Quiz: How well do you know your Avios lingo?

It’s been a minute since Bruce Forsyth’s “points mean prizes” catchphrase (younger readers – ask your parents), but it’s as apt today as it’s ever been when it comes to Avios. As the loyalty currency of the British Airways Club and its partners, it’s the most rewarding way to turn everyday spending into future travel adventures.

Like any good club, Avios has its own language. But how much of it do you know? Test your knowledge with our quiz. Warning: the questions start easy and get harder as you go along…

The British Airways Club glossary

Need to brush up on your Club lingo? Check out our glossary below to help you get up to speed.

1. Reward Flight Saver
So, these are the cherries on top of the delicious cake that is the Avios scheme. Made up of a low fixed cash price (to cover those taxes, fees and carrier charges) and a fixed Avios amount, offers great value. It’s available on all short-haul and some long-haul routes.  these are subject to availability, so book early and you could be flying to Madeira for as little as 27,500 Avios and £1 (off-peak return), or Milan for just 18,500 Avios and £1 (off-peak return). That’s right – a short-haul Reward Flight often requires just £1 in cash to accompany the Avios, which vary depending on the destination, cabin and whether you fly peak or off-peak.

2. Avios part payment
Waiting on pay day for that short-haul escape or some long-distance luxury? Avios part payment can bridge the gap, allowing you to use Avios towards the price of a flight and thus reducing the overall cash cost. Contributions start from 1,000 Avios and increase by varying intervals depending on the destination. For a World Traveller (long-haul economy) return to New York, for example, you could reduce the cash amount by £20 for 2,000 Avios or £120 with 25,600 Avios – and still collect Avios and tier points on that journey once you’ve taken it.

3. Taxes, fees and carrier charges
We’ve mentioned these already but, essentially, these three costs are included in the price of every British Airways ticket and visible in the breakdown at checkout. They’re an amalgamation of taxes and fees that vary depending on where you’re travelling to and from. Made up of various items, they can include things such as government taxes, customs and/or immigration fees and air passenger duty fees. It’s worth noting that some are refundable so, if you miss your flight, you may be able to claim some money back.

4. Peak and off-peak
Much as with other modes of transport, flights operate within two different price brackets: peak and off-peak. Generally, peak tickets refer to a popular time of year (think school half-terms and Christmas), while off-peak covers the rest. When booking a Reward Flight, you can choose a mixture of peak and off-peak dates. When you have put in your date and destination, you will learn whether it’s a peak or off-peak flight. Which dates qualify as peak or off-peak change every year and affect how much Avios it costs to take a particular flight. In some cases, for example, when flying to Antigua, Barbados or Miami, it can be as much as 25,000 Avios cheaper to fly off-peak, so the more flexible you can be with your dates, the more Avios you can save.