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From now until December 31, 2017, RBC Visa Avion cardmembers can earn a 30% bonus when transferring RBC Rewards To British Airways Executive Club. British Airways Avios are one of my favourite reward currencies for Canadians, with several program sweet spots providing exceptional value on certain award redemptions.
RBC Rewards To British Airways Avios Promotion Details
There are a few key points to consider before taking advantage of this promotion:
- Only available to RBC Avion card members, which include the Visa Infinite Avion Card, Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, and the Visa Platinum Avion
- A minimum of 10,000 RBC Rewards must be transferred to be eligible for the promotion
- Transfers must be initiated by December 31, 2017 to be eligible for the transfer bonus
- Account names on the RBC Rewards and Executive Club accounts must match
- Allow 4 weeks for the RBC Rewards to British Airways Executive Club transfer to complete (though in practice you should expect to see the points post much sooner than that)
To initiate a transfer, simply login to your RBC Rewards account and select British Airways as the transfer partner, or call RBC at 1-800-769-2512.
Should I Convert My RBC Rewards To British Airways Executive Club?
I consider the transfer option to British Airways the best use of RBC Reward points, and we usually see an increased transfer bonus to British Airways Executive club at least twice a year, usually around this time and in the spring, with the last promotion offering a 50% bonus. That being said, unless you have a specific award redemption in mind that you plan on booking in the next few months, I might hold off for the next promo, when we could see a better transfer bonus offered. There are a few great British Airways redemptions to consider, such as:
- Redeeming 25,000 British Airways Avios for roundtrip (economy) travel from the west coast of North America to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines
- Short-haul flights (less than 1,151 miles) within North America for 7,500 Avios each direction in economy
- Short-haul flights (less than 650 miles) outside of North America – especially helpful for connecting flights in Asia and Europe for only 4,500 Avios in economy or 9,000 in business class
RBC Rewards To British Airways Executive Club Bottom Line
British Airways can be a great program for Canadians looking to book reward travel, and I consider it the best use of RBC Reward points, specifically when there is a transfer bonus being offered. While not as high as the 50% bonus offered last spring, this could still be a good opportunity to get more value out of your RBC reward points, especially if you were planning to book some reward travel using British Airways Avios.
You have until the end of the year to take advantage of this 30% transfer bonus, and must have an RBC Avion Visa card (business or personal) to be eligible. However don’t worry too much if you miss this one, as we’ll likely see another promotion next year, potentially with a higher bonus.
Do you plan to take advantage of the RBC Rewards To British Airways Executive Club Promotion?
The only problem is that it’s so hard to use BA miles. Unless you want to book a year in advance, it seems almost impossible.
Hi James!
Advance planning can definitely make it easier to use Avios, but depending on the carrier I’ve had great luck scoring reward flights with little notice. Most recently I was able to book myself and 4 friends on a flight to Hawaii with Alaska Airlines only a few months out! Send me an email if you want some tips when you start planning your next trip using rewards!