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Hey everyone, and welcome back to Smart With Points. I'm Jack, and today we're talking about British Airways expanding its Heathrow network with two rather unexpected destinations for twenty twenty-six. Now, I'll be honest with you – when I saw this announcement, my initial reaction was 'well, that's nice, I suppose' rather than jumping out of my seat with excitement. But as I dug into the details, these routes actually turned out to be more interesting than they first appeared, especially if you've got a stash of Avios burning a hole in your pocket. So let's dive in.
British Airways has just announced two new additions to its Heathrow network for twenty twenty-six. The first is seasonal flights to Tivat in Montenegro, and the second is year-round daily flights to Guernsey. Both routes are bookable now, which is always a nice touch – there's nothing worse than an airline announcing something exciting and then making you wait months before you can actually book it.
Let's start with Montenegro, because this one has quite the backstory. British Airways has been flirting with Montenegro for years now. They originally scheduled Heathrow to Podgorica flights for twenty twenty, cancelled them because of COVID, rescheduled for twenty twenty-one, then cancelled again. It's been like watching someone repeatedly fail to commit to a relationship. This time around, they've opted for Tivat instead of Podgorica. Tivat is the coastal airport serving Montenegro's stunning bay region, and I'm cautiously optimistic this might actually happen this time.
The new Tivat service will launch on the fourteenth of May twenty twenty-six and will operate three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. All flights depart from Terminal Three at Heathrow with morning departures at various times between eight forty-five and eleven ten, with afternoon returns from Tivat between one thirty-five and three fifty-five. Pricing starts from one hundred and seventy-two pounds return in economy, and Club Europe business class is available as well.
Now, why Montenegro? Well, it's been quietly gaining traction as a destination. According to MONSTAT, Montenegro had over two point six million tourist arrivals in twenty twenty-four, and get this – ninety-six percent of overnight guests were international visitors. The Bay of Kotor is genuinely stunning. People often compare it to a fjord, even though it's actually on the Adriatic Sea. Tivat sits in a prime location for exploring both the bay's medieval towns and the Budva Riviera.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia for you – this will be the first scheduled service between Heathrow and Tivat since Jat Airways operated the route in two thousand and six. That's twenty years ago. Quite a gap, isn't it?
Now, let's talk about the really interesting part – Avios redemptions. British Airways hasn't published Montenegro in their Avios pricing yet, but based on distance, Heathrow to Tivat is roughly one thousand one hundred miles, which should place it in the one thousand and one to two thousand mile band. That means we're looking at approximately eleven thousand seven hundred and fifty Avios plus fifty pence for economy off-peak, twelve thousand seven hundred and fifty Avios plus fifty pence for economy peak, twenty thousand Avios plus twelve pounds fifty for Club Europe off-peak, and twenty-two thousand two hundred and fifty Avios plus twelve pounds fifty for Club Europe peak.
These are estimated rates based on BA's distance-based pricing for similar routes like Athens or Istanbul. The actual pricing will be confirmed once the route goes live on the award booking system. You can check current Avios pricing for various destinations using our BA Avios Points Calculator on the website.
At those rates, a return Club Europe redemption to Montenegro would cost around forty thousand to forty-five thousand Avios plus twenty-five pounds in taxes. That's actually decent value for a beach holiday in business class, especially if you're combining it with a BA Amex Companion Voucher.
Now let's talk about Guernsey, which is actually more interesting than it might initially appear. This will be BA's second-shortest route from Heathrow after Manchester, covering just one hundred and forty-eight nautical miles. That's incredibly short for a Heathrow service.
Guernsey lost its Heathrow connection back in twenty twenty when Flybe suspended services before collapsing in twenty twenty-three. British Airways last served the route in nineteen eighty – that's forty-five years ago. The new service launches on the nineteenth of April twenty twenty-six and will operate daily from Terminal Five with midday departures. The flight leaves Heathrow at eleven fifty-five, arriving in Guernsey at twelve fifty-five, with the return leaving at one fifty and arriving back at Heathrow at two fifty-five. Pricing starts from one hundred and one pounds return, and it'll be operated by A three nineteen aircraft, which is BA's smallest mainline jet.
The timing is clearly designed for connections rather than point-to-point traffic. These midday slots aren't ideal for business travellers, who'll likely stick with Aurigny's early morning and late evening Gatwick flights. But they're perfect for tourists connecting from long-haul arrivals or heading out to European destinations via Heathrow. British Airways is marketing this as providing onward connections to over twenty European destinations.
