Avios points, what to do with them?

Fred Swanson

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coylemj

I believe you can merge them into an Aer Lingus AerClub account. I have some points on a BA account, intend to try to add them to my AerClub account at some point soon.

If anyone else has done this since the AerClub membership e-mails were sent out recently, please feel free to let us know how you managed it.

Edit: found this in the AerClub FAQ.....

Can I merge my British Airways Executive Club Account, Avios Account or Iberia Plus with my AerClub Account or transfer my Avios points between them?

AerClub is partnered with Avios Travel Rewards Programme. British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus are separate programmes but they use a common currency called Avios.

To transfer your Avios points between your accounts you need to go to Avios.com and log in. Select 'Your account' and 'Combine/Transfer Avios to or from your AerClub, British Airways or Iberia accounts'.

Please note you can only transfer Avios if all details, including your surname, date of birth and e-mail address are on your account, and you're not in a household account.


https://www.aerlingus.com/aerclub/about-aerclub/faqs/

Yamanoto

I find Avios handy if I want to get over to London on a whim & the standard revenue tickets are prohibitively expensive. A one-way fare is 4,000 Avios + €21.00 using the Reward Flight Saver option on BA.com. It may be available via the EI or Avios site too, haven't tried it. You can bring the Avios amount down & increase the cash element, so 3.5k Avios is certainly enough to put towards a one way fare.

Booking hotels using a site like Rocketmiles will regularly net you 3k Avios per night, so it's a good way of adding to the war chest.

BrokenArrows

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Yes you can use them as part payment for a flight.
Just go onto britishairways.com and book a flight, during checkout you should have the option to apply points against the cost, giving you a discount.

NOTE: Chances are that you will be able to get an equal or cheaper flight with ryan air. Points are only really good if you're using them on long haul flights and just paying the taxes.

Yamanoto

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Points are only really good if you're using them on long haul flights and just paying the taxes.

Have you seen the fuel surcharges levied by BA on long-haul Avios rewards? :eek:

nsa0bupkd3948x

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Yes you can use them as part payment for a flight.
Just go onto britishairways.com and book a flight, during checkout you should have the option to apply points against the cost, giving you a discount.

NOTE: Chances are that you will be able to get an equal or cheaper flight with ryan air. Points are only really good if you're using them on long haul flights and just paying the taxes.

I use my avios on either fights Dublin-Boston (not sure if they've changed this on BA avios or just AerClub) and flights Dublin-London when cash fares (including Ryanair) are in the hundreds.

BrokenArrows

Finley Thousands Self-satisfaction wrote: »

I use my avios on either fights Dublin-Boston (not sure if they've changed this on BA avios or just AerClub) and flights Dublin-London when cash fares (including Ryanair) are in the hundreds.

Depends on the flight. Not all flights are treated equally.

I just did a quick check and a return to boston was 26k points and £370

A cash flight with a different airline was £430. So it depends on the person, is 26k points worth £60 saving?

Same dates to Los Angeles is only 16k points for the same saving.

London and back was 9k points and £35 which isnt bad. But ryanair is £50 (granted you dont fly to LHR and need to pay to get into London).

nsa0bupkd3948x

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Depends on the flight. Not all flights are treated equally.

I just did a quick check and a return to boston was 26k points and £370

A cash flight with a different airline was £430. So it depends on the person, is 26k points worth £60 saving?

Same dates to Los Angeles is only 16k points for the same saving.

London and back was 9k points and £35 which isnt bad. But ryanair is £50 (granted you dont fly to LHR and need to pay to get into London).

I mean using the BA Avios for EI business class to Boston. Costs 25,000 + $80 or so. They might have stopped doing this, I know EI Avios specifically exclude the transatlantic from the ,000 mile price band.

I wouldn't go near BA transatlantic for economy because of the fuel surcharge.

Marcusm

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Depends on the flight. Not all flights are treated equally.

I just did a quick check and a return to boston was 26k points and £370

A cash flight with a different airline was £430. So it depends on the person, is 26k points worth £60 saving?

Same dates to Los Angeles is only 16k points for the same saving.

London and back was 9k points and £35 which isnt bad. But ryanair is £50 (granted you dont fly to LHR and need to pay to get into London).

You need to factor in that your Avios flight is fully refundable until 24 hours pre departure. Not a good use of them unless this is of value to you.

Yamanoto

Finley Thousands Self-satisfaction wrote: »

I mean using the BA Avios for EI business class to Boston. Costs 25,000 + $80 or so. They might have stopped doing this, I know EI Avios specifically exclude the transatlantic from the ,000 mile price band.

I wouldn't go near BA transatlantic for economy because of the fuel surcharge.

Aer Club have been sneaky in moving Boston Logan to zone 5, meaning what was previously a 50k Avios redemption for a DUB-BOS return will now set you back 100k, plus an increase in taxes.

