The News This Week at Points Well Made- 5th Oct
- Sam
- Oct 5, 2025
- 5 min read
Here is a weekly round of the news and stories that you may have missed this week at Points Well Made. We've got an easy way to get 1,000 Virgin Points for you near the bottom!
Few things in the world of travel loyalty are as frustrating as discovering your hard-earned miles or points have quietly expired. This often happens with smaller balances left over from promotions or one-off flights that you forget about, only to realise too late when you finally want to use them.
To help you keep on top of your balances, here’s a guide to the expiry rules for some of the most popular airline loyalty programmes that we talk about here on Points Well Made.
Travelling with a baby can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to navigating airline policies. If you are planning a trip with British Airways and have booked your ticket using Avios, you might be wondering how to add an infant under two years old to your booking, and how much this may cost!
The good news is that British Airways makes this process relatively straightforward, whether your baby will travel on your lap or in their own seat. This guide explains everything you need to know about booking an infant ticket with Avios, ensuring you are well-prepared before you fly.
British Airways is set to connect London with America's heartland (derogatorily known as flyover country), launching a new direct service between London Heathrow and St Louis, Missouri. Unfortunately this won't be time for you to "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and will be starting 19th April 2026.
The new route, BA's 27th United States destination, will operate four times weekly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flight BA221 will depart Heathrow at 4:25 PM, arriving in St Louis at 7:30 PM local time, while the return service BA220 leaves St Louis at 10:00 PM, touching down at Heathrow at 12:05 PM the following day.
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Last time, we explored how to earn Virgin Points online through Shops Away. But did you know you can also earn Virgin Points simply by paying with your card instore, including your debit card? It’s one of the most effortless ways to boost your Flying Club balance while you go about your day.
How In Store Earning Works
The process is refreshingly simple. You start by logging in to the Shops Away portal and registering your debit or credit card (click here to be taken there). Once your card details are linked, give it 24 hours to activate. After that, you can shop as you normally would at participating retailers, using your registered card.
Every eligible purchase is tracked automatically – no vouchers, no scanning codes, no special apps required. Within a few days, you’ll see your Virgin Points appear in your Shops Away account as ‘Pending’. After your purchase is confirmed, they’ll move to ‘Approved’ and land in your Flying Club balance.
Get the party hats out – the modern railway is turning 200 and Virgin is marking the occasion with a special offer. It’s a nod to the rail romantics, the daily commuters and the points-hungry adventurers who like to stretch their Virgin Points in different ways to which we would normally advocate.
Until 9 October, when you redeem Virgin Points on Trains, by spending 5000, you'll get 1000 back. It’s a neat way to give yourself a small boost while saving on rail travel.
But before you redeem, it’s worth looking at what you’re actually getting for your points. This offer can make sense for some travellers, but for many it’s not the highest-value redemption.
Is this a hit or a miss?
Right, listen up fellow Avios collectors, because I've got some news that's going to make your October slightly more interesting.
From the 1st to the 14th of October, Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel to you and me) are running a promotion that's so straightforward, that I actually had to check the terms twice to make sure I wasn't missing something. Spoiler alert: I wasn't.
The Numbers (Because That's Why We're Here)
Until the 14th October you can earn double Avios with your bookings on the Eurotunnel.
All you've got to do is use promotional code 25AVIOSOCT when booking, and you'll earn:
6 Avios per £1 on Day Trip, Overnight, Short Stay Saver, Standard, and Standard Plus tickets
12 Avios per £1 on Short Stay Flexiplus and Flexiplus tickets (these allow you to be flexible with the trains your travel on)
And yes, that includes taxes. Which, frankly, is refreshing.
Normally you'll earn 3 Avios per £1 on standard fares, and 6 per £1 on Flexiplus. So there's no smoke and mirrors, no "up to" nonsense. Just double.
Let's say you book a Short Stay Flexiplus return for a long weekend in France. That might run you £250. At 12 Avios per pound, that's 3,000 Avios in your account.
After years of delays and shifting deadlines, in just eight days’ time the EU will activate its long-planned Entry/Exit System (EES) on 12th October 2025. For travellers, particularly those from the UK, this is one of the biggest changes to European border control since Brexit, and it’s arriving imminently.
From 12th October, all travellers who are not EU citizens will be required to register biometric data when entering the Schengen Area. That means fingerprints, four of them, along with a facial image. Children under 12 won’t need to provide fingerprints, but adults should be prepared for the new procedure.
Sam
Points Well Made is a passion project of Sam and Helena with a loyal following. If you like what we do, and wish to help us continue to create the content you love, please consider buying us a Kofi, or subscribing monthly. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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