Update: This offer ends 12/31.
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Related posts:
-Chase British Airways Visa
-Want to learn more about the BA Avios program. I’ve written up an entire knowledgebase of facts that you can peruse. Read it and you’ll probably find an answer to your question!
-Click here to view Direct Flights From Chicago That Can Be Booked With British Airways Avios
-Click here to view Direct Flights From Los Angeles That Can Be Booked With British Airways Avios
-Click here to view Direct Flights From Miami That Can Be Booked With British Airways Avios
-Click here to view Direct Flights From NYC That Can Be Booked With British Airways Avios
-Flying Round-Trip To Israel On Air Berlin For 50K American Express Membership Rewards Plus $81 Tax: A Tutorial
-More BA.com Improvements: Choose Your Seat On Partner Flights
-Flying With An Infant With Miles In Business Or First Class? Start Collecting Air Canada Miles Or British Airways Avios
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-Through 12/31/13 you will get 1,200 Avios for every 1,000 Membership Rewards (MR) Points transferred to BA.
This isn’t as good as part transfer bonuses that we’ve seen in the past. If you anticipate the need for Avios in the near-term then go ahead and transfer but there should be a better offer available in the first half of 2014.
Previous MR->Avios bonus offers:
11/27/11=30%
03/15/12=50%
08/28/12=40%
12/03/12=30%
04/22/13=35%
10/15/13=20%
-There are no fuel surcharges for travel on American Airlines within the Western Hemisphere, There are also no fuel surcharges for flying on Aer Lingus, Air Berlin, Alaska, or LAN worldwide.
-There are no expedite or close-in fees for last minute award ticket bookings with BA Avios.
-You can book one-way tickets for half of the miles listed below!
-Earning or redeeming any amount of Avios extends your entire account validity for another 36 months.
-You can cancel tickets and redeposit miles for the lessor of $40 or the taxes you paid. That means you pay just $2.50 for cancel a one-way domestic itinerary (and it’s why I always book cheap domestic flights as one-ways)
-British Airways only charges 10% extra miles for a lap child flying internationally, even when traveling on AA. AA and other domestic carriers charge a whopping 10% of the full fare, which can add up to be a small fortune.
-You can transfer points from an American Express Membership Rewards account to anyone’s British Airways account, names don’t have to match.
-Points transfer instantly from MR to BA and there are no fees or taxes for transferring points to British Airways.
-British Airways charges double miles for business class and triple miles for first class. Beware that on AA’s domestic 2 class planes they charge first class rates for what is really just a poor excuse for business class.
-You can search AA and Alaska award availability on AA.com and looking for sAAver awards. BA can’t book AAnytime awards, but you should be able to find all AA sAAver awards on BA.com. BA.com does not display all available awards on all airlines, airlines like Alaska, Aer Lingus, and LAN have to be booked over the phone. Additionally you will have to call BA to make a booking if you see a sAAver award on AA.com that’s not showing on BA.com.
Sample uses:
-8,000 MR points will transfer into 9,600 Avios, more than enough for a 9K round-trip short-haul ticket between New York and places like Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Montreal, or Toronto or between Miami and the Bahamas, on OneWorld partner American.
-13,000 MR points becomes 15,600 Avios, more than enough for a 15K round-trip flight between New York and Chicago or Florida or from LA to Cabo.
-17,000 MR points becomes 20,400 Avios, more than enough for a 20K round-trip flight between Chicago and LA.
-21,000 MR points becomes 25,200 Avios, more than enough for a 25K round-trip flight between the west coast and any of the Hawaiian islands, New York and the west coast, or New York and Costa Rica. It’s even enough for a round-trip flight between Boston and Dublin or Shannon, Ireland with no fuel surcharges on Aer Lingus! You’ll have to call to book trips on airlines like Aer Lingus or Alaska.
-34,000 MR points becomes 40,800 Avios, more than enough for a 40K round-trip flight between Dallas and Hawaii or New York and London (though you’ll be hit with fuel surcharges for crossing the Atlantic on most airlines). It’s also enough for a round-trip flight between NYC or Chicago and Dublin or Shannon, Ireland with no fuel surcharges on Aer Lingus.
-42,000 MR points becomes 50,400 Avios, more than enough for a 50K round-trip flight between New York and Brazil or Argentina with no fuel surcharges. It’s also more than enough for a round-trip in a lie-flat business class seat between JFK and Vancouver on Cathay Pacific.
