British Airways is not known to offer award savings in Avios or taxes for flights between the US and London. It is usually better to use Asia Miles or JAL Miles to book outbound flights from the US to London. However, neither Asia Miles nor JAL Miles are as easy to earn as Avios, and I am constantly looking for decent Avios redemptions on the Orlando to London route, which saves me a separate positioning flight to major US hubs.
Off-Peak Orlando (MCO) to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) Flights
For this particular route, business class bookings are usually wide open 355 days in advance for up to four passengers (see images below). The Avios requirement changes between 99 and 110K, but the taxes remain the same.
What about the inbound flight from LGW to MCO?
To my surprise, I found the same deal in Avios and Taxes for the inbound flights as well (see image below).
How much does JAL charge to book the same flights?
MCO-LGW outbound flight
LGW-MCO Inbound Flight
- Taxes for the inbound flight are three times higher (see image below).
Why do I like to use British Airways Avios to book these flights?
- Avios are easy to earn, and I have over 600K across my combined accounts. I love taking MCO-LGW business-class flights to reach London first, then connecting to travel anywhere in Europe.
- I always spend the night before my major international business-class flight at a hotel (e.g., JFK, IAD, or ORD) because I fear domestic flight delays or cancellations.
- The biggest benefit of booking the MCO-LGW route for me is that I don’t lose a day (sometimes in either direction).
- I can easily take a one-way car rental from my hometown to MCO airport.
- British Airways has expanded business class award space availability for Avios bookings, compared to partners like JAL.
Conclusion
If you live within a 2-3 hour drive of Orlando International Airport, it is worth checking British Airways business class flights to LGW for off-peak specials. These flights are much cheaper to book with JAL miles, but I would rather save them for JAL business class for better value.