12 days of Christmas shopping with Avios
Seasonal spending? Use these hacks to supercharge your Avios, which can be put towards future trips
18/12/2025
Words: Emma Blackmore
Whether you’re decking the halls or stocking up on holiday staples, each purchase this Christmas can help fuel your next getaway. Make the most of your everyday spending with these simple tips and turn mundane moments into upcoming adventures.
1. Collect with British Airways American Express® Credit Card
Ready to supercharge your Avios? Whether you’re hitting the West End, having a tipple or two with friends or crossing off the Christmas food list, with a BA Amex® Credit Card you’ll collect one Avios for every £1 spent. What’s more? You’ll also pick up 5,000 Avios as a welcome bonus when you spend £2,000 in the first three months of Cardmembership and collect a Companion Voucher when you spend £15,000 each Cardmembership year.* Enter your British Airways Club number while applying.
BA Amex® Credit Card. Representative 29.4% APR variable. Eligible new Cardmembers only. Credit limit and interest rates depend on our credit assessment of you and may differ from those shown. Terms apply. 18+ UK residents, subject to status.
*Spend a minimum of £15,000 in a Cardmembership year to get a Companion Voucher. Voucher valid for 12 months, in economy cabins only. Rewards Flights are paid for with a fixed Avios and cash amount.
Story Cellar (photo Josh Ward)
2. Indulge in a festive feast
If dining in London is on your Yuletide checklist, check out the Avios in-store food and drink retailers. Enjoy Parisian-inspired rotisserie from a Michelin-star chef at Story Cellar, fresh Portuguese flavours at Bar Douro or time-honoured Lebanese dishes at Yalla Yalla and more – all while you collect Avios. Whether you need to fuel your shopping spree with a quick stop at Paul or you’re having a late night at the 28°-50° wine bar, register your credit or debit cards to your British Airways Club account (prior to purchase) and you’ll collect Avios. Make sure to browse the list first before you dine and then pay with your registered card.
3. Buy presents via the Avios Shop
Behold savvy shoppers, for the Avios Shop makes crossing off your Christmas gift list just that extra bit rewarding. Shop with more than 2,000 brands, from high street favourites (H&M) to the biggest department stores (John Lewis & Partners) and treasure troves for children (Hamley’s) and collect Avios as you shop – keep an eye on the occasional bumper offers from brands. Follow the ‘Shop Now’ links to the retailer’s website, ensure cookies have been tracked, and make your purchase. It’s as simple as that. Use your British Airways American Express® Credit Card when you shop to collect even more Avios.
4. Stock up with The Wine Flyer
Let the good times flow with a bottle of bubbly – or two – from The Wine Flyer. With wine, beer, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks available by subscription or by bottle, The Wine Flyer is on a mission to transport you back to memories of wines you enjoyed on your travels. It offers a broad range of bottles, from classic and traditional wines to those from lesser-known grapes and up-and-coming regions. As the only Avios wine retailer, you can purchase ‘Avios Boosting Subscriptions’ or simply collect five Avios per £1.
Shopping at Bicester Village (also opening image)
5. Luxury shopping at Bicester Village
Transforming into a scene from a Christmas storybook, Bicester Village is an ideal shopping day out, come December. With more than 150 luxury boutiques, high street favourites and lifestyle brands, plus seasonal treats from a selection of restaurants, you’ll find everything you need in this Oxfordshire shopping destination. Save up to 40 per cent on the original retail prices, and as a British Airways Club member, you can collect one Avios for every £1 spent – don’t forget to check Avios.com for participating brands. To make sure you’re collecting Avios with Bicester Village, simply link your payment card before your next visit.
6. Take a rental car for a spin
Planning your next escape? If you need to borrow some wheels, at home or abroad (in over 180 destinations), book with Avis and collect five Avios per £1 spent. Take your pick from economy or luxury cars, automatic and manual, vans and seven-seaters, to EV and hybrid. As a British Airways Club member, you can add one free additional driver when hiring a car with Avis, too.
7. Book your next escape
Whether you’re planning your big adventure in 2026 or you’re in need of a last-minute getaway to escape the gloomy British weather this winter, there are more than 300,000 hotels from across the world you can book with Avios Hotels. The best bit? You’ll collect 10 Avios for every £1 you spend.
Say it with flowers from Marks & Spencer
8. Send your loved ones flowers
‘Tis the season of giving after all. Show friends and family love this Christmas by sending flowers and hampers via the Avios Shop. There are countless gorgeous options, from Marks & Spencer's flowers and hampers – think combos of red roses, skimmia posies and gorgeous willow – to Prestige Flowers' tulips, stargazer lilies, wreathes and everything in-between. Start a Freddie’s Flowers subscription for seasonal stems straight to your door – their scented eucalyptus, rich pine and berried hypericum will guarantee a smile.
9. Convert Nectar into Avios
The next time you stroll through the aisles of Sainsbury’s, just remember that extra loaf of bread is, in fact, helping to pay for your next getaway. You can now convert your Nectar points (earned via partners such as Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat, Marriott Bonvoy, Esso and more) into Avios – all you need to do is link your two accounts. Every 400 Nectar points converted is 250 Avios and every 400 Avios equal 400 Nectar points. Christmas dinner sorted.
10. Collect Avios with every Uber ride
December is the month for warming up with mulled wine at Christmas markets and spending time visiting family and friends. Wherever you need to be, book an Uber ride, train, coach or Eurostar via the Uber app and collect one Avios per £1 spent. Link your British Airways Club and Uber accounts before your journey and you’ll soon see the Avios rack up. An Uber One member? You’ll also get five per cent Uber One credits on rides and 10 per cent when you book trains in the app, which you can put towards your next ride or train.
11. Plot an action-packed day out
Now is the time to finally tick off those attractions – ascend to the top of the London Eye, get up close to your favourite celebrity (wax) figure at Madame Tussauds or experience the Peruvian jungle at The Paddington BearTM Experience – all while collecting Avios when you book through the Avios Shop. Book a festive pantomime via Ticketmaster or London Theatre Direct, hop on a train to Warwick Castle to step back into the mediaeval period or head to Blenheim Palace to see the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and you'll also collect Avios. Need to slow down? Why not collect on a dreamy Spa Breaks massage, complete with a tipple or two?
12. Tidy up your Avios
The end of the year always calls for some housekeeping… if you are frequent traveller with hotel points, convert these to Avios to boost your balance. Swap 9,000 Marriot BonvoyÒ points for 3,000 Avios or 10,000 IHG One Rewards for 2,000 Avios. There’s also Hilton Honours (10,000/1,000), ALL Rewards (4,000/2,000), Meliá Rewards (100/30) or Choice Privileges (5,000/1,000). Have an American Express® Credit Card? Then you can swap your Membership Rewards® points for Avios, too. Amalgamating all those hotels points into Avios can help you go even further in the future…
For more Avios tips and tricks, visit our Avios page
