I’ll freely admit that I am a klutz and own up to the fact that I left my iPad on an Alitalia plane TLS-FCO last week. After some searching and emailing and dealing with Italian bureaucracy, it has been found and is safe and sound at FCO.

However… Alitalia’s office is only open until 1550 and my flight from NAP lands at 1630 and they need 4 pieces of documentation for collection which FedEx won’t do and Alitalia won’t recommend anyone to courier it. So I need to go get it or loose it – all in with case and keyboard it’s worth £370.

I looked up the cost of the cheapest return on British Airways and it came out at £764.31 for a hand baggage only return.

There was no way I was paying that and, at any rate, it wouldn’t be value for money so I looked up Avios availability.

I got a flight for £50 and 25,500 Avios in Club Europe for a same day return for tomorrow Wednesday (am doing NAP-FCO-LHR today!) There was no economy availability using Avios, which I would have preferred as I can get into the lounge with my Silver Card, and I could have selected the exit row assuming it was still free.

The Club Europe fare was £1025 cash.

That means my 25,500 Avios saved me £975, or got me a value of 3.82p / Avios which is very good. Even taking the cost of replacing the iPad, which is a more accurate estimation of the value of the Avios, I’m still getting 1.42p / Avios which is good.

These mad prices just go to show how useful having a stash of Avios can be – it’s not the most glamorous use of miles, but it’s getting me out of a sticky situation for minimal cash outlay.

More tomorrow on my day trip to FCO!