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From airline partnerships to an extensive list of point transfer options, British Airways and its Avios-centric Executive Club loyalty program offer members significant value.
A key factor of this value is attributable to the Avios platform itself — a point currency that powers not just British Airways Executive Club but also other airline loyalty programs that make up the International Airlines Group (IAG). And Finnair will start using Avios in 2024, as well. There’s no shortage of ways to earn Avios, which is why it’s necessary to make note of all of British Airways’ partners so you can work towards your next redemption.
Here’s all you need to know about British Airways partners.
British Airways Transfer Partners
Iberia, Qatar & Aer Lingus
The three IAG airlines that share the Avios currency with British Airways act as transfer partners: Iberia, Qatar Airways, and Aer Lingus. What's great about these airlines sharing Avios is that you can — quite literally — share Avios among the programs, transferring instantly online at a 1:1 ratio. This creates greater flexibility when it comes to earning and redeeming. The ability to consolidate points into one account makes it all the more worthwhile to credit paid flights to the account that earns the most and also take advantage of credit card point transfer bonuses when offered.
Route prices across Avios-utilized loyalty programs were harmonized to eliminate arbitrage opportunities, but it’s always worth comparing award flight prices across the carriers to make sure you’re getting the best deal when it comes to taxes and fees. For example, British Airways Executive Club typically imposes higher surcharges on award flights than Qatar Airways does, so the ability to move Avios between programs becomes all the more valuable when you can avoid paying these hefty fees.
American Express Membership Rewards
British Airways Executive Club is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards program as a transfer partner. Membership Rewards can be transferred to the British Airways Executive Club at a 1:1 ratio and will show up as Avios within minutes (if not immediately). You also can transfer Membership Rewards to both Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub, so be sure to look out for transfer bonuses to one of these airlines to help stretch your Avios even further. You can consolidate your Avios into one account afterward.
In the past, we've seen American Express offer a 30% transfer bonus to British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, and Aer Lingus AerClub. Offers like this give you 1,300 Avios for each 1,000 Amex points you transfer. There’s no shortage of opportunities to maximize this type of bonus, and some sweet spots include Hawaii for 10k points, Ireland for 10k points, and business class to Europe for 27k points.
Given their versatility, Membership Rewards are incredibly valuable, and there are plenty of ways to earn them.
You can earn American Express Membership Rewards with the following consumer credit cards:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Green Card
- Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
- Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
- Blue from American Express®
You can earn American Express Membership Rewards with the following small-business cards:
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Related: All of the Cards That Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
Bilt Rewards
The Bilt Rewards program is geared towards renters, but a growing list of transfer partners and monthly Rent Day promotions make the program worth your attention to even if you don’t pay rent. Bilt Rewards can be transferred to the British Airways Executive Club at a 1:1 ratio, and they’ll hit your account within minutes. The minimum transfer for Bilt Rewards is 2,000 points. The same goes for both the Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub programs, which also are Bilt Rewards transfer partners.
It can be rather challenging to rack up Bilt Rewards points without carrying The Bilt Mastercard® — a $0-annual-fee product with a simple earnings structure for cardholders. As long as you make a minimum of five transactions each month (aside from paying rent), you'll earn 1x on rent payments with a 100,000-point cap each year, 2x on travel, 3x on dining, and 1x on all other spending categories. Members who do not hold the Bilt Mastercard earn a base of just 250 Bilt points per rent payment, making the card all but a requirement to get the most out of the Bilt Rewards program.
How does Bilt stack up for earning rewards by paying rent? AwardWallet explores that question and dives into the program details here.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Ultimate Rewards transfer to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio, and earning this point currency is made easy by Chase’s extensive portfolio of personal and business credit cards. Points must be transferred in 1,000-point increments, and in most cases they'll show up instantly. Similar to both American Express Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards also features Iberia and Aer Lingus as transfer partners, so it makes sense to take advantage of point transfer bonuses whenever possible — then moving Avios between accounts to help maximize redemptions as needed.
Chase routinely offers a transfer bonus to British Airways Executive Club, so check what's available when you're ready to move your points.
Even with Chase's cash-back rewards cards, you can combine those earnings with points if you have both types of cards, expanding your redemption options. You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards with the following consumer credit cards:
You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards with the following small-business cards:
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Related: All of the Cards that Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Capital One Rewards
The final flexible rewards option among British Airways’ partners, Capital One miles transfer to British Airways 1:1, instantly. There's a minimum transfer of 1,000 miles, but a key distinction with this program is that miles can be moved in increments of 100 instead of 1,000. This feature makes Capital One useful for topping off Avios balances as you work towards your next redemption.