It's worth noting that some form of financial support from Guernsey is likely involved here, as was the case with Flybe's previous service. BA wouldn't normally launch such a short route without subsidy – it's simply not commercially viable on its own. But for travellers, that's irrelevant. What matters is the connectivity.
For Avios pricing, Guernsey falls into BA's shortest distance band, which is up to six hundred and fifty miles. Based on similar short domestic routes, expect nine thousand two hundred and fifty Avios plus fifty pence for economy off-peak, nine thousand seven hundred and fifty Avios plus fifty pence for economy peak, fifteen thousand Avios plus twelve pounds fifty for Club Europe off-peak, and sixteen thousand two hundred and fifty Avios plus twelve pounds fifty for Club Europe peak.
At nine thousand two hundred and fifty Avios one way in economy, it's hardly a bargain redemption. You'd be better off paying cash at forty-five pounds one way. However, if you're connecting through Heathrow on a long-haul award ticket and want to add Guernsey as a stopover, the incremental Avios cost becomes more palatable.
So what's my take on all of this? Let's be honest – neither of these routes is revolutionary. Montenegro already has low-cost competition from airlines like easyJet and Wizz Air serving Tivat from UK airports, and Guernsey is well-connected via Aurigny and BA Euroflyer from Gatwick.
But that's not really the point. For BA Gold and Silver status holders, the Montenegro route opens up lounge access at Heathrow, priority boarding, and the ability to credit flights to oneworld for status maintenance. The Guernsey service provides valuable connectivity that simply wasn't available before from Heathrow.
For Avios collectors, Tivat represents a reasonably-priced short-haul business class option that's within reach of what you can earn from a single BA Amex welcome bonus, which typically ranges from thirty thousand to sixty thousand Avios. And if you're strategic about peak versus off-peak dates, you can maximise value whilst keeping taxes absurdly low.
What's more interesting to me is what this signals about BA's short-haul strategy. With nearly one hundred destinations from Heathrow, they're clearly focusing on breadth rather than depth. These aren't routes that will drive massive revenue, but they enhance network connectivity and appeal to specific passenger segments – holidaymakers for Montenegro, and connecting traffic for Guernsey.
If you prefer packages over DIY booking, BA Holidays is offering some interesting deals. For Montenegro, they're offering seven nights at the five-star SIRO Boka Place from nine hundred and seventy-nine pounds per person, including flights, checked bag, and accommodation for selected September twenty twenty-six dates. For Guernsey, they're offering two nights at the four-star Fermain Valley from three hundred and twenty-nine pounds per person with breakfast, flights, and checked bag for selected September twenty twenty-six dates. Both packages must be booked by the fourth of December twenty twenty-five. You can also pay for BA Holidays packages using Avios or a combination of Avios and cash, which can help stretch your points further.
Both routes are bookable now on ba dot com for travel from spring and summer twenty twenty-six. If you're booking with cash, I'd recommend using a Capital on Tap Business Rewards card to earn one Avios per pound spent, which now comes with no annual fee. Alternatively, you could use a Barclaycard Avios Plus card for one point five Avios per pound. Remember to calculate Tier Points using our BA Tier Point Calculator on the website – these routes will earn decent Tier Points given the distance.
For Avios redemptions, check award availability using Award Travel Finder once the routes are loaded into the system. Consider off-peak dates, which are generally midweek and outside school holidays, for lower Avios prices. And use the Reward Flight Saver option if available to pay slightly more Avios but drastically reduce cash taxes.
So the bottom line? These aren't headline-grabbing route launches, and I don't expect them to dramatically change anyone's travel plans. But they're useful additions that provide more options for Avios redemptions and BA status holders. Montenegro has been on BA's radar for years, and it's good to finally see it materialise. Fingers crossed it actually operates this time. The Bay of Kotor is genuinely worth visiting, and having a direct Heathrow service makes it more accessible for those who prefer not to fly via Gatwick or Manchester on low-cost carriers.
Guernsey, meanwhile, fills a gap in the network and provides valuable connectivity for both Channel Islands residents and UK and international travellers wanting to explore this corner of the British Isles. Neither route will transform your points strategy, but both are worth bookmarking if you're looking for somewhere different to spend your Avios in twenty twenty-six.
That's all for today's episode. Thanks so much for listening to Smart With Points. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast on all major platforms or head over to our website at smartwithpoints dot co dot uk. We've got loads of useful tools there, including calculators for Avios pricing and Tier Points, so do check those out.
And before I let you go, a quick message about Awar