Point Systems British Airways Avios

Airline
Points are relatively easy to collect, though we don't love the bank partners or transfer options as much.
British Airways Avios

British Airways Avios

#12 Among Airlines

Point Value

1.10 ¢

Hobby Score

6.0

View Ratings

Sweet Spots

Intra-Europe in Economy on a Partner
Domestic US in Economy on a Partner
See More Sweet Spots

Top Transfers

1:1
Capital One Miles
85% Value Retained
1:1
Wells Fargo Go Far Rewards
85% Value Retained
See More Transfers

Booking Tips For This Reward Program

Search on all Avios partners
Reward flight finder
Avoid These Pitfalls

Key Takeaways

The greatest value when using Avios for rewards travel is the ability to transfer them to one of their many partners

  • American Airlines is only a transfer partner of Citi, but you can use Avios to book an AA flight, even a domestic one in the US through a partner that uses Avios
  • By tapping into their extensive transfer partner network, you can avoid BA’s hefty surcharges, which is the program’s biggest pain point
  • Using Avios for short haul flights, anywhere in the world BA or a partner flies, offers tremendous value with its distance based award chart
  • The British Airways Club partners with Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Wells Fargo, adding to the value of the program

Reward Program Ratings

1.10¢
Point Value
Yes
Points Expire
Yes
to Spouse
Yes
to Friends

Hobby Score

6.0
Brand Footprint 4
Real World Practicality 6
Earn/Redeem Efficiency 6
Policy Fairness 6
Ease of Holding 6
Product Quality 8

Travel Partner Transfers

Transfers In

Capital One Miles
85% Value Retained
1:1
Wells Fargo Go Far Rewards
85% Value Retained
1:1
Amex Membership Rewards
69% Value Retained
1:1
Chase Ultimate Rewards
69% Value Retained
1:1
Bilt Rewards
69% Value Retained
1:1
Marriott Bonvoy
52% Value Retained
3:1
IHG One Rewards
37% Value Retained
5:1
Radisson Rewards
37% Value Retained
10:1
Choice Privileges
31% Value Retained
5:1
World of Hyatt
26% Value Retained
5:2
Accor Live Limitless
25% Value Retained
2:1
Hilton Honors
22% Value Retained
10:1

Transfers Out

No direct transfers out of British Airways Avios. British Airways Avios generally cannot be moved to other point programs.

Points Transfer Guide

5,500 British Airways Avios Points

Transferable Points

Transfer to
Spouse
5,219,403
19,000
74% Value Retained
No
125,000
45,000
85% Value Retained
Yes
34,950
2,000
12% Value Retained
Yes
Total Points Available Including all transfers
30,480

Associated Alliances

British Airways Avios associated alliance is oneworld Alliance

Visit oneworld Alliance

Airlines within oneworld Alliance Alliance

How to Earn Miles

This page focuses on earning and redeeming Avios through British Airways only.

Avios is a unique rewards currency shared by British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Loganair, Vueling, and Qatar Airways. The biggest advantage of this system is that Avios earned with any of these airlines can be moved freely between programs. The downside is that each airline has its own redemption rules, which makes using Avios more time consuming and sometimes confusing.

As with most airline reward currencies, the fastest way to earn Avios is by flying on British Airways or one of its many partners. British Airways also has one co-branded credit card that earns Avios, and several major credit card programs (along with a few hotel partners) allow you to transfer points into Avios.

Earn by Flying British Airways

You can earn Avios on almost all British Airways flights. The amount earned varies based on which airline you fly with, your cabin, the type of ticket you book, and whether you hold status with the airline. Earning is based on how much you spend rather than distance flown.

You can collect Avios on:

  • The fare
  • Carrier-imposed surcharges added by the airline
  • Cabin upgrades
  • Pre-booked paid seats
  • Additional baggage

Status earning rates:

  • Blue: 6x Avios per £
  • Bronze: 7x Avios per £
  • Silver: 8x Avios per £
  • Gold: 9x Avios per £

Exceptions:

  • When booking British Airways Holidays packages, you’ll collect Avios based on a percentage of miles flown and cabin booked.
  • Status members (Bronze and above) earn tier bonuses on top of the base flight award.

