British Airways (BA) has announced it will be offering a programme of flights next summer, tickets for which can only be purchased using Avios points. Passengers can obtain Avios points by flying with any airline which uses the system, or by using one of the scheme’s partner brands. The services will used BA’s pre-existing London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) route, as well as a new route between LHR and Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER), in Crete.
What is BA Offering Fliers?
The latest set of Avios-only flights to be announced will take-off from LHR Aug. 14, 2027, with return flights scheduled for Aug. 21, 2027.
The services will allow tourists to travel to the islands of Mallorca and Crete at the height of the summer holiday season.
BA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Colm Lacy, said that,
“We’re delighted to offer our customers even more opportunities to make the most of their Avios with the launch of our latest Avios-only flights.”
A return trip between LHR and PMI will cost fliers a minimum of 28,000 Avios and £5 each, with the return trip to HER costing 33,500 Avios and £5 per person.
These offers will only be available to members of ‘The British Airways Club’, the airline’s free-to-join rewards scheme.
What is Avios?
Avios was introduced as BA’s rewards currency in 2011.
Since 2023, the airline has offered a series of Avios-only flights, in order to further encourage travellers to accumulate points by flying with BA, and the other airlines who use the same system.
This includes other member of the Oneworld airline alliance such as Spanish flag carrier Iberia, and Qatari state airline Qatar Airways.
Avios is also used by the Scottish regional airline Loganair Limited.
As well as purchasing tickets, fliers can accumulate points for voluntarily contributing towards the cost of their flights’ Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Additionally, users of some of BA’s partner brands, such as Nectar and AMEX, can convert points from these brand loyalty schemes into Avios.
How Affordable are These Flights?
There is no formal mechanism for converting Avios points into currency, with the airlines which use the scheme preferring fliers to spend the points on additional flights or other perks.
Regular users have estimated however that each Avios point is worth roughly £0.01.
This would mean that the cheapest tickets on BA’s flight from LHR to PMI cost £285 for a round trip.
This would make the Avios-only flights slightly more affordable than the cheapest round trip between the two airports currently listed on BA’s website.
Return trips between LHR and PMI, on the same dates as the Avios-only flights, currently range in prices between £385 and £581.
The CEO of IAG Loyalty, a subsidiary of BA’s parent company IAG, has said that,
“With return flights available from as little as £5 plus Avios, we’re helping customers make their holiday plans more accessible.”
BA does not currently offer services to HER, making a comparison in price between regular and Avios-only services impossible.
Have you been saving up Avios points? Would you be interested in flying to PMI or HER? Let us know in the comments.
