Why I'm changing up my points and miles strategy for the rest of 2024

26.04.2024 - 17:25 / thepointsguy.com / Airlines

Before joining TPG in 2021, I was a newbie to the world of points and miles. Despite traveling frequently throughout the previous decade, I was oblivious to the benefits of loyalty programs or how straightforward it could be to earn points or miles for airfare and hotel stays.

For the last few years, I've immersed myself in points and miles, keen to understand every facet and maximize the value I get from every trip I take or penny I spend. Fast forward three years and I've accrued a healthy stash of Avios and, until very recently, was also sitting pretty with British Airways Executive Club Silver status.

At this point, however, I've hit something of a points and miles crossroads, and I'm now adjusting my earning and redemption strategies to eke out as much value from my points as possible.

Here's how and why I'm changing up my points and miles strategy for 2024 to no longer focus my energy on earning Avios to redeem for flights.

I won't divulge the total number of Avios I currently have in my British Airways Executive Club account, but let's just say it's more than enough to book a few luxury flights across the globe.

Until now, my strategy was simple: Earn as many Avios as possible and redeem them on as many great flight experiences as possible. I did this through a variety of methods, initially starting out without a credit card by using British Airways' online shopping portal for as much of my regular spending as possible.

While it wasn't getting me the most Avios imaginable, it was a great gateway to understanding points and miles accrual, and I was frequently able to earn double and triple Avios or higher on retail purchases and subscriptions that I'd buy anyway.

After this, I briefly flirted with British Airways' now-defunct prepay travel card, which would earn 1 Avios per British pound ($1.25) spent. It wasn't quite the earning rate I could have had with a points credit card, but at least I was earning something — and at that point, I was still approaching points and miles with some trepidation.

I quickly graduated from the debit travel card to taking the plunge and getting myself a British Airways Avios-earning credit card offering 1.5 Avios per pound spent. This was a turning point, and on top of the card's generous welcome bonus, combined with stacking the card's regular earnings with shopping portals, I very quickly saw my Avios account bloom. I also managed to earn a British Airways upgrade voucher after I hit a certain spending threshold.

As my Avios stash has grown, I've taken advantage of British Airways' Reward Flight Saver redemptions on short-haul economy and Club Europe (the carrier's European business-class cabin) fares to destinations such as Sicily, Italy; Athens, Greece;