Another unique point with Capital One: It does not offer transfers to Iberia and Aer Lingus. To convert Capital One miles to Avios, your only option is to transfer miles to the British Airways Executive Club. Avios can then be moved to Iberia, Qatar Airways, or Aer Lingus, should you wish to do so.
At the time of publication, Capital One isn't offering a transfer bonus to British Airways Executive Club, but it has in the past. And there are plenty of ways to earn Capital One miles in the interim, so you can take advantage of a bonus when one pops up.
You can earn Capital One miles with the following consumer credit cards:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
You can earn Capital One miles with the following small-business cards:
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
- Capital One Venture X Business
And remember that you can convert cash-back earnings to miles if you have both types of cards, plus you can share Capital One miles with anyone.
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy is a British Airways transfer partner, which offers the ability to convert points to Avios at a respectable 3:1 ratio. The same goes for Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Qatar Airways — airlines that also share the Avios platform. You'll receive a 5,000-Avios bonus when transferring at least 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at one time, making this transfer just a bit more valuable. There is a 3,000-point minimum to initiate a transfer; after the minimum is met, points can then be moved in increments of 3.
The process for transferring Marriott Bonvoy points is shown here. Transfer times may vary, but the best option is likely British Airways with an average of 10 hours.
Many methods for earning Marriott Bonvoy points exist, but some of the most lucrative include the brand’s recently overhauled co-branded card lineup. You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points with the following consumer credit cards:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
You also can earn Marriott Bonvoy points with this small-business card:
Related: Which Credit Cards Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points?
More hotel partners
There are additional hotel partners that offer points transfers to British Airways Executive Club. You can find them and their rates in the following table:
British Airways Airline Partners
Earn Avios by flying
The most straightforward way to earn British Airways Avios is by flying either on British Airways itself or on one of its many partners.
Earn Avios by flying with British Airways
The number of Avios you'll earn depends on a wide variety of factors, including the cabin and the fare you booked, the price of your fare, and the route you’re traveling. Here’s how you’ll earn Avios when traveling on flights operated by British Airways:
| Cabin | Fare Class | Avios Earned |
|---|---|---|
| First Class | F | 300% of miles flown |
| First Class | A | 250% of miles flown |
| Business Class | J, C, D | 250% of miles flown |
| Business Class | R, I | 150% of miles flown |
| Premium Economy | W | 150% of miles flown |
| Premium Economy | E, T | 100% of miles flown |
| Economy | Y, B, H | 100% of miles flown |
| Economy | K, L, M, N, S, V | 50% of miles flown |
| Economy | G, O, Q | 25% of miles flown |
Earn Avios by flying with a partner airline
British Airways has 16 airline partners that allow you to earn Avios. Each airline has a unique earning structure, but British Airways consolidates partner earning information in an easy-to-read format on its website. Here are the partner airlines on which you can earn British Airways Avios:
- Aer Lingus
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- China Southern
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
Executive Club elite members will also earn bonus Avios on British Airways flights, as well as most flights operated by partner airlines. To earn British Airways Avios on flights booked with partner airlines, make sure your British Airways Executive Club number is attached to your booking.
Airline partners with online redemptions
Once you're logged into your British Airways Executive Club account, you'll be able to redeem your Avios for flights on one or many of British Airways' partners. Here’s the complete list of airlines with which you can redeem Avios on the British Airways website:
- Aer Lingus
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
At this time, the only difference from the preceding list is China Southern. At present, you can earn Avios but can't redeem (or earn tier credits) for China Southern flights.
Related: How to Search and Book British Airways Avios Award Flights
Bottom Line
British Airways’ vast network of partners amplifies the value of its Avios point currency, and it’s relatively easy to find significant value within the Executive Club program. Thanks to a wide variety of transfer options -— American Express, Bilt, Chase, Capital One, and Marriott Bonvoy — there’s no shortage of ways to stock up on Avios. Earning Avios from flying is also made easy on British Airways' own metal and through its extensive list of partner airlines.
Given all the transfer partners, earning credit card bonuses and points from daily spending in any of these programs can be a way to earn more Avios. With a bit of planning, you’ll be able to earn a lot of Avios and be on your way to redeeming them for award travel.
- 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. Plus earn 1 Avios per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- 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
- 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
Have you redeemed Avios? What’s your favorite way to do so?
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Hi Tyler,
Would you consider Vueling airlines a member of this group? I think they’re a low-cost partner airline of Iberia. I flew with them last year on a flight between Paris and Rome and received some Avios points. Not sure what i can do with them now.
thanks
Hi Sandy, you can’t redeem BA Avios for Vueling flights. You can redeem Iberia Avios for Vueling flights, though. If you have Avios in a Vueling account, you can use that account to log into Avios.com, and you could transfer those to BA on Avios.com.