Air Berlin & Iberia now possibly offer better value

Sin1981

I did a search for Cork to LHR using my Avios.  It was 9,000 points + €151 taxes etc.  A search on the aer lingus website comes back at  €135 total.
Has anyone else notices this?  How am I supposed to use my points without such high surcharges?

ted1

Sin1981 wrote: »

I did a search for Cork to LHR using my Avios.  It was 9,000 points + €151 taxes etc.  A search on the aer lingus website comes back at  €135 total.
Has anyone else notices this?  How am I supposed to use my points without such high surcharges?

They work best with long haul flights.

Sin1981

In the UK, Avios an be transferred to vouchers. Pity we can't do same here...

Yamanoto

Sin1981 wrote: »

I did a search for Cork to LHR using my Avios.  It was 9,000 points + €151 taxes etc.  A search on the aer lingus website comes back at  €135 total.
Has anyone else notices this?  How am I supposed to use my points without such high surcharges?

If you flew BA from DUB, you'd be looking at 8k Avios + €42.00 return.

ted1

Sin1981 wrote: »

In the UK, Avios an be transferred to vouchers. Pity we can't do same here...

You can transfer point to BA and then vouchers

Shabaaa

I have only really started collecting the points, I have 10,000 points in a few months, am I crazy to think I will have enough points to purchase flight to Oz for Xmas next year 2018 ....
My understanding is I can transfer to Ba points and use that airline if it's better for long hauls ????

Fred Swanson

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nsa0bupkd3948x

Shabaaa wrote: »

I have only really started collecting the points, I have 10,000 points in a few months, am I crazy to think I will have enough points to purchase flight to Oz for Xmas next year 2018 ....
My understanding is I can transfer to Ba points and use that airline if it's better for long hauls ????

From a quick look on BA to Sydney it costs 73000 Avios + € 433.63. Alternatively you can book with Malaysian for €840.
I'm not sure spending 73,000 to save €400 is a good deal.

Fred Swanson

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Yamanoto

If anyone buys the Indo / Sindo on a regular basis, you can now bag 30k Avios with your years subscription for €349

https://www.reachhomedelivery.ie/newspapers-magazines/home/index/BUNDLE_AVIOS_OFFER

Yamanoto

1k Avios for joining Marriott rewards

https://www.joinmarriottrewards.com/doublemiles2017/s/EN/?aff=MARUS&affname=111l1113&co=US&nt=PH

Yamanoto

18k Avios & a digital subscription to the Indo / Sindo for €160

http://www.headforpoints.com/2017/08/21/get-18000-avios-irish-independent-digital-subscription/

finbarrk

Can the Avios points be transferred to boost the Tier Credits to get up to the Silver Level does anyone know. I can't seem to find this info. Maybe its not possible.

Yamanoto

finbarrk wrote: »

Can the Avios points be transferred to boost the Tier Credits to get up to the Silver Level does anyone know. I can't seem to find this info. Maybe its not possible.

Transferring Avios from a BA or Iberia account into AerClub would have zero impact on your tier credits.

Flying 'bum-in-seat' with EI is your only way of moving from Silver to Platinum to Concierge.

finbarrk

Ok. Thanks. Probably won't get there so.

finbarrk

Are the Avios points just good for getting a reduction on a future flight so presuming a person has enough of them? Or is there any other use for them?

George Sunsnow

finbarrk wrote: »

Are the Avios points just good for getting a reduction on a future flight so presuming a person has enough of them? Or is there any other use for them?

They're best used for business class flights
E.g. That Irish independent offer gets you 30k avios for 349

Use the eshopping on the avios site to gather up another 6k avios (easily done if you use partners giving 6 to 12 avios per Euro spent)
Then you have business class return down to Lisbon via Madrid with lounge access in Dublin and Madrid
The one in Madrid is much better than Dublin with a sleeping zone
Both have all you can drink booze and some food
Iberia up front will fill you with as much Rioja as you want
You just pay taxes which is what 40 or 50 quid maybe which you'd have to pay anyway

If you buy a paper every day anyway,it's a no brainer

Yamanoto

finbarrk wrote: »

Are the Avios points just good for getting a reduction on a future flight so presuming a person has enough of them? Or is there any other use for them?

As with most other FFP's, there are countless ways to earn & redeem - car hire, hotels, dining out, shopping etc.

Plenty of info re options on the Avios / respective carrier websites.

By far the best use of Avios is for medium / long haul flying in business, with only modest taxes and fees payable (flying with IE or IB is preferable to flying with BA, due to heavy surcharges on BA redemptions).

finbarrk

We get the Irish Independent every day but that subscription thing won't work down in our rural area.

George Sunsnow

finbarrk wrote: »

We get the Irish Independent every day but that subscription thing won't work down in our rural area.

Why not? I presume they'd use an post?

The 18k for an online sub has been reduced now to 9k avios as too many outside Ireland were abusing it when it appeared on mileage websites