It all

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Points Travel Pro › New to Points

New to Points?
You're in the right place.

Every year, thousands of UK travellers fly business class, stay in five star hotels and travel the world – paying a fraction of the cash price. They’re not rich. They’re not lucky. They just understand how points work. This site exists to teach you everything they know, starting from the very beginning.

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66+

Guides & Articles

Focused Advice

Start Here — Before Anything Else

Points 101: Do This Before You Buy Anything Online

If your browser is open and you're about to click "buy", stop for a moment.

There is a good chance that purchase is about to earn you nothing. Not because the points don't exist — they do. Not because it's complicated — it isn't. Simply because you haven't set up the one thing that makes every online purchase count.

It takes two minutes. You only do it once. And from that point forward, every transaction you make through a browser starts working for you.

Step 1 — Open a British Airways Executive Club account if you don't already have one.

Open BA Executive Club →

Step 2 — Open a free Avios account.

Open Avios Account →

Step 3 — Go to the Avios shopping portal, log in with your BA details, search for the retailer you were about to buy from, and click through to them from there. Then buy exactly as you normally would.

Go to Avios Shopping Portal →

Same website. Same product. Same price.
But now the purchase earns Avios.

You can learn the deeper strategy later. You can read the guides, understand the programmes and optimise everything in time. None of that matters right now.

What matters right now is not letting another purchase happen with nothing coming back. Close this browser. Close any window you had open that you were going to buy through. Open your BA account. Start there. And when you've made your purchase, come back here and we'll show you how to do it again and again.

POINTS 101

Where Do You Start?

If you’ve never collected points before, this is where to start. Travel loyalty programmes let you earn points and miles through everyday spending and redeem them for flights, hotel stays and upgrades worth far more than the cash you spent. The guides below answer the three questions every beginner asks first: what points actually are, which type to focus on, and whether they’ll disappear if life gets in the way.

START HERE

What Are Airline Awards?

The essential introduction to how points and miles turn into flights — what award tickets are, how they work, and why they matter.

Read the Guide

New to Points

Miles or Hotel Points?

Which should you collect first

Airline miles and hotel points work in very different ways. Before you start collecting, it helps to understand which one actually matches how you travel — and why the answer isn't the same for everyone.

Read the guide

New to Points

Do Points Expire?

What every collector needs to know

Most loyalty points expire after 12–36 months of inactivity — and the rules differ significantly between programmes. The good news is that keeping your balance alive is usually easier than you think.

Read the guide

YOUR STARTING POINT

So How Do You Begin?

No one starts their points journey from the same place. Some already hold balances and simply want to use them well. Others are starting from zero with a defined goal — a honeymoon, a family trip, a premium flight. Some travel regularly for work and want to convert that activity into personal value. Others are ready to optimise everything. Choose the path that reflects where you are right now.

Path 01

I Have Points...

And I want to use them well

You already hold a balance although with work it can grow. The goal now is using it deliberately and well — converting existing points into premium flights, high-value stays and structured redemptions without waste or guesswork.

Avios Virgin Points Transferable Points Hotel Points

Path 02

I Have a Goal...

A trip I want to make happen

Planning a milestone trip — a honeymoon, a family adventure, a dream destination? Start with the outcome and build backwards. The right strategy, sequenced correctly, can get you there faster. We'll help you hit your target.

Business Class Dream Holiday 5 Star Stay Multi-leg Adventure

Path 03

I Travel for Work...

And I want to make it count personally

Business travel becomes far more valuable when it's structured to support your personal and family trips. Flights, hotels and loyalty activity generated through work can quietly build status, upgrades and vouchers you deploy where they matter most.

Status Strategy Leveraging Business Travel Upgrades Reward Vouchers

Path 04

I Want to Optimise...

Every pound I spend

Points behave like a currency. Left unmanaged, they deliver inconsistent returns. Used well, they become one of the most reliable tools for funding premium travel. It starts with understanding how to make the most from the spending you already do.

Credit Card Stack Multipliers Understanding Value Partners

Where Next?

Everything Else is Here

The basics are just the beginning. Once you understand how the system works, everything else on this site opens up. We've organised it by topic so you can go wherever your interest takes you — whether that's understanding which airline programme suits you best, learning how to earn more on every purchase, or building a strategy around a specific trip. Start anywhere. Go at your own pace.

Pro Strategy Flights Hotels Earn

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Avios Peak and Off Peak Dates

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Star Alliance for oneworld Members

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Best Star Alliance Redemptions

Lufthansa First for 90,000 Aeroplan + £25. Singapore Suites via KrisFlyer. EVA Business for 62,500. The Middle East sweet spot at half the Avios cost. Same flight, four programmes, dramatically different prices.

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