British Airways has a hotel portal – Avios Hotels – which is powered by Expedia and you earn Avios for hotel bookings. These are standalone bookings, i.e. not part of the flight package deals. I remember them pushing it quite hard and the agent would try to sell it when I called to book a flight.
As you can see on their homepage, there’s currently a promotion running until February 24 under which you’ll earn double Avios (20 Avios £1) for all bookings. If you value Avios at 1p then that’s a very impressive 20% rebate!
But the maths isn’t right if their rates are inflated. I’ve checked a few hotels in London for an upcoming Saturday, and here’s the price comparison between Avios Hotels and Expedia:
- Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge – £181 / £214
- InterContinental London Park Lane – £311 / £311
- London Marriott Regents Park – £159 / £159
- Hilton London Metropole – £169 / £169
So they’re not playing any game here by charging extra, and in one case it’s even cheaper than Expedia. Of course Expedia doesn’t always have the cheapest rate available, but their offer is usually quite competitive.
If you are a member of the hotel loyalty program, you will not earn any points or be entitled to member benefits when booking via a travel agency like Avios Hotels, so that’s one thing to keep in mind.
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