We conducted a survey on how British workers are using their annual leave. As it turns out, many aren’t! We’ve created an infographic showing how much British holiday goes to waste.
Annual leave: take it or leave it?
New survey reveals that 34 million days of holiday* were wasted in 2014 because British workers didn’t take their annual leave
With the holiday season now in full swing, over a quarter (26%) of British workers say they expect to forgo at least one day of their holiday allowance this year, according to new research* by Avios, the travel rewards currency. Some 15% of those claimed they’re likely to give up three days or more of their 2015 leave. This is an ongoing trend, with the research revealing that 34 million days of holiday were wasted last year. Other key findings from the Avios research reveal:
According to the research, cancelling holiday can have a significant effect on personal relationships, with 29% claiming the person they were going away with was very upset with them and 12% saying this person refused to go on holiday with them again.
Family psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos says of the research: It’s important to make sure we’re spending enough quality time with our loved ones – indeed, cancelling holiday because of work pressures doesn’t just ruin your relaxation time but can take away from that all important family and relaxation time that allows you to de-stress and reconnect with those around you. That’s why it’s important to encourage people to do more with their family and friends. Just taking one day off can make a big difference.
“Trying a new experience on our doorsteps or going away for a long weekend leaves us feeling refreshed and more motivated to achieve our goals when we return to work. Increasingly there seems to be a sort of competitive workaholism where people feel the need to prove that they are more productive the longer they spend at work. The fact is, that productivity is related much more with our sense of wellbeing so forgoing holiday time certainly doesn’t help. Businesses need to start making better provisions so people aren’t left feeling guilty for taking much deserved time off. ”
Avios, used for flights, hotel accommodation, car hire and a host of amazing days out and leisure experiences, is calling on the nation to do more with their time off and use their full holiday allowance before the end of the year.
Hannah Fletcher, Head of Customer Marketing at Avios, comments: “It’s surprising to see the number of people who aren’t making the most of their holiday entitlement. We shouldn’t feel guilty or stressed about taking holiday as we all deserve to take well-earned time off to enjoy doing the things we love with family and friends.
“That’s why Avios is encouraging people to make the most of their annual leave this summer. We’re asking the friends and family members of our collectors to persuade them to do more – whether it’s taking time out to relax on one of the many days out and experiences that can be enjoyed using Avios, or a longer break away.”
Meanwhile, the research also highlights that those who take time off don’t always use it as an opportunity to fully relax, with workers increasingly replacing ‘switching off’ with ‘switching on’. A whopping 89% check their email at least once every few days while they’re away and over half (59%) of workers admit they sometimes or always work while they’re on holiday, rising to two thirds (66%) in London.
Dr Linda Papadopoulos concludes: “People need to ensure time off is truly that. There are many ways to ensure holidays are relaxing but one of the easiest things to do is to take a break from our mobile phones or introduce a work email ban.” Avios has launched www.domorewithavios.com to help people do more with their Avios and holiday time together.
Avios are the travel rewards points that allow you to turn your everyday spending into flights, hotel stays, upgrades, days out and more. 1.4 million people collected Avios with our top partners in 2014, and we think that’s worth shouting about. Discover more ways to treat yourself with The Avios Travel Rewards Programme and explore a Year of Rewards with Avios.
Award-winning airport hospitality specialist No.1 Traveller and global rewards expert Avios have agreed a new partnership offering generous discounts and travel rewards for all No.1 lounge visits.
With more than 6.4 million Avios collectors worldwide, Avios Travel Rewards Programme customers will now be able to access any lounge in the No.1 collection at the discounted rate of £20.00 when booked via No1Traveller.com/Avios; a saving of up to £15.00. The Avios member making the booking will earn 750 Avios when No.1 lounge access is purchased online in advance. Guests without a pre-booking with also benefit, with a £5.00 discount from the on-the-door rate and 500 Avios.
Available to all departing passengers regardless of carrier or class of travel, No.1 Traveller operates premium lounges located at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Edinburgh Airports. The award winning facilities boast complimentary hot food from a bistro-style menu, tended bars offering complimentary soft and alcoholic beverages, free unlimited WiFi, daily newspapers and magazines, and panoramic runway views.
Avios Travel Rewards Programme customers departing from Heathrow Terminal 5 can also collect 500 Avios when they book No.1 Traveller’s exclusive 2-course dining package at Gordon Ramsay Plane Food via No1Traveller.com. The package, which costs £30.00 per adult, includes a breakfast or day set menu combining home-comfort dishes and Continental classics.
Mark Woodcock, Commercial Director at No.1 Traveller said: “We’re delighted to be expanding our partnership portfolio to include the Avios Travel Rewards Programme. Avios’ vast, global network is innovative in the loyalty market and by joining forces, we’re able to reward more frequent travellers than ever before.”
Andrea Burchett, Commercial Director at Avios, added: “This partnership continues Avios’ tradition of rewarding people for travel and everyday spending, making it easy for them to do so. It’s sure to appeal to our customers as, simply by enjoying the comfortable surroundings of No.1 Traveller’s lounges and dining experiences at a discounted price, they can collect Avios and boost their balance for their trip away.”
