British Airways raises price of Avios reward tickets
British Airways is increasing award ticket prices for customers using Avios, giving five days notice of the increases.
The cash element of tickets booked through the loyalty program will increase by up to 33 per cent from Wednesday 27 May.
For example, a ticket from London Heathrow to New York JFK at Club World that once required 176,000 Avios will now require £499; That’s an increase of roughly £100, or around 25 per cent.
The amount of Avios required for bookings will remain unchanged for now, the airline said in an email. “Thank you for your continued support and understanding,” he said.
Customers have until Wednesday to make reservations at current prices.
write about it Focus on Points Frequent flyer website Rob Burgess said: “This is the second devaluation in just five months. Previous changes had led to a 10 per cent increase in the Avios element and a 3-23 per cent increase in the cash element.”
“This change affects the cash element only and represents an additional 10-33 percent increase.”
“These changes are likely to be linked to the rise in fuel costs due to the Middle East crisis, but British Airways has a better hedge than most carriers. However, fuel costs are likely to remain high over the life of the hedge, although there is little sign of the oil situation improving.”
Simon Calder, travel correspondent IndependentHe said: “When British Airways first introduced ‘Air Miles’, flights were truly free; no one was expected to hand over cash.
“Seeing the cash element go up to £500 may be a deterrent for some. However, many travelers remain transactionally loyal to BA, especially those who accumulate Avios from their company’s spend.”
In April, IAG, which owns British Airways, Aer Lingus and Spain’s Iberia, said it was increasing the price of ordinary cash tickets due to the impact of the conflict.
“We are not seeing disruptions in jet fuel supply, but fuel prices have increased sharply and despite our hedging strategy providing some short-term mitigation, we are not immune from this impact,” the statement said. “Like other carriers, IAG airlines are making some pricing adjustments to reflect these higher fuel costs.”
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