The Best and Worst Value Avios Routes

Top value per mile

London – Sydney

When you start your Australia adventure in Sydney, you can climb the iconic bridge, dine in fine restaurants, hit the beach and day-trip to the Blue Mountains before touring to the reef and outback. The so-called ‘kangaroo route’ from London is also popular with those visiting friends and relatives. Unsurprisingly, everyone wants to use their Avios for flights on this expensive, ultra-long-haul route, especially in business class.

At a rate of 13.6 Avios per mile, it’s the best value BA redemption route, but reward seats are particularly difficult to snag. Currently, on RFF, there’s no business class availability showing until March 2024. Set up an alert on this top search so we can notify you as soon as more seats become available.

London - Cape Town

A top gateway for safari adventures and the Garden Route, Cape Town itself makes an attractive break with Table Mountain, beaches and vineyards on its doorstep, reliable winter sun and a thriving LGBT scene. With only a two-hour time difference, it’s also a long haul without the jet lag. 

For 14.9 Avios per mile, this is another excellent value route… and another popular one. Our BA reward flight search shows business class seats next begin popping up in February 2024.

London – Santiago

Surrounded by the Andes, the capital of Chile is a city of museums, galleries, arts and crafts fairs and parks with panoramic views. The Maipo wine region, beach resort Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, known for street art, are all nearby. You can even ski within day-trip distance.  

At around 15.1 Avios per mile, Santiago takes third place in value. Our BA reward flight search shows some good seat options throughout the year. Business Class seats are available outbound from May 2023 and inbound from July 2023.

London - Buenos Aires

Argentina’s capital has streets inspired by Paris boulevards. It's a city for foodies, with famous steakhouses and a strong Italian influence. You might catch a football match at La Bombonera stadium or a tango show and visit Eva Peron’s grave in ornate Recoleta Cemetery, then tour the Pampas ranches and beyond. 

Reaching popular Buenos Aires works out at 15.9 Avios per mile but business class seats are a little patchy throughout the year. They’re available both ways in July and September 2023, otherwise, it's best to set up an RFF alert to snap up any cancellations or newly released seats.

London – Johannesburg

Another safari gateway, Johannesburg also has its own attractions. The Apartheid Museum and guided tours of Soweto help explain South Africa’s turbulent past while Maboneng Precinct shows its modern hipster vibe. The Unesco-listed Cradle of Humankind palaeontology site is 50km away. 

Jo’burg is not only good value, averaging 16 British Airways Avios per mile but also has the best business class availability in our top five. There’s a strong seat selection outbound and inbound from May, although this drops considerably between November and January 2024. 

Worst value per mile 

London – Cairo

This sprawling, noisy capital on the Nile is home to the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The fabulous Egyptian Museum, which holds the treasures of Tutankhamun and other pharaohs, will be superseded late this year by the new Grand Egyptian Museum. You can cruise or fly from Cairo to Luxor for the Valley of the Kings. 

You’ll need around 31.9 Avios per mile for a Cairo reward flight, making it the worst-value route. There’s excellent reward seat availability outbound throughout the year, but inbound is sparse, popping up from December 2023 onwards. We suggest setting an alert if this route is a must. 

London - Tel Aviv

Israel’s capital of cool makes an easy winter sun break. Beyond its beach are the Unesco-listed ‘White City’ of modernist Bauhaus buildings and colourful Carmel market, which sells food to fashion. There’s also a huge annual LGBT Pride. Exploring the ancient port of Jaffa with its trendy cafes and famous flea market is a must. You can also day trip easily to Jerusalem. 

Sadly, Avios for flights work out around 31.6 per mile though business class reward seat availability is pretty good from July 2023 in both directions.

London - Amman 

Jordan’s capital is a gateway to some spectacular sites. Most tourists head to Petra, the city carved from rock over 2,300 years ago. They also tour the desert valley of Wadi Rum, made famous by Lawrence of Arabia and take a float in the Dead Sea. The city itself includes Roman remains and an ancient citadel of mixed heritage. 

Per mile, you’ll spend 30.5 Avios to reach Amman. Our BA reward flight search shows outbound Business Class availability strong from June onwards, but inbound seats only from December, so set an alert for the inbound leg.

London – Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s capital has mostly attracted British travellers on business or attending the Hajj, the huge Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Over the last year, however, the country has started to entice tourists. Itineraries typically visit Riyadh’s palaces, desert rock formations and Mada'in Saleh, a Nabatean city like Petra.

London -Riyadh averages 26.1 British Airways Avios per mile. There’s outstanding business class seat availability outbound and inbound from May onwards into 2024. 

London - Lagos

 

Popular for visiting relatives or doing business, Lagos also boasts a strong music scene, particularly when October’s Felebration festival honours late Afrobeat singer Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Besides its beaches, Lagos attractions include Lekki craft market and Lekki Conservation Centre, a reserve where you can see crocodiles and monkeys. 

You’ll spend about 25.7 Avios per mile reaching Lagos. There’s good Business Class seat availability both ways from May, throughout this year and into next.

Making the decision

There are other ways to gauge Avios value. The simplest is to compare the cost in points to the cost in cash of the same flight. 

It’s generally agreed that British Airways Avios should be worth around 1p (so 1,000 are worth £10), though it’s sometimes possible to get a value up to 2p a point. 

So, excluding fees and taxes, if BA is asking 10,000 Avios for flights or a cash fare under £100 you’re better off paying cash and saving your points for another occasion.  

Of course, the value should be only part of your decision on how to spend your Avios. If you want or need to visit a particular place being able to do so ‘free’ on a reward flight may override the relative cost in loyalty points.