Robert Powell looks at the looming death of free Airmiles flights and finds out what you can do to avoid losing out...
“Ripping up the old rulebook” is how Airmiles describes the upcoming revamp of its popular reward scheme. And it has a point. You’d be hard-pressed to find any rulebook that charges customers up to £600 for ‘free’ flights.
Yes, as of 16 November 2011 Airmiles will become Avios miles.
The revamp is essentially the result of the merger between Spanish carrier Iberia and British Airways – who launched Airmiles over 20 years ago – into the parent company International Airlines Group.
In addition to the morphing of the Airmiles scheme, BA’s Executive Club and the Iberia Plus reward programmes will also start using Avios miles.
So what does this change mean for existing customers?
Let’s take a closer look...
Fees and charges
The major change taking place is the axing of completely free, all-inclusive flights. Currently, if you collect enough Airmiles to get you to a destination, then you don’t pay anything for the flight. Under Avios, all you get for free with your miles is the fare. All other airline taxes, fees and surcharges are payable separately in cash.
The change could add up to £300 to the cost of flights to New York, £400-£500 onto flights to Asia and the Far-East and up to £600 for trips to Australia. ‘Free’ flights around Europe with the reward scheme could cost up to £100, although there will be a cap of £27 on European flights, provided you’ve collected at least one Avios mile in the 12 months preceding your booking.
Airmiles (or Avios, as it will be from next month) said the change was down to increasing costs, and that fully subsidising fees and charges had become untenable. But whatever the reason, by introducing cash fees and charges, the reward scheme is essentially devaluing the points collected by its loyal customers.
But there is still time to get hold of completely free flights before the change comes in...
Don’t lose out
If you’re an existing user your points will automatically convert from Airmiles to Avios miles when the revamp comes in. As part of this, your current stock of miles will be multiplied by ten to bring them in line with the Executive Club and Iberia Plus programmes.
The methods of earning miles will not change (via Tesco Clubcard points, Lloyds TSB Duo credit card etc.), just the accounting; so where you would have earned one Airmile, you’ll now earn ten Avios miles instead. The number of miles needed to reach certain destinations will also be altered to reflect these changes.
Despite the launch of the new scheme being pencilled in for 16 November, existing customers will be able to use Airmiles in their current form until 15 December for travel within 12 months. After this date, your miles will devalue and any flights booked using them will be subject to cash fees. So if you have a stock of miles built up, you’ll have to use them before 15 December to get the fee-free benefits currently available.
It’s also worth pointing out that between 15 November and 15 December all redemptions will have to be made over the phone, as the Airmiles website will have been switched over to Avios.
But these alterations aren’t the only changes being introduced...
Other changes
In addition to scrapping all-inclusive flights and revamping the miles system, the shift to Avios will also affect the travel zones used to price fares. The change will bring in nine zones – up from the existing seven – with some destinations switching zones. Avios say that out of the current top 20 most popular destinations, travellers will need fewer miles on five routes and more on seven, with the remaining eight seeing no change.
[SPOTLIGHT]For example a flight to New York JFK – previously listed at 5000 Airmiles, or £250 of Tesco vouchers if you collect through Clubcard – will now cost 40,000 Avios Miles, the equivalent of £200 under Clubcard. But remember that this excludes all fees and charges, costs that could stretch to £300.
However there are some benefits. Avios miles will be eligible for tailor-made trips involving one-way flights and journeys in and out of different airports. Customers will also be able to collect miles when paying cash for flights on British Airways and Iberia and earn extra points for premium tickets.
Regional supplements for flights departing from non-London UK airports will also be scrapped, as will all credit card fees.
BA Executive Club and Iberia Plus customers
The move to Avios will also affect the BA Executive Club and Iberia Plus reward schemes. BA miles will see no change in value, but will be renamed Avios miles. Iberia miles will be multiplied by 15 to bring them in line with BA miles.
BA Executive Club customers will also be affected by travel zone changes. Flights from Heathrow to Tel Aviv, Mauritius, Nice, Larnaca, Pristina and Catania will require more miles, while journeys to New York JKF, Hong Kong, Narita, Cairo, Helsinki and Prague will need fewer.
BA reward scheme customers will also be able to spend Avios miles on hotel accommodation and car rental; two options currently not available.
Head to the Executive Club site for more information.
Fight back
Unsurprisingly the Airmiles revamp has provoked something of a backlash online. A campaign has been set up at fighttheairmileschange.co.uk as well as a Facebook group calling for the shift to Avios to be halted.
Among the supporters of the campaign are many customers of the reward scheme who asjusted their shopping and spending habits for years in order to maximise their Airmiles stock.
One disgruntled Airmiles customer posting on the campaign’s website under the username mancmum said that she’d been collecting miles since 2003 in order to visit friends in Australia, and was on target to reach the appropriate amount of miles by 2013. The change to Avios will slap up to £600 in charges onto what would have been free flights.
Indeed, it’s this sense of the longevity of the Airmiles scheme and the commitment of its customers that really reveals the unfair nature of these looming changes.
What do you think?
Is this Airmiles revamp fair?
Have your say using the comment box below.
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