I just thought I’d write this short article as I’ve found what I think is the best Avios redemption rate out there for British Airways. At an incredible 3.5p per Avios, the value is exceptional, but sadly it’s only possible on one very specific route. That is from London City Airport to Billund, Denmark operated by the unique British Airways franchise: Sun Air of Scandinavia. I’ll also give a few tips and examples of how to get the best British Airways Avios Value.
British Airways Executive Overview
I wrote a full guide to the British Airways Executive Club here if you want a more in depth explanation. Simply put you can earn Avios points by flying any Oneworld Alliance airline, British Airways’ codeshare airline or spending with a number of different credit cards, like the American Express British Airways Card.
Once you have enough Avios you can redeem them on flights through the British Airways website. And best of all those flights don’t all have to be operated by British Airways. You can redeem on airlines such as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair & more.
How to get the Best Redemption Rate
Generally speaking, the best way to get maximum value out of your Avios (or any air miles) is to redeem them on a long haul Business Class flight. Again, I mentioned in this article that you can easily get more than 1p per Avios in value on many Business Class flights. But here I’m going to look at a very special case which blows those redemption rates out of the water.
Sun Air of Scandinavia are a franchise of British Airways based in Billund, Denmark. They exclusively operate a small fleet of Dornier 328s. Although they only operate economy class on short flights they offer quite a premium service with a full meal on every flight. They’re also extremely expensive usually costing over £300 for a one way flight from London City Airport to Billund.
You can book Sun Air flights through the British Airways site using Avios. And because they only operate short haul flights within Europe, British Airways apply the lowest Avios cost of 9,250 Avios for a one way flight. Given the average cost of £300 for a one way flight you are likely to get at least 3p per Avios in value (£300 / 9,250 Avios). Obviously it’s not really a practical option given their tiny route network. But as far as I can tell, this is basically the highest yield you can get when redeeming Avios points. I recently booked this flight when it was priced at £326 one way and paid just £0.50 plus 9,250 Avios giving me a redemption value of 3.5p per Avios.
Also, flying with Sun Air just seems like a fun and unnusual experience… They’re pretty much the only airline in Europe to operate this small 32 seat aircraft. So that makes it a unique experience by itself, especially considering only 110 Dornier 328s were ever built.
Other Good Value Options
Probably the best way to redeem Avios is on a long haul flight, preferably in Business Class but Premium Economy and Economy are worth it too. Whilst it’ll cost more points to redeem, being able to upgrade to business class on a 10+ hour flight can be a lifesaver. I won’t go into specifics here as there’s just too many options to cover them all. But my recommendations for the best experience you can book with Avios would include Cathay Pacific Business Class to Hong Kong; Qatar Airways in any class; Japan Airlines in Economy (or higher) to Tokyo. There are loads of options and you can choose from British Airways or any of their excellent partner airlines.
If you don’t have any long haul holidays planned, my favourite option would be a trip from London to Helsinki. You can book a Finnair Business Class Avios reward flight from London Heathrow to Helsinki on the British Airways website. What’s more they operate the Airbus A350-900 on this route which is in a long haul configuration. That means you can sit in Premium Economy seats if you’re flying Economy. And best of all, with a Business Class ticket you can try their renowned new lay flat seat. For a 3 hour flight in Europe that’s a level of luxury it’s hard to find anywhere else. I know I’d much rather do that than fly Ryanair. And best of all, a one way Business Class flight from Helsinki to London only costs 16,500 Avios plus about £25 in taxes. Now to pay in cash that flight would cost anywhere from £350 to £750 depending on the time of day you fly. So at the very least you’re redeeming 2p per Avios in value, or even as much as 4p per Avios.
A lot of short haul Business class flights within Europe are in a similar sweet spot. The issue with those flights though is you don’t really get a Business-level experience. After all, BA’s short haul A320 has exactly the same seats in Economy as in Business. This route with Finnair is unique though as they do actually offer a full Business experience.
Final Thoughts
I found the absolute best British Airways Avios Value is through booking any flight with Sun Air of Scandinavia. This tiny airline has great service and unique aircraft, though is very expensive due to their small scale. But, BA charges the same amount of Avios for most Economy flights within Europe which means you get comparatively great value when redeeming with Sun Air. For example both a £50 flight from London to Frankfurt and a £300 flight from London to Billund will cost the same 9,250 Avios.
Of course, most people don’t have any reason to fly to such small places as Billund and Gothenburg, so I’ve included a few more practical options to redeem Avios. My favourite is with Finnair in their Airbus A350 Business Class from London to Helsinki. The Finnair option is unique as most short haul flights in Europe don’t offer a full lay flat Business Class product. Also I would recommend any long haul flight with an airline that isn’t British Airways which can be booked through the British Airways website. My favourite would be Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines.
More from me…
Please feel free to check out other related posts I’ve written:
- Ultimate Guide to British Airways Executive Club
- Is the Avios Subscription Worth It? – It could be if you use it right
- The No1 Lounge at London Gatwick’s South Terminal – surprisingly good
And if you fancy earning some fantastic rewards and Avios points through American Express, please use my referral links below:
- The Platinum Card – You Receive 35,000 Membership Reward points after spending £6,000 in the first 6 months: https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/fREDEGgRA5?CPID=100493012
- British Airways Card: You Receive 8,000 Avios after spending £1,000 in the first 3 months: https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/fREDEG42lN?CPID=100503089