Qatar Airways markets a First Class product on some of its regional routes, including this route that I'm reviewing from Doha to Riyadh. When I had the chance to upgrade from economy for 16,000 Avios, I took it - partly for the flight itself, but mainly for access to the Al Safwa First Class lounge during a four-hour layover. But here's the uncomfortable truth that frequent flyers already know: Qatar's regional "First Class" is really just their Business Class seat with a dif

Barclaycard have an improved sign-up bonus running on the Barclaycard Avios Plus until mid-January, and it's the first time we've seen Barclays bump up this offer since late 2023. If you've been considering this card, this could be the time. The Enhanced Offer New cardholders can now collect 35,000 Avios by meeting two spending thresholds: Hit £3,000 spend in three months = 25,000 Avios Hit £6,000 spend in six months = an additional 10,000 Avios There's also a year's Apple TV

Hello Sunday. It can mean only one thing ... our weekly round up. This week has seen an Avios devaluation (boooooo), Qatar Airways drop a 65% bonus if you buy Avios with them, and not to be outdone Virgin Atlantic are also offering their own bonus. Please do enjoy this weeks round up, and if you would like to switch to weekly emails, rather for each news story, please email me sam@pointswellmade.co.uk . Frustrated That Not Everywhere Accepts Amex? Here’s How We Get Around Th

We aren’t really a couple for “date nights”. Cute concept, not us! But we do love nice food, and better than that, we love food where we don't have to pay!  Queue one of the best perks of the Platinum American Express Card. The annual dining credit. Giving cardmembers the chance to enjoy world-class meals at a wide range of participating restaurants, and with £400 in statement credits available every year, split into £100 for use abroad and £100 for use in the UK every six mo

So, let's address the elephant in the room. We are now in December, which is crazy, and I have genuinely only bought like 4 gifts so far so I am on catch up duty this weekend! Finding the perfect present for the foodie in your life can feel tricky, but it doesn’t have to be stressful, especially when you can earn Avios or Virgin Points while ticking off your list. Whether it’s for your coffee-loving cousin, aspiring home chef, or cocktail enthusiast friend, starting your shop

Thinking about your next trip? Whether it's somewhere tropical like the Maldives or a city you've been meaning to tick off, having a healthy stash of Virgin Points can make it happen a lot sooner. Virgin Atlantic (courtesy of Virgin Red) are once again offering up to 70% bonus points when you buy or gift Virgin Points. The deal runs until 31st December 2025, giving you the whole month decide whether to top up your account. Read to the bottom, where you'll find my bit of insig

This post may seem somewhat contrary considering we posted this morning about British Airways making Avios redemptions more expensive , but this could help you get that reward flight before 15th December when the increase kicks in. Qatar Airways Privilege Club members have the chance to boost their balance with a buy Avios promotion, and remember that you can transfer Avios from a Qatar Airways account to your BA Club account, making this offer great for British Airways trave

British Airways has announced another round of increases to their Avios redemption rates, effective from 15th December 2025. If you've been saving your points for any flight you'll now need more Avios and will pay higher taxes and fees. This affects all British Airways flights across all destinations and cabins, as well as partner airline redemptions. Look, in the grand scheme of things, we're talking about roughly 10% more Avios per redemption. It's not a catastrophic devalu

If you’ve ever searched for flights online and noticed that your ticket includes two different cabin classes, you might have stumbled across a mixed class fare. But what exactly does that mean, and why might airlines like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offer them? Mixed fares may well give you the best of both worlds in terms of value and comfort Let’s dive in. What is a Mixed Class Fare on a plane? A mixed class fare is when your journey is made up of two or more differ

If you’re loyal to American Express and love earning points on every purchase, there’s nothing more deflating than hearing the dreaded line: “We don’t take Amex.” It happens far more often than any of us would like, whether you’re at a restaurant, a shop, or even certain online retailers. For anyone who’s serious about maximising rewards, this limitation can feel like a genuine roadblock. But why is Amex acceptance still inconsistent? And more importantly, what can you do ab

