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British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus — as well as Finnair and Qatar Airways — all utilize the Avios currency. There is no cost to transfer Avios between programs. That's particularly useful because the number of points required for a flight and the taxes and fees you'll be charged can vary significantly depending on which program you book with.
Another unique aspect of each airline's loyalty program is that British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus each maintain separate peak and off-peak calendars. This all-important metric determines the number of Avios needed for award tickets on flights operated by that specific carrier. Off-peak dates are less expensive than average, while peak dates require more Avios.
Since each of the three calendars is unique, this creates some interesting opportunities to save on awards. In this post, we will share the dates for 2025 (and 2026 for British Airways) and explain how the pricing works.
Page Contents
Peak and Off-Peak Avios Calendars
British Airways Avios calendar: 2025 peak dates
- January: 1-6
- February: 14-17, 20-24
- March: no peak dates this month
- April: 4-7, 9-14, 16-22
- May: 3-5, 24-31
- June: 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
- July: 3-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-28, 30, 31
- August: 1-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25, 27-31
- September: 1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
- October: 24-27, 29-31
- November: 1-3, 22, 30
- December: 13, 14, 19-24, 26-31
British Airways Avios calendar: 2026 peak dates
- January: 1-4
- February: 13-15, 20-22
- March: 27-30
- April: 2-6, 9-12
- May: 1-4, 22-31
- June: 6, 7, 12-14, 19-21, 26-28
- July: 3-13, 15-20, 22-31
- August: 1-31
- September: 1, 4-6, 11-13, 18-20, 25-27
- October: 23-25, 30, 31
- November: 1, 21, 29
- December: 12, 13, 18-24, 26-31
Iberia Avios calendar: 2025 peak dates
- January: 1-7
- February: no peak dates this month
- March: no peak dates this month
- April: 11, 12, 16-21, 30
- May: 1, 4, 14, 15, 18
- June: 18-30
- July: 1-31
- August: 1-31
- September: 1-21
- October: 24-27, 30, 31
- November: 1, 2, 6, 7, 10
- December: 5, 6, 8, 9, 19-24, 26-30
Aer Lingus Avios calendar: 2025 peak dates
- January: 1-5
- February: no peak dates this month
- March: no peak dates this month
- April: 11-27
- May: no peak dates this month
- June: 6-30
- July: 1-31
- August: 1-31
- September: no peak dates this month
- October: no peak dates this month
- November: no peak dates this month
- December: 18-31
How Avios Peak and Off-Peak Pricing Works
Each airline that uses Avios — British Airways, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, and even Qatar Airways — publishes its own peak and off-peak calendar. Some calendars are just easier to unearth than others. But this pricing only applies to flights operated by the airline that publishes the calendar.
For example, an Iberia-operated flight will follow Iberia’s calendar even if you book it through British Airways or Aer Lingus. The same goes for British Airways and Aer Lingus flights.
While off-peak dates lower the number of Avios needed, the taxes and fees can vary depending on which program you use to book.
Related: How to Avoid Fuel Surcharges When Redeeming Avios
Does peak and off-peak pricing apply to partner awards?
Peak and off-peak pricing does not apply to most partner awards. When using Avios to book a flight operated by American Airlines, Japan Airlines, or another Oneworld partner, the pricing won't fluctuate based on the time of year you fly and the program you book with.
However, there are two exceptions. Qatar Airways and Finnair use Avios, too, and set their own pricing. Their flights are priced the same whether you book through British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, or Finnair. And taxes and fees can still vary depending on which program you use.
It is worth comparing prices across programs when booking partner flights. Sometimes, you'll find that awards on airlines like American or Cathay Pacific are cheaper when booked through Qatar Airways Privilege Club or Finnair Plus, rather than through British Airways.
Top Ways to Earn Avios
If you are short on Avios for an award flight you want to book, there are several ways to grow your account.
The best option is to earn transferable credit card points that can be moved to British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Iberia. If the rewards program you're participating in doesn't have these partners, you can also potentially transfer points to Qatar Airways or Finnair, and then transfer them to another Avios account for free.
Ultimately, this flexibility means you have plenty of choices when deciding which transferable points to earn. Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards are two of our favorites.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Another simple way to earn Avios is by picking up a welcome bonus and spending on an Avios co-branded credit card. Chase issues three such cards — the British Airways Visa Signature® Card, Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card, and Iberia Visa Signature® Card — and each comes with a solid set of travel benefits.
- 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL
- 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
- 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and LEVEL
- 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
- 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL
- 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
- 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Our Take
Considering that you can transfer Avios freely between British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, having access to each airline’s peak and off-peak calendars makes travel planning much easier.
For example, if you are based in Dublin and want to travel in June, which is typically the peak season for Aer Lingus, you could take a positioning flight to London and book an award flight through British Airways. British Airways has several off-peak days in June, and flying from London could save you a substantial amount of Avios.
The same idea applies if you are a British Airways Club member planning travel in the spring or fall. While the British Airways calendar has many peak days during those months, the Aer Lingus calendar remains wide open, which means more opportunities to book off-peak awards at lower Avios rates.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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