The News This Week at Points Well Made - 16th Nov
- Sam
- 11 minutes ago
- 5 min read
From money off with easyJet, to some serious bonuses on offer, plus a new way to earn points when loyal with Virgin. It's been a great week at Points Well Made for earning extra points. Make sure to check out the second week of our Festive Friday series, helping you maximise your points over Christmas with the Gift Guide for Her.
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We're not just here to get you more points, but to save you more money, and easyJet's 30th birthday celebration is offering exactly that. I don't know what you did for your 30th, but I bet it wasn't flying your mates on the cheap! easyJet are marking their 30th birthday with what they're calling their "biggest flights deal ever": up to 30% off selected seats for 30 hours only. If you've been eyeing a winter or spring getaway, easyJet's flash sale is running until 3pm tomorrow (11th November) could be your chance to lock in serious savings on flights departing between 18th November 2025 and 18th March 2026.
This is what amazes me about flying is how ludicrously cheap it can be at times (and I'm not just talking about this sale), with flights from Gatwick starting from just £29 to Gibraltar, £31 to Pisa and Milan, £34 to Faro, and £36 to Barcelona and Venice. Winter sun seekers can bag Gran Canaria from £37, while skiers can reach Innsbruck from £40 or Lyon from £39. And that's just some select destinations that I cobbled together.
From 10 November to 28 December 2025, British Airways Club members can earn a whopping 50% bonus on Avios earned through the Avios shopping portal. This seven-week promotion covers Black Friday, and the entire Christmas shopping period – making it one of the best opportunities of the year to turbocharge your points balance.
There is a slight disparity between the app and the website, with the app showing the offer on each brand, but the website omits this. The T's&C's do state very clearly that purchases through both the app and website are eligible for the bonus Avios.
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Yup, we know, it feels like deja-vu and certainly feels like only a month ago that we were last talking about bonuses on the American Express Gold and Platinum cards. Well, they're back! There are two eye-catching limited-time offers giving you the chance to pocket a serious stash of Membership Rewards points, and a slight twist to one of them. Whether you’re dipping your toes into Amex for the first time or looking to unlock travel perks, these sign-up bonuses offer a great haul to entice you in. Head on over to the article to see how to earn an even bigger sign up bonus!
Just a quick heads-up: Points Well Made is here to dish out the juicy details on miles and points, but we’re not your financial advisers. Any decisions you make regarding products featured on this site are your own responsibility, and you should always consider whether a product suits your personal circumstances. While we chat about all manner of lender goodies, we’re not a lender ourselves. Remember, you know you best.
Virgin Atlantic has unveiled the first update to its Flying Club loyalty programme. At that time, we noted that “a revamp is in the works to acknowledge long-time Virgin loyalists who may not travel frequently enough to reach elite tiers” - and that vision has now taken flight with the introduction of High Five, Virgin Atlantic’s newest way to say thank you to those who’ve stayed loyal over time.
Flying Club Red, Silver, and Gold members who have flown in five separate years will receive 12,000 Virgin Points each when it launches in January 2026. Which is enough for a return Saver Reward Seat from London to New York, Dubai, Barbados or even the Maldives if you are lucky in Economy, plus a number of other destinations. For Red members (this is where everyone starts), there’s an additional perk: a 10% Virgin Points bonus on all future flights, offering a steady uplift in earning potential. Members with household accounts can also pool multiple 12,000-point rewards earned in the same year, increasing flexibility and value which we love.
The festive season has officially begun. We’re continuing our mission here at Points Well Made: to help you earn Avios or Virgin Points on your Christmas shopping just by buying the things you were already going to buy anyway. It’s the easiest win. And we love an easy win.
By starting your shop via the Avios eStore or the Virgin Shops Away / Virgin Red portal, those thoughtful gifts turn into travel rewards. A future weekend away… a flight upgrade… the good stuff. So this week we’re launching Part 2 of our Gift Guide series: A curated selection of thoughtful gifts for her, plus how to earn points on each one.
Qatar Airways is one of our favourite ways for us to spend our Avios, but they've quietly rolled out a new way to get more of your money. Business Class passengers redeeming Avios for award tickets now face charges to select their seats in advance.
Starting last week, Qatar Airways began charging fees for advance seat selection on saver-level business class award tickets. These are the cheapest redemptions, unlike the twice as expensive Flexi award fares explained here. The change affects all bookings for saver tickets, whether they're made through the Qatar Airways Privilege Club, or partner programmes such as the British Airways Club.
Sam
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