Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Forums Frequent flyer programs British Airways Club How many Avios did you earn last year?

  • 4 posts

    In the new world, Gold card holders will receive 180k Avios minimum, plus the threshold bonuses, just from flying.

    735 posts

    @travelmonkey, I applaud the use of grep and sed, but, once you’re into XLOOKUP and pivot tables in Excel, it’s probably time to start learning R instead. Excel has many uses, but data munging (cleaning, summarising, cross-tabbing) is one of the things it’s worst at.

    739 posts

    I’m just amazed at how low all these numbers are. Everyone just needs to think a little harder.

    OK @Swiss-Jim , I’ll bite – give us a hint ?! 🤷‍♂️

    137 posts

    @travelmonkey, I applaud the use of grep and sed, but, once you’re into XLOOKUP and pivot tables in Excel, it’s probably time to start learning R instead. Excel has many uses, but data munging (cleaning, summarising, cross-tabbing) is one of the things it’s worst at.

    R? I vaguely remember playing with R for a Maths module at uni, before I dropped dual honours and went 100% Computer Science.

    I do occasionally end up doing low level data work like this (both personally and professionally) so maybe it might be worth revisiting the language… Although I’ve got reasonably good at twisting spreadsheets to do things they don’t really want to do!

    1,459 posts

    I got 400k from my HSBC Hong Kong credit cards with a spend of approx £20k.

    386 posts

    I’m just amazed at how low all these numbers are. Everyone just needs to think a little harder.

    OK @Swiss-Jim , I’ll bite – give us a hint ?! 🤷‍♂️

    Now, I may be crazy, but I’m not that crazy. As has been said many times on this site, find something that works – and if you want it to keep working don’t tell anyone else…

    401 posts

    Yet another “somebody else on the internet is different to me thread”. Some people just put a lot of money through credit cards because they spend a lot of money.

    I was sitting here wondering where all my points come from (no spreadsheets here) and have realised that putting a fair amount of money through our 3 CC’s cards must be how I do it.

    I do boost and in 18 months we have had 4 Subs, but Subs aren’t a brilliant way to earn long term IMHO, as once you have been awarded them there is the usual hiatus of 2 years per card; also I’m not keen on frequently cancelling cards, incase I come across an algorithm that doesn’t like me when I reapply, so prefer to keep them active. I’m probably the only person who kept the Gold Amex after the ‘free’ first year, which is probably considered an HfP blunder.

    6,607 posts

    @Misty – don’t worry, it’s not a mistake to hang on to the Amex PRG after the free year as it’s by far the highest earning rewards card out there (although this does depend on your spending patterns) and in my experience gets more and better offers than any other Amex card type. If you can use the Deliveroo credit, that covers a chunk of the fee.

    739 posts

    Well I had to ask @Swiss-Jim … shy kids get nowt ! 😉

    Looking back over my last 2 years (another spread sheet nerd here) I have about 1million Avios at an average acquisition cost of 0.6p each, so not too shabby. Mostly a combination of the techniques mentioned already, such as SUBs, Barclays Premier, Avios store, Nectar conversion, boosting etc.

    An honourably mention also goes to compensation awards from the complaints team, on the inevitable times that BA service fails!

    1,805 posts

    If you can use the Deliveroo credit, that covers a chunk of the fee.

    So what are you getting these days JDB?
    Kebabs? fried chicken?

    6,607 posts

    If you can use the Deliveroo credit, that covers a chunk of the fee.

    So what are you getting these days JDB?
    Kebabs? fried chicken?

    Nice one! I guess it would have to be that or HfP prized Greggs/Ginsters as the PRG credits would barely cover the blinis, let alone the caviar. As it happens, I don’t think Deliveroo would deliver to us living way off road, but my son gets an apparently rather good Lebanese lunch mezze selection for £5.50.

    401 posts

    @Misty – don’t worry, it’s not a mistake to hang on to the Amex PRG after the free year as it’s by far the highest earning rewards card out there (although this does depend on your spending patterns) and in my experience gets more and better offers than any other Amex card type. If you can use the Deliveroo credit, that covers a chunk of the fee.


    @JDB
    The Gold card is the only one (very few) vendors have commented on i.e. will that give you a free flight then etc.? We are now also a little out in the sticks so Deliveroo isn’t applicable, as far as I am aware, although in fairness I haven’t tried it.

    42 posts

    If my memory serves me correct, the method Swiss Jim uses is something to do with Nectar.

    I recall something similar being said a while back. Mind you, it could have been another user.

    1,805 posts

    If my memory serves me correct, the method Swiss Jim uses is something to do with Nectar.

    Oh, so now we know who’s been nicking everybody’s nectar points from their accounts!
    What an unexpected plot twist.

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