Its that time of the week again! We've got easy hacks to get you more points, easy ways to save some points, and plenty of ways to save you money this week at Points Well Made. As always, some housekeeping, just as a reminder we have a new weekly only email option on the website. If you are currently subscribed to our emails and would like to switch to weekly, please email me sam@pointswellmade.co.uk . Limited Time Offer: Unlock 9000 Avios With This Easy Trick With a BA Amex

We are back with another Bargain Bin, and if you’ve been patiently hoarding Virgin Points, your moment has absolutely arrived. From Christmas week steals to winter-sun escapes in January and February, there are some outrageously good-value redemptions hiding in plain sight right now. As always, we’ve been glued to vseats.io , the must-use tool for Virgin collectors that surfaces the “surely that’s a glitch?” level deals across cabins and routes. So, where should you be lookin

It’s that magical time of year! The fairy lights are up, Mariah Carey is back on repeat, and the excitement of festive shopping is in full swing. Finding gifts for kids can feel like a mission, but it doesn’t have to be stressful, especially when you can earn Avios or Virgin Points while ticking off your list. Whether it’s for your little builder, the budding adventurer, or the future Hogwarts student, starting your shop through the Avios Store or Virgin Shops Away/Virgin Red

Black Friday and Cyber Week have arrived, and this year’s Avios promotions are strong. Whether you want discounted flights, bonus Avios, or enhanced rewards on hotels and car hire, several Avios-earning airlines have rolled some good deals for you. So we thought we would pull together a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to every confirmed Black Friday and Cyber Week offer across Loganair, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar Airways, and British Airways. Remember, Avios earned on one airline

Points on absolutely everything, that's the aim? This may be teaching some of you to suck eggs, but I didn't know this one until a few months ago. Why solely rely on paying your energy bill with just a direct debit when you could be earning points too! In truth, this little hack also works with any other card, its just seemingly rare that an American Express is accepted. But why would you want to do this? I'll first explain how this works, and then why. Now, this does depend

There must be something in the water over with Marriott Bonvoy because not only did they launch two new debit cards last week , but t ravellers searching for a winter escape have just been handed a lovely little opportunity. Marriott Bonvoy has unveiled a limited-time sale offering serious savings at thousands of participating hotels and resorts across the most of the world, but you’ll need to lock in your stay by Tuesday, 2nd December 2025. What’s On Offer? Marriott Bonvoy m

If you hang around here long enough, you will come to see that a lot of bonuses offers come round time and time again! Here's a nice little repeat of one from earlier this year! If you’ve got the free British Airways American Express Credit Card sitting in your wallet and haven’t yet added a supplementary cardholder, now’s the perfect moment to act. The British Airways American Express is now offering a limited-time bonus of 9,000 Avios when you add your first supplementary c

From two new cards launched, to some Black Friday deals with Virgin, plus an exciting update from us, don't miss that one! Make sure to check out the third week of our Festive Friday series, helping you maximise your points over Christmas with the Gift Guide for Him. As always, some housekeeping, just as a reminder we have a new weekly only email option on the website. If you are currently subscribed to our emails and would like to switch to weekly, please email me sam@points

Hello all, Don't worry, we're not going anywhere! We just thought we'd bring you a small update to the Points Well Made world. First off, thank you all so much for your continued support and ongoing questions that you have for us. It really is incredibly satisfying when people spring off something we've written and come to us with an advanced follow up question. Ultimately, that is the aim that we have for Points Well Made. We don't aim to be the home of advanced points nerds

As we creep closer to December things are beginning to feel more Chistmas-y! We had our first snow on Wednesday, the Christmas lights switch on's are beginning to happen, the playlists are back on repeat, and the gift lists are starting to take shape. If you’re anything like me, finding the perfect present is half the fun… especially when you can earn rewards at the same time. That’s the magic of Points Well Made: turning your everyday (and every-year) Christmas shopping into