One of many world’s most distant airports is now extra accessible because of one of many best factors and miles currencies to earn.
St. Helena Airport (HLE), positioned 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa within the British abroad territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, receives just one weekly departure and one weekly arrival year-round. The service is offered by South African regional provider Airlink, which is predicated in Johannesburg.
Beforehand, vacationers may solely redeem United MileagePlus miles on Airlink, and on the time of publication, no award seats to or from St. Helena had been out there by way of United Airways.
Qatar Airways Privilege Membership members can now redeem Avios to guide Airlink flights, together with this distinctive route, following Qatar Airways’ buy of a 25% stake in Airlink.
This service originates at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo Worldwide Airport (JNB) as soon as weekly and stops at Namibia’s Walvis Bay Worldwide Airport (WVB). The return journey from St. Helena to Johannesburg is nonstop.
Airlink additionally operates a restricted seasonal nonstop service from Cape City Worldwide Airport (CPT) to HLE on a handful of Christmas and New 12 months’s dates.
With solely weekly service out there for many of the yr, passengers needs to be ready for a 60-minute or one-week go to to this distant island.
Spherical-trip money fares in financial system class are normally round $1,000 per individual. You would additionally redeem 36,000 Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Avios plus 4,383.75 South African rand (about $237) in charges, taxes and surcharges. In contrast to United’s MileagePlus program, Privilege Membership exhibits financial system award seats out there on this route.
Redeeming Qatar Avios to St. Helena would provide you with a redemption worth of virtually 2.1 cents every, far increased than our February 2025 valuation of 1.4 cents every.
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Avios are one of many best currencies to earn, with extra switch companions than United MileagePlus. You possibly can earn Qatar Avios by transferring Citi ThankYou Rewards factors to Qatar Airways Privilege Membership. Factors switch to Qatar at a 1:1 ratio.
Alternatively, you possibly can switch Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards factors, American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards Factors and Wells Fargo Rewards factors to British Airways Government Membership at a 1:1 fee. Hyperlink your British Airways account to your Qatar Airways account, and the mixed Avios stability will present in each, permitting you to guide Airlink by way of Privilege Membership.
Associated: 5 variations of Avios: When to make use of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways
Backside line
Visiting the distant St. Helena Airport is actually a once-in-a-lifetime AvGeek expertise. Money fares have historically been excessive at $1,000 round-trip in financial system, and award availability is at the moment unavailable when redeeming United miles.
The brand new partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Membership means anybody with Avios can guide flights to and from St. Helena. Due to the variety of packages which have adopted Avios (and the mechanism to maneuver Avios from program to program), this foreign money is straightforward to earn and redeem.
