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One of my favorite award currencies out there is British Airways Avios. Some of my favorite redemptions have been with the currency, especially since it's traditionally been a distance-based program. While there have been some recent changes devaluing the currency a bit, it's still helpful to understand how to earn and redeem Avios for your travels.
Here's everything you need to know about the British Airways Avios currency.
Page Contents
Earn British Airways Avios by Flying
The most straightforward way to earn British Airways Avios is to fly British Airways or one of its many airline partners. You can fly to a good portion of the world from British Airways' hub in London or leverage Oneworld and non-alliance partners to fly from almost anywhere.
Earn Avios on British Airways flights
In late 2023, British Airways made flying on British Airways less rewarding by adopting a revenue-based Avios earning model. Gone are the days when you earned Avios based on the distance flown. It's now all about the Great British Pounds you spend on your ticket.
On flights operated by British Airways, non-status-holding blue members of the British Airways Club earn Avios at a clip of six per qualifying £1 spent (~$1.30). If you hold status, you'll earn the following:
- Bronze members: 7 Avios per qualifying £1 spent
- Silver members: 8 Avios per qualifying £1 spent
- Gold members: 9 Avios per qualifying £1 spent
The definition of “qualifying spending” extends to your base fare, carrier-imposed surcharges, upgrades, charges for seats, and excess baggage fees. Taxes aren't included.
Note, if the airline can't see the fare paid — such as part of a British Airways Vacation package — the member will earn Avios based on distance and cabin flown. British Airways Vacations also earn a bonus Avios per £1 spent on flight and hotel or flight and car packages and add ons to a flight booking. Bronze, Silver, and Gold members will receive Tier bonuses of 15%, 30%, or 50% on top of the base flight award, respectively.
Earn Avios on partner flights
British Airways has 16 partner airlines that you can travel with and earn Avios from your flying. Of the list of partners, 12 belong to the Oneworld Alliance — of which British Airways is also a member.
In most cases, British Airways uses distance-based earning charts for its partner airlines. When you fly a partner with one of these charts, you'll generally get a better mileage return than if you fly a revenue-based partner.
| Airline | Earning Structure | Collect Tier Points? |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Distance-based | Yes |
| Alaska Airlines | Distance-based | Yes |
| American Airlines | Revenue-based (Earn 6-9 Avios per GBP spent) | Yes |
| Cathay Pacific | Distance-based | Yes |
| China Southern | Distance-based | No |
| Fiji Airways | Distance-based | Yes |
| Finnair | Distance-based | Yes |
| Iberia | Revenue-based (Earn 5-8 Avios per GBP spent) | Yes |
| Japan Airlines | Distance-based | Yes |
| LATAM | Distance-based | No |
| Malaysia Airlines | Distance-based | Yes |
| Qantas | Distance-based | Yes |
| Qatar Airways | Distance-based | Yes |
| Royal Air Maroc | Distance-based | Yes |
| Royal Jordanian | Distance-based | Yes |
| SriLankan Airlines | Distance-based | Yes |
Not every airline uses the same chart, so it's worth confirming your earning rate before flying to avoid any surprises when the Avios post to your account.
How many British Airways Avios do you earn on American Airlines and Iberia flights?
When you credit American Airlines and Iberia flights to British Airways Executive Club, you'll earn between 5X and 9X Avios per qualifying pound (GBP) spent, depending on the airline and the status you hold. American flights start at 6X Avios per qualifying pound spent, while Iberia starts at 5X Avios per qualifying pound spent.
Related: Breaking Down the Many British Airways Partners
Earn British Airways Avios From Cards and Transferable Points
Another reason we love Avios is because of the many British Airways partners for earning besides flying, like credit card programs and other airlines.
Swipe an Avios-earning credit card
The most straightforward way to earn British Airways Avios via credit card is by raking in a large signup bonus on the British Airways Visa Signature® Card and continuing to use it for everyday spending.
- Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
- Earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL.
- Earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
- 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
- Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you'll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
- Simply tap to pay with your contactless British Airways Visa Signature Card. Just look for the contactless symbol at checkout. It's fast, easy and secure!
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
If you're a new applicant, you'll bank 75,000 bonus Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. In recent redemptions, AwardWallet users have redeemed Avios at an average of 2.56¢ per point, which makes the 75,000 bonus Avios worth $1,920. That's a lot of award travel.
The British Airways Visa Card carries a $95 annual fee and earns 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL, 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations, plus 1 Avios per $1 spent on all other purchases. As Chase issues it, the card is subject to the 5/24 rule.
You also can reward your spending with Avios from two other Chase-issued credit cards: the Aer Lingus Visa and the Iberia Visa. Since each airline shares the same loyalty currency, you can convert your Iberia, Aer Lingus, Finnair, and Qatar Airways Avios to British Airways Avios online for free.
- 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
Move transferable points to British Airways Club
If you prefer to earn transferable points and move them to British Airways Executive Club, you can do so easily from various widely recognizable programs. Taking this route opens the door to numerous credit cards that might fit your wallet better than a co-branded airline credit card will.
