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Loyalty Lobby reports a sale on Avios through a French website that might be a good deal depending on your use of the points (and how easily you could otherwise manufacture points). Packages are available that work out to 1.46 cents each or less, which isn’t a rate at which I’d buy Avios just to hold them, but they could be more valuable than the purchase price in the right scenario.
The Deal
- Buy Avios at the following rates:
2,000 Avios for 54 Euros (approximately $63.55) 3.1cppNo longer available- 8,000 Avios for 99 Euros (approximately $116.42) 1.46cpp
- 20,000 Avios for 229 Euros (approximately $269.32) 1.35cpp
- 35,000 Avios for 399 Euros (approximately $469.56) 1.34cpp
- Direct link to sale
Key Details
- You must register for the French language version of the site (won’t work in English, but you can use your web browser to translate)
- Can purchase up to 100,000 Avios
- Sale goes until 10/19/17 or until sold out (I assume this to be French time)
Quick Thoughts
According to our Reasonable Redemption Values, British Airways Avios are only worth about 1.17 cents each. Based on that value and these rates, we wouldn’t suggest buying them speculatively.
That said, British Airways Avios certainly can be more valuable depending on how you use them. Their best value tends to be for last-minute short-haul flights between smaller markets. For example, if I wanted to fly from Albany, NY to Charlotte, NC this weekend, the cheapest option is $315 (or the nonstop flights are $477).
Towards the last minute like this, American tends to have decent award availability. Of course, they’ll charge 12,500 miles and $80.60 one-way (with the $75 close-in ticketing fee):
But I could book those same two flights via British Airways for just 7500 Avios and $5.60.
In that case, the $116 package above would save me a substantial amount of cash.
About two weeks ago, I was planning to drive to Chicago for an event. At the last minute, something came up and I needed to fly. I needed to bring a lot more stuff with me than usual, so I was going to need to check a couple of heavy bags. In that case, I used 15,000 British Airways Avios to fly business class — where I had a baggage allowance of 2 bags up to 70lbs each (and a more comfortable seat).
I like to keep some Avios on hand for situations where I have to make a trip like that at the last minute — though I prefer to earn my Avios through shopping portal bonuses or via Chase Ultimate Rewards, where I have enough of a balance that I won’t be buying any Avios in this sale. Still, if your balance is low and you know you’ll have a use for Avios soon, it might be worth topping up in this sale. If you do so, remember to use a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
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Has anyone else tried to use this site?
It doesn’t let me pick an address outside of France. It won’t work for the billing address.
Have you tried registering with an address in France (perhaps a hotel?) and then trying to change the billing address when you check out?
That’s the problem I’m getting, during checkout. The country is preset to France. I guess I can try to put a US address and hope it overlooks the France part. Also it won’t let me put in my US phone number.