Earn by Opening Co-Branded Credit Cards

British Airways only has one co-branded card that earns Avios in the United States. Aer Lingus and Iberia also have cards, but each earns Avios into their own programs.

  • Remember: You can freely transfer Avios between all Avios-earning programs for no fee.

Earn by Opening Transferable Points Cards

All of these systems transfer to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio, which makes them great for topping off or booking flights with transferable miles:

You can then utilize transfer partners with all Avios-earning airlines:

  • Certain Avios-earning airlines don’t share the same transfer partners.
  • You can indirectly move transferable points to another Avios program through British (for example, transferring Chase → British → Finnair).
  • This flexibility is a major reason Avios are so valuable.

Flying with Partners (Alliance and Non-Alliance Partners)

You can earn Avios when flying with British Airways partners, but earning rates vary widely.

  • Some partners award Avios based on the price of your ticket.
  • Others award Avios based on the percentage of miles flown.
  • Each Avios-earning airline has its own earning structure.
  • You can freely share Avios between all Avios-earning airlines.

Check here to see how many points you’ll earn with all British Airways partners.


Our Favorite Cards

Personal Card
British Airways

British Airways

Signup Bonus
75,000
Minimum Spend
$5,000
Annual Fee
$95
First Year Value
$685

Annual Bonuses & Big Spend Bonuses

British Airways Credit Card

  • Spend requirement: Spend $30,000 on the card in a calendar year to earn a “Travel Together” ticket. This ticket is valid for two years and can be used when you redeem Avios for a companion traveling on the same ticket. It can also be used for a 50% discount on the Avios price of a solo reward flight.
  • Our take: This is a very high spend requirement for a single companion ticket or a 50% discount. We don’t recommend putting extra spend on the card just to earn this bonus.

Other Options to Earn

Here are some other ways to earn Avios. None are high value ways of doing so.

  • British Airways Holidays: Collect 1 Avios per £ spent on flight+hotel and flight+car packages, as well as on hotels, cars, and sightseeing tours booked through British Airways Holidays.
  • Hotel partners: Collect Avios when you book with British Airways’ various hotel partners.
  • Car rental partners: Earn Avios by booking car rentals with their car rental partners.
  • Shopping portal: British Airways offers a shopping portal that allows you to earn Avios on online purchases.

Breaking Points

Special Offers Related to British Airways Avios. Click the arrow to see more.

How to Redeem Miles

The best way to redeem British Avios is for flights. Using them directly on British Airways metal often isn’t ideal because of the high surcharges. Booking partner award flights through the British Airways website is usually the best way to avoid these fees.

Here is how to search for award flights and what to look for to maximize your value:

  • Search for award flights: Log in and select “Book a flight with Avios,” then enter your route and dates. Partner options will appear in the results.
  • Avoid high surcharges: Flights on partners such as American Airlines or Alaska Airlines usually carry much lower fees than British-operated flights.
  • Access strong partner value: As part of the oneworld Alliance — plus additional non-alliance partners — British offers many valuable sweet spots.
  • Distance-based pricing: British no longer publishes award charts, but most partner redemptions still follow roughly distance-based pricing.
  • Know the exceptions: American and Alaska do not follow British’s distance chart, even though they often offer some of the best sweet spots.
  • Price per segment: All award flights are priced individually by segment, so nonstop flights are almost always the best value.
  • Short haul redemptions: These used to be great sweet spots for British but have devalued several times over the past couple years. You can find domestic flights for lower on other airlines.

Avios Part Payment on Flights and Holidays

You can use Avios for part of your payment when booking flights, flight+hotel packages, or flight+car packages. The option appears on the price page for any eligible itinerary.

  • Part payment is available on British Airways flights, on American Airlines flights between the UK and North America, and on British Airways codeshares with selected partners.
  • Available options depend on your travel class, destination, whether the trip is one-way or round trip, and the number of travelers.
  • You will still collect Avios and Tier Points when using Avios for part of your payment.

Hotel Stays, Car Rentals, and Other

You can use Avios for a variety of non-flight redemptions, but these options usually offer far less value than using Avios for flights.

These redemptions tend to offer poor value compared to flights, so we only recommend them if you need to use Avios before they expire or have a small orphaned balance.

Sweet Spots Finder

Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.

