Most members of the Worldwide Airways Group now use Avios as their loyalty foreign money. These applications embrace:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- British Airways Government Membership
- Iberia Plus
Qatar Airways, a serious shareholder of IAG, adopted Avios as its Privilege Membership loyalty foreign money in 2022, and Finnair’s Plus program did the identical in 2024.
You may transfer Avios between completely different airline accounts at a 1:1 ratio. Nonetheless, utilizing Avios inside every program has advantages and downsides.
You’re not alone should you’re confused about one of the best Avios to make use of for every redemption — we’ll stroll you thru the professionals and cons of every Avios foreign money and when it’s best to use every.
What are the completely different applications that use Avios?
The 5 sorts of Avios — Aer Lingus, Finnair, Qatar Airways, British Airways and Iberia applications — are managed on completely different web sites. Traditionally, the British Airways web site has had one of the best search perform of the 5. You would possibly take into account beginning there to search out availability earlier than deciding which program to redeem by way of.
Whilst you can switch Avios between accounts, every Avios program has its personal companions.
For instance, Aer Lingus has a partnership with United Airways. You may earn Aer Lingus Avios when flying United, however you possibly can’t earn British Airways Avios or Iberia Avios.
Moreover, incomes charges on flights will range. Aer Lingus Avios are earned primarily based on the value you pay for a flight on Aer Lingus, whereas associate flights earn Avios primarily based on fare class and distance flown.
Incomes Avios with bank cards
You could have two choices for incomes Avios with bank cards: cobranded bank cards and playing cards that earn transferable factors. Cobranded bank cards earn Avios immediately, whereas transferable factors playing cards earn a financial institution foreign money that may be transformed to Avios at a 1:1 ratio.
Incomes Avios with cobranded bank cards
5 Avios bank cards can be found within the U.S., and the Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia playing cards from Chase are providing bonuses that would internet you 85,000 Avios:
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card: Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card: Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card: Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
Cardless now affords two Qatar-branded bank cards, together with the Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Signature Credit score Card, which has a $99 annual charge and a welcome provide of as much as 50,000 Avios — 30,000 Avios after the primary transaction and an extra 20,000 Avios after you spend $3,000 within the first 90 days.
There’s additionally the Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Infinite Credit score Card, which has a $499 annual charge and a welcome provide of as much as 70,000 Avios — 45,000 Avios after the primary transaction and an extra 25,000 Avios and 150 Qpoints after you spend $5,000 within the first 90 days. This card additionally comes with Privilege Membership Gold standing.
The knowledge for the Qatar Airways Privilege Membership Visa Infinite and Signature playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Incomes Avios with transferable-points playing cards
You may convert American Specific Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Final Rewards and Wells Fargo Rewards factors to every of the sorts of Avios (excluding Qatar Airways Avios and Finnair Plus Avios). Nonetheless, be aware the straightforward strategy to mix your Avios.
You can too switch Citi ThankYou Rewards factors to Qatar Airways and Capital One miles to British Airways and Finnair.
These factors switch at a 1:1 ratio, and transfers ought to course of instantly.
Trying to shortly earn factors to transform to Avios? Right here’s a have a look at the finest American Specific playing cards to make use of to earn American Specific Membership Rewards factors:
- American Specific® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases along with your new card inside the first six months of card membership. Plus, obtain 20% again in assertion credit on eligible restaurant purchases (as much as $100) inside the first six months of card membership. Earn 4 factors per greenback on eating at eating places (on as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback). 4 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback), 3 factors per greenback on airfare bought immediately from airways, 2 factors per greenback spent on pay as you go motels and different eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1 level per greenback on all different purchases ($325 annual charge; see charges and charges).
- The Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the cardboard in your first six months of card membership. Earn 5 factors per greenback on airfare bought immediately from airways or by way of American Specific Journey (on as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback), 5 factors per greenback on pay as you go resort bookings with American Specific Journey and Amex High-quality Lodges + Resorts, and 1 level per greenback on all different purchases ($695 annual charge; see charges and charges).
Choose Chase Final Rewards factors? Right here’s a have a look at our favourite Chase bank cards:
- Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Earn 2 Final Rewards factors per greenback on journey and three factors per greenback on eating purchases.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Earn 3 Final Rewards factors per greenback on journey and eating purchases.
In the meantime, you possibly can earn Capital One miles with these private playing cards:
- Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 inside the first three months of account opening.
Greatest methods to make use of Aer Lingus Avios: Aer Lingus flights
The easiest way to make use of Aer Lingus Avios is for nonstop flights operated by Aer Lingus.
