Start here
New to miles and points? Read this first.
Collecting points is not a hobby for people with endless time — it is a small set of habits that quietly turn everyday spending into flights you would not otherwise pay for. Here is the whole idea in five minutes, with no jargon and nothing oversold.
The one thing to understand
Almost every UK points scheme is built on one currency or another: Avios, Virgin Points, or American Express Membership Rewards, plus the big hotel programmes. You earn them through a mix of flying, staying, and — the part most people underuse — spending on the right credit card. You then spend them on flights and rooms, where a well-chosen redemption is worth far more than the cashback you'd otherwise get.
Why cards sit at the centre
You will not fly enough to build a meaningful balance from flights alone. The people who travel well on points do it by routing ordinary, planned spending through a card that earns a transferable currency — then paying it off in full every month. That last part is not optional. Points are only worth chasing if you never carry a balance; interest wipes out any reward many times over.
Your first three moves
- Read what your points are actually worth, so you can tell a good redemption from a bad one.
- Understand how Avios work — the centre of gravity for most UK travellers.
- Choose a first card from our cards section, matched to how you actually travel rather than the biggest headline bonus.