For more information visit http://www.No1Traveller.com/avios
Collecting Avios is a great way to help turn your everyday spending into the holiday of a lifetime. As you spend money at the petrol pump, supermarket or on your credit card, you could be collecting Avios that you can use towards flights and other travel rewards. But do you know how many Avios you’ve got? Here’s a quick guide:
Find your Avios online
It’s easy to check your Avios balance instantly, whenever you want to! Simply log on to the ‘My account’ page of the Avios website. You’ll be able to see how many Avios you’ve collected, as well as your last 60 transactions, or your activity from the last 12 months.
If it’s your first time logging-on to your Avios account, don’t worry – set-up is easy. Click on ‘Set up online’, and then follow the instructions to get your account up and running. You’ll need to have your membership number to hand, which you should have received in the post. Your Avios membership (account) number will be 16 digits long, and starts 308147.
Can’t find your membership number?
We have a dedicated team on hand that can help you with this, so head over to our Contact page to give them a call.
For other enquiries, the Avios website hosts a useful Live Chat function where our agents are waiting to assist you with your Avios questions and queries.
Can I merge my account into a household account?
Yes, you can pool your Avios, which means combining your household collective balance in one place. All members must be registered on avios.com (with a valid username and password), must all have the same address and be present when the account is created. Further information can be found here.
Can I combine my Avios from another Avios programme?
Go to the specific page on avios.com to combine your Avios from a British Airways Executive or Iberia Plus account.
Check the app
It’s easy to check your balance on your Apple or Android phone. Download the app from the relevant store to log in and check your balance. It’s also a great place to explore more ways to collect Avios, and grow your numbers of points even faster.
As well as being able to check your balance anywhere, the apps also let you book flights or hotels. Simply log in and start spending your Avios!
See your Avios turn into holidays
You can use your Avios towards flights, upgrades and hotels to car hire. Plus, you can use your Avios on flight upgrades, meaning you could travel in even more style! You can also catch the Eurostar and go to Disneyland Paris, all with your Avios. Alternatively, why not stay in the UK and create memories with your family that will last forever at some of the country’s top attractions and experiences, including the West End Theatre, Spectacular London Sky Tours and many more.
Whatever you’re collecting Avios for, with the online account and app, you should always be in control of your account balance. It makes it even easier to save up for an amazing holiday with Avios!
Becoming a member of the Avios Travel Rewards programme is free and easy. Find out more and sign up at www.avios.com
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The new Avios app allows customers to conveniently access their Avios balance and see exciting ways to use Avios
Avios is set to launch one of Europe’s first loyalty programme apps for Apple Watch, available when Apple Watch launches this Friday.
The Avios app for Apple Watch will allow members of the Avios Travel Rewards Programme to easily see their total Avios balance, alert them when it increases, and help them understand the many ways in which they can spend their Avios. This includes using your Avios for flights to a remarkable 182 destinations, ranging from Warsaw to Mauritius, as well as non-flight options to use Avios such as cases of wine and theatre tickets.
The Avios app for Apple Watch will be available free to download from Apple’s App Store. Users will only be required to log in once with their username and password, ensuring the app is quick and easy to use.
In addition, with the ‘Glance’ functionality on Apple Watch, customers can instantly view their Avios balance without the need to separately open the app.
Gavin Halliday, Managing Director at Avios, comments: “We want to help our customers get as much as they can from Avios and this new Watch app will make it even easier for them to keep track of their points and see the different ways they can use their Avios, not just for flights.
“We are one of the first loyalty programmes in Europe to launch an app for the new Apple Watch. This forms part of our commitment to digital innovation. The way that people interact with brands is changing and digital is a big part of that. We expect the Watch interface to become an increasingly important screen in our collectors’ lives; we have launched this app to ensure that our members can find us there and easily see their balance, and ways to collect and use Avios.”
Apple Watch will be available from 24 April in different sizes and will cost between £299 for an entry-level version and £13,500 for the 18 carat gold model.
For more information about Avios go to www.avios.com
A new partnership between Avios and award-winning multi-utility supplier, Utility Warehouse, means that members can now collect Avios rewards while saving on their energy, telephone and broadband bills.
Utility Warehouse helps keep utility costs lower and makes budgeting simple for customers by combining energy and communication services on a single monthly bill. From this week, UK members of the British Airways Executive Club and Avios Travel Rewards Programme can also collect up to 4,500 Avios in their first year simply by signing up to all the company’s services including Home Phone, Broadband, Mobile, Gas and Electricity, and Bill Protector with up to a further 2,250 Avios for each additional year they remain – that’s half way towards a return flight to Paris or Milan after the first year alone, or en route to some sunshine further afield.
“We’re delighted to be adding Avios to the extensive range of benefits we already offer our members, alongside the UK’s most generous CashBack card and our unique online shopping tool, FindMeTheCheapest. This reflects our ongoing commitment to finding innovative ways of giving customers better value and greater savings through their membership of our Discount Club.”
