British Airways Launches Avios-Only Flights to Cape Town

British Airways' latest Avios-Only destination will be Cape Town, with more than 500 seats now available for customers to spend their Avios on.

Members of The British Airways Club can travel to Cape Town over the Christmas period, from as little as 70,000 Avios and £150. 

Date: 20 Dec 2025 to 02 Jan 2026 

Flight No. BA43

Route:London Heathrow – Cape Town 

Aircraft: Boeing 777 

Flight: BA42 

Route: Cape Town – London Heathrow 

Aircraft: Boeing 777 

Cape Town marks the release of the airline’s 7,500th Avios-Only seat since the launch in 2023. British Airways has operated 34 Avios-Only flights to 15 destinations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America, and the Caribbean.

The most recent Avios-Only flights to Málaga and Marrakech were scheduled during the October half-term and were especially popular with families. Booking rates for families with children were more than four times higher than for other reward flights. 

British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Colm Lacy, said: “We’re delighted to announce Cape Town as our latest Avios-Only flight destination, in South Africa’s peak travel season. Members will have the opportunity to book seats across all four cabins over the popular festive period offering more value and choice than ever.” 

Rob McDonald, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Loyalty, said: “We know how popular Avios-Only flights are with customers and we’re incredibly excited to work with British Airways to offer the next long-haul Avios-Only flight to Cape Town, operating over the peak Christmas period. This will allow customers to take full advantage of the value Avios unlocks on an incredibly popular route.” 

Avios-Only seats are sold as normal Reward Seats, which means that customers with British Airways American Express Credit Cards will also have the option to use their Companion Vouchers. These entitle Members to a second seat for just the taxes and charges, or one seat for half the amount of Avios. 

Reward Seats are those that can be purchased using Avios at static rates. British Airways guarantees a minimum of 12 and 14 Reward Seats on standard short and long-haul flights respectively, whereas Avios-Only flights mean that every seat is available to purchase using Avios.

Members booking the Avios-Only flight can do so in any cabin as they normally would through ba.com.