I've had 127,000 BA avios for a few years now - have found absolutely NO flights available any time I've tried to use them. Int'l, domestic, partner airlines, etc. etc. ---- nothing has been available. And I've also noticed that in the unlikely event that I could find a way to fly with them, British Airways extracts a hefty fee in addition to the miles. It's been bugging me for years.

Seriously, I was pretty much over it.

But then in looking at hotel reviews on TripAdvisor for a domestic trip we are planning for next fall, lo and behold someone gives a good review for a hotel I'm considering --- and mentions they used their avios to pay.

Wait! What??? You can use the avios for hotels? Off to the BA website and yes, hallelujah, it's true!

So I used 127,000 avios (plus $92) to book a fancy schmancy hotel for four nights (a $1396 value) in downtown Washington DC. I am so happy.

Of course, because I am getting a great hotel for hardly any money, but probably most of all because I no longer have any avios to mess with my mind!

It's great that you found value with your Avios in a hotel booking. However, I find them extremely valuable for short flights that would otherwise be expensive. For example, I just reserved Florence to Vienna for 4.5k Avios and $27.50 where the cash price is 480 Euros.

They recently raised the minimum redemption for US domestic flights to 6.5k, but there are still plenty of valuable short haul redemptions.

This is the reason I keep a stash of Avios.

someotherguy: I agree 100% that using BA Avios for short hops are a great way to spend them -- I've taken a half-dozen trips between Boston and NYC that way. Was wondering which carrier flies from FLR to VIE using Avios?

DonTopaz, the flight is operated by Niki, which is a subsidiary of Air Berlin, which is in OneWorld.

Glad some of us have found ways to use those avios for actual travel!

I don't usually fly short hops - prefer to travel overland once I'm wherever I fly longhaul- so the avios were a source of frustration for me.

I'm sure they are useful for some travelers - as for me, I am just so glad to have found a way to use them and not to have to keep trying to figure out what to do with them!

I sat on 150K Avios miles for about 3 years before deciding to spend them on hotels and domestic flights on AA. I'm glad you were able to use yours, at last.

Scdreamer, glad you were able to use the Avios, but also want to say, you are very funny. I enjoy your writing style a lot. I looked to see if you had done any trip reports, but did not see any. Please do one after your next trip. I would definitely read it.