Avios explained: the complete UK guide

Last checked: 30 October 2026.

Avios are the reward currency used by several airlines. In the UK they're best known through The British Airways Club, which BA describes as "previously known as the Executive Club". The same currency is also used by Iberia Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, Vueling Club, Finnair Plus and Loganair Loyalty. You can move Avios between these programmes, which is a big part of what makes Avios useful.

Avios and tier points are different things

BA Club members get two kinds of credit:

• Avios can be spent. You collect them on flights and through a long list of partners, and you can buy and share them.
• Tier points can't be spent or bought. They move you up the membership tiers and reset every year. BA has announced changes to how many tier points you need, "from April 2027" Not yet confirmed.

How to collect Avios in the UK

According to BA's official pages, the main ways are:

• Flights with BA and oneworld partners. Paid extras on BA- or Iberia-marketed flights (seats, extra bags, upgrades) also earn Avios.
• Holidays, hotels and car hire booked through BA or its partners.
• Avios Shop, which BA describes as "over 2,000 brands". Another BA page says "up to 15 Avios for every £1 ... over 1,500 online retailers" Not yet confirmed.
• Everyday partners. Examples include PizzaExpress (3 Avios per £1 when you dine in) and Uber rides in the UK once you link your accounts.
• Converting from Nectar. 400 Nectar points become 250 Avios.
• Transfers from hotel schemes. Marriott Bonvoy converts at 3:1 to most airline programmes, plus 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points. Accor converts 4,000 Reward points into 2,000 BA Avios.
• Buying. You can buy Avios, Boost Avios you've collected in the last 30 days, or take out an Avios Subscription, which is open to BA Club members only.

Forgot to add your membership number? You can claim missing Avios up to six months after a flight. New members can also claim for BA flights taken in the three months before joining.

How to spend Avios

Reward Flights

On BA-operated flights, a Reward Flight costs a fixed number of Avios plus a fixed cash charge for taxes, fees and carrier charges. On Iberia, American Airlines and other oneworld partners the cash part varies. Prices depend on distance, cabin and whether you travel on a peak or off-peak date.

The most recent examples on BA's pages ("correct as of May 2026"):

• Europe, the UK and Ireland from 10,000 Avios + £2.50 each way.
• Further afield from 55,000 Avios + £150 return.
• Business class (Club World) from 154,000 Avios + £350 return.

BA's general spending page still shows older, December 2025 examples (£1 and £250). We've used the newer figures Not yet confirmed.

Avios.com gives off-peak economy return examples: 20,000 Avios + £5 (for example Paris or Amsterdam), 55,000 + £150 (for example New York or Dubai) and 77,000 + £240 (for example Tokyo or Hong Kong).

Reward seat availability. BA guarantees at least eight economy, two premium economy and four business reward seats on every BA flight to and from Heathrow and Gatwick, and two Club Europe plus two Euro Traveller seats on London City flights. Avios.com describes this differently: "12 Rewards Flight seats on every British Airways flight", released 355 days ahead Not yet confirmed.

Changes and cancellations. You can usually change or cancel for a service fee. Avios.com says changes up to 24 hours before departure cost £35, plus £15 if you make them by phone. Reward Flights include a 23kg checked bag.

Other ways to spend

• Part payment. Take money off a flight or holiday from 1,000 Avios.
• Upgrades on selected BA, Iberia and American Airlines fares. The cost is the Avios price of the higher cabin minus the Avios price of the cabin you booked.
• Seats and bags, hotels, Avis and Budget car hire, LeShuttle, The Wine Flyer and the High Life Shop.
• PizzaExpress vouchers from £5 to £250, starting at 1,000 Avios for £5. That works out at 0.5p per Avios.
• Converting to Nectar at 400 Avios for 400 Nectar points, also about 0.5p per Avios.
• Charity. Donate up to 30,000 Avios a month to the BA Better World Community Fund.

What is an Avios worth?

There's no single answer, and avios.com says so itself: Avios "don't have a fixed value in pounds". There is a floor, though. PizzaExpress and the Nectar route both give about 0.5p per Avios, so treat any flight that works out below that with caution. Use our redemption value calculator to check a specific flight.

Moving Avios between airlines

On avios.com you can link your BA Club account to Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair or Loganair and move Avios between them. Qatar Privilege Club has its own link from BA. The rules:

• Both accounts must be at least 30 days old.
• Your names, email address and (if recorded) date of birth must match.
• Once accounts are linked, they can't be unlinked.
• Linking and moving can only be done online, not through contact centres.
• Members on the entry tiers (Blue, Clásica, Green or Basic) can move up to 1,000,000 Avios per programme in any rolling 12 months.

Qatar describes moving Avios between Privilege Club and BA as instant and free.

Sharing Avios

• BA household accounts let you pool Avios with up to six people in your household, including children. BA's pages word this inconsistently Not yet confirmed.
• Qatar's Family & Friends programme pools Avios for up to nine members plus the main member.
• Iberia's Family Account lets members use Avios together rather than transferring them.

Do Avios expire?

On every programme we checked, the rule is 36 months:

• British Airways Club. Avios won't expire as long as you collect, spend, buy or share at least one Avios every 36 months. The Avios T&Cs add the details: buying Avios and Boosting count as activity, and a gift counts for the person who receives it. Refunded Avios don't count, and nor does moving Avios with the "Combine my Avios" tool.
• Iberia Club. The whole balance expires after 36 months with no earning or spending. Moving Avios between BA, Vueling, Iberia and other Avios programmes, or between Iberia members, doesn't count as activity (from Iberia's Spanish-language terms, translated by us Not yet confirmed).
• Qatar Privilege Club. Avios last as long as you collect, spend, buy or gift at least one every 36 months. If they do expire, you have a year to revalidate them for a fee ("only USD 0.015 per Avios").

Watch out: moving Avios between programmes may not reset the clock. Earn or spend something real at least once every three years.

Recent changes to note (as at 30 October 2026)

• October 2026. A 20% bonus applied to Nectar–Avios conversions in both directions from 1 to 31 October.
• On sale since 22 October 2026. "Avios-only" flights for members on selected Heathrow–Palma and Heathrow–Heraklion services in August 2027.
• From April 2027. Tier point thresholds are changing (details to be confirmed).

Every fact on this page comes from official BA, Avios, Iberia, Qatar, Nectar, Marriott and Accor pages retrieved on 30 October 2026. See the British Airways Club profile for the full source list.