British Airways Short Haul: Avios for Economy or Business?

Are you a British Airways Avios collector planning to redeem your points for short-haul European flights? Although it’s an easy choice when it comes to choosing between redeeming economy or business when you’re flying long-haul – the answer is obviously business – things get a little murkier when you’re deciding which short-haul cabin to travel in.

So, to help you out, here’s a breakdown of what you get in Euro Traveler, how it competes with Club Europe on British Airways’ short-haul routes – and when choosing one over the other makes sense.

What is included in each cabin?

European Traveler – Economy

Here’s what to expect if you book an economy class award seat using British Airways Avios:

Rest and sit

Enjoy the comfort of streamlined leather seats with adjustable headrests and reasonable legroom (seat pitch is approximately 78-79 cm depending on the aircraft). USB ports are available on most planes to keep your devices charged during your flight and beyond — especially useful if you’re traveling for business.

Snacks and purchase options on board

A complimentary bottle of water and a snack are provided on most flights, and High Life Café’s “buy before you fly” menu includes sweets and savory treats that can be ordered in advance for your flight. You can also pay with your Avios if you’re a British Airways Club member – although I wouldn’t say it’s a great value way to spend them…the free meal isn’t part of your booking, but on board, there’s an on-board shopping list of fresh sandwiches and snacks that you can buy through the app, debit/credit card or with Avios (my same thoughts apply here). For long and short trips, such as Greece or Turkey, this may seem highly inconvenient, but for short trips to Spain or France it is fine.

Communication and digital services

Most British Airways aircraft offer Wi-Fi (for a fee), and Club members can use free messaging during their flight. You can pre-order your duty-free shopping from the High Life Shop to be delivered directly to your seat on the plane, which is always a great way to cut through all the hassle of on-board trolley service.

Flexible baggage and fare

Euro Traveler fares include cabin baggage and options to add checked baggage depending on your fare type. There are three price levels available to choose from:

• Basic Economy Class: which includes your own hand luggage, but extras such as checked bags or seat selection require you to pay a fee
• Premium Economy: Includes 23kg checked baggage, seat selection 48 hours before your flight, and allows you to make changes up to one hour before departure
• Economy Plus Flex: This gives you all the benefits of Plus plus a full refund and changes up to one hour before departure

Additional privileges

Although you can’t use the British Airways lounge with an economy ticket (unless you have the correct BA status – but that’s for another time), you can purchase a lounge ticket for non-BA lounges – allowing you to relax before your flight, for a fee. This usually costs around £50 per person, but if you’re on a longer flight and will need some sustenance, it may be worth the cost.

Club Europe – Business

Airport and land concessions

If you book a business class flight with British Airways Avios, your airport experience is made much easier, with dedicated check-in desks and fast track security (at London airports), plus access to British Airways or partner lounges (where available) – offering food and refreshments, workspaces, Wi-Fi and a comfortable environment. You’ll also be able to board first with priority boarding (boarding group 1), so you can go straight to your seat and feel comfortable when you take off.

Cabin and seating comfort

British Airways’ short-haul business class typically uses a middle seat confined in a 3-3 layout or similar, giving travelers a seat configuration that provides additional personal space and privacy, albeit not as much legroom as economy class (~30 inches). You’ll find contoured leather seats, with magazine racks and seat controls on most planes.

Service on board

Here you will notice a big change in your travel experience. In the Business Class cabin, you are served complimentary meals, ranging from full breakfasts, hot lunches, traditional afternoon tea, or dinner depending on the flight timings. You’ll also get free alcoholic beverages — from G&T to Champagne. Delicious! All of this means, of course, that you won’t land at your chosen destination on an empty stomach. A nightmare for anyone like me!

Baggage allowance

The baggage allowance is much more generous than economy. You can check up to two bags (usually up to 32kg each), plus one cabin bag and one laptop or handbag. This is a huge bonus if you are traveling with kids for a family holiday, or with friends for a longer holiday.