Related: The Best Flexible Rewards Points for Free Travel
Convert hotel points to Avios
You can also convert several hotel currencies to British Airways Avios. In most cases, however, you'll be better off redeeming your hotel points for award stays, given the generally poor transfer ratios.
Earn Avios by Spending With Select Partners
But wait, there's more! You can earn British Airways Avios in a healthy variety of ancillary ways, including but not limited to vacation packages, hotel stays, rental cars, and more. Here's what you'll earn when you spend on a handful of British Airways partners:
- British Airways Vacations
- Packages: 1 Avios per $1 spent
- Lodging
- Avios Hotels: 10 Avios per £1 spent
- Airbnb: 2 Avios per $1 spent
- Accor: Up to 2.5 Avios for every £2 spent
- Marriott and IHG: Up to 2 Avios per $1 spent
- Lifestyle/Travel
- Avios For Thoughts: Variable Avios per survey completed
- eRewards: Variable Avios per survey completed
- Lounge Pass: 5 Avios per $1 spent
- Heathrow Express rail transfers: 5 Avios for every £1 spent
- Rental cars
- Avis: 3 Avios per £1 spent
- Budget: 1 Avios per $1 spent
- Shopping
- Shopping portal: Variable Avios per $1 spent
- Heathrow Rewards and The Bicester Collection: Variable Avios per $1 spent
- Experiences: 5 Avios per £1 spent
- Duty-free shopping in the London Heathrow airport: 1 Avios per £1 spent
Redeeming British Airways Avios
Once you've built up a balance of Avios, the creativity can start flowing as you figure out what to do with them. You'll generally get the best value from your Avios by redeeming them for flights — especially on partner airlines — but that's not all you can do with the currency.
Redeem Avios for flights on British Airways
British Airways serves more than 200 destinations across 80 countries, meaning you can reach most of the world by connecting through London Heathrow (LHR) or London Gatwick (LGW). And when you redeem Avios for flights on the carrier, you can travel for decent value.
Be mindful of carrier-imposed surcharges, which are some of the industry's most significant. Peak and off-peak pricing also complicate matters, giving prospective bookers more to wrangle.
British Airways doesn't publish an award chart for flights on its own metal, but here's what you can expect to pay for a regular redemption:
| Zone (Distance) | Economy (Off-Peak) | Economy (Peak) | Premium Economy (Off-Peak) | Premium Economy (Peak) | Business (Off-Peak) | Business (Peak) | First Class (Off-Peak) | First Class (Peak) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 (up to 650 miles) | 4,750 | 5,250 | Not Offered | Not Offered | 8,500 | 9,750 | Not Offered | Not Offered |
| Zone 2 (651 to 1,151 miles) | 7,250 | 8,250 | Not Offered | Not Offered | 13,500 | 15,750 | Not Offered | Not Offered |
| Zone 3 (1,152 to 2,000 miles) | 9,250 | 10,750 | Not Offered | Not Offered | 17,750 | 20,750 | Not Offered | Not Offered |
| Zone 4 (2,001 to 3,000 miles) | 10,000 | 12,500 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 31,250 | 37,500 | 42,500 | 50,000 |
| Zone 5 (3,001 to 4,000 miles) | 13,000 | 20,000 | 26,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 68,000 | 80,000 |
| Zone 6 (4,001 to 5,500 miles) | 16,250 | 25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 62,500 | 75,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
| Zone 7 (5,501 to 6,500 miles) | 19,500 | 30,000 | 39,000 | 60,000 | 75,000 | 90,000 | 102,000 | 120,000 |
| Zone 8 (6,501 to 7,000 miles) | 22,750 | 35,000 | 45,500 | 70,000 | 87,500 | 105,000 | 119,000 | 140,000 |
| Zone 9 (7,001+ miles) | 32,500 | 50,000 | 65,000 | 100,000 | 125,000 | 150,000 | 170,000 | 200,000 |
When booking, if you click “more pricing options,” you'll see various choices requiring varying amounts of Avios and cash. The more Avios you redeem, the lower your cash burden will be, and vice versa. The option you should choose is ultimately a function of how many Avios you have and how much you're willing to pay in fees. However, some options are better value-wise.
Related: How To Search and Book British Airways Avios Award Flights
Redeem Avios for flights on a single partner airline
British Airways also doesn't publish an official award chart for flights operated by a single partner airline. Since removing its published award chart, British Airways has tweaked award pricing for seemingly every partner, creating almost a dozen individual partner award charts. Here's what we've been able to piece together.
Flights within North America
The British Airways Club uses specific award pricing for flights within North America. Short-haul American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights price at these rates:
| Distance/Zone | Economy | Premium Economy (on select flights to Hawaii/Alaska) | Business (Domestic First) | First (On 3-Cabin Flights) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 650 miles (Zone 1) | 12,000 | N/A | 24,000 | N/A |
| Up to 1,151 miles (Zones 2) | 16,000 | N/A | 32,000 | N/A |
| 1,152 to 2,000 miles (Zone 3) | 18,000 | N/A | 40,000 | N/A |
| 2,001 to 3,000 miles (Zone 4) | 20,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 80,000 |
| 3,001 to 4,000 miles (Zone 5) | 20,750 | 41,250 | 62,000 | 82,500 |
It's worth noting that British Airways has devalued this specific chart multiple times. Most recently, British Airways raised these rates in July 2024.
