BA lax to Europe in 2027
I transferred about 135k Chase points to British Airways Avios a while back for a trip we didn’t end up booking hey how you doing happy Thursday almost there and now I’m trying to figure out the best way to use them for a family spring break trip from LAX to Europe next year.
Right now I’m seeing:
LAX → Madrid on Iberia for 20k Avios + under $200 per person
LAX → Amsterdam on Aer Lingus for 29.5k Avios + under $200 per person
Cash fares for the same dates are around $800 leaving on a Saturday in late March.
We’re a family of 4 with younger kids, so I’m trying to balance “best value” with “best actual trip.” Amsterdam seems easier/more family-friendly for a first stop, but the Iberia redemption feels way stronger value-wise. I could also just book Madrid with points and then grab a cheap cash flight to Amsterdam and save something like 40k Avios total. The dream would be to fly business, but with the four of us, I don’t think the point spend would be justifiable or possible.
Curious what others would do here. Burn fewer points and reposition within Europe? Or just pay the extra Avios for the more convenient itinerary to Amsterdam?