How to get a holiday using loyalty points
For years, savvy travellers have been using loyalty cards and airline schemes to accrue enough points to pay for flights and holidays.
To the uninitiated, it can seem like a minefield. But it’s easier than you might think to get started...
Focus on flights
You can use airline points and miles to purchase a range of things, from hotel rooms to ferry crossings or even cases of wine.
“But to gain the best value, use them for flights,” says Nicky Kelvin, head of travel advice website thepointsguy.co.uk.
Apply for credit cards
“Using credit cards is key when it comes to racking up lots of points, especially because of the very generous welcome bonuses that we’re seeing now and because of the ongoing earning rates on every pound that you spend,” says Nicky. But pay off the full balance each month to avoid hefty interest.
If you are confident to play with plastics, Nicky recommends opting for the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card and Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard Credit Card, among others.
“The welcome bonus on a credit card can be as large as 40,000 points or more. In fact, we’re now seeing on the Barclays Avios Mastercard a special offer of 50,000 points,” he says. “To put this into perspective, one-way flights within Europe can start at less than 5,000 Avios per person, and so even just one credit card sign-up bonus requiring you to spend £3,000 in the first three months will earn you enough points for up to 10 one-way flights around Europe.”
Do a supermarket sweep
Fortunately, there are still plenty of ways to earn points outside of credit cards. Nicky recommends making purchases through airline shopping portals and supermarket loyalty schemes, such as Nectar or Tesco Club Card.
For example, Wightlink, who operate ferries to the Isle of Wight, currently offers triple the value of Tesco Clubcard vouchers, so every 50p in vouchers is worth £1.50.
Crossings start from £57.50 for a car and up to seven passengers.
Butlins Family Breaks and Intrepid both offer £15 to use for every £5 voucher, while Virgin offer 625 points for every £2.50 voucher.
Nectar Points (nectar.com) can also be used towards part payment for holidays.
Collect points shopping with Sainsbury’s, Argos and eBay, or by paying for petrol at Esso stations. For 400 Nectar points you can receive 250 Avios, which can be used to purchase flights with British Airways.
For every 500 points, using a minimum of 2,000, you’ll receive £2.50 off Eurostar tickets. To earn faster, look out for deals on items offering more points for a purchase.
Join an airline or hotel loyalty programme
Earn points to redeem for future holidays while you fly or stay in a hotel.
Offering the best and widest range of options for both earning and using points, British Airways Executive Club and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club are two of the top programmes for UK collectors.
Finally, one word of warning when it comes to redeeming points. Busy routes and peak periods can be tricky. Nicky advises using seatspy.com or rewardflightfinder.com to search multiple destinations across multiple dates to find the best availability.