British Airways has unveiled Cape Town as its newest destination for Avios-Only flights, opening more than 500 seats for members to book using their loyalty points during the Christmas holidays.

The South African city becomes the latest addition to the airline's rewards programme, with the release marking a milestone of 7,500 Avios-Only seats made available since the scheme began in 2023.

Travellers can secure seats from 70,000 Avios plus £150 in taxes. The carrier has now run 34 dedicated Avios flights across 15 destinations spanning Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America and the Caribbean.

The outbound flight BA43 departs London Heathrow on December 20, 2025, with the return journey BA42 leaving Cape Town on January 2, 2026. Both services will use Boeing 777 aircraft.

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Members of The British Airways Club can book seats across all four cabin classes for the Cape Town service.

The programme has grown considerably since its inception two years ago. Recent flights to Málaga and Marrakech during the October half-term proved particularly attractive to families, with booking rates for households with children reaching more than four times the level of standard reward flight bookings.

British Airways' chief commercial officer, Colm Lacy, said: "We're delighted to announce Cape Town as our latest Avios-Only flight destination, in South Africa's peak travel season.

"Members will have the opportunity to book seats across all four cabins over the popular festive period, offering more value and choice than ever."

Chief commercial officer at IAG Loyalty, Rob McDonald, added: "We know how popular Avios-Only flights are with customers, and we're incredibly excited to work with British Airways to offer the next long-haul Avios-Only flight to Cape Town, operating over the peak Christmas period.

"This will allow customers to take full advantage of the value Avios unlocks on an incredibly popular route."

Holders of British Airways American Express Credit Cards can apply their Companion Vouchers to these flights, getting them a second seat for only taxes and charges, or obtaining one seat for half the usual Avios requirement.

The Avios-Only model differs from standard reward offerings, where BA guarantees just 12 seats on short-haul and 14 on long-haul routes at fixed Avios rates.

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With Avios-Only services, every seat on the aircraft becomes available for purchase using points.

Bookings can be made through ba.com in the same way as regular reward seats, with all cabin options open to members.

In more BA news, the airline announced huge changes on flights, with more ways to access in-flight entertainment. The carrier will introduce this bring-your-own-device system on selected international services from London Heathrow, starting this month.