Have you ever heard of Avios points but not quite sure what they are or how to use them? In this friendly guide, we'll have Avios points explained from the ground up. By the end, you'll know how to collect Avios points, how to use Avios points, and the best way to use Avios to get fantastic travel rewards.
New to the British Airways loyalty programme or looking to get more value from your existing points? Think of Avios points as a travel currency, because they are. With the right strategy, they can unlock everything from discounted flights to luxury upgrades.
What Are Avios Points?
Avios points are the reward currency of British Airways and its partner airlines. Think of them as similar to frequent flyer miles – you earn Avios points through various activities and then spend them to get free or discounted travel.
Avios are primarily associated with the British Airways Club (formerly British Airways Executive Club), but they are used by other airlines such as:
- IAG family of airlines - Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and Level and,
- The oneworld alliance network of 13 other airlines - Alaska Airlines, American, Cathay Pacific, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Sri Lankan Airlines.
This means you can collect Avios with one airline and spend them on flights with many different airlines across the world. Further, you can make all your flight plans in one place on BA’s website, without having to go to each airline’s website.
What Makes Avios So Useful
Avios points are a kind of travel money you accumulate for being a loyal customer or using partner services. They are very easy to collect (see below) and you can then redeem them for flights, upgrades, hotel stays, and more. See how to get Avios points below.
For example, you might earn Avios on a British Airways flight and later use them to book a flight on American Airlines or Qatar Airways. An example of how this works is the BA, Iberia, and Qatar Airways partnership. In short, Avios gives you the freedom to travel further and cheaper if you plan wisely.
How to Collect Avios Points
If you're wondering how to collect Avios points, the good news is there are many ways to get them – you don't have to be a frequent flyer to build up a sizable balance.
Here are some of the most popular methods to get Avios points:
1. Fly with British Airways or oneworld Airlines
The most straightforward way to collect Avios is by flying. Whenever you fly with British Airways or its oneworld partner airlines (American Airlines, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, etc.), you earn Avios points.
The number you earn depends on the distance flown, the ticket price/class, and your BA membership tier. Just remember to join the British Airways Club (it's free) and add your membership number to your bookings.
2. Use an Avios Credit Card (Amex, Barclaycard, Capital on Tap)
One of the fastest ways to boost your Avios balance is through a credit card that rewards you with Avios. In the UK, the Avios credit cards are:
- British Airways American Express cards. For example, the BA Amex Blue card gives you 1 Avios per £1 spent (and the Black Premium Plus version gives 1.5 Avios per £1, plus other perks).
- Barclaycard Avios Mastercard. The free card gives you 1 Avios per £1 spent; the paid card gives you 1.5 Avios per £1 spent.
- British Airways Accelerating Business Credit Card (for small businesses), which gives you 1.5 Avios per £1 spent plus other perks
There are other credit cards where you can earn points which are convertible into Avios. These are:
- the Amex Gold Card, which lets you earn Membership Rewards (MR) points that can be converted 1:1 into Avios. You earn 1 MR per £1 spent generally; 2 MR for direct purchases with airlines; 3 MR for purchases from American Express Travel.
- The Amex Platinum Card, which gives you 1 MR per £1 spent generally and 2 MR for money spent at American Express Travel. Conversion into Avios is 1:1.
- The American Express Nectar Card—you earn 2 Nectar points per £1 on most everyday spending, and 3 points per £1 when you shop with Nectar partners. Nectar points can then be converted into Avios at a rate of 400 Nectar points for 250 Avios.
- Capital on Tap Visa Credit Card (for limited companies) which gives you 1 Capital on Tap (CT) point per £1 spent. With the free card, 10 CT points convert into 8 Avios. With the paid card, 10 CT points convert into 10 Avios. APRs, fees and other card terms change regularly, so always check the latest product details before applying.
Many of these cards also come with hefty welcome bonuses (tens of thousands of Avios) when you sign up and meet a minimum spend in the first few months. If you're comfortable using credit cards and paying them off responsibly, this is a key strategy for how to get Avios points quickly.
3. Shop via the BA Avios eStore
Why not earn Avios while doing your regular shopping? British Airways has an online shopping portal (the BA eStore) with over 2000 shopping partners, including well known brands in the fashion, sport, food, entertainment, mobile phone, insurance, and energy industries.
