Bits: exclusive Avios hotel redemption deals, 50% bonus miles on Virgin West Coast, BA to Tehran

News in brief:

Exclusive Avios hotel redemption deals

I have agreed with Avios that they will tip me off about their most aggressive hotel redemption deals.  You can book these hotels via avios.com using your points, but you can also pay in cash if necessary.

These are exclusive Avios deals and are priced at 40% – 70% less than you would pay on Expedia for the same hotel.  I was sent the comparison data but I won’t bore you with it.

If you are heading to any of the following places, it is worth pricing up these hotels on avios.com this weekend:

Hotel Mundial, Lisbon (4-star)

Nira Caledonia, Edinburgh (5-star)

Casa Nicolo Priuli, Venice (3-star)

1 Hotel South Beach, Miami (5-star)

The Crane, Barbados (5-star)

Get 50% bonus Flying Club miles with Virgin West Coast

Until 3rd March, Virgin West Coast is giving a 50% bonus on Flying Club miles.  You will earn 3 miles per £1, instead of the usual 2.

This applies only to Advance tickets, but both East Coast and West Coast are included. You only need to book by this date, not travel.  The West Coast home page is here.

British Airways relaunches Tehran flights

Finally, British Airways will resume flights to Tehran on 14th July.

It will begin as a six day a week service, increasing to a seven day service from the start of the Winter timetable.  It will use a four-class Boeing 777.

The problem with Iran, of course, is that you are no longer allowed to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme if you have visited the country.  This is likely to prove a stumbling block for many potential travellers.  I am assuming that BA cabin crew travel on business visas which, I think, exempt you from the US block.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.