be useful as one-way refundable options which would be considerably more expensive if booked with cash.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:32 pm
#7
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Sep 30, 2019, 3:34 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: BA, Aer, VA, AMEX Plat
Posts: 5
Agree with the OP. I use them for the occasional short haul flight. Especially now they've dropped the cost to £1 plus a few extra points I find it a good way to use them when the price is already climbing. That said, just picked up a couple of cheap flights to AGP for next year and it wasn't worth using points.
What's the offer of 40% ? I don't see it. I guess I don't have the right Amex card colour?
What's the offer of 40% ? I don't see it. I guess I don't have the right Amex card colour?
Sep 30, 2019, 3:40 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: BA, Aer, VA, AMEX Plat
Posts: 5
Hello Mick Davidson and welcome to Flyertalk. There's also a very useful guide in the dashboard that you may find here:
While economy tickets are not the best use of Avios they can be useful as one-way refundable options which would be considerably more expensive if booked with cash.
While economy tickets are not the best use of Avios they can be useful as one-way refundable options which would be considerably more expensive if booked with cash.
I'd hoped that a British rewards programme would award actual tickets to Britain instead of the right to pay fees almost equal to the fare. Here's the best part. If I want to pay "Avios + cash" for the same flight as above, they'll let me squander 16,300 Avios for the right to pay $70 *more* for the ticket than booking it with cash.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:47 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Every frequent flyer scheme has its sweet spots and its duff ones. You've been looking at the worst. Don't do it; just don't do it. There are much better uses for your Avios.
Sep 30, 2019, 3:50 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,543
There are sweetspots in premium cabins. For example, I got Mex-Lhr return. Booked WTP for around 1150 usd cash plus 50k points and 40 usd in extra fees and that means 1200 return in business class. Typical fare in business on the route is 3000 usd, so a much bigger ratio in terms of value.
I'd encourage you to look for some WTP flights to Europe and find availability (www.rewardflightfinder.com) and use your points to enjoy a return trip in Club
I'd encourage you to look for some WTP flights to Europe and find availability (www.rewardflightfinder.com) and use your points to enjoy a return trip in Club
Sep 30, 2019, 3:56 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: BA, Aer, VA, AMEX Plat
Posts: 5
There are sweetspots in premium cabins. For example, I got Mex-Lhr return. Booked WTP for around 1150 usd cash plus 50k points and 40 usd in extra fees and that means 1200 return in business class. Typical fare in business on the route is 3000 usd, so a much bigger ratio in terms of value.
I'd encourage you to look for some WTP flights to Europe and find availability (rewardflightfinder) and use your points to enjoy a return trip in Club
I'd encourage you to look for some WTP flights to Europe and find availability (rewardflightfinder) and use your points to enjoy a return trip in Club
Sep 30, 2019, 4:05 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: West Hollywood, CA AA EXP 2MM; Motel 6 Bauxite
Posts: 413
Avios are worthless on long haul but i get good value out of using them on short hops within Asia on CX / JL. Flights under 600 miles (or is it 550 or 650?) are 6,000 points. For sometimes expensive Japan domestic flights that can be a steal. Last year I did a HKG-HAN round trip for 9,000 Avios plus $77 in tax/fees. The 6,000 point award was 4,500 until recently.