How Best to Redeem the British Airways Travel Together Ticket

Maximizing the redemption value of rewards and perks is often a question of timing, as well as of finding the sweet spots.

Best Ways to Use British Airways Avios

The British Airways Executive Club, the loyalty program of British Airways, uses Avios as its reward currency that can be redeemed for award flights. 

Avios are used and accepted by multiple airlines, meaning the opportunities for redemption are wide-ranging, regardless of your country of departure or arrival.

Understanding how to use Avios to their maximum value is a case of understanding British Airways’ distance-based reward system and how it can benefit—as well as be of detriment to—you.

Class Action Against BA: Avios or Cash Coming Your Way

If you redeemed British Airways Avios between November 9, 2006 and April 17, 2013, then listen up. You could be entitled from anywhere between 12,500 and 35,000 Avios, or a varying amount of US dollars if you'd prefer it.

British Airways claimed their "fuel surcharges" were meant to compensate for the cost of fuel, which, according to the plaintiffs in the class action brought against them, was not actually the case.

LAST DAY: 40% Avios Transfer Bonus Means 24k Membership Rewards to Madrid in Business Class

Tomorrow is the last day to transfer Membership Rewards to British Airways and Iberia Avios with a 40% transfer bonus. The cutoff is 11:59 p.m. MT on September 17.

At the beginning of July we saw the transfer rate between American Express Membership Rewards and British Airways and Iberia Avios improve from 250:200 to 250:250

In a surprising and awesome turn of events, right after the new transfer rate was announced, a transfer bonus was also announced.

Membership Rewards to Avios Transfer Rate Improves to 1:1

We've got good news for you to begin your Friday with today! American Express Membership Rewards now transfer to British Airways and Iberia Avios at an improved rate of 250:250.

Previously, the transfer rate was 250 Memberships to 200 Avios (1:0.8). Personally I'm quite excited about the change in ratio. I love distance-based Avios for booking short hops that otherwise wouldn't make sense to redeem miles for, but also for sweetspots like Iberia Business Class between Brazil and Spain that I flew at the end of May for just 42,500 points.

Buy Avios for 1.37 Cents Each with This Simple Trick

Through tomorrow, June 30 at 23:59 hr BST (British Summer Time) you can buy British Airways Avios with a 50% bonus. I've never seen a onuses greater than 50% on the purchase of Avios before.

The maximum amount of Avios you can buy through this promotion is 100k. With a 50% bonus, that means you can add 150k Avios to your account.

Anatomy of an Award: São Paulo to Madrid in Iberia Business

I am planning a trip to Europe that begins in Madrid, departing South America when it starts to grow cold down here and warm up in your hemisphere. I recently booked a British Airways Avios award to get myself there from São Paulo, Brazil flying Iberia Business Class on an A330.
Looking at My Options
A flight from South America to Europe is a long one. If I could help it, I decided I wanted a Business Class flight.

25% Off Iberia Awards Means 25.5k Points in Business to Europe

Through April 11, Iberia Avios awards are being priced with a 25% discount in celebration of the company's 25th anniversary. The discounted price applies to travel dates now through June 15, 2017 as well as October 1 through December 15, 2017, flying any routes on Iberia, Iberia Express, and Iberia Regional Air Nostrum planes.

The only points that transfer directly to Iberia are Membership Rewards, but at the crappy rate of 250:200.

Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Wrap Up & Index

This is the final post in a series about how to maximize value when transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards to airline loyalty program partners. 
Maximizing Your Ultimate Rewards Series Index

Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: United MileagePlus
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Singapore Krisflyer #1
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Singapore Krisflyer #2 
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Korean SkyPass #1
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Korean Skypass #2
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Korean Skypass #3
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: British Airways Avios 
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Flying Blue
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club #1
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club #2
Maximizing Ultimate Rewards: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Maximizing Ultimate

Fuel Surcharges No Longer Restricted in Brazil

Update 3/16/17: Looks like TAP made a mistake and is now in the process of retracting their fuel surcharges. I believe the ban on fuel surcharges in Brazil is actually still in place, check out this post written by a lawyer, blogger, and travel consultant for more info (it's in Portuguese so just use a translator).  

The Brazilian government has decided to once again allow fuel surcharges on flights originating in Brazil.