Booking Tips

Search for availability for up to three destinations at once up to one year in advance. Search by specific date, by month, or a 90 day date range. Add another city to compare prices. For flights on British Airways metal only

Changing your flight with British Airways Avios

  • £35 fee for date/time/cabin changes from UK and Ireland
  • $55 fee for date/time/cabin changes from U.S.
  • Gold Priority Bookings: No charge for changes

Canceling your flight with British Airways Avios

  • £35 fee for cancellation/Avios redeposit from UK and Ireland
  • $55 fee for cancellation/Avios redeposit from U.S.
  • Gold Priority Bookings: No charge for cancellations

Who is it best for?

British Airways’ biggest strength is its versatility. Since seven different airlines use Avios as their award currency, and Avios can be transferred freely among all participating programs,travelers have a wide range of redemption options. British Airways is also part of oneworld Alliance and partners with several non-alliance airlines, further expanding the possibilities.

While British Airways no longer publishes its award charts, it still uses a distance based pricing model for flights on its own metal and many partners. This creates decent value for nonstop, short haul flights, especially within Europe and Asia. Many of the best sweet spots in North America were with American and Alaska, but they have been devalued (a select few remain)

The British Airways Avios program is best suited for advanced users. To maximize value, you need familiarity with partner airlines, pricing nuances, and distance-based redemptions. Patience is essential, as Avios pricing, and most importantly taxes and surcharges,vary dramatically across partner programs. Since all major credit card reward systems transfer to Avios, it’s also a strong option for flexible travelers who want access to oneworld partners and understand how to find sweet spots across multiple programs.

Status Levels Explained

Elite Status

British Airways has four elite status levels. Everyone starts at the Blue tier when opening a free loyalty account. You earn status by collecting tier points based on spending rather than distance flown or fare class.

  • Earning tier points on British Airways–marketed flights:
    • You earn 1 tier point per British pound spent.
    • Eligible spending includes:
      • Base fare
      • Carrier-imposed surcharges
      • Paid seat selection
      • Excess baggage
      • Sustainable aviation fuel purchases
    • Airport fees and government taxes do not earn tier points.
  • Vacation packages and undisclosed fares:
    • These earn tier points based on miles flown, cabin, and booking class.
    • Earning rates vary by partner airline.
  • Status qualification period:
    • Your tier point year runs from April 1 through March 31.
    • You must hit the required tier point threshold within this window to earn or renew status.

Elite Status Levels

Below are the elite status levels, tier points required to reach each level, and benefits of each

  • Able to collect and redeem Avios
  • Earn tier points
  • Free Wi-Fi messaging on board
  • Save details and preferences
  • Member-only offers

What to Know Before Canceling

British Airways has only one co-branded credit card, and it follows the 24 From Bonus rule, which means you can only earn the welcome bonus once every 24 months. If you plan to cancel the card, make sure you’re aware of this restriction before doing so.

Your Avios will remain safe in your British Airways account for up to three years. Any earning or redemption activity will reset the expiration clock, and you can also freely transfer Avios between any of the seven airlines that use Avios as their shared currency.

FAQs

Which US airlines use Avios?
No US airlines use Avios. The seven airlines that do use Avios are British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar, Loganair, and Vueling. You can still book American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights with Avios through these partners when award space exists.
Can I transfer British Airways Avios to American Airlines?
You cannot transfer Avios directly to American Airlines. You can redeem Avios for American flights through partner programs like British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, or Qatar. Only Saver awards are bookable with partners, so it helps to check American’s site first.
How to transfer Avios for free?
You can freely transfer Avios between the seven airlines that use Avios as their shared currency. You can also move points from select credit card partners into these programs. They vary from partner to partner and airline to airline, though.
Can I use BA Avios to upgrade on American Airlines?
Yes. But you must request the upgrade through British Airways. Upgrades apply only to a single cabin and only when upgrade award space exists in that next class. Check “Manage My Booking” to see if the “Upgrade this flight with Avios” option appears.
Can you use Avios for lounge access?
You cannot directly buy lounge access with Avios. However, booking a business or first class award ticket with Avios grants complimentary lounge access. British Airways Silver and Gold elite members also receive lounge access on qualifying itineraries.