News you may have missed at Points Well Made - 19th July
- Helena
- 20 hours ago
- 4 min read
Welcome back to another Sunday round up, and goodness what a week it has been. Half of our planned articles were shelved because there was just far too much going on. There is a plan in the near future to move to multi-posting if you were wondering, but not quite yet.
First up in the week we had a wonderful guest writer Neil (otherwise known of ManofMilesUK) who wrote us a great article all about whether solo travellers have an advantage in the points and miles world. Huge thanks to him for being our first guest writer.
We popped out a reminder regarding the 25th Anniversary Flights celebrating the partnership between BA and American Express ... and then promptly the next day Helena wrote up her experience of the whole fandango which she shared in reel time over on our Instagram. If you experienced it, then please do go and read it so you don't feel alone.
We then had some new routes announced, and some removed also. Then, on Friday, because apparently we didn't get enough bad news this week from BA and Amex, we got a massive devaluation on their Premium Plus card. We've written up all the changes on this.
Lastly, IAG Loyalty, the parent company to Avios, issued a statement regarding Wednesday's ticketing chaos which we covered yesterday.
Well, that is the week. Just a quick reminder that we have 20% off code with Reward Flight Finder which is running until the end of July. We have previously written about it here, and you can find the discount by click this link here.
Helena
In a Points Well Made first, today's post has been kindly written by Neil Woodhouse, otherwise known on Tiktok and Instagram as ManofMilesUK.
Hi, I'm Neil – or as some may know me, ManofMilesUK – and let me show you the good, the bad and the uncomfortable reality of being a solo-travelling points collector/addict.
First, an apology for the slightly obnoxious subheading. Is it a bit provocative? Absolutely. Is there some truth in it? …well yes! Solo travel isn't always glamorous. It can be lonely, uncomfortable and at times genuinely challenging. But if you're willing to embrace that discomfort, the rewards can be incredible – not just from a personal growth perspective but, surprisingly, in the world of points and miles too.
There's a common misconception that the more you spend, the easier this hobby becomes. More spending means more points, and therefore more points makes everything easier... right? Not necessarily. In the points and miles world, less really can be more, and here’s why.
Right, this is it. The moment a lot of you have been waiting for.
If you registered your interest back in June for that ridiculous BA and Amex Avios-only flight to New York, the wait is nearly over. American Express have finally announced that booking opens at 12 noon BST tomorrow, 15 July, on the dot.
If you missed the original post, quick recap: one-off charter flight, LHR to JFK and back, paid for entirely in Avios with zero taxes and fees, starting at 25,000 Avios return in economy. Yes, really, and we have the joining details here.
We've been talking about this flight since June. A one-off, Avios-only charter to New York to mark 25 years of the BA Amex partnership, tickets from 25,000 Avios return with zero cash to pay, a private drinks party at One Vanderbilt, and a helicopter transfer thrown in for passengers in First.
On paper it's the best redemption BA and Amex have put out in years. In practice, this afternoon was a mess, and BA, Avios and Amex need to hear that plainly.
In a less eventful post compared to the last few days, we thought we'd do a quick Avios route round-up of what's being added, and what's going away.
Amex has confirmed it's cutting the Avios earn rate on the British Airways Premium Plus Amex, and if you hold this card, the notification is either already in your inbox or about to be.
From 7th October 2026, the card drops from 1.5 Avios per £1 to 1.25 Avios per £1. The old perk of triple Avios (3 per £1) on BA and BA Holidays spend is gone too, that spend now earns the same flat 1.25 Avios per £1 as everything else.
Well, they've said something. IAG Loyalty (AKA Avios) put a statement up on the 25th Anniversary Flight landing page on 16th July. It's short, but crucially, unlike a lot of corporate apologies, it does actually say sorry. Twice. Let's have a look.
Points Well Made is a passion project from Sam and Helena. If you've enjoyed this and want to help us keep the lights on, please consider buying us a Ko-fi or subscribing monthly. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for more of the same. Thanks for reading.
