The Maldives or Dubai on points from London at three budgetsFlights plus hotel

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What we'd do first: choose the resort or hotel before the flights. In the Maldives, the resort decides the transfer and the meal costs, which can be bigger than the cash on the flights.

Getting there on points

British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to both. BA says the flight to Velana International Airport (Malé) "takes around 10 hours and 20 minutes" and that it "flies direct from Heathrow Airport (LHR)" (BA: Flights to the Maldives, checked 13 Nov 2026, 21:35 Lima). For Dubai it lists a flight time of "6 hrs 50 mins" and "around 20 direct flights to and from the UK capital every week" (BA: Flights to Dubai, checked 13 Nov 2026, 21:40 Lima). You can book these with Avios as reward flights. BA reward prices vary by date and cabin, so price your own dates.

Other routes using UK Amex points. American Express UK transfers to the British Airways Club at 1:1 (1,000 → 1,000), to Qatar Airways Privilege Club at 1:1 (500 → 500), and to Emirates Skywards at 2:1 (1,000 → 500) (American Express UK: Transfer points, checked 13 Nov 2026, 21:29 Lima). Qatar flies via Doha and Emirates via Dubai. The charges on partner rewards can differ from BA's, so compare the full cost in points and cash for each before transferring. For the main Avios options, see our guide to lower fees on Avios redemptions.

For this article we use the Credit Club house hypotheticals for BA flights, not live prices:

• Long-haul economy return: 60,000 Avios + £200 per person.
• Club World return: 170,000 Avios + £500 per person.

Staying there on points

The big hotel programmes all have properties in Dubai and the Maldives, and their rules carry over:

• Hilton Honors prices reward nights dynamically, and its terms make local taxes the member's responsibility. Silver status and above get the 5th night free on Standard Room Rewards. Hilton's own terms name three Maldives resorts (Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and Hilton Maldives Amingiri) where its elite room upgrades are not offered (Hilton Honors Terms & Conditions, effective 15 July 2026, checked 13 Nov 2026, 21:36 Lima). UK Amex transfers at 1:2.
• Marriott Bonvoy includes "room tax, service charge, and extra-person charges" in an award, but "resort fees" and incidentals are yours. Five consecutive nights on one reservation means you redeem for four (Marriott Bonvoy Programme Rules, 3.2.f and 3.3.d, checked 13 Nov 2026, 21:36 Lima). UK Amex transfers at 2:3.
• What points don't cover. Neither programme's award includes the seaplane or speedboat to the resort, or meals. Hotel transfers are a separate charge set by the resort.

For how the programmes compare, see hotel points for a European city break: the same rules apply here.

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The transfer to the island

BA's Maldives page explains that you land at Velana International Airport on Hulhulé, and "from here you'll be able to take a speedboat, seaplane or scheduled flight to your resort". It adds: "Islands closer to the capital of Male, which can be accessed by speedboat transfer, are less expensive to reach. More remote islands might require a seaplane, which can add to the cost of your trip." It recommends booking a transfer in advance "if it's not already included in the price of your accommodation".

We haven't quoted transfer prices: they're set by each resort and change. Ask the resort for the return transfer price for your party before you book anything, and add it to your plan.

Three budgets for two (hypothetical)

All three plans are for two adults, one room. Flights use our house hypotheticals; hotel, transfer and meal figures are hypothetical, to show the method. Points are valued at an assumed 1p each, our planning yardstick, not a market price.

1. Budget: Dubai, economy, seven nights in a city hotel paid in cash

• Flights: 2 × (60,000 Avios + £200) = 120,000 Avios + £400.
• Hotel: £120 a night × 7 = £840 cash (hypothetical).
• Getting around: metro and taxis; BA says the metro runs "24 hours a day, seven days a week" and reaches the city centre in "about 25 minutes".
• Full cost: 120,000 Avios + £1,240. At 1p: £2,440 for two.

2. Mid-range: the Maldives, economy, five nights at a resort on Marriott points

• Flights: 120,000 Avios + £400.
• Hotel: 60,000 Bonvoy points a night (hypothetical); "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" means 240,000 points = 160,000 UK Amex points.
• Speedboat transfer: £300 return for two (hypothetical).
• Meals: £1,000 for five days (hypothetical).
• Full cost: 120,000 Avios + 160,000 Amex points + £1,700. At 1p: £4,500 for two.

3. Luxury: the Maldives, Club World, five nights at a Hilton resort

• Flights: 2 × (170,000 Avios + £500) = 340,000 Avios + £1,000.
• Hotel: 120,000 Hilton points a night (hypothetical). For Silver status and above, the 5th night is free: 480,000 points = 240,000 UK Amex points. Without status, it's 600,000.
• Seaplane transfer: £1,200 return for two (hypothetical).
• Meals: £2,000 for five days (hypothetical).
• Full cost: 340,000 Avios + 240,000 Amex points + £4,200. At 1p: £10,000 for two (with status).

In the two Maldives plans, the cash for transfers and meals is bigger than the cash on the flights. That's typical of resort islands, and why the resort should come first.

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How to build your own plan

1. Pick the hotel or resort. Check it's in a programme you can reach from your points.
2. Ask the resort for the transfer price and meal plan options for your dates.
3. Price the reward night for your exact dates, and check whether a five-night offer applies.
4. Price the flights with Avios and with any partner you could use, in points and cash.
5. Add it up in points and cash, and compare with paying cash for the whole trip. Only then transfer points: transfers can't be reversed.
6. Check entry requirements on GOV.UK's foreign travel advice before you book.

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Trade-offs

• Dubai is easier on cash. Cheaper transport and a wider choice of places to eat keep the non-points costs down.
• Maldives costs are concentrated at the resort. Points can cover the room, but the transfer and meals are cash.
• Status matters at Hilton. Without Silver status, there's no 5th night free.
• Business class is a big jump in Avios. On our house hypotheticals, Club World uses nearly three times the Avios of economy.

If the full cost is too high

Mix and match: business one way and economy the other, a shorter stay, a resort reachable by speedboat rather than seaplane, or Dubai instead. Or keep your points and look at a BA Holidays package, which can be part-paid with Avios.

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Maldives and Dubai on points: FAQs