If you click through the BA eStore to, say, buy something at Apple, John Lewis, Sky, Admiral Insurance, or Ticketmaster, you'll earn bonus Avios for every £1 you spend, on top of Avios you may earn from your credit card. Bonus Avios range from 1 to 15 Avios per £1 depending on promotions. It's an easy way to accumulate points on purchases you’d make anyway.
4. Everyday Partners
You can also collect Avios in your day-to-day life. For instance, if you link your British Airways Club account to your Uber app in the UK, you’ll earn Avios on eligible trips booked via Uber – including rides, trains, coaches, boats and two‑wheels – whenever you travel.
Similarly, Airbnb has a partnership: if you book accommodation through the special BA-Airbnb link, you can earn 2 Avios per £1 spent on your stays.
These are great examples of turning routine spending into reward points. Other partners include:
- car hire companies like Avis and Budget (rent a car and collect Avios).
- BP (buy fuel, collect BPme rewards points & convert into Avios)
- Marriott Hotels, Accor, and IHG (see below)
- Heathrow Rewards, which convert 1:1 to Avios
- Heathrow Express rail transfers (5 Avios per £) when you book via the dedicated Heathrow Express Avios page.
- Royal Caribbean cruises (typically around 3 Avios per £ spent, but always check the current earning rate before you book).
5. Convert Nectar Points to Avios
Do you shop at Sainsbury's, eBay, or Argos in the UK? They all use Nectar points as their loyalty currency. British Airways has a handy partnership with Nectar where you can convert Nectar points to Avios points and vice versa. Currently, 400 Nectar points can be turned into 250 Avios (and the other way around).
If you have a pile of Nectar points from grocery shopping, you can swap them for Avios to reach your next flight reward sooner. And if you ever find yourself with “too many” Avios (a nice problem to have!), you can convert Avios back into Nectar to spend on shopping.
6. British Airways Holidays & Packages
Booking a package holiday with British Airways (flight + hotel or car) can also help you collect Avios. BA Holidays often offers bonus Avios for package bookings – for example, an extra few thousand Avios when you book a flight and hotel together. You’ll also of course earn Avios on the flight portion of any BA Holiday.
If you’re planning a holiday, it’s worth considering BA’s packages especially during promotional periods when they boost Avios earnings.
7. Hotel Rewards Programmes
Hotel loyalty programmes can be a valuable tool for boosting your Avios balance. Programmes like Marriott Bonvoy let you convert points to Avios (3:1 ratio), with a 5,000 Avios bonus for every 60,000 points transferred.
You can also earn Avios directly when booking hotels through British Airways’ portal or partners like Booking.com. Some hotel chains even let you choose Avios over their own points.
With new two-way conversions available—like between Nectar and Marriott Bonvoy—it’s easier than ever to move points around and make every stay count toward your next flight.
In short, collecting Avios points comes down to incorporating Avios earnings into your everyday life: fly when you can, use an Avios-earning card for your shopping, and leverage partnerships to top up your balance. You will see your Avios growing steadily.
- Passenger1
8. Earn Avios on Flight Add-Ons (Seats, Bags, Upgrades)
Revenue earning (since Oct 2023): Earn 6-9 Avios per £1 spent on base fares + carrier charges + ancillaries (seats, baggage, cash upgrades). Taxes excluded.
| Tier | Base Rate | Total w/Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 6 Avios/£1 | 6 Avios/£1 |
| Bronze | 7 Avios/£1 | 8.05 Avios/£1 |
| Silver | 8 Avios/£1 | 10.4 Avios/£1 |
| Gold | 9 Avios/£1 | 13.5 Avios/£1 |
Real examples:
- £14 seat selection = 84 Avios (Blue) → 189 Avios (Gold)
- £50 excess baggage = 300 Avios (Blue) → 675 Avios (Gold)
- £200 cash upgrade = 1,200 Avios (Blue) → 2,700 Avios (Gold)
Cash upgrades earn on the upgrade amount only. Calculate yours →
How to Use Avios Points
Now that you're collecting Avios, what can you actually do with them? In other words, how to spend—or redeem—Avios points. Here are some of the main ways you can use your Avios:
1. Reward Flights
This is the number one reason people collect Avios points. You can redeem Avios for reward flights (also called award tickets) with British Airways and its partner airlines. Essentially, instead of paying the full cash price, you pay a certain number of Avios points plus some taxes/fees, and you get the ticket.
