British Airways’ Executive Club frequent flyer program has a very fair policy when it comes to expiring Avios, the club’s currency: If you have not had any activity on your account for 36 months, all Avios will expire. Each account movement, i.e. each earning or redemption of an Avios, extends all collected Avios by a further three years.
Nevertheless, it can happen that you have to save your Avios from expiring. So here is a tip on how you can extend your valuable miles by 36 months at the lowest possible cost.
AwardWallet is very useful for keeping track of your points and miles. The tool will also remind you in good time before your Avios expire at the British Airways Executive Club.
Book an Activity for 100 Avios
In addition to flights, British Airways also offers the possibility to redeem your Avios for hotels, rental cars or activities:
By far the cheapest are activities such as tickets or city tours. After a quick search, I found the Alternative Street Walking Tour of Budapest in Budapest for the price of 300 Avios:
The whole thing is even cheaper if you book the tour for a young person (12-17 years) = 100 Avios:
When booking, you only have to enter an appropriate date of birth and complete the booking. You can then simply let the booked tour lapse.
A few minutes later you are 100 Avios poorer, but all your Avios have been extended by 36 months:
Transfer to Qatar/Iberia
Avios can be freely transferred between the British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus and the Qatar Airways Privilege Club. A transfer is also an activity, and there is nothing wrong with transferring the Avios back directly.
When the Avios Have Already Expired
If it’s already too late and the expiration is less than three months ago, it is worth calling the British Airways Executive Club customer service. Before that, however, you must become active again and be able to demonstrate an activity, e.g. buying, transferring or redeeming Avios.
According to One Mile at a Time, there is an internal policy whereby expired Avios can be reinstated once within three months. You just have to ask nicely. You should not rely on it, but only consider it as an emergency solution.
Conclusion
It’s always a big plus for a bonus program if the miles/points you’ve collected don’t expire or can be easily extended. It’s also one of the reasons why many prefer the British Airways Executive Club for Oneworld flights.
Cover Picture: Photo by Arkin Si on Unsplash