British Airways is reportedly planning to operate its first long-haul 'Avios only' flight towards the end of next year, with Dubai International Airport (DXB) being the destination. Aiming to run the service in the October half term, every seat onboard the flight will only be able to be purchased by using the carrier's Avios points.

Going long 

According to FlightGlobal, British Airways Chairperson and CEO Sean Doyle revealed the plans during a media event yesterday evening at the UK flag carrier's London Heathrow Airport (LHR) hub. Thus far, the airline has only offered Avios-only flights to short and medium-haul destinations in Europe and North Africa, but it is now ready to go a step further.

Given what a competitive long-haul corridor the route from London to Dubai is, this is certainly a sign that BA means business with its Avios-only offerings. According to Head for Points, the 'points plane' likely to be used on the exclusive Dubai rotation is a four-class Boeing 777. Enticingly, this means that the UK flag carrier's highly-regarded First Class and Club Suite products will be up for redemption.

When and how much? 

At the time of writing, the exact times and dates of the Avios-only rotation to and from Dubai are yet to be revealed by British Airways. The October half-term generally falls at the end of the month, although there is typically some fluctuation between regions and school types. Nonetheless, given the approximate time of year that BA has chosen, the carrier seems to be targeting family getaways.

It is worth noting that while such redemptions are billed as Avios-only, the use of such points doesn't tend to cover the associated fees and taxes that are part and parcel of modern airline tickets. With this in mind, Head for Points estimates that Club World redemptions will cost between 180,000 Avios + £350 and 48,000 Avios + £1,265. Simple Flying has contacted British Airways for further information.

The story of the scheme 

British Airways first got in on the 'points plane' act in April 2023, when it revealed it would operate an Avios-only rotation from London Gatwick (LGW) to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) in November. Geneva was also revealed as a destination at the time, with another five routes being launched the following month. October this year then saw it add another five destinations for summer travel in 2024.