How one adventurer used Avios to see the world

Travel started early for Ian Coles. As a teenager, he had the chance to visit Brazil and Argentina, and the mix of immersing himself in a different way of living, eating different food, meeting people and exploring unique places gave him a taste for seeing more of the world.

"When I had the chance to go to Brazil and Argentina, it whetted my appetite for travel," he said. "What do I enjoy about travel? I think I'm a curious kind of person, I like to learn, I like to experience different things. I like a sense of adventure. And of course, travel ticks all of those boxes.

"You meet great people, you experience different cultures, different religions, different food, different climates. And all of that, I think, is very enriching."

"Travel for many people is about chilling out, relaxing, and spending a week on the beach, which of course is important for lots of people, including myself. But for me, there's a lot more to travel than just that. I’ve been to many places in the world. You go and it's about experiencing a different culture or learning about a country. And that's a great privilege, because not everyone is able to do that."

Decades later, Ian has visited all 195 countries on the UN member-and-observer-state list, which was a personal goal of his. He also estimates that Avios, and Air Miles before it, have helped him reach 85 or more countries over four decades.

“What Avios enables people to do is to realise their dreams,” he said. "Your dream does not have to be a round-the-world quest. It could be Argentina. It could be Naples. It could be a couple of nights somewhere you have never been before."

Technology may have changed since Ian started his collecting with Air Miles, which were then paper vouchers. But the idea that kept him collecting has not: everyday choices can build towards a trip that matters.

Ian remembers a very different way of collecting. Way back when Avios was known as Air Miles, a purchase of fuel or electronic goods would earn you paper vouchers to save and use later.

Though collecting Avios is now digital, Ian's process hasn't changed: “You don't need to change your purchasing behaviour or your habits,” Ian says. For him, collecting works best when it happens around spending he would have done anyway.

“Whether I am buying a newspaper or a widescreen TV, it goes on my credit card. My tip is to make everyday spending work harder, while always repaying in full," he said.

If there was one thing Ian was keen to reveal, it was that spending Avios doesn't have to be exclusive to travelling long distance.

He has travelled everywhere, yet some of the trips he talks about most warmly are much closer to home.

"The beauty of using Avios is that you don't have to save up 200,000 to get a business class return to New York or Sydney," he said. "With a much more modest number, you can travel to lots of places and still have a great experience. Somewhere like Naples, for example. I have found that often just having a short break away is as rewarding as having two or three weeks."

It challenges the common conception and one of the myths about Avios that you need a huge balance before it is worth spending.

So if you have been saving your Avios for one distant, perfect trip, it may be worth thinking again. Many people feel Avios is only valuable when used on visiting far away destinations, but we show, in our article on short-haul beaches that rival Bali, how places much closer to home can feel just as magical.

"I was in Prague last week and it's a beautiful city. In Budapest, winter markets are coming up," he continued. "If you're prepared to shift a little bit, you'll find that availability opens up and you can pick up a flight at reasonably short notice, particularly within Europe."

Sometimes the trip that feels possible now can be more valuable than the one you keep striving for but has very little availability.

One of the. most remote places Ian has visited is the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu. Just north of Fiji, travel to the island takes more than 24 hours and the airport also doubles up as a football pitch for the local children.

Getting to Tuvalu involves a flight from Fiji, and Fiji Airways is just one of the many airline partners within the oneworld alliance that allows you to collect or spend Avios.

Collecting with multiple airlines can make a huge difference to your balance. “I'm not using Avios to get to Australia, but I am using them to travel within Australia with Qantas," Ian said. "It doesn't have to be the entire journey that you use Avios for.

"Vueling gives you a few more destinations. Iberia is brilliant because that opens up the whole of Latin America, as well as a whole bunch of Spanish cities," he added.

That flexibility has helped him reach places he may not have considered if he had only looked at one airline.

You could head to Tuvalu or find other unique destinations to visit with Avios. Sometimes looking beyond the obvious route is where the next idea starts.

With decades of experience using Avios, Ian’s advice for Reward Flights comes down to three things: plan ahead, stay flexible and keep checking.

For Reward Flights, Ian doesn't just stop looking when the first search comes up empty. Availability can change.

“Plan ahead where possible, but don't be shy about checking closer to the time too. In my experience, seats can become available,” he said.

Moving your dates by a day or two, considering another destination or looking at another airline can open up different choices. Decide what matters most to you, then see where you have room to move.

Start with the trip you want, give yourself options and keep checking. Sometimes the route you did not expect becomes part of the adventure.

Ask Ian where he would go back to tomorrow and his whole story comes full circle. Argentina, where it all began, is among his favourite countries and where he would return in a heartbeat.

"My favourite countries are probably Argentina and Chile. And the reason I say that is because they're very, very diverse," he said.

"You've got the Andes Mountains and its snow-capped peaks. You've got beaches, you've got winelands, you've got glaciers, you've got deserts, you've got vibrant cities in the form of the capitals, Buenos Aires and Santiago. Great culture, lots of history, and they're exotic. I would say that if I could go anywhere again tomorrow, I'd probably head to Latin America."

He has travelled for work, with family and friends, and on his own. Across all of it, meeting people and seeing daily life in different places has shaped how he sees the world.

"What travelling and Avios has allowed me to do is give me a different perspective. It's given me a better perspective on what the world's all about and allowed me to push headlines and what you see on the news about certain places to one side," Ian said.

Australia, New Zealand and the Galápagos Islands are places Ian wants to go back and explore further, with driving around Australia in particular being something he is keen to explore next. He may well have visited all 195 countries, but his curiosity is as strong as ever.

Wherever Ian goes, Avios will be part of his journey.