Quick-haul flights on Aer Lingus are a fantastic use of Aer Lingus Avios, with off-peak redemptions beginning at simply 4,000 Avios and peak redemptions beginning at 4,500 Avios for flights inside Eire and to the UK, France and the Netherlands.
For long-haul flights operated by Aer Lingus, the pricing is identical as when utilizing British Airways Avios, however the charges and taxes may be marginally decrease. Off-peak flights from the U.S. East Coast to Dublin are solely 13,000 Avios (20,000 for peak) every manner in financial system, or 50,000 Avios (60,000 peak) every manner in enterprise class. If you’re not departing the UK, it can save you on charges and taxes because the U.Ok.’s Air Passenger Obligation is just not payable.
In case you use Aer Lingus to hook up with one other vacation spot, reminiscent of mainland Europe through Dublin or Shannon, the Avios price will rise, as AerClub expenses per flight, not per zone.
Associated: Fly between the US and Eire for 13,000 Avios every manner
Greatest methods to make use of British Airways Avios: short-haul flights inside Europe
British Airways has probably the most versatile Avios. It has the widest vary of makes use of — nevertheless it additionally has downsides. The most typical draw back? Excessive gas surcharges on British Airways tickets. You’ll pay over $500 for a one-way, business-class ticket on most British Airways routes except you select the Reward Flight Saver possibility to pay extra Avios to cut back gas surcharges.
Fortunately, there are methods to make use of your British Airways Avios with out excessive surcharges.
Quick-haul tickets are among the best British Airways Avios redemptions. They begin at simply 4,750 Avios for an off-peak award flight of 650 miles or much less in distance operated by BA with cheap charges and taxes (or you possibly can choose to pay extra Avios to cut back the price of these charges and taxes). This consists of locations from London in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Eire and the UK.
Companion awards begin at 6,000 Avios however exclude flights inside North America, whereas home flights on American Airways and Alaska Airways begin from 12,000 Avios, which isn’t a fantastic deal.
Greatest methods to make use of Iberia Avios: Premium cabins to Spain
Iberia Avios has develop into one among our favourite currencies for reserving flights to Europe. The airline has glorious charges when reserving Iberia-operated flights from the U.S. to Madrid, with connections accessible to different main European cities.
The award chart is cut up into peak and off-peak dates, with the latter providing nice costs on business-class flights. The airline publishes peak and off-peak dates on its web site.
Right here’s a have a look at the present award chart:
| Origin | Blue class/financial system (off-peak) | Blue class/financial system (peak) | Premium financial system (off-peak) | Premium financial system (peak) | Enterprise (off-peak) | Enterprise (peak) |
| New York Metropolis | 17,000/22,000 | 20,000/28,000 | 25,000 | 35,000 | 34,000 | 50,000 |
| Chicago | 17,000/22,000 | 20,000/28,000 | 25,000 | 35,000 | 34,000 | 50,000 |
| Boston | 17,000/22,000 | 20,000/28,000 | 25,000 | 35,000 | 34,000 | 50,000 |
| Miami | 21,250/27,750 | 25,000/35,000 | 31,750 | 43,750 | 42,500 | 62,500 |
| Dallas | 21,250/27,750 | 25,000/35,000 | 31,750 | 43,750 | 42,500 | 62,500 |
| Los Angeles | 21,250/27,750 | 25,000/35,000 | 31,750 | 43,750 | 42,500 | 62,500 |
| San Francisco | 21,250/27,750 | 25,000/35,000 | 31,750 | 43,750 | 42,500 | 62,500 |
You’ll discover one of the best offers when reserving off-peak business-class awards.
A 34,000-Avios business-class flight from New York to Madrid is pretty much as good because it will get, and the product is fairly strong, too. Even reserving peak dates isn’t a foul deal — locations on the East Coast and within the Midwest price simply 50,000 Avios one-way. Right here is the calendar for peak dates.
Associated: A evaluation of Iberia’s business-class suite on the A350-900 from Madrid to Mexico Metropolis
Greatest methods to make use of Qatar Airways Avios: Connecting Qsuite and the shortest home flights
When Qatar Airways Privilege Membership adopted Avios as its loyalty foreign money in 2022, the redemption charges, charges, taxes and surcharges have been largely introduced in keeping with British Airways Government Membership ranges. This decreased the price of some redemptions when flying Qatar Airways and redemptions on British Airways ought to match the Government Membership award chart even when booked by way of Privilege Membership.
