Travelers Rack Up Hundreds of Thousands in Airline Points Through Glitch

A British Airways shopping portal briefly offered a 250% return on purchases at Kate Spade, leading some shoppers to spend thousands.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An apparent glitch on the British Airways shopping portal allowed travelers to earn 250 Avios points per dollar spent at Kate Spade, a rate roughly 100 times higher than normal. Some shoppers took advantage of the promotion, spending thousands of dollars to rack up hundreds of thousands of airline points that can be redeemed for free flights.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the potential for unintended consequences when companies offer lucrative promotions or experience technical issues with their loyalty programs. While the airline says it will honor the points earned, the situation raises questions about oversight and the ability of consumers to exploit such glitches.

The details

In early January, the British Airways U.S. shopping portal briefly listed Kate Spade purchases at a rate of 250 Avios per dollar spent, a figure much higher than the typical one to five points per dollar offered by airline shopping portals. Despite the promotion being removed, purchases made during that period continued to track in users' accounts. After weeks of uncertainty, the Avios points began posting to accounts in early March.

  • In early January, the British Airways shopping portal listed Kate Spade purchases at 250 Avios per dollar.
  • The promotion appeared live for a short window before being removed.
  • By early March, many participants reported the Avios had officially posted to their accounts.

The players

British Airways

A major international airline that operates the Avios loyalty program.

Kate Spade

A New York-based fashion brand best known for its handbags.

Resell Calendar

A deal-tracking and resale industry account that frequently flags high-value promotions and arbitrage opportunities.

Ben Spatz

A shopper from Omaha, Nebraska who took advantage of the promotion.

Summer's Eye (@HellsBitchen_)

A user who reported earning 860,000 Avios through the promotion.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Last month British Airways had a promo that gave rewards members 250 points per dollar spent at Kate Spade. Guy in RC bought $3,500 worth of purses and got 846,500 points.”

— Resell Calendar (X)

“Here's my wife's 350k of points. Several of which will end up as tax write offs as donated to fundraisers.”

— Ben Spatz (Instagram)

“Yeah my 860k Avios hit the account today lol.”

— Summer's Eye (@HellsBitchen_) (X)

What’s next

A spokesperson for IAG Loyalty Press Office, who oversee Avios, stated that despite the error, the company decided to honor the published Avios rate for customers who made eligible purchases during this period.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the potential for consumers to exploit technical glitches or lucrative promotions in loyalty programs, raising questions about oversight and the ability of companies to manage unintended consequences when offering such deals.