Looking for advice on Avios use
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 8
Looking for advice on Avios use
British airways canceled one of my award flights and they didn't offer any other flights that fit my schedule. So now I have a several thousand Avios that I have no current plans to use. Here's my dilemma, I have a future BA flight in club Europe that I could use the avios to select my seat, but it is a terrible redemption value or would it be better to just hold onto the avios and see if I can use them sometime in the next several months? So in a nutshell, spend avios to pick a seat or save them for a non-planned future flight?
#2
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
You may have no current plans but I suspect you'll have use for the Avios in the future. Don't forget that there are lots of other uses for Avios apart from flights on BA. Some options are more valuable than others. Personally I wouldn't waste them on seat selection but that's easy for me to say as I don't pay for seat selection.
#3
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum, ALL Gold, Bonvoy Gold Elite, HHonors Gold
Posts: 384
The real "value" of a redemption is entirely dependent on your personal circumstances and priorities - i.e. a higher pence-per-Avios rate isn't automatically "better", if the actual reward you get isn't useful to you; and vice versa.
Is there a particular need to spend the Avios quickly? If the seat selection isn't enticing, you'll have 3 years after your flight to come up with some other use for them.
Is there a particular need to spend the Avios quickly? If the seat selection isn't enticing, you'll have 3 years after your flight to come up with some other use for them.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 177
0.008p per Avios if you convert to Nectar. So if the Avios cost to reserve your seats is worse than this you could always convert to Nectar and spend in Sainsburys and use the cash you would have spent for seat selection .
#6
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 467
It's actually 0.8p / Avios when converted to Nectar. Paying for seating using Avios is generally much worse than this. There was a promotion around this time last year, that made seat reservations with Avios worth doing- about 2p per Avios of value. Not sure if this will return this year.
#7
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 177
It's actually 0.8p / Avios when converted to Nectar. Paying for seating using Avios is generally much worse than this. There was a promotion around this time last year, that made seat reservations with Avios worth doing- about 2p per Avios of value. Not sure if this will return this year.
#8
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,925
Fly economy next time and pay for the exit seats; much better!
#9
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Club Europe is just a curtained off area at the front of the aeroplane. All the seats are economy ones and equally uninspiring. Perhaps row 1 gives you a millisecond advantage in disembarking but you can’t stretch your legs. Waste of time to pay with anything for CE seats.
Fly economy next time and pay for the exit seats; much better!
Fly economy next time and pay for the exit seats; much better!
#10
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Wales
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 147
#11
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Perth WA/ UK
Programs: BA Gold, Priority Club Gold, Accor Silver, Virgin Australia Gold
Posts: 1,750
#12
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
The only thing in the way of a leg stretch in 1C is the front left cupboard. If it needs to be opened, legs will need to be retracted slightly. Personally, I'm not in the least bit concerned about trollies or people wandering by. Of course, you have to be careful to avoid getting bashed during the boarding process.
#13
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 285
Club Europe is just a curtained off area at the front of the aeroplane. All the seats are economy ones and equally uninspiring. Perhaps row 1 gives you a millisecond advantage in disembarking but you can’t stretch your legs. Waste of time to pay with anything for CE seats.
Fly economy next time and pay for the exit seats; much better!
Fly economy next time and pay for the exit seats; much better!
Even though I could perhaps get better value for the points at the supermarket, I know how much a shop costs - it's factored into my household accounts. There's also the fact that I don't necessarily want to be wedded to Sainsburys. Flying is one of those things which I consider a luxury; a thing I perhaps don't need to spend money on, and when I do there's still an element of 'treat' to it. So for me, using Avios to make CE tickets the same as or cheaper than ET tickets, has been quite satisfying.
It's not for everyone, but I do think there's an attraction for some. Hopefully not just for me...