It's that time of year again! Black Friday is finally here, and if you're anything like us, you've been eyeing up your favorite hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators for months, just waiting for them to roll out the big sales. Good news: From glamorous resorts to beachfront hotels to tour operators and cruise lines, the deals are rolling in, and there are tons of ways to save for every type of traveler. Whether you're interested in scoring 30% off low-cost flights to Iceland via PLAY or want to hop on a cruise by HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) for close to half the original price, this is the best time of year to save. From now through Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday, we're seeing new sales drop every day—be sure to check back in daily so you don't miss anything good.
Buy Avios promotion: How you can book nonstop flights to Europe for less than $350
09.11.2024 - 22:27 / thepointsguy.com
Attention, points and miles enthusiasts: Finnair Plus is offering a discount of up to 50% when you buy Avios between now and Nov. 20, 2024.
Not only is this a great value, but since Avios are the shared loyalty currency of several frequent flyer programs, buying them could open up a variety of redemption opportunities. We even found nonstop economy fares to Europe for as low as 13,000 Avios each way, which comes out to about $325 when you factor in taxes and fees.
Related: When does it make sense to buy points and miles?
Through Nov. 20, you can save between 35% and 50% on Avios purchases from Finnair Plus, depending on how many Avios you buy. You must buy at least 5,000 Avios to get 35% off, and the savings increase from there:
These discounts bring the cost down to between 1.12 and 1.87 cents per Avios, depending on how many you buy. That could be a pretty good deal, considering TPG's November 2024 valuations peg Avios at 1.4 cents apiece.
You must purchase Avios in increments of 1,000, and you can purchase a maximum of 200,000 Avios through Finnair Plus in a calendar year.
But just because the sale is being run by Finnair Plus doesn't mean you have to redeem your Avios through the program. In fact, Avios are used by four other programs — Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus and Qatar Airways Privilege Club — and you can transfer Avios between any of these at a 1:1 ratio.
Some of our favorite and best-value Avios redemptions are with these airlines. Here are a few examples of how far your Avios could go if you decide to jump on this promotion.
Related: The best credit cards for buying points and miles
For example, you could transfer your Avios to Iberia Plus and book a one-way off-peak ticket from New York to Madrid for only 17,000 Avios in economy or 25,500 Avios in premium economy. Note that business-class seats for off-peak dates are priced at 34,000 Avios, but they are harder to find.
If you purchased 17,000 Avios with the current 35% discount, it would set you back 243.10 euros (about $260 at current exchange rates). With the award ticket's $86 in taxes and fees, that comes to a total of $346 — compared to the cash price of this ticket, which starts at $454.
The premium economy seat is an even better deal. You could purchase 26,000 Avios for only $367 during this sale, then book the award ticket and pay $97 in taxes and fees, for a total of $464 — compared to paying at least $1,228 for the cash ticket.
There's also plenty of award availability to Ireland if you transfer your Avios to Aer Lingus AerClub. For instance, you could fly to Dublin from several major U.S. cities, including Chicago, for only 13,000 Avios. With the current promotion, purchasing the amount
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