WOULD you believe me if I told you that you could bag yourself a break for \u00a31 just by doing your regular grocery shopping at Sainsbury\u2019s or by filling up with petrol at BP \u2013 no strings attached?<\/p>\n
You may roll your eyes at the term \u2018loyalty scheme\u2019, but you\u2019re going to want to hear me out on this one, as Avios will make your Boots Advantage Card seem utterly pathetic.<\/p>\n
IAG Loyalty allows you to collect points on over 2,000 brands Credit: Getty<\/p>\n
Sophie now has enough points to fly to Australia and back again Credit: Supplied<\/p>\n
And I\u2019m sorry to have to tell you this, but what you think you know about Avios or air miles is completely wrong. You won\u2019t need to hop on a single flight to earn points here.<\/p>\n
In fact, I\u2019m so confident about this scheme that if you follow my advice below for one year and don\u2019t end up with enough points for a free flight or holiday, I\u2019ll eat my hat (\u2026that I bought with my points).<\/p>\n
So, pay close attention. Here\u2019s everything you need to know.<\/p>\n
What actually is Avios?<\/p>\n
It is essentially a rewards currency, some may call it an air-mile points scheme, although it\u2019s so much more than that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Avios is linked to the IAG (International Airlines Group) loyalty scheme, meaning you can earn and (most importantly) spend with British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL, as well as partner airlines Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Loganair.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a very common mistake, however, to think that you can only earn Avios on direct spend with these airlines, by booking flights, for example.\u00a0<\/p>\n
IAG Loyalty allows you to collect a generous number of points on over 2,000 brands, including major names like Deliveroo, Domino\u2019s Pizza and Just Eat \u2013 and that\u2019s only if you want a takeaway.<\/p>\n
Clothing retail brands include River Island, H&M and Sports Direct, while department stores include Debenhams, John Lewis and Marks and Spencer, and wellness brands include Superdrug, Boots and Holland & Barrett.<\/p>\n
You can earn points (Avios) on every penny you spend with these brands.<\/p>\n
I won\u2019t name every brand right now, but you can find the list here on the Avios <\/a>website<\/a> \u2013 chances are if it\u2019s a well known name, it\u2019ll be on there.<\/p>\n Do I need to spend big to earn big?<\/p>\n I was sceptical too, but rest assured you won\u2019t have to pain-stakingly collect points for 10 years to reap the benefits.<\/p>\n A few months ago I gained 2,500 Avios simply by renewing my car insurance with Compare the Market \u2013 another brand on IAG Loyalty\u2019s books. <\/p>\n I\u2019ll explain what the number of points equates to below, but, in rough terms, that\u2019s about a quarter of the points you\u2019d need to pay for a one-way flight to Amsterdam.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re serious about it, you can earn mega points quickly and easily (more on that below too).<\/p>\n What can I buy with Avios?<\/p>\n The most popular way to spend Avios is on \u201creward\u201d flights with the IAG and Oneworld airlines. The big players will tell you that this gets you the most for your money, but you can also redeem your points against holiday packages (flights and hotel), as well as hotels, car hire and cases of wine.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the Avios shop which sells everything from perfumes and lotions to Apple products and coffee machines; plus you can convert Avios to Nectar points and spend in Sainsbury\u2019s, Argos or Habitat; or feast at Pizza Express.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need around 27,500 to visit the far-flung cities of Chicago, Dubai and Toronto Credit: Getty<\/p>\n Around 10,000 points can get you a one-way ticket to short haul destinations Credit: Supplied<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Avios is nothing like your Boots card \u2013 you\u2019re not tied to one product or brand.<\/p>\n How many points will I earn?<\/p>\n It varies from retailer to retailer with many brands offering special deals throughout the year \u2013 keep your eyes peeled at Christmas time and in January.<\/p>\n But to give you some perspective, last month I earned 1,790 Avios, just through my regular, everyday shopping: I get 19 points for my train to work (booked through Uber), I earned 136 points for buying some protein powder and 14 points for some new socks from ASOS.<\/p>\n No, I\u2019m not a big spender. I\u2019m a frugal 33-year-old that\u2019s currently living with her parents, in the process of buying her first home, meaning my key expenses are my commute to work, petrol for my car and the odd meal out with pals.<\/p>\n I \u2013 properly \u2013 started my Avios journey almost exactly two years ago and I now have 99,420 Avios.<\/p>\n Just shy of enough to fly me to the furthest-away destination possible, Sydney, Australia, and all the way back again.<\/p>\n But that is by following a few simple rules carved out at the end of this piece.<\/p>\n How many points do I need for a holiday or flight?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re just looking for flights then 10,000 points can get you a one-way ticket to short haul destinations like Paris, Copenhagen or Munich, while 27,500 can get you to the far-flung cities of Chicago, Dubai and Toronto.<\/p>\n Sydney is of course the priciest spot, costing a minimum of 55,000 Avios each way.<\/p>\n The above figures are all based on travelling in an economy seat at off-peak times, although you can splash your points on premium economy flights and even business class, or use points to upgrade if you\u2019ve already booked your flight.<\/p>\n Head for Points has a useful table<\/a> on which destinations your points will get you to.<\/p>\n There is one thing you need to know, though.<\/p>\n Every time you do any online shopping, check if you can earn points at that retailer Credit: Getty<\/p>\n Those who like to shop on their phones should download the Avios app Credit: Getty<\/p>\n You may have noticed that my opening sentence to this piece read: \u201cbag a break for \u00a31\u201d. That is because you will have to pay a flat-fee, essentially a nominal charge that covers taxes, carrier charges and a fixed Avios amount.<\/p>\n For short-haul flights like Paris, this is just \u00a31, but for destinations like Chicago this is \u00a360 and this price increases if you decide to fly in an upper cabin or further afield.\u00a0<\/p>\n Points work differently on holidays and products, however, and you can pay partly in points and partly in cash \u2013 the split is entirely up to you. If, for example, I were to buy a fancy Dyson hairdryer worth \u00a3400, I could pay \u00a3200 in cash and the rest can be paid with 33,670 Avios.<\/p>\n How do I actually earn Avios points then?<\/p>\n This requires several minutes of faffing to set yourself up and link your cards and accounts, but once you\u2019re done that\u2019s everything sorted for good.\u00a0<\/p>\n