Loyalty pays off – with an upgrade

LOYALTY point schemes can provide a great way to pay for travel tickets – or add a touch of luxury with an upgrade.

Airmiles was scrapped a few years ago and has been replaced with Avios points which can be used with British Airways and no-frills airline flybe.

Points can be collected in a variety of ways and not just when taking flights using a BA loyalty card.

Those splashing the plastic can use a Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards Credit Card or TSB Avios Rewards Credit Card – both of which are issued in MasterCard and American Express payment format. Points can also be collected when shopping at the supermarket with a Tesco Clubcard or filling up petroll at Shell garages using sing a Shell Drivers Club card.

The Avios scheme is more complicated than Airmiles and is no longer a simple case of a point means a mile – with flights split into different zones.

Air miles schemes are often better for upgrades than buying tickets. A return flight from London to New York typically requires 20,000 points. The same trip b business class costs 40,000 p points. Shop with a Tesco Clubcard and you can exchange £2.50 of Tesco vouchers for 600 Avios points.

You earn one Tesco p point for every £1 spent – s so £250 of shopping for 600 Avios points. You earn 1.25 Avios points for each £1 spent on a Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards American Express Card and 1.25 Avios points for £5 spent on a Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards MasterCard.

British Airways has its own British Airways American Express card offering 1 Avios point for every £1 spent using it.