In a move that raises an eyebrow, British Airways has launched its first Avios-Only flights, on which 100% of the seats are exclusively available to Executive Club Members as Reward Seats.
Why Geneva? On this winter Saturday, there are three British Airways aircraft parked up at 3 pm in the afternoon – Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
The first Avios-Only flight will be the inaugural flight from London Gatwick to Sharm El Sheikh on 3 November 2023, followed by a selection of flights from London Heathrow to Geneva in February and March 2024.
More routes will be announced throughout 2023.
Return flights to Sharm El Sheikh will start from £1 + 27,500 Avios per person, with an option to reduce this even further with a Companion Voucher. Club Europe (business class) fares start from £1 + 48,500 Avios.
The next Avios-Only flights will be the BA728 from London Heathrow to Geneva on the dates below.
- 10 February 2024
- 17 February 2024
- 24 February 2024
- 02 March 2024
Flights will be from £1 + 18,500 Avios per person, with options from £1 + 30,000 Avios in Club Europe. The respective BA729 return flights will operate as Avios-Only flights a week later.
The pricing breakdown for these flights off-peak are:
| LONDON GATWICK TO SHARM EL SHEIKH (OFF-PEAK)
Euro Traveller (economy) return:
Club Europe (business class) return:
|
LONDON HEATHROW TO GENEVA (OFF-PEAK)
Euro Traveller (economy) return:
Club Europe (business class) return:
|
Reward Seats are those that can be purchased using Avios at static rates. British Airways guarantees a minimum of 12 and 14 Reward Seats on short and long-haul flights.
These will be the first flight with every seat available to purchase using Avios.
Members booking the Avios-Only flight can do so in any cabin as they usually would through ba.com, with a selection of return options available as Reward Seats.
In Quotes
Ian Romanis said:
“We are always looking for new ways to reward our loyal customers and offer value wherever we can, which is why we are excited about this brand-new option for Members. Sharm El Sheikh and Geneva will be the first of several flights as we roll more out in 2024.”
Tom Stoddart, BA Euroflyer’s CEO, said:
“We are proud to be operating British Airways’ first Avios-Only flight. BA Euroflyer is the only short-haul carrier based at Gatwick to offer a loyalty programme, and now we’re offering more value and choice than ever for our Members.”
That’s an interesting move
British Airways seems to have looked at Qantas’s similar move and thought “Hmm. That’s a good idea”, with a straight copy and paste of it, along with the appropriate charges.
However, whilst it’s creating the buzz (well, your esteemed writer is editing the copy, looking at it and going “eh?”), it does raise the question – are there too many unredeemed Avios in the system?
This is a great way of “unloading” Avios for the airline, with minimal cost to the airline, other than operating five flights where there is no “hard” revenue – and removing the liability of those Avios in the meantime – and I suspect IAG Loyalty would love to see some of the Avios that have been accumulated over the past few years be “used” and off the books.
We’ll have to see if this programme expands – I’d love to see a long-haul route offered, or some special experience being offered with these Avios-Only flights that would make Avios-Only flights a true “loyalty” experience.
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