Award pricing for Cathay Pacific
In August 2021, British Airways raised award redemption rates on Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines. Thus, these awards are priced differently than prices in the chart above:
| Flight distance (miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 | 9,750 | 14,300 | 20,800 |
| 651-1,151 | 12,000 | 21,600 | 30,000 |
| 1,152-2,000 | 14,300 | 23,400 | 32,500 |
| 2,001-3,000 | 15,600 | 30,900 | 46,500 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 20,750 | 41,250 | 77,250 |
First class has become unavailable on many routes where Cathay used to operate it. Don't expect to find seats.
Award pricing on Japan Airlines
| Flight distance (miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 | 10,500 | N/A | 17,500 | N/A |
| 651-1,151 | 11,000 | N/A | 26,400 | N/A |
| 1,152-2,000 | 14,300 | 21,450 | 31,200 | N/A |
| 2,001-3,000 | 15,600 | 30,900 | 46,500 | 61,800 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 20,750 | 41,250 | 62,000 | 82,500 |
Award pricing for Qantas awards
| Flight distance (miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 | 6,000 | N/A | 12,500 |
| 651-1,151 | 9,000 | 16,500 | 16,500 |
| 1,152-2,000 | 11,000 | N/A | 22,000 |
| 2,001-3,000 | 13,000 | N/A | 38,750 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 20,750 | N/A | 62,000 |
Award pricing on Qatar Airways
In June 2023, British Airways revamped its award charts for Qatar Airways — resulting in a slew of hybrid distance- and region-based award charts. See the post linked above for the full breakdown.
Award pricing on LATAM
| Flight distance (miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-650 | 8,500 | 12,500 | N/A |
| 651-1,151 | 13,500 | N/A | 24,750 |
| 1,152-2,000 | 15,500 | 23,000 | 30,750 |
| 2,001-3,000 | 17,000 | N/A | 50,500 |
| 3,001-4,000 | 31,250 | 62,000 | 93,000 |
General partner award chart
We aren't sure how many partners actually still price at this general chart, but here it is for reference:
| Distance/Zone | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 650 miles (Zone 1) | 8,250 | 9,000 | 16,500 | 24,000 |
| 651 to 1,151 miles (Zone 2) | 11,000 | 12,500 | 20,500 | 33,000 |
| 1,152 to 2,000 miles (Zone 3) | 13,000 | 16,500 | 29,000 | 44,000 |
| 2,001 to 3,000 miles (Zone 4) | 16,000 | 25,250 | 42,000 | 51,500 |
| 3,001 to 4,000 miles (Zone 5) | 20,750 | 41,250 | 62,000 | 82,500 |
| 4,001 to 5,500 miles (Zone 6) | 25,750 | 51,500 | 77,250 | 103,000 |
| 5,501 to 6,500 miles (Zone 7) | 31,000 | 62,000 | 92,750 | 123,750 |
| 6,501 to 7,000 miles (Zone 8) | 36,250 | 72,250 | 108,250 | 144,250 |
| 7,001+ miles (Zone 9) | 51,500 | 103,000 | 154,500 | 206,000 |
Redeem Avios for multi-carrier awards
Awards that involve travel on two or more Oneworld airlines are priced differently. For these flights, the number of Avios you'll redeem depends on the total distance of your trip — whether it's a one-way or round-trip itinerary.
British Airways only publishes the “starting at” pricing for multi-carrier economy awards, but the pricing you'll observe in mock bookings makes the comprehensive chart look like this:
| Trip Distance | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1,500 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| 1,501–4,000 | 35,000 | 52,500 | 70,000 | 105,000 |
| 4,001–9,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 |
| 9,001–10,000 | 70,000 | 105,000 | 140,000 | 210,000 |
| 10,001–14,000 | 90,000 | 135,000 | 180,000 | 270,000 |
| 14,001–20,000 | 100,000 | 150,000 | 200,000 | 300,000 |
| 20,001–25,000 | 120,000 | 180,000 | 240,000 | 360,000 |
Carrier-imposed surcharges can make these awards extremely expensive. In some cases, they add almost $2,000 to the total cost of the trip.
Other ways to redeem Avios
Outside of redeeming Avios for flights on British Airways or partner airlines, you also can redeem your Avios for the following:
- Upgrading an existing booking
- Rental car reservations
- Hotel stays
- Experiences (which can start at a couple hundred Avios)
You won't get the most out of your Avios by redeeming them outside of flights, but it's still a way to redeem Avios nonetheless.
Final Thoughts
British Airways Avios is a useful airline currency that you can earn in various ways and redeem through even more avenues. No matter your travel plans, Avios can likely get you there, courtesy of British Airways' extensive partner network and global connectivity.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: British Airways Visa Signature® Card (Rates & Fees)
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