You can book to almost any worldwide destination in British Airways’ network or on oneworld partners using Avios. For example, you could use Avios to book a British Airways flight from London to Paris, or even a partner flight like Cathay Pacific from London to Hong Kong. Reward flight prices in Avios depend on the route distance, the travel class (Economy, Business, etc.), or if it's peak or off-peak dates. (BA has a reward chart that shows how many Avios are needed for different zones and dates.)
Using Avios for flights can save you a lot of money – it's often the best way to use Avios for maximum value. Our customers report savings as high as £7000 for long haul business class tickets to Tokyo. Just remember you will usually have to pay taxes and fees separately in cash, even when the flight itself is "bought" with Avios.
Avios-Only Flights: A Major Shift in Reward Availability
Historically, British Airways guarantees a minimum number of reward seats on every flight: 4 in Business Class, 2 in Premium Economy, and 8 in Economy. However, First Class seats are not guaranteed. On popular routes such as the Maldives, Sydney, or Barbados, these limited allocations can disappear quickly when flights are released 355 days before departure.
In 2023, British Airways introduced a new concept known as Avios-only flights. On these selected services, every seat on the aircraft was made available for booking using Avios points. This marked a significant shift from the standard guaranteed allocation model and dramatically increased redemption opportunities for collectors.
The first Avios-only flight operated from London Gatwick to Sharm El Sheikh in November 2023, using an Airbus A320 configured with 30 Club Europe (Business Class) seats and 132 Euro Traveller (Economy) seats — all bookable with Avios. British Airways also launched several Avios-only flights from Heathrow to Geneva during the 2024 ski season.
The booking process remained exactly the same as a standard reward booking: log in to your British Airways Club account, search for reward availability, and complete the booking using Avios. The key difference was simply that availability was dramatically expanded on those selected services.
While the initial rollout focused on short- and mid-haul routes, the initiative signalled British Airways’ willingness to experiment with improving reward seat access. Many Avios collectors welcomed the move, particularly those who had previously struggled to secure seats on high-demand routes.
Although Avios-only flights have so far been limited to selected short- and mid-haul services, they represent an important evolution in how reward availability may develop in the future — and they highlight the value of staying flexible and monitoring availability closely.
The initial rollout appeared to be a soft launch focused on short- and mid-haul routes, allowing British Airways to test demand before potentially expanding the concept to additional destinations.
Initiatives like Avios-only flights reinforce an important strategy: flexibility dramatically improves your chances of securing high-value redemptions. Avios‑only flights are offered on selected services from time to time, so it’s worth checking current promotions as routes and dates can change.
2. Upgrades to a Higher Class
Another popular use of Avios is to upgrade an existing flight booking. Say you bought a Premium Economy ticket on British Airways – you can spend Avios to upgrade that ticket to Business Class (Club World) if upgrade space is available.
Upgrading with Avios costs fewer points than an outright reward ticket, and you still keep your original ticket’s benefits (like earning Avios on the paid portion). It’s a neat trick to get a more comfortable experience for fewer points. Not all tickets are upgradeable (very cheap economy fares might not be eligible), and you can generally only upgrade one class (Economy to Premium, Premium to Business, etc.).
But if you already have a flight booked, check if an Avios upgrade is possible – it could be a great deal.
3. Part Pay with Avios (Reduce Cash Fare)
If you don’t have enough Avios for a full reward flight, you can still put them to use by reducing the cost of a normal paid ticket. British Airways allows you to part pay with Avios when booking flights – meaning you can use some Avios to knock down the cash price.
For example, you might choose to use 5,000 Avios to get £30 off your ticket price. The more Avios you use, the bigger the discount (BA will show you several options at checkout). This isn’t always the highest-value way to spend Avios (the exchange rate in these deals is set by BA and can be modest), but it can be convenient if you have a small Avios balance or just need to trim a bit off a fare.
Plus, you still earn Avios on the flight when you part-pay with points.
4. Companion Voucher Tickets
If you have a Companion Voucher (earned from certain credit cards like the BA Amex Premium Plus), you can use it in conjunction with Avios to score two flights for the price of one.
How it works: You redeem the required Avios for one reward flight, and the Companion Voucher lets you take a second passenger on the same flight (in the same cabin) without spending any additional Avios (you just pay the taxes/fees for the second person).
This is one of the most powerful ways to use Avios for those who have earned a Companion Voucher—essentially doubling the value of your points on that booking. For example, you could use Avios for a Business Class reward ticket from London to New York and use the voucher to bring your partner along, spending zero Avios for the second ticket. For more details, visit our Companion Voucher Guide page.
