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This Iberia buy Avios promotion has ended. However, you can still buy Iberia Avios here.
Now through August 5, 2024, Iberia Plus loyalty members can buy Avios with a 25% bonus. When maximized, U.S. account holders can grab Avios for as little as 1.85¢ each. However, members whose account is based in the European Union and the United Kingdom can buy Avios at a slightly better rate.
Since most AwardWallet members live in the United States, all pricing mentioned will be in USD. While the pricing for U.S. account holders is slightly more than the E.U. and U.K., we will use the 1.85¢ per Avios value for all examples.
Just keep in mind that if you have an E.U. or U.K. account, you can grab Avios and flights for slightly less than what's stated.
A Note on Buying Iberia Avios
We never recommend buying miles speculatively. Programs can devalue at any time, long-term travel plans can change, and the last thing anybody needs is a substantial investment in a currency they can't use. That said, there are a few circumstances where buying points and miles could represent terrific value, especially when they're on sale.
If you only need a few more points to make a redemption, buying points can be the simplest and fastest way to get over the threshold. Moreover, if you're considering paying a cash rate for a premium-class product or a particularly expensive route, it may be possible to save money by buying the necessary points for an award redemption instead. In either case, it's best to have a plan before purchasing.
Key Terms for This Buy Iberia Avios Promotion
- Promotion valid on Avios purchases made through August 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CET.
- Buy at least 2,000 Avios to receive the 25% bonus.
- Iberia loyalty members may purchase a maximum of 100,000 Avios (125,000 with the bonus) per transaction.
- Iberia Plus members can purchase a maximum of 200,000 Avios per year.
- Bonus Avios do not count towards the annual limit.
- Purchased Avios are non-refundable.
- Avios purchases are processed in Euros, Great British Pounds, or U.S. Dollars, depending on the registered country of the Iberia Plus account.
- You cannot purchase Avios if your current balance is 0 Avios, so you may have to transfer some Chase Ultimate Rewards (transfers are typically immediate) to your account in order to make a purchase.
- Check out all the terms and conditions here.
Be aware, the wording for this promotion can be slightly deceiving. Although members will receive 25% bonus Avios regardless of how many are purchased, the cost per Avios decreases ever so slightly the more you buy — so the more you buy, the better the value.
All three account types (U.S., U.K., and EU) will receive the best price per Avios when purchasing 100,000 Avios (125,000 including the bonus).
If you can, buy Iberia Avios in British Pounds
The rate for buying Iberia Avios depends on the country where your Iberia Plus account is registered. That means the cost per Avios will be better in one country than the others. That country (this time) happens to be the U.K. — but not by much. Here are how the prices break down for each currency ($1 USD = 0.92 EUR and $1 USD = 0.78 GBP):
- 125,000 Avios (with bonus) in USD = $2,315 (1.85¢ per Avios)
- 125,000 Avios (with bonus) in EUR = €2,135 (equal to $2,745 USD which is 2.2¢ per Avios)
- 125,000 Avios (with bonus) in GBP = £1,779 (equal to $2,288 USD which is 1.83¢ per Avios)
The purchase rates below are in USD:
And the ones further below are in GBP:
Although the best value comes when purchasing Avios with GBP, Iberia has significantly lowered its fixed prices for U.S. account holders. The premium for buying the same amount of Avios in USD compared to EUR or GBP has dropped significantly — making it much more appealing to U.S. account holders.
Members used to be able to trick Iberia into changing the currency to GBP or EUR by simply changing their region preference to the UK or Europe:
However, Iberia has since closed this loophole. Now, “the transaction currency will be pre-determined based on the registered country of the Iberia Plus account.” With that being said, Iberia doesn't ask for proof of residency when changing the address on your account, so… your mileage may vary.
When Does Buying Iberia Avios Make Sense?
Finding tons of value in Iberia's Avios program is possible as long as you know where to look. Some of our favorite uses for Avios are on off-peak Iberia flights in business class across the Atlantic and short-haul flights on American Airlines. Let's look at some of these sweet spots to see if you can save money by buying Avios instead of paying the cash rate for a flight.
Chicago — Madrid in Iberia business class
- Mileage rate: 68,000 Avios + $308.31 round-trip
- Cash price: $6,550 round-trip
- Redemption rate: 9.2¢ per Avios
- Cost to purchase 75,000 Avios (at 1.87¢ each): $1,399
- Cost to purchase exactly 68,000 Avios (at 1.85¢ each): $1,258
In other words, you'll save a bundle by purchasing Avios to make this booking, provided you can find off-peak award space.
Charlotte — Grand Cayman in American Airlines economy
- Mileage rate: 18,000 Avios + $91 round-trip
- Cash price: $499 round-trip
- Redemption rate: 2.3¢ per mile
- Cost to purchase 18,750 Avios (at 1.95¢ each): $365
- Cost to purchase exactly 18,000 Avios (at 1.85¢ each): $333
After factoring in the taxes and fees of a round-trip booking, you'll come out ahead on this specific example by up to $67. That's not bad!
