A Collection of Helpful Travel Tips I've Never Shared
British Airways Avios, business credit cards and the Man in Seat 61
Hey, Travel Friends!
Today I’m sending you a brand new collection of some of my favorite tips for making your travel dreams come true.
Are you hoping to gather more frequent flyer miles?
Are you dreaming of a holiday that involves train travel, but you don’t know where to start?
Look no further. Help is here.
Cheers to weekend travel dreaming!
British Airways Avios
It may sound challenging to commit because British Airways isn’t a US-based airline, but don’t let that scare you. They basically work the same as other frequent flyer programs in which you’re familiar, with just one big difference…Avios. Once you understand Avios, this card can be another great tool in your travel tool belt, and it should be smooth sailing towards your next short-haul, almost-free getaway.
Tip: short-haul flights are where the best BA Avios deals are found.
Here’s what you need to understand. Many frequent flyer programs work on an award chart system. BA is unique in that it actually operates on a mileage system as you can see here.
So where airlines like United and American have a general award system for travel to each continent, no matter the distance, British Airways measures your trip in actual miles and charges Avios accordingly.
And because British Airways is in the OneWorld Alliance, you can use your Avios to purchase flights on any of their 13 member airlines. This includes American Airlines, whether you’re flying domestically OR internationally.
Of course, if you are in Europe you can fly straight up British Airways and use your Avios for those flights as well.
Here’s an example of how it works to use Avios in the US…
Let’s say you have a bank account of 75,000 Avios from BA. You live in Denver and want to spend a long weekend in Chicago.
Begin by going to Great Circle Mapper and search DEN-CHI. You’ll see that trip is 902 miles one-way. From the chart above, that is 9,000 Avios for a one-way economy ticket or 18,000 Avios round trip.
Now, find your way to Britishairways.com and log in with your ID and password. You’ll have a frequent flyer account if you have a BA credit card.
Click “Book a flight with Avios.”
Fill out your desired location and dates.
Choose your flight, and book with your Avios.
It’s that simple.
For short-haul flights in the US or Europe, British Airways Avios come in very, very handy. Take time to play around with is more and you’ll see just what I mean.
Business Mileage Credit Cards Might Be For You, Too
This month the AAdvatage Aviator World Elite Business Mastercard has a great deal. Earn 80,000 bonus miles and a $95 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
But I’m not a business owner! I didn’t think I would qualify either…but I did!
Do you babysit? Walk dogs? Sell on Facebook Marketplace? Receive a 1099? Do contract work? Freelance? Speak and get paid for it?
If so, I bet you’ll qualify, too.
Tip: For anyone looking to add more bonus award miles to their current frequent flyer bank account, check to see if your preferred airline or bank offers a travel business card. As for me, I’m preparing to earn close to two round-trip, off-peak airfares to Europe!
The Man in Seat 61
Whether you are planning to go from one city to another within just one country or you’re hoping to explore multiple countries over a few weeks or months, The Man in Seat 61 has incredible detail for every train situation in which you might need a helping hand. I could rave on and on, but don’t take my word for it. Give the site a try for yourself. I think you’ll be amazed at the level of detail, photo guidance and education this site has to offer. Extremely helpful!
Happy Travels!
Amy
With the business AA card, do you use this along with your other AA cards? Is it worth it to have more than one AA card and how do you keep track of it all without it becoming too confusing? :)