5. Booking Hotels or Car Rentals
Avios aren’t just for flying. You can also redeem Avios for hotel stays or car rentals via the British Airways Club portal. BA has a service called “Hotels for Avios” and “Cars for Avios” where you can spend your points on accommodations or car hire worldwide.
For example, you might redeem 30,000 Avios for a night in a hotel or for a week’s car rental, depending on the category and location. However, keep in mind that using Avios for hotels and cars often gives a lower value per point compared to flights.
It's a nice option if you have excess points or won't be using them for flights, but many people prefer to use Avios on flights and use cash for hotels (or use hotel loyalty points for hotels) for better value.
6. Shopping and Other Uses
While travel is the focus of Avios, you can also spend Avios on shopping and experiences. For example, through the Avios store or partners, you could redeem points for wine, experience days, or products. And as mentioned earlier, you can convert Avios to Nectar points and effectively spend them at places like Sainsbury’s or eBay (400 Avios = £2 worth of Nectar). This effectively turns your Avios into cash for shopping.
However, these options usually give you a lower value per Avios compared to using them for flights. We’re not saying spending Avios points on shopping is a bad idea – if you truly have no travel plans, it’s better to get something with your points than let them expire. But if travel is on your radar, you’ll want to focus more on reward flights and upgrades, where Avios shine.
Best Ways to Spend Avios Points
Not all redemptions are created equal. Some uses of Avios will give you outstanding value, while others might feel a bit underwhelming. To make sure you don't waste your hard-earned points, let's highlight the best ways to spend Avios points and get maximum value.
1 Off-Peak Reward Flights
BA has peak and off-peak pricing for Avios flights. If you can be flexible with your travel dates, try to book off-peak flights. Off-peak dates require fewer Avios for the same route compared to peak dates (like school holidays or Christmas).
For example, a flight to New York in off-peak might cost 50,000 Avios in Business Class instead of 60,000+ during peak. Travelling off-peak is one of the best ways to use Avios efficiently, as you'll save thousands of points. Plus, off-peak often coincides with less crowded flights and airports, which can make your trip more pleasant too!
2 Short-Haul Sweet Spots
Avios can be extremely valuable for short-haul flights, especially in Economy. On routes under 650 miles (like London to Amsterdam or Madrid to Barcelona), off-peak economy awards cost as little as 4,000 Avios one-way (plus minimal taxes). Even slightly longer European flights might be 6,500 or 7,500 Avios off-peak. These are often called sweet spots because cash tickets for last-minute short flights can be pricey, whereas the Avios price is fixed and often a bargain.
If you need a quick getaway, spending a small amount of Avios can save you a lot of money. Tip: This also works in other regions – for instance, using Avios for short domestic flights in the US or Australia on partner airlines can be a great deal.
3 Business and First Class Experiences
Avios are a fantastic way to enjoy premium cabins that you might not normally splurge on. Long-haul Business Class or First Class flights typically cost a lot of cash, but you can use Avios to book these luxury experiences for just the cost of taxes and fees. For example, a First Class flight that might be £5,000+ in cash could be booked for a fraction of that in Avios (say 85,000 Avios + taxes). We usually value Avios at about 1p per point, so this ticket would effectively be £850 + taxes.
If you've been diligently collecting and want to treat yourself, a lie-flat seat and champagne at 35,000 feet is a pretty memorable reward for your points. Using a Companion Voucher here doubles the luxury for the same Avios outlay – a truly outstanding value for a special trip.
4 Avios Upgrades as a Hack
We mentioned using Avios for upgrades, and it's worth repeating as a top strategy. One hack seasoned travellers use is booking a Premium Economy ticket during a sale and then upgrading to Business with Avios. Why is this smart? Because you not only spend fewer Avios than a straight Business Class award, but you also earn Avios and tier points on the paid Premium Economy fare. Curious about how British Airways Tier Points work? You can find a full breakdown on our dedicated page here.
In the end, you arrive in Business Class having spent fewer points and earned some back. Similarly, upgrading from Business to First Class with Avios can be a sweet deal if you find availability. The key is that upgrade awards often require significantly fewer Avios than booking the higher cabin outright.
5 Maximise Partner Value
Sometimes the best way to spend Avios is on partner airlines rather than British Airways itself. For example, booking American Airlines flights within the US or flights on Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, etc., using Avios can avoid the high carrier surcharges that BA adds to its own flights. This means you pay fewer cash fees alongside your Avios.
