In this post:
Earn Avios on estate agents
Foxtons, the London estate agency brand, and IAG Loyalty have announced an interesting new partnership that will give new and existing customers the opportunity to turn their property transactions into Avios.
The new partnership makes Foxtons the only UK estate agent through which customers can collect Avios. The agents are the UK’s largest lettings and London’s leading estate agency brand.
Customers using Foxtons to let or sell their home can collect up to 30,000 Avios, while existing Foxtons landlords who add Foxtons Property Management services can collect 20,000 Avios. The bad news is that collecting Avios on house sales is only a limited time offer running until 31 January 2026 and is available exclusively at participating Foxtons branches located in London, Watford, Bushey, Hemel Hempstead, Surrey and Berkshire. The landlord’s offer of Avios will be awarded on a monthly basis for completed lettings transactions across a year, subject to requirements and available exclusively at participating Foxtons branches located in London, Surrey and Berkshire.
To earn Avios, you must be a member of The British Airways Club. Landlords and sellers must link their My Foxtons account with their British Airways Club account via www.foxtons.co.uk/account/rewards prior to instructing Foxtons.
You can find more information here: www.avios.com/en-GB/collect-avios/shopping/foxtons/
New Avios option to Australia
Finnair has just announced an expansion to its long-haul network, starting flights to Melbourne, Australia, from next autumn. The route will be operated daily via Bangkok with an Airbus A350 aircraft. While you will have to connect via Helsinki from London, this could open up some better fares to Australia and another Avios redemption option. You could, of course, combine flying Finnair to Melbourne with BA flights to Bangkok, perhaps using a companion voucher. As they would be on separate tickets, it would be ideal if you had planned a Bangkok stopover.
All Finnair’s long-haul aircraft have their new business class seats, which are very spacious. You can read our review here. I am a fan of Finnair business class, and given that you could potentially have these seats all the way from London, it is something I would definitely consider. The other consideration is that, unlike most airlines, all Finnair’s long-haul aircraft have the new seats, so you don’t need to worry about an aircraft substitution. The A350 is a great aircraft for a ultra long-haul trip due to its better levels of humidity and cabin pressure, which reduce the effects of travelling compared to older aircraft.
Anssi Partanen, Market Director Europe at Finnair says “Melbourne is an important destination for many people in the UK and Ireland travelling to visit friends and family across the globe, and we are thrilled to announce this unique bridge between the northern and southern hemispheres. We are also excited to be one of the only airlines offering services to the city from Europe!
Connections via Helsinki from London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Dublin are available, and it is an easy airport to connect through. There are also excellent lounges there.
The flight is scheduled to depart from Helsinki shortly after midnight, arriving in Bangkok in the afternoon, and continuing to Melbourne after a brief stop, reaching Melbourne the following morning. On the return, flights leave from Melbourne in the afternoon, with a stop in Bangkok in the evening, and land in Helsinki early the next day, aligning with Finnair’s first morning departures across Europe. Finnair’s services to Asia have been specifically timed to allow for easy connections from Finnair’s UK destinations – including London Heathrow, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
The Melbourne flights will be available for booking on Finnair.com as of 18 December, and the first flight is expected to be on 25 October 2026, subject to government approval.
Visit finnair.com for more information on Finnair’s routes and schedules.
Emirates auctions off 20 years of Platinum tier status
One of the most interesting airline auctions I have seen for a long time has just launched, but I am guessing that very deep pockets will be needed. The Emirates Airline Foundation and Emirates Auction are partnering for an exclusive online auction to offer special Emirates Skywards membership numbers that come with Platinum tier status benefits valid for up to 20 years. While 20 years’ worth of top-tier membership is valuable, I think the words “up to” are a little concerning, as Emirates indicates that the size of the winning bid will determine membership length. Hopefully, as you go into the bidding process, it will make it clear exactly what is included. The other downside is that you need to pay a refundable security deposit to activate your bidding privileges. With Emirates not being part of an alliance, it is less valuable than other airline top-tier status offerings unless you plan to do nearly all your flights with Emirates for the long term.
Running from 17 December 2025 until 17 January 2026, bids can be made for special membership numbers with Platinum tier status benefits. The auction will be open to bidders worldwide, which means I think we are looking at some serious amounts of cash.
100% of funds raised from the Emirates Auction will go to the Emirates Airline Foundation’s work in supporting vulnerable children worldwide. Proceeds from the bids will benefit 14 NGOs in 9 countries that mobilise housing initiatives, provide safe spaces for education, deliver essential nutrition and healthcare, secure opportunities for skills and vocational development, and much more.
How to Participate
The fully digital auction is open to participants worldwide from 17th December 2025 through the Emirates Auction platform. Registration is free and can be completed in minutes via the website or mobile app, with UAE Pass integration is available for UAE residents.
Steps to bid:
- Visit emiratesauction.com/register or download the Emirates Auction mobile app
- Complete the complimentary registration
- Browse the seven exclusive membership numbers available through https://www.emiratesauction.com/emirates-skywards
- Pay a refundable security deposit to activate your bidding privileges
- Place bids throughout the auction period
The following Skywards membership numbers are available for bidding:
- 2111111111
- 6000000005
- 6999999996
- 7000000000
- 7000000070
- 7070000000
- 7777777770
Winning bidders will be notified within 24 hours of the auction’s conclusion on 17th January 2026. Payment can be made via bank transfer or cheque. Skywards Platinum membership validity periods are determined by the winning bid amount.
Skywards Platinum membership benefits
The highest tier in the Emirates Skywards programme is typically achieved by earning 150,000 Tier Miles or more, plus completing at least one qualifying flight in First or Business Class.
Platinum members get the complete suite of Blue, Silver, and Gold benefits, with other privileges. Members receive complimentary Home Check-in service in Dubai, priority First Class airport check-in, and white-glove baggage delivery. This is in addition to access to Emirates’ global network of First Class and Business Class lounges, with complimentary entry extended to their guests. Members earn 100% bonus Skywards Miles on every Emirates and flydubai flight and can extend Gold tier status to a spouse, partner, or friend. Platinum members can also unlock additional exclusive privileges including Tier Miles Rollover, discounted cabin upgrades, and complimentary upgrade opportunities.
1 comment
I was very sceptical of the Finnair bus class seat but when we had to fly on it, I found I loved it. Even though there is no door, the seat is really private which surprised me. We chose to go from HEL to PER via DOH. The DOH – PER leg is with Qatar Qsuite. So all in all our trip so far has been fabulous. We flew the A350 from LHR – HEL in economy the day before – it was packed! So glad the flight wasn’t longer.
Comments are closed.