When it comes to reserving award flights, the simplicity of looking for award availability can greatly influence your success in obtaining award space. Recently, the Avios currency has unveiled a new award calendar feature, enhancing the reservation experience for flights on British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.
Avios, the loyalty currency for British Airways Club, Iberia Club, and Aer Lingus Club, now provides a consolidated search option on its site. This tool enables users to see award availability across several months, offering a major advantage compared to checking individual airline websites.
Key elements of the new Avios award calendar feature consist of:
– It facilitates award searches for British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus but does not extend to other airlines like Qatar Airways.
– Users can refine availability by class of service following a search.
– The calendar showcases only nonstop award availability, which might not be suitable for those looking for connecting travel options.
For example, a search for award availability from Madrid to Tokyo Narita for early 2027 would present nonstop choices on Iberia, the only airline servicing this route. The preliminary search results reveal availability across various cabins, but filtering for business class shows limited premium cabin options.
The simplicity of searching for award availability is highly appreciated by frequent flyers, as it offers a realistic perspective of available choices. Unlike the tedious method on standalone airline websites, the Avios calendar enables a thorough search over an entire year in mere seconds. This upgrade lessens the dependence on third-party sites like Seats.aero, which have become popular due to the challenges of checking availability directly through airlines.
In summary, the new Avios award calendar feature is a significant enhancement for those reserving award flights with IAG carriers. It provides a streamlined searching process for nonstop award seats, making it an excellent resource for point-to-point travel planning. What are your opinions on the new Avios award search feature?