An example: redeeming Avios for an American Airlines domestic flight will usually only cost you the mandatory airport taxes (no fuel surcharges), so a 12,000 Avios ticket might only cost $5 in fees – a fantastic deal compared to using those Avios on a BA flight where you might pay £100+ in fees. So, look beyond just BA routes – your Avios can take you all over the world on different airlines, sometimes with better value.
6 Avoid Low-Value Redemptions
This is more of a “what not to do,” but it's important. Try to avoid using Avios for things that give you very little value per point. For instance, using a huge chunk of Avios for a low-cost short-haul flight during a sale, or redeeming Avios for trivial merchandise, might yield less than 0.5 pence per point in value.
Many collectors use some simple rules of thumb to judge value, but these are only illustrative rather than guaranteed. A common target is to aim for around 1 pence of value per Avios on flight redemptions, with the Nectar conversion offering a rough floor of about 0.8p per Avios. On some premium cabin redemptions, especially First Class, you may occasionally achieve effective values of 3–5p per Avios, depending on the cash price of the ticket at the time.
In summary, the best way to use Avios points is on travel experiences that would otherwise cost a lot of money. Off-peak flights, strategic upgrades, and aspirational journeys in Business or First Class will usually give you the biggest bang for your Avios buck.
Planning ahead and being flexible will help you snag those high-value rewards. And remember, points are meant to be used – so don't hoard them forever. Use them for unforgettable trips when you find a great opportunity!
Tips for Getting More Avios Points
Everyone loves a few insider tips to supercharge their points earning. Now that you know the basics of collecting and spending Avios, here are some extra pointers to help you get even more Avios points (and keep them safe):
1. Jump on Promotions and Bonuses
Keep an eye out for special promotions where you can earn bonus Avios. Airlines and partners often run limited-time offers – like double Avios on flights to a new destination, or extra Avios for using the shopping portal during a holiday sale. Credit card sign-up bonuses are a huge one-time boost, so take advantage of those if you can (just be mindful of the terms and make sure it fits your spending habits). Following British Airways and Avios newsletters can keep you informed about these deals so you never miss a chance to earn more.
2. Pool Avios with Family (Household Accounts)
British Airways allows you to create a Household Account for up to seven members living at the same address. This means your family's Avios get pooled together. If you and your partner or family members are all collecting Avios, combining them can help reach a big redemption faster.
No single person’s Avios get “stuck” in their account unused – you can draw from the shared pool when booking a reward. It's a great way to make small balances more useful, especially for families. Just remember that in a Household Account, you also share reward usage (each member uses from the pool proportionally), and you can’t individually gift Avios outside the household – but overall it’s a very handy tool.
3. Keep Your Avios from Expiring
Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity on your account, which means you need to earn, spend, buy or transfer at least some Avios within that period to keep your balance alive. Once Avios have expired they are usually gone for good, and reinstatements tend to be rare goodwill exceptions, so it’s important not to rely on getting them back. This can be as simple as earning a few Avios through the eStore, transferring 1,000 Nectar points to Avios, or booking a short flight. Even a small action resets the clock on all your points for another 36 months. Set a reminder if you need to. That way, you’ll never log in to find your hard-earned Avios gone. Don't waste them by letting them lapse!
4. Use Avios Wisely (Quality Over Quantity)
It’s not just about how many Avios points you have, but how you use them. Two people could have 50,000 Avios each – one might get a £500 flight out of it, the other might get £300 worth of wine. To maximise your rewards, think about the value you’re getting. We covered the best ways to spend Avios points above – use those principles as you plan your redemptions. Sometimes patience pays off; if you can’t find a good flight right now, it might be better to wait rather than spending Avios on something mediocre.
Using our Availability Calendar & Alert notification tools on Reward Flight Finder (RFF) can help you locate those high-value flight redemptions more easily, so your Avios go further.
5. Combine Avios from Different Programmes
If you also collect Avios via Iberia Plus or Qatar Airways Privilege Club (since they too use Avios currency), know that you can transfer Avios between these programmes freely (as long as your accounts are linked and active). This can be useful if one programme has an award you want that’s cheaper. For example, Iberia often has lower Avios pricing on Iberia flights compared to booking them via BA. A beginner might not need this trick right away, but it's good to know as you become more advanced in the Avios game.
