An apparent glitch allowed travelers to rack up hundreds of thousands of airline points through an online shopping promotion.
According to Resell Calendar, a deal‑tracking and resale industry account that frequently flags high‑value promotions and arbitrage opportunities, a British Airways shopping portal briefly allowed users in January to earn 250 Avios points per dollar spent at Kate Spade, a New York-based fashion brand best known for its handbags.
Avios are the loyalty currency used by British Airways and several partner airlines, including Iberia and Aer Lingus. Travelers typically earn them by flying, using co‑branded credit cards, or shopping through British Airways' online portal -- a cashback‑style marketplace that awards points for purchases made at participating retailers. Newsweek reached out to representatives for Avios and British Airways for comment via email.
Under normal circumstances, airline shopping portals offer just one to five points per dollar spent, with even generous promotions rarely exceeding 15 or 20 points per dollar.
On March 6, anxious shoppers who risked what amounted to a 250 percent return on every dollar spent began reporting that the long‑awaited points had officially posted to their accounts. Resell Calendar explained how the promotion worked in a post shared on X.
"Last month British Airways had a promo that gave rewards members 250 points per dollar spent at Kate Spade," the account wrote.
"Guy in RC bought $3,500 worth of purses and got 846,500 points.
"That's enough points for 40 LA → Hawaii flights, or $25-60k worth of first‑class international travel."
Other users soon chimed in with similar claims. Ben Spatz, from Omaha, Nebraska, shared a photo showing a selection of Kate Spade handbags.
"Here's my wife's 350k of points," Spatz wrote. "Several of which will end up as tax write offs as donated to fundraisers."
Another user, Summer’s Eye (@HellsBitchen_), reported an even larger payout, writing simply: “Yeah my 860k Avios hit the account today lol.”
A spokesperson for IAG Loyalty Press Office, who oversee Avios, told Newsweek: “For a short period earlier this year, Avios Shop displayed an incorrect collection rate for one of our partner brands, due to an error beyond our control. Despite this, we took the decision to honor the published Avios rate for customers who made eligible purchases during this period, with Avios being awarded once transactions were validated. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused, as we always aim to ensure that reward rates and pricing are clear and accurate.”
In early January, British Airways' U.S. shopping portal briefly listed Kate Spade purchases at a rate of 250 Avios per dollar spent -- a figure that immediately caught the attention of frequent flyers and points enthusiasts.
For comparison, airline shopping portals typically offer one to five points per dollar, with even the most generous promotions rarely exceeding 15 or 20 points per dollar. A rate of 250 points per dollar was roughly 100 times higher than normal, prompting many to assume it was a mistake or system glitch.
The promotion appeared live for a short window before being removed. However, purchases made during that period continued to track in users' accounts. After weeks of uncertainty, points began showing as "pending," and by early March, many participants reported that the Avios had officially posted.