Guides

Right, this is it, this is the last status match post I'm doing for a while (unless something truly extraordinary happens). I'm conscious how many posts I've done on the subject, but you may want to send this one to that BA loyalist in your life. In just under a week, 31st March 2026, a large number of BA's Bronze, Silver and Gold members are going to lose the perks they've had for years as its become too difficult to retain with the changes they've made. This means no more l

The complete strategy for UK families who want to use Avios for holidays without losing their minds (or their points). If you've landed on this page, chances are you've heard that Avios can save you a fortune on family flights. And they can. Most Avios guides are written for couples or solo travellers, and for good reason. It's much simpler when you're only booking two seats! Families of four are a different deal as you'll need more Avios, more seats, more planning, and if yo

We've talked a lot recently about status matching, but I wanted to address a commenter the other week who wondered could you just keep matching status in perpetuity, thus keeping some sort of elite status alive. Is this some sort of status match loophole? In theory, yes. You could keep airline elite status alive indefinitely without earning it through flights. Match your British Airways Gold to Air France/KLM . When that expires, match it to another airline. Rinse and repeat.

The British Airways Club is the airline’s reimagined loyalty programme, officially launched in April 2025 to replace the long-standing Executive Club. While many travellers initially saw it as a rebrand, the truth is that British Airways used the transition to reshape how loyalty works, how status is earned, and what it actually means to be a frequent flyer today with British Airways. With updated branding, revised thresholds, and a more flexible earning structure, the Britis

If you hold an American Express card and you’re working towards your sign-up bonus, refunds are one of those sneaky things that can trip you up. Whether you’re eyeing up a juicy sign-up bonus, pushing towards a British Airways Companion Voucher, or chasing an annual spend perk, it’s well worth understanding how American Express treats refunds behind the scenes. Because alas, when it comes to rewards credit cards, refunds are never just “nice to have your money back”. Net spen

If you've signed up for an American Express card where you're eligible for a welcome bonus, you'll have a minimum spend requirement. For the Amex Gold, it's typically £3,000 in three months to get the welcome bonus. For the Platinum welcome bonus, it's £6,000. That's a fair amount to put through a card, especially if Amex isn't widely accepted where you normally shop. But lets say you're just short of hitting the amount, how about buying a gift card? This strategy works for a

Buying Avios is one of the easiest ways to increase your balance, and, in most cases, one of the worst ways to do it. That may sound blunt, and I apologise for that, but it reflects the reality of how Avios pricing works. When you buy points outright, you are almost always paying more per Avios than you would through nearly any other method of earning them. Both subscriptions, and even boosting transactions almost always deliver better value. Buying Avios isn’t useless. There

Sponsored by Status Match If you hold status with almost ANY airline, or hotel chain - and we mean almost any - here's an easy win for you. Club Avolta, the loyalty programme behind the World Duty Free shops and Hudson News in the US and Canada, is running a status match that hands you 12 months of free Platinum membership. The headline draw 10% off in participating stores, which for anyone passing through a UK airport is worth five minutes of your time to apply. But it also

A reader recently asked us about booking a special trip to Mauritius for his fiancée's 41st birthday - with twin one-year-olds in tow, talk about a challenge! Mauritius was our first "big" holiday coming out of covid, and it's somewhere we'd like to go back to. This conversation had so many good little nuggets of information that I felt I had to bring it to you. You may know some of this, you may not. Hopefully you'll gain an insight into how I think when I'm trying to book a

Airports have become increasingly stressful places to spend time. Whether it's hunting for somewhere to sit, paying £6 for a coffee, or navigating a departure hall so crowded it tips into full sensory overload. Waiting for a flight is not as simple as it should be. These are exactly the problems Priority Pass was designed to solve. Instead of waiting in the terminal surrounded by noise, chaos and drama, members can access airport lounges around the world, offering a welcome r