The Avios Travel Rewards Programme in South Africa is closing down. From the end of May 2019, Avios members will no longer be able to use points collected. The move is in line with Avios’s plan to merge the Avios Travel Rewards Programme with British Airways Executive Club.
This decision comes after the UK arm of the Avios Travel Rewards Programme closed in May this year, and in September Avios reassured SA agents that the SA Avios Travel Rewards Programme continued as it always had.
However, Avios has now announced that SA-based Avios customers who do not have British Airways Executive Club membership will now need to open one and transfer all remaining Avios by May 31. Customer details on the new BA Executive Club account must match the old Avios account for the transfer to be successful. Avios points will be lost if customers have not transferred between accounts prior to the end of May.
Customers can continue collecting Avios until March 31. If a customer has transferred points themselves before the deadline, all remaining Avios will be automatically transferred once the programme comes to an end.
Customers who are currently members of both schemes will not need to open a new British Airways Executive Club account.
As of March 31, BP, Pick n Pay, Wine-of-the-Month Club and Sotheby’s will no longer partner with Avios. Avios credit card holders will not earn points after March 31 when using their credit card. BA Executive Club members are able to apply for a British Airways credit card issued by Absa.
Members who joined via kulula can continue to collect points until the end of March, and redeem points until the end of May. Members can convert their Avios to kulula’s ‘Travel bank credit’ to use at any point in the future. This credit does not expire, as long as Avios have been converted prior to May 31. In order to do this, members must create a kulula ID.
Any pending Avios collected after closure (May 31) will be transferred to a customer’s BA Executive Club account. This would apply, for example, on car rental via Avis to be used after May 31, but booked prior.
Despite the change, Avios says of BA Executive Club: “You will be able to collect in many of the same ways as you do today, plus there will be some exciting new global partners to collect with.”