Los Angeles — Vancouver in American Airlines domestic first class
- Mileage rate: 33,000 Avios + $151 round-trip
- Cash price: $1,718 round-trip
- Redemption rate: 4.7¢ per mile
- Cost to purchase 37,500 Avios (at 1.89¢ each): $709
- Cost to purchase exactly 33,000 Avios (at 1.85¢ each): $611
If you want to head north in the pointy end of the plane without breaking the bank more than you already have to, purchasing points is the way to go.
Iberia Buy Avios History
From 2020 through 2023, Iberia was good for three or four buy-Avios promotions a year. But so far in 2024, Iberia has only dropped one promotion through nine months!
And while most of the promotions reflect a 50% bonus, the per-Avios cost varies due to the changes in the exchange rate. The minimum cost-per-Avios value reflects the best rate members can get between the U.S., U.K., and European markets — which usually is the European market when all is said and done:
| Promotion Ended | Max Bonus/Discount | Min Cents per Avios | Max Purchase Amount (w/ Bonus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-05 | 25% Bonus | 1.83 | 125,000 |
| 2023-10-31 | 25% Bonus | 1.72 | 250,000 |
| 2023-08-22 | 50% Bonus | 1.5 | 300,000 |
| 2023-05-25 | 50% Bonus | 1.29 | 300,000 |
| 2023-02-22 | 50% Bonus | 1.29 | 300,000 |
| 2022-12-23 | 50% Bonus | 1.28 | 300,000 |
| 2022-10-03 | 50% Bonus | 1.17 | 300,000 |
| 2022-06-24 | 50% Bonus | 1.26 | 225,000 |
| 2021-11-12 | 50% Bonus | 1.39 | 300,000 |
| 2021-07-13 | 50% Bonus | 1.46 | 300,000 |
| 2021-03-01 | 50% Bonus | 1.5 | 300,000 |
| 2020-11-06 | 45% Bonus | 1.46 | 290,000 |
| 2020-08-31 | 50% Bonus | 1.43 | 300,000 |
| 2020-08-27 | 50% Bonus | 1.43 | 300,000 |
| 2020-06-30 | 50% Bonus | 1.3 | 300,000 |
Maximizing Your Iberia Avios Purchase
Points.com processes purchases of Iberia Avios. Therefore, the purchase won't code as travel if you use one of the best credit cards for travel purchases. Instead, use one of these credit cards:
- Any credit card where you're working on a sign-up bonus. These are the best welcome offers available right now.
- Any credit card with perks you can unlock from spending, such as hotel free night awards, hotel elite status, or airline elite status.
- Your best credit card for everyday spending, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card.
Since the best price comes when paying in GBP, make sure you're using a card with no foreign transaction fees if you plan to pay in a foreign currency.
Related: Which Credit Card Should You Use to Buy Points and Miles?
Other Ways to Earn Iberia Avios
One of the easiest (and cheapest) ways of topping off your balance is by transferring points from partners. For Iberia, it's particularly easy to accumulate Avios as it's a transfer partner with three of the five major currencies, including:
Transfers can be particularly useful if there's a transfer bonus to British Airways, Aer Lingus, Finnair, or Qatar. Members can take advantage of the transfer bonus and then move the Avios to another Avios airline freely and instantly.
Finally, you can earn Iberia Avios through a co-branded credit card sign-up bonus and daily spending. Chase partners with all three of the IAG partners, and — since Avios can be transferred interchangeably — you can utilize any of them to earn a respectable amount of Iberia Avios:
- 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
Iberia Airlines Partners
When most people think of Avios, the first airline that usually pops into mind is British Airways. However, four major airlines use Avios as their mileage currency: British Airways, Iberia Airlines, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways. That turned into five airlines earlier this year, when Finnair adopted Avios as its currency.
Avios that are earned in any of these five airline programs can be transferred to each other at a 1:1 ratio — with no transfer fees charged.
Iberia was one of the first members to join the Oneworld alliance — one of three major airline alliances. As a result, Avios that you earn through Iberia can also be used on any one of the 14 different Oneworld members:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Finnair
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
- Fiji Airways
Plus, Iberia Plus members will be able to redeem Avios for flights on Oman Air once it joins the Oneworld Alliance in 2024. In addition to Oneworld partners, Iberia maintains partnerships with five non-alliance partners: Vueling, LEVEL, LATAM, Avianca, and Binter Canarias.
Bottom Line
Iberia's program has its quirks — that's for sure. But it also presents several distinctive sweet spots. It's also a huge win that the premiums for U.S. account holders to buy Avios have decreased significantly recently, making it less punitive to buy Avios in USD. While we never recommend buying miles speculatively, a 25% bonus provides a few scenarios where it's possible to come out ahead when purchasing Avios for as little as 1.85¢ apiece.
Just make sure you have a plan before buying Avios before this promotion expires on August 5, 2024.
Are you buying Iberia Avios with a 25% bonus?
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