Sadly, there are some irritating quirks within the Privilege Membership program to concentrate on. Privilege Membership makes use of peak and off-peak dates (as does the Government Membership). Nonetheless, Privilege Membership doesn’t publish a calendar of those dates, and they look like barely completely different between Privilege Membership and Government Membership. So, in case your dates in a single program are exhibiting as a peak time to journey, it’s price checking the opposite program.
The easiest way to make use of Qatar Avios and the Privilege Membership program is to e book connecting flights on Qatar Airways. There are two causes for this:
- Whereas the Government Membership search engine often has one of the best person expertise of the 5 Avios platforms when looking for availability, it typically fails to indicate all Qatar Airways flights, particularly these with in a single day connections. If Qatar has a number of flights every day to a vacation spot, the Government Membership platform might solely present one flight possibility, whereas the Privilege Membership platform will present a number of choices.
- Privilege Membership affords “Flexi Awards” when there is no such thing as a availability on the regular ranges. These are twice the quantity of Avios, which can typically be poor worth; nonetheless, you probably have loads of Avios and there are not any different choices on the decrease degree, this might make sense. Government Membership doesn’t provide this.
Qatar Airways’ award-winning Qsuite is broadly thought of one of many finest business-class merchandise on this planet right now. Redemption charges from the US to Qatar’s hub in Doha are simply 70,000 Qatar or British Airways Avios per particular person every manner in enterprise class on off-peak dates with no gas surcharges, which is a terrific deal. This charge is from anyplace within the U.S. Qatar flies from, so it’s an particularly good worth from Los Angeles or San Francisco if you’ll find award area.
In case you want to journey farther than Doha, the redemption charges from the U.S. are glorious, together with:
- 75,000 Avios every manner in enterprise class to Dubai
- 85,000 Avios every manner in enterprise class to India and the Maldives
- 95,000 Avios every manner in enterprise class to Bangkok and Singapore
- 100,000 Avios every manner in enterprise class to Bali
Financial system-class redemptions for all of those locations are 50% of the Avios price of enterprise class.
One other nice use of Avios by way of Qatar Airways Privilege Membership is home flights inside the US of 650 miles in size or shorter, which price 9,500 Avios per particular person every manner.
Associated: Can you continue to e book Qatar Airways Qsuite awards with American AAdvantage miles?
Greatest methods to make use of Finnair Avios: Finnair, Cathay Pacific and longer home flights
Finnair Plus makes use of a zone-based award chart slightly than a distance-based one, creating some candy spots.
One-way flights operated by Finnair from the US to Helsinki Airport (HEL) booked by way of Finnair Plus are priced as follows:
- 30,000 Avios in financial system
- 43,500 Avios in premium financial system
- 62,500 Avios in enterprise class
These are the identical costs that British Airways Government Membership expenses, although BA provides surcharges, so it is going to be cheaper to e book Finnair-operated flights throughout the Atlantic by way of Finnair Plus than by way of Government Membership.
A candy spot inside the Finnair program is home flights anyplace inside the contiguous United States and Canada which are longer than 650 miles and operated by American Airways, reminiscent of from Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) to Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) or any coast-to-coast companies. These routes price simply 11,000 Finnair Plus Avios, whereas BA will cost as much as 20,000 Avios for home flights in the US.
Connecting flights to Hawaii are additionally one other nice use of Finnair Plus Avios. With its region-based award chart, this system expenses a single value. For instance, American Airways flights from Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to Honolulu’s Daniel Ok. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL) with a connection at Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) will price 15,000 Avios, cheaper than BA will cost with its per-segment pricing.
Lastly, though award availability in premium cabins is tough to search out, British Airways Government Membership expenses a steep 108,250 Avios plus 118.50 British kilos (about $158) for the long-haul journey from New York Metropolis’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Hong Kong Worldwide Airport (HKG) in Cathay Pacific’s enterprise class.
In the meantime, you possibly can e book the identical flight by way of Finnair Plus for simply 75,000 Avios plus the identical minimal charges, taxes and surcharges, saving you greater than 30,000 Avios.
Backside line
Avios factors are one of many best loyalty currencies to earn and redeem.
Whether or not you need to fly domestically or midway around the globe, Avios is a good foreign money so as to add to your arsenal in your subsequent redemption. Keep in mind, you possibly can transfer them between the 5 completely different applications in any course as typically as you need, making Avios one of many airline trade’s most versatile currencies.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum Card, click on right here.