Avios may be the key loyalty currency for United Kingdom travelers. However, it’s also a big deal in the U.S. That’s because Avios is used by loyalty programs such as British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, Qatar Privilege Club and soon, Finnair Plus will adopt the currency.
Because several airline loyalty programs use Avios, earning and redeeming this coveted points currency is easier than ever. While points are often devalued, you may find it easier to redeem Avios for more value as more airlines adopt them.
For example, in 2022, Qatar moved to Avios, and British Airways dropped the prices of Qsuite business-class redemptions — including taxes and fees.
With so many programs adopting Avios, on which airlines can you redeem Avios?
Which airlines can you book with Avios?
You’re not restricted to the above airlines when it comes to redeeming Avios. There’s an impressive range of airlines to choose from, depending on which of the four programs you use.
Since you can transfer Avios between the programs listed above (except Finnair Plus, which will adopt Avios on March 9), you have maximum flexibility regarding Avios redemptions.
However, the redemption list isn’t the same for each program, so let’s dive in.
Redeem Avios for flights on Oneworld alliance airlines
British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, which is a global partnership comprised of 14 airlines. Oneworld is one of the “Big Three” alliances, with the other two being Star Alliance and SkyTeam.
Assuming award availability, you can use your Avios from your British Airways, Qatar or Iberia accounts for flights on Oneworld airlines. Currently, the Oneworld alliance includes the following airline partners:
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Note: Oman Air will join the Oneworld alliance in the future.
Related: British Airways implements no-notice devaluation for American and Alaska award flights
Most of these airlines fly from the U.S., so you have plenty of choices. Click on any of the airlines above to read some reviews of their products. Qatar Airways’ amazing Qsuite product is particularly impressive.
Fiji Airways is a Oneworld Connect member, which provides some of the benefits of a Oneworld membership but not all of them. Fortunately, if you have Avios in your British Airways Executive Club account, you can redeem them for flights with Fiji Airways.
Avios in the Iberia Plus or Aer Lingus AerClub program must be moved to Executive Club before they can be used for Fiji Airways flights.
Finally, while Aer Lingus does use Avios as its points currency, the airline is not a member of the Oneworld alliance.
Redeem Avios for flights on other partner airlines
Most people think of British Airways as the default Avios program. However, as we mentioned above, Avios is also the points currency of Iberia, Qatar and Aer Lingus (and soon, Finnair). Read our complete guide to Avios to understand why these different programs use the same points currency and how you can move Avios between the programs.
Once you see the redemption options for the airlines below, it makes sense to move your Avios between airline accounts to achieve a specific partner-airline redemption.
In addition to the Oneworld partners listed above, you can also use Avios to redeem flights through the following programs:
- British Airways Executive Club: Aer Lingus, Vueling, and Sun-Air, a British Airways franchise partner in Scandinavia
- Iberia Plus: Avianca, Level, LATAM, Binter Canaries and Vueling
- Aer Lingus AerClub: British Airways, Iberia (including Iberia Express and Air Nostrum) and Vueling
- Qatar Privilege Club: Bangkok Airways, JetBlue, LATAM, Middle East Airlines, Oman Air, RwandAir, S7 and Virgin Australia
Related: 4 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Iberia and British Airways
When Finnair Plus adopts Avios as their official loyalty currency, you will be able to redeem Finnair Plus Avios on the following airlines (in addition to the Oneworld airlines):
- Braathens Regional Airlines, Sweden
- Juneyao Air
The best ways to redeem Avios
With so many ways to redeem Avios across the various airlines and programs, here are some of our favorite options:
- British Airways Executive Club charges just 4,750 Avios each way for off-peak flights from London to European destinations up to 650 miles away (peak-date flights are only 5,250). This includes destinations in Ireland, the U.K., Denmark, France, Germany, Austria and Italy.
- If you prefer to fly domestically within the U.S. on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, you will need slightly more Avios. However, you can still book this with 8,250 British Airways Avios for flights up to 650 miles in length, or 11,000 Avios for flights up to 1,151 miles.
- Iberia Plus can unlock one of the cheapest ways to fly to Europe in business class, with flights across the Atlantic under 4,000 miles in length costing just 34,000 Iberia Avios plus minimal fees and taxes on off-peak dates. This includes Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Spain.
- British Airways Executive Club offers the ability to fly from major West Coast cities in the U.S. to the Hawaiian Islands for just 13,000 BA Avios each way, thanks to the Avios distance-based chart. This beats the award rate for all the U.S. airlines.
Related: A review of Iberia’s new business-class suite on the A350-900 from Madrid to Mexico City
How to earn Avios
You can transfer your credit card points to Avios-based programs and combine them using the above method. Here are your transfer options:
These transfers are at a 1:1 rate, except for Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott transfers are at a 3:1 rate, with a 5,000-Avios bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you send (60,000 points becomes 25,000 Avios, for example).
An easy way to boost your Avios stash is through bonuses from credit cards. Each Avios program (excluding Qatar Privilege Club) has its own credit card, all issued by Chase Bank in the U.S.
Each card currently has the same generous welcome offer: Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Additionally, each card has the same $95 annual fee.
If you are interested in applying for any of these cards, check our guide to credit card application rules to make sure you’re eligible.
Bottom line
As more airlines use Avios as their points currency, it provides travelers additional flexibility and a broader choice of options and possibilities regarding redemptions.
Now that you know exactly where to spend those Avios, you can begin booking travel or transferring them if or when needed.
