The very best methods to redeem British Airways Avios

British Airways is the largest full-service airline in the United Kingdom and flies to more destinations in the United States than any other European carrier.

The airline’s loyalty program is called Executive Club, with Avios as its currency. With a substantial U.S. route network, excellent airline partners and a loyalty currency that is easy to earn and redeem, this program should be on your radar, even if you aren’t traveling to the U.K. Unlike the major U.S. loyalty programs, Executive Club does not use dynamic pricing, though there are discounts for off-peak travel dates. Provided there is availability, you will always know what you will need to pay with no nasty surprises or 300,000-point flight redemptions.

Here are the best ways to redeem British Airways Avios.

Related: 5 reasons why you should care about British Airways Avios

Since British Airways has a distance-based award chart and American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are Oneworld partners, you can use Avios to book any American or Alaska flight with saver-level award availability.

Partner awards, including those operated by Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines, start at 6,000 Avios but exclude flights within North America. Meanwhile, partner flights in North America start at 7,500 Avios for flights 650 miles or less and get more expensive for longer flights.

Booking short-haul flights with British Airways can be a great deal, even if you’re booking flights in North America on American or Alaska. A flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) clocks in at 733 miles, meaning you need 9,000 Avios one-way in economy class. This is often cheaper than you’ll pay to book the same flight with American’s AAdvantage program.

Thanks to the British Airways Reward Flight Saver offer, Executive Club members also have the option to choose to pay more Avios to reduce the (already reasonable) fees and taxes, down to just 62 cents per flight.

Related: How to book awards using British Airways Avios

Island-hop through the Caribbean

You can use Avios to fly American Airlines to the Caribbean, starting from just 7,500 Avios each way, as mentioned above. But here is a neat trick to experiencing more of the Caribbean once you are there.

While flights between islands in this region can be expensive, British Airways operates several fifth-freedom routes where, for example, a BA flight originating in London will fly from Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU) to St Kitt’s Robert L. Bradshaw Airport (SKB) several times per week.

You can book just the short hop between the islands, and British Airways prices these short flights in the same way as its European short-haul flights. Using the Reward Flight Saver offer, redemptions start from just 4,750 Avios each way plus 17.50 British pounds (about $22) on off-peak dates. Award availability is usually outstanding on these fifth-freedom flights as many passengers disembark at the first stop, leaving plenty of empty seats for the second, short leg.

If you can’t decide between two islands in this beautiful part of the world, consider using Avios to cheaply hop between both.

Related: What it’s like flying British Airways for a 20-minute flight between Caribbean islands

Domestic business class on American

Though American Airlines names its domestic premium-class cabin “first class,” you can redeem Avios for this product at business-level rates.

The real kicker is that American Airlines regularly flies internationally configured wide-body aircraft on domestic routes, including 777s and 787s. For example, AA’s flagship 777-300ER operates some flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Miami International Airport (MIA), a 1,089-mile journey. You could book a business-class award on this flight for only 16,500 Avios, which is a great deal.

West Coast to Hawaii

Since we’re on the subject of American Airlines, another sweet spot you’ll find with Avios is the ability to fly from major West Coast cities to the Hawaiian Islands for just 13,000 Avios each way, thanks to the Avios distance-based chart. That beats the award rate for all the U.S. airlines, and there’s no close-in booking fee either.

But in this case, it’s not just about American’s route network. Alaska Airlines is also a British Airways partner, which means you have access to Alaska’s flights to Hawaii, though you’ll need to call to book Alaska flights with Avios since they aren’t searchable on ba.com. That opens up routes that AA doesn’t serve but Alaska does, such as Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) to Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG).

So if you live almost anywhere on the West Coast — or can easily position there — Avios can be your friend to Hawaii.

Related: The best ways to get to Hawaii using points and miles

Aer Lingus at off-peak prices

If you can travel during off-peak dates — which cover roughly eight months of the year — you can fly to Dublin from a handful of U.S. cities, including as far west as Chicago. This award will set you back just 26,000 Avios round-trip in economy or as low as 50,000 one-way in business class.

And suppose you live in the South in a city like Orlando or Miami, or the West in Los Angeles or San Francisco. In that case, the price only increases to 32,500 Avios round-trip in economy and 62,500 one-way in business, which is still a great deal considering how long these flights are.

You also won’t be charged fuel surcharges when redeeming British Airways Avios for Aer Lingus flights.

Related: Flight review: Aer Lingus business class on the A321neo, Dublin to Philadelphia

How to earn Avios

Avios branded credit cards

The easiest way to earn a meaningful number of Avios for everyday spending is by applying for the British Airways Visa Signature Card.

This card offers new applicants 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. TPG values Avios at 1.5 cents each, making the full bonus worth $1,125. The British Airways Visa Signature has a $95 annual fee and earns 3 Avios per dollar spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level. Plus, you can earn 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. All other purchases earn 1 Avios per dollar spent.

Remember that Avios can easily be transferred at a 1:1 rate between the different programs that use this currency. So you might also want to consider the Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card or the Iberia Visa Signature Card, which offer the same 75,000-Avios welcome bonus, generous earning rates and low annual fee.

The following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses that you could easily convert to Avios:

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 120,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Check to see if you’re targeted for a 125,000-point welcome offer through CardMatch (offer subject to change at any time). Terms apply.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. Terms apply.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Preferred Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Citi Premier® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening (see rates and fees).

You might be wondering why we didn’t mention using Avios for transatlantic flights on British Airways or non-flight redemptions such as hotels and cars. Since British Airways insists on tacking huge surcharges onto its award tickets, using Avios for transatlantic flights on the carrier itself usually doesn’t make much sense. And the value you’ll get from burning Avios on hotels or car rentals often isn’t worth the cash you’re saving in the first place.

But now that you know the best uses, you can get terrific value from your Avios regardless of whether you prefer economy or premium class or take international or domestic flights. Just remember the hows and whens so you can use your Avios wisely.

Additional reporting by Ethan Steinberg and Andrew Kunesh.