-50,000 MR points becomes 60,000 Avios, enough for a 60K round-trip flight between New York and Tel Aviv on Air Berlin with no fuel surcharges.
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Need some Membership Rewards points?
-The American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card comes with 25,000 points for spending $2,000 and the first year is free. That will net you some 30,000 Avios.
–The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 25K points and you can get $400 of airline fee refunds (or airline gift cards in $100 increments) in one cardmember year. You get a free year of Amazon Prime upon signup. It also comes with a $100 global entry expedited customs (5 year membership) refund, Airspace and Delta lounge access for you and your entire family for at least 4 years, priority pass worldwide unlimited lounge membership, Starwood gold elite status with a point rebate even on award stays, car rental perks at Avis, Hertz, and National, lost item (up to $10,000/item) refund protection, checked baggage protection, 3 additional Platinum users (with 4 years of free platinum card lounge access, priority pass membership, and global entry refund) for just $58 each on the consumer card, no foreign exchange fees, and many more free benefits. There is a $450 annual fee. As with all annual fees they are refundable if cancelled within 60 days, they are pro-rated if cancelled after 60 days and have another American Express card (i.e. if you have the card for 3 months and then cancel you would get a $337.50 refund), and they are pro-rated if you downgrade the card even if you have no other American Express card.
The Platinum card also now gives free entry to top-of-the-line Centurion lounges worldwide including in Dallas and Las Vegas with other US airports like LaGuardia and San Francisco among other others opening soon. There are also lounges in Argentina, Brazil, India, and Mexico. You can even get a free spa treatment in the DFW lounge!
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47 Comments On "Get A 20% Bonus When You Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points Into British Airways Avios"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Dan do you anticipate any other bonuses such as delta or flying blue?
Looks like the trend for bonuses is downward.
Bohhhhhhhh
DAN,
I am looking on AA.COM for tix from NYC to LAS. There is nothing for the dates i want. Do you recommend I wait for something to show up?
Also, how can i see what connecting flights they offer?
Thanks
Dan There is a offer transfer to Virgin-Atlantic 30% extra until Nov 30 2013.
Went to CVS in Lakewood, tried using a Chase Ink business card to buy vanilla reloads, but they now say that Federal Regulations forbid using a business card for vanilla reloads. Any idea if that is for real?
@brisker dude:
You can wait.
AA.com shows most connecting flights.
@Sol:
Indeed.
@Eliezer:
Lol, that was definitely made up on the spot.
@Dan: so any suggestions?
how long does it take for the points to be transferred?
Dan stringing a one way from tel aviv to ny on 2 separate legs(tel-viv-teg teg-ny) on air berlin via avios came out to about $100 in taxes does that make sense for one -way?
@Eliezer:
Go to another store/cashier.
@lev:
Instant.
@Davidd:
Call to have them book it together.
I want to kill all my Amex cards to start the new 12 month cycle. Anywhere I can keep my MR points with Amex that won’t stop me from doing that? Thanks
I also want to know if there is any way I can close an amex card and hold the points until opening another. currently have spg and gold. want to close the gold. can MR points be transferred to a family member?
How Do I transfer Amex miles to Avios?
@ann onimus:
If you add someone as an AU you may be able to transfer points to that person’s primary MR account when you close yours.
Otherwise just find an airline to transfer to.
@Sol:
Click on the promo link in the post.
Dan the tutorial on finding air berlin flights with one stop to and from israel using avios does not seem to be vaild anymore. You recommended finding anytime saver award segment flights on AA(for example tel aviv to tegel and tegel to ny) and then putting in the dates on BA website. The problem is BA does not offer all anytime saver award air berlin flights on AA.com. In addition I called BA and they said they don’t have to honor anytime saver award flights appearing on AA.com. When I looked for one way flights from Tel aviv to NY and there were no one stop flights in all of Oct Nov and Dec. The only flights that you can string together now on BA website have 2 stops(ie tel aviv to Munich Munich to Teg and Teg to ny)
I mean economy Milessaver on the last e-mail not Anytime
Still works fine. Which nonstop sAAver flight on AA.com on which date can you not find on BA.com?
for example AA shows one way nonstop sAAver flight from Tegel to JFK 10/30/13 departing Tegel 1:00 pm AB 7248. BA.com does not have this flight
when you say still works fine. Have you tried booking one way flight on BA.com from tel aviv to NY with only one stop. There is non available from oct to Dec. Only flights with 2 stops. Maybe BA is making it harder for us to book these AB flights?
@Davidd:
Interesting.
Try playing HUCA with BA call center until they find it?