Extra touches

Premium cabin seating means there is a dedicated cabin crew focused solely on Club Europe travellers, which can really elevate your travel experience with British Airways Avios. When it comes to dining, not only will you get your meals on board, but you’ll also get them in proper crockery. If your plane has Wi-Fi, you’ll get it for free, and free messaging is available to club members. If you’re traveling for business, this can be a godsend. Or maybe you just want to disconnect from the world and catch up on your latest Netflix show.

Avios and cash comparison

When comparing short-haul economy and business class, if you’re planning to redeem a British Airways Avios reward seat, it’s not just about stacking up on the service offerings. You also need to consider the cost of Avios, and whether it’s worth it to you.

British Airways Economy award seats start from 9,250 Avios, plus 50p cash, each way to places like Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Lyon depending on off-peak/off-peak fares. Booking award seats in business can cost much more – sometimes twice as much as Avios in economy – making it a higher points investment. If we take the same three destinations above (Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Lyon), costs range from 15,000 Avios plus £12.50 for a Club Europe booking.

Sticking with the three examples, let’s calculate the cash equivalent value, and the price difference between cabins, to give you a better idea of ​​how much British Airways is spending on Avios.

As a general rule, you should aim for a cash value of (at least) 1p per 1 Avios, when redeeming points, to give you the best value return. If we apply this rule to our three short-term destinations:

Booking one Economy Class seat during off-peak times will cost you the cash equivalent of £186 (18,500 Avios plus £1 cash). Booking one business class seat during off-peak times will cost you the cash equivalent of £325 (30,000 Avios plus £25 cash).

That’s a difference of £139 between cabins for this flight. From here, you can decide if it’s worth it for you to pay that difference in Avios for an improved short-distance experience.

When to consider using more Avios for Club Europe

There have certainly been times when I chose to use my British Airways Avios award seats for business class on short flights rather than economy class. I tend to choose to redeem Club Europe Avios when I have a nice, healthy balance of Avios, so I can enjoy the additional benefits of a premium cabin without worrying about the overall points spend. If, like me, you value access to a business class lounge and have time to enjoy yourself before traveling, then a business class cabin exchange is great value. Especially when you consider the cash you’ll save on paid lounge tickets and food and drinks at the airport. More often than not, the cost of Avios outweighs the higher cash cost of booking an award seat in the higher cabin, especially if you need to pay extra for your economy class baggage as well.

I also tend to club Europe when I’m flying at night, or when my flight duration is “long” for a short-haul route – like Türkiye or Cyprus. This extra comfort, quiet, food and drink goes a long way in keeping me a happy traveler!

If saving maximum cash isn’t the goal when booking, sometimes just the quiet lounge experience, complimentary food and drinks and personalized service from check-in to landing are worth the extra Avios you pay for short-haul business class.

When the economics make more sense

There are certainly times when redeeming economy class for short hauls makes more sense than business class. Especially if you’re a British Airways Avios collector and really love maximizing your points to get the most value. In those cases, you should just focus on booking a business class Avios award seat when flying long distances.

If you are flying for a short flight and the extra comfort is not necessary, especially for day flights, I suggest you always spend your Avios in the economy cabin. The same applies if you’re familiar with the route – such as a much-loved family holiday destination. In those cases, I like to save my points for long-term redemptions.

Key takeaways

Club Europe certainly offers Avios collectors more comfort and convenience when redeeming an award seat, but that comes at a higher Avios cost. If you want to maximize your points and miles, you may want to stick to economy when booking short-haul redemptions. Your decision ultimately comes down to whether the convenience and perks are worth indulging in your stash of Avios — or if you’d rather save them for larger trips.

Kylie Hepworth

Kylie Hepworth is Head of Marketing at Finder’s Journey Bonus. Reward Flight Finder is the perfect tool to search for British Airways reward flights. If you would like to be a guest blogger on a luxury travel blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.