Charles Wigoder, Chairman, Utility Warehouse
While homeowners that take the full package of Utility Warehouse’s full services receive the most Avios, those signing up for individual services can also collect a significant number of Avios:
To collect Avios, British Airways Executive Club and Avios Travel Rewards Programme members simply need to visit the Utility Warehouse Partner page at http://www.avios.com and click on the link. Customers will be asked to input their membership number when they sign-up and their account will be credited once the chosen services have gone live. Avios will then be credited on a monthly basis going forward.
“This partnership is another way of helping our members collect Avios through everyday spending. By signing up with Utility Warehouse, not only can they reduce their household utility bills, but also save on the cost of their next trip away thanks to the generous Avios collection rate. It’s win-win!”
Andrea Burchett, Commercial Director, Avios
More information
Avios are a great way to turn your everyday spending into travel rewards. You can build up your Avios with your regular expenses, then use them to help pay for your holiday or leisure activities. But before you start collecting Avios it’s important to know the rules about when they expire.
Is there an expiry date?
You need to make sure your account has some activity on it every 36 months in order to keep your Avios points current. But as long as you’re either collecting or spending with us, your Avios points won’t expire.
The good news is that Avios will give you a nudge if you’ve not collected or spent any Avios points in the last 30 months. You’ll get a message when you log onto your account, telling you that you’ve got six months before expiration. All you need to do is collect or spend some Avios to keep your points from expiring.
Read on to see how else we help you keep your points current.
Extra rewards for current collectors
To encourage you to keep your account working for you, we’ve introduced additional incentives to keep you collecting.
Anyone who has added to their Avios balance in the last 12 months is also eligible for our Reward Flight Saver. This means that when you book a British Airways flight to a European destination, you’ll pay a flat fee for your airline taxes, fees and carrier charges.
In effect, this means that you’ll just pay the Avios fare and £35 per person return in Economy, £40 in Premium and £50 in Business, where these are available.
So there are even more reasons to keep collecting Avios!
It’s easy to keep collecting Avios
The easiest way to stop your Avios expiring is to make sure you keep collecting them. You can collect Avios using the Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards credit card provided by American Express® and Mastercard. Alternatively you can shop online with one of over 250 retailers through our Estore, collecting up to 12 Avios per £1 spent!
You’re also able to boost your Avios points by exchanging your Tesco Clubcard vouchers. £2.50 is equal to 600 Avios so it’s easy to collect points on your regular spending!
With more ways to collect Avios, you’ll quickly see your balance increase, helping you to access great travel and leisure rewards.
It’s free to sign up to become an Avios Travel Rewards Programme member. Find out more about the quick and easy application process at www.avios.com
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Find out what travel and leisure rewards you can get with your Avios points. Now you really can have that dream experience.
Get great rewards through Avios
There are a huge range of travel and leisure rewards you can spend your Avios on. This includes flights with a number of well-known airlines, hotels, and car hire to help you get you around.
We also have a range of package holidays and cruises if you prefer a holiday where everything is taken care of.
Another way you can spend your Avios is through our Experiences. Pay for days out ranging from theme parks to spa days, and including bucket-list flying lessons and balloon flights for two with Champagne.
So whether you want to take off on holiday or at home, you can use your Avios points.
A range of extras available
When you’re booking you can also book a huge range of additional services, including airport parking, lounges, hotels, and flight upgrades, meaning you can ease your airport experience with Avios.
We also offer different transport including Eurostar and ferries, as well as UK holidays ranging across cottages, boating, lodges and hotels and parks.
Airlines we work with
We fly with a number of leading airlines, giving you more choice to get the holiday you want. It means there are more destinations to fly to, more UK airports to fly from, and the options to find the fastest, easiest routes.
These airlines are part of the Oneworld Alliance, which includes British Airways, Flybe, Iberia, Monarch, Air Malta and Aurigny, among others. All of these have a vast selection of worldwide destinations for you to select.
Where can I fly with Avios?
There are destinations worldwide, so the world is truly your oyster with Avios.
Use our Explorer Map to view the huge range of destinations you can get to with British Airways, or view the popular routes for our other airline partners to see where you can go.
For anyone who’s worried that they don’t have enough Avios for the flights they want, we also offer Avios and Money fares. These allow you to mix and match, meaning that even when your Avios balance can’t stretch to the destination you want, you’re able to use your Avios to get there. Savings are available from as little as 1,500 Avios, all the way up to 15,000 Avios, which could save you up to £100 off your return long haul flight.
Becoming a member of the Avios Travel Rewards programme is free and easy. Find out more and sign up at www.avios.com/
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The Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards Credit Card has been named ‘Best Credit Card Product of the Year’ at The Card & Payment Awards which recognise customer service, excellence and innovation in the UK and Irish card and payment industries. The award-winning Credit Card Representative 23.7% APR variable is packed with great travel benefits including no foreign transaction fees, a British Airways flight upgrade voucher when their spend reaches £7,000 a year, 0% on balance transfers for 18 months and purchases for 16 months as well as the chance to collect 1.25 Avios for every £1 spent.
The Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards credit card is named ‘Best Credit Card Product of the Year’
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