I used life-changing travel hack to bag free return flights to New York – just by doing my weekly shop
WHO doesn’t love a freebie? Especially when it’s holiday-related.
With pricey flights often putting an end to travel plans, The Sun’s travel editor Sophie Swietochowski reveals how she was able to buy a return flight to New York just by doing her everyday shopping.
A couple of years ago, a friend introduced me to a life-changing travel hack that would bag me free flights galore.
It has changed the way I shop for good (and for the better).
Hello Avios eStore, an online portal that lets you collect air miles just by doing your normal, everyday shopping.
Sound too good to be true? For once, it really isn’t.
No string attached
When I first received my British Airways Amex back in 2019, I thought that the sole way to earn points was by booking flights.
And while this is still an easy way to collect Avios, it certainly won’t bag the average Joe as many air miles as their usual spends would.
To put this into context: every time I catch an Uber, I rack up points; every time I catch the train to work, I rack up points; every time I buy food, clothes or toiletries, I rack up points.
And the best part is, I haven’t had to change the way I spend or the stores I shop at.
In short, all of these extra air miles come with no strings attached.
I’ve now accumulated so many Avios that I can fly to New York City and back again essentially for free, minus a flat fee for taxes and carrier charges (more on that below).
I’m proud to declare that my British Airways Executive Club account currently holds 57,000 Avios – and that’s after only a couple of years of savvy shopping.
How does it work?
Collecting Avios is not exclusive to British Airways Executive Club members, although British Airways is the only UK airline with whom you can collect.
You can also bag points if you are part of AerClub by AerLingus, Iberia Plus by Iberia, Vueling Club by Vueling and Privilege Club by Qatar Airways.
Your earned Avios will then be redeemable against flights for that airline.
The only thing you have to do is link your card for in-store purchases or register your visit to an online store through the Avios app or at avios.com so that any points collected can be linked back to your account.
Avios can be collected through a great number of well-known stores, including John Lewis, Boots, Deliveroo and ASOS, to name a few.
You’ll earn a certain number of Avios per £1 spent and this differs with each store. For example, right now you can earn up to five Avios for every £1 you spend online at Debenhams.
And keep your eyes peeled for the promotional offers, too, that let you bag extra points for spending at certain times of the year or on certain products (shout out to the current Expedia offer that lets you bag 10 Avios for every £1 you spend on a hotel).
Only last week I bulk ordered my fancy shampoo and conditioner from Selfridges and earned almost 500 points by spending around £50.
To put that into a value-per-flight perspective, you can bag a short-haul flight to Amsterdam with British Airways for just 9,250 points plus a 50p flat fee.
So, 20 more spends like that and I could nab myself a flight.
The flat fee, as mentioned above, is a nominal charge that covers taxes, carrier charges and a fixed Avios amount.
It can vary from 50p for short-haul flights to £150 for a longer flight to Sydney, Australia.
My return economy flights to the Big Apple will cost me 50,000 Avios (travelling off-peak) and a £200 flat-fee (£100 for each leg of the journey).
So, do you have to pay with your Amex when collecting points? Nope, but I always do as it earns me more points than if I were to pay with a different credit or debit card.
And do you have to be a big spender to earn big? Absolutely not.
The smartest way to spend is just by doing your everyday shopping such as filling up with petrol from a BP garage or ordering your groceries from Sainsbury’s.
The table below details my easiest ways to save, along with the number of points you’ll get.
How to bag BIG with Avios
TRAVEL: Connect your British Airways Executive Club account to your Uber account and collect one Avios per every £1 you spend on rides.
Pre-book your daily, weekly or monthly commute or even your holiday with Trainline and you’ll bag one Avios for every £1 you spend.
Book hotels through the Avios store and you’ll bag eight Avios for every £1 spent on stays at an Accor hotel or four Avios per every £1 spent at Hilton hotels.
SHOPPING: New customers will collect 900 Avios when they do a Click & Collect order at Sainsbury’s worth over £40; existing customers spending over £40 on Click & Collect or Home Delivery will bag 150 Avios
Order your toiletries online at Boots to earn four Avios per every £1.
Buy your birthday cards and office supplies online at WHSmith to collect and you’ll bag five Avios per £1.
SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN: Theme parks including Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor and Alton Towers will get you two Avios per ever £1 spent on tickets.
Book attractions like Shrek’s Adventure through the Avios eStore and bag three Avios per every £1.
Reserve theatre tickets with LoveTheatre to get five Avios for every £1.
Then, if you are making a big spend – such as a bulk buy of booze for Christmas or a fancy wedding guest outfit – try and see if you can purchase from an Avios partner to rake in those points.
It’s not about shopping more, it’s about shopping smarter.