Obviously, the nicest way to earn Avios is “for free” through your daily spending on things you need, but not everyone earns fast enough to get where they want to go. Or put another way, not as fast as they’d like. There are times when buying Avios can make sense, helping to top off for an upgrade or luxury long haul flight, so with just 3 full days left in the UK sales, let’s break down your best options…
Option 1: 15,000-18,000 Avios For £179/£215 With Economist Subscription
The Economist is a world respected outlet for high brow economic, political and cultural reading, and you can earn Avios for getting smarter. The Economist offers 18,000 Avios for £215 through Jan 31 or 15,000 for £179, for a variety of reading packages. Both bring a price of 1.19 Great British Pence per point, which is well below average, and actually lower than BA is charging, with the benefit of a nice subscription to read.
The price in British Airways own points sale is higher (1.3p), for reference, but in that BA sale you have more flexibility in how many you’d like to buy, and would get them in your account faster. These may take a few weeks to credit to your account, and are not available if you currently hold an Economist subscription.
Of course, you could get one for a friend or partner who you share an Executive Club household account with, if you happen to already subscribe to this fine reading.
You can check out The Economist offers here.
Option 2: Up to 160,000 Points With BA Avios Bonus
British Airways is running a bonus on Avios Points through January 30th, with points on sale for as low as 1.23 Great British Pence per Avios Point, with most denominations around 1.3p per point. Unlike the Economist offer above, which offers a strict 15,000 or 18,000 per person, you can buy many more or much fewer with the BA offer, and will also receive your points much sooner.
Prices are all fairly closely knit, but some decent options stand out, like 32,500 Avios for £415, or 130,000 for £1615 all in.
Basically, if you only need around 15,000-20,000 Avios and not in a super hurry, The Economist offer saves a few pence and also gives you a subscription to a great read. If however you need more, or fewer points and want them effectively “now”, this is the better play.
You can buy Avios from British Airways here.
Worth Buying British Airways Avios Right Now?
Buying points is entirely personal and based on how effectively you’ll use them. That’s in part due to the extreme taxes and surcharges British Airways charges for many redemptions. Lucky for you, a brilliant guide to spending them for max value exists.
It can be worth buying Avios if you see instantly bookable availability for an upgrade to a business or first class cabin, or if you need to top off just a few points to book a long haul flight in a luxury cabin, particularly if you have a 2 for 1 companion voucher.
Whatever you do, don’t purchase Avios if you plan to hold onto them for a long time, it only makes sense to buy for a near term use.