@Dan: but why are we assuming they have to “match” flights on AA.com?? A couple of BA reps have already told me that just because it appears on AA does not mean they have to offer same route as an award flight
@Dan: What is the best method for using Amex points for a trip from NY/NJ to London?
Could I transfer amex points to my spouse’s amex points account ?
Thx. 4 the info & ur advice all year around, have 55 MR,I wanted to wait for a better offer transferring to avios but I have to close (downgrade) my premier rewards card cuz Finishing the year now, is there any advice on how I can keep the MR alive if I’m canceling the card? & to which card should I downgrd it to? (I Have consumer spg) THANKS so much!
Hey Dan I’m applying for my first amex and I’m not sure if I should go for starpoints or MR points. I mostly use my points for flights within the US and not usually for hotels. I was looking for a post that breaks down the pros and cons of both but couldn’t find one. What’s your suggestion? Thanks as always
If you cancel a reservation made with Avios, be aware that the reservation must be cancelled 24 hours before flight time or you lose the Avios (yes, you get the security fee back instead). This happened to me. Now I know better.
Dan- In your opinion when in the forseeable future do you think we will see a larger than 20% bonus for this mr-ba transfer?
@Dan, I just got the starwoods amex in august. Do you think its to soon to apply for the platinum?
@Joe:
YMMV, helps if they are an AU and if you are closing your account.
@dan’s the man:
Just transfer the points out and start again.
@berele:
Go for both?
http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=8028.0
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23410
@BG:
That’s what I wrote the knowledgebase for!
@bruce:
Probably at some point in 2014 but I couldn’t tell you when.
@YYZ:
No need to wait.
@Dan: Thank you
Dan i got the platnum amex card & want 2 cancel by jan 10 b cuz i dont want 2 get the $450 fee. I only paid $50 in lugage this year leaving me with another $150. Cud i order gift cards from aa? Should i order 2 a$100 & a$50? & how long will it take for amex 2 credit my acount?
how do i book jfk to tlv with 60k ba avios with no fuel surcharges
@Dan: Oh no, I just realized I should have applied a couple weeks ago. Do you know if I apply today, can I request my card # right away this way I can get the $200. per year airline fee refunded for 2013?
@Dan: Oh no, I just realized I should have applied a couple weeks ago. Do you know if I apply today, can I request my card # right away this way I can get the $200. per year airline fee refunded for 2013?
Any idea when next transfer bonus might be and at what %?
@Dan: Can I apply tonight and still get the $200. statement credit for 2013?
Can I transfer Chase Freedom Points into British Airways Avios?
HI Dan i tried booking a flight from DTW(detroit) to LGA(New York) on BA with Avios & then with Cash. Both times the BA website said that they do not fly to this destination does BA still allow travel on partner airlines?
“You can search AA and Alaska award availability on AA.com and looking for sAAver awards. BA can’t book AAnytime awards, but you should be able to find all AA sAAver awards on BA.com. BA.com does not display all available awards on all airlines, airlines like Alaska, Aer Lingus, and LAN have to be booked over the phone. Additionally you will have to call BA to make a booking if you see a sAAver award on AA.com that’s not showing on BA.com.”
Dan this needs to be revised? As I mentioned before BA does not have to honor all saaver awards that appear on AA.com and they dont from my own experience
i hope you will let us know when a 30/40/50% do show up
Does anyone know how to cancel an Avios award flight without paying the $40 fee per ticket? Dan says it can be done (by just losing the taxes paid) but i cant figure it out. Thanks.
@Eli:
I just cancelled two Avios award tickets with AlaskaAir and lost of course the phone booking fee, plus a $5.00 cancellation fee.
Refunded were the taxes of $2.50 x 2 = $5.00
@eli
I canceled a ba award ticket and it cost me $5 per ticket. just go to your account online and where it shows your upcoming trips, you can click to cancel. The points will immediately be redeposited to your ba account.
BTW Dan I was also wondering about the AA SAAver fares. I wanted to book a ticket from miami to nyc and the flight I wanted was available on SAAver aa.com website but not on the ba website. The aa rep said that ba must have used their allotment. I believed her. Are you saying that if I had called ba, I could have booked for 7500 miles? I am really curious, if anyone can answer
When did you cancel the ticket. Was it within the past couple of weeks?
dan hown do i transfer amex points to british avios? i dont know the first thing about doing that.
will there be another Bonus When You Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points Into British Airways Avios, any time soon?
how many points for upgrade on elal. Chase sapphire or amex