6. Don’t Buy Avios Without a Plan
BA will happily sell you Avios points for cash, but generally the price is not a bargain (unless there’s a 50% bonus promotion or you just need a tiny bit more to top-off a booking). Buying Avios at full price can be around 1.6p-1.7p per point – which is usually more than the value you get out of them. So, focus on earning through the methods above, and only purchase Avios during special offers or as a last resort to complete a redemption.
By following these tips, you’ll ensure you're always growing your Avios balance and getting closer to the next reward. Avios collecting can become a fun hobby in its own right – once you see those points roll in from everyday activities, you'll be hooked on boosting your balance. Just remember the golden rule: always use your Avios on something meaningful (a trip, an upgrade, an experience) rather than letting them go to waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is the real value in flight redemptions?
A: The best value is in premium travel, either First or Business Class. This is because of the multiples used by the airlines in pricing reward tickets. Typically, First Class costs up to 4 times the Avios cost of Economy, with Business Class costing 3 times. Cash multiples can be much larger, depending on dynamic demand, and it is not unusual to see multiples of 10-20 over Economy prices.
Q: Realistically, how easy is it to find reward seats?
A: British Airways guarantees to release a minimum number of seats on every flight, four in Business, two in Premium Economy (if the cabin class exists) and eight in Economy. More seats are often released closer to the departure date. Flexibility is key to securing reward seats especially on popular routes like Miami, Cape Town, Sydney and Los Angeles, and at peak times like Christmas, Easter & school holidays. There is generally good availability to most destinations provided you book early.
These guaranteed seats are typically released when flights go on sale — 355 days before departure. On high-demand routes, experienced Avios collectors often book as soon as seats are released, as the guaranteed allocation can disappear quickly within hours.
You can certainly enhance your chances by setting Alerts with RFF to be notified as soon as your preferred seats become available.
Q: What happens if I book and then have to cancel?
A: Tickets booked with Avios can be changed or cancelled easily. British Airways charges £35 per person to cancel an Avios flight, which means that you can book several tickets to different destinations (if you have enough Avios) & then cancel at a later date when your plans firm up. This is arguably the most liberating rule, enabling huge flexibility.
Q: How much is an Avios point worth?
A: The value of an Avios point depends on what you redeem it for. It’s not a fixed value currency; instead, you might get more value by using Avios for certain things (like expensive flights) and less value by using them for others (like cheap products or groceries). A rough guide many people use: try to get at least around 1 pence of value per Avios. For example, 10,000 Avios giving you £100 off a flight equals 1p per point. The Nectar conversion rate sets a baseline of about 0.8 pence per Avios (because 250 Avios = £2 in Nectar, which you can spend like cash). If you’re getting more than 0.8p per point, you’re doing well. Some first-class redemptions can even yield 3-5p per Avios (in terms of value of the ticket). So it varies – there’s no single answer – but aim high when possible!
Q: Do I still have to pay taxes and fees on reward flights?
A: Yes. When you use Avios for a reward flight, you will need to pay any taxes, airport fees, and airline surcharges in cash (with a credit card). The Avios cover the base fare of the ticket, but not those additional charges.
Q: What’s the easiest way to get a lot of Avios quickly?
A: The quickest boosts often come from credit card welcome bonuses and promotions. Signing up for a British Airways American Express card and meeting the spending requirement can net you a big chunk of Avios (sometimes 20k, or even more depending on the offer). Also, if your employer allows travel, paying for work trips and claiming Avios on those flights (and maybe getting reimbursed) can boost your balance without personal expense. Ultimately, combining methods is key: everyday spending on an Avios card, taking advantage of the BA eStore for shopping, and grabbing those bonuses when available.
Q: Can I transfer Avios to someone else or combine with others?
A: You can transfer Avios to another person, but British Airways may charge a fee for transferring points directly (and there are limits). A better approach if you want to share Avios is to use the Household Account feature – pooling points with family members at the same address (as discussed in the tips section). If you want to combine your own Avios from multiple programmes (like Iberia’s and BA’s), you can do that freely online via the Combine My Avios tool once your accounts are linked. In short, while you can share or transfer Avios, the simplest way is to either pool them via a Household account or just use your Avios to book a reward ticket for someone else (you are allowed to do that).
Now you have a solid understanding of Avios points – from what they are to how to collect Avios points, how to use Avios points, and everything in between. With these basics and tips, you’re ready to start earning Avios and turning them into real travel rewards. Whether it’s a weekend getaway paid with points or a first-class adventure of a lifetime, Avios can make it happen. The key is to keep collecting, keep an eye out for good redemption opportunities, and most importantly, enjoy the journey!
