Avios vs Virgin Points: which should UK flyers collect?

Last checked: 1 November 2026.

The short answer: it mostly depends on where you fly from and to, and how you collect. Avios work across BA, Iberia, Qatar and four other airline programmes. BA Reward Flights have a fixed Avios and cash price, with peak and off-peak dates. Virgin Points are priced by demand on Virgin Atlantic flights, but Virgin says they never expire. If you shop at Tesco, Clubcard converts to Virgin Points at 1:2. If you shop at Sainsbury's, Nectar converts to Avios at 400:250. Many UK households end up collecting both.

Side by side (official figures, checked 1 November 2026)

The supermarket maths (official figures only)

Most UK collectors start with a supermarket scheme, so it's worth comparing the same supermarket value going into each currency:

• £10 of Tesco Clubcard value (1,000 points at 1p each) → 2,000 Virgin Points.
• £10 of Nectar value (2,000 points at 0.5p each) → 1,250 Avios (2,000 ÷ 400 × 250).

So £10 of supermarket value becomes more Virgin Points than Avios. But a Virgin Point and an Avios aren't worth the same. What matters is what each one buys you on the trip you actually want. Use the pence-per-point sum in our redemption value guide for real flights.

When Avios tend to suit

• You fly short-haul from the UK on BA. Fixed off-peak pricing makes rewards easy to predict.
• You want choice of airlines and routes through BA, Iberia, Qatar and the other Avios programmes.
• You want family pooling where any adult can book.
• You collect Nectar or use BA Holidays. From 24 November 2026, BA Holidays packages earn 6 Avios per £1 (see BA Club and Avios changes explained).

Watch out for: the 36-month expiry rule. Moving Avios between programmes doesn't count as activity. BA has also made several changes to the Club this year.

When Virgin Points tend to suit

• You fly Virgin Atlantic's long-haul routes and can be flexible on dates to find Saver prices.
• You want no expiry pressure while you build a balance slowly.
• You shop at Tesco and can convert Clubcard points at 1:2. There's a current Virgin bonus for first-time auto-exchange sign-ups (see Tesco Clubcard to Virgin Points).
• You'd like a simple fixed fallback on Virgin bookings (Points Plus Money at 0.55p).

Watch out for: demand-based pricing, which means popular dates can cost many more points. And in a Virgin household account, only the leader can spend.

Worked example: choosing where to send flexible card points

Say you have 20,000 Amex Membership Rewards points. Amex lists 1:1 to both BA Club and Flying Club, so they become either 20,000 Avios or 20,000 Virgin Points.

• As Avios: BA quotes Europe "from 10,000 Avios + £2.50 each-way". That could cover two off-peak one-way flights in Europe, if seats are available.
• As Virgin Points: Virgin quotes Saver seats "from only 6,000 points" one way. Whether 20,000 points covers your trip depends on demand-based pricing on your dates.
• Rule: find the actual seat first, then transfer. Amex transfers are irreversible. See How to transfer Amex Membership Rewards to Avios.

Can you collect both?

Yes, and many people do. For example, you could convert Clubcard to Virgin Points and Nectar to Avios, then pick whichever currency gives better value for each trip. The trade-off is that smaller balances in two places can take longer to reach a reward. Household pooling in each scheme helps.

For more detail, read Avios explained, Virgin Points: the best ways to use them and our programme profiles for BA Club and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Sign up for RewardsSorted's free email alerts to hear when either scheme changes.

FAQ

Are Avios or Virgin Points worth more? Neither has a fixed value. The fallbacks are about 0.5p per Avios (via Nectar) and 0.55p per Virgin Point (Points Plus Money), but flights can be worth much more or less.

Do Virgin Points expire? Virgin promotes "points that never expire". Avios expire after 36 months without qualifying activity.

Can I convert Avios to Virgin Points or the other way round? We found no official route between the two on the schemes' own pages. Both can be topped up from Amex Membership Rewards at 1:1.

Which supermarket scheme feeds which? Tesco Clubcard converts to Virgin Points (1:2). Nectar converts to Avios (400 Nectar = 250 Avios).

Which is better for families? BA's household account lets any adult member spend the pooled Avios. Virgin's lets only the household leader spend. Choose the one that fits how your family books.

Sources and last checked

All checked on 1 November 2026:

• BA, About Avios (36-month rule): https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/avios
• BA, Reward Flights (fixed pricing; examples correct as of May 2026; service fee): https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/avios/spending-avios/reward-flights
• BA, Spending Avios (400 Avios = 400 Nectar): https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/avios/spending-avios
• BA, Club terms (household account up to seven): https://www.britishairways.com/content/the-british-airways-club/about-the-club/terms-and-conditions
• Avios.com, Transfer Avios: https://avios.com/move/transfer-avios
• Nectar, Avios partner terms (400 Nectar = 250 Avios): https://www.nectar.com/cs-terms
• Virgin Atlantic, Earn points (never expire; Tesco 1:2; Amex 1:1): https://www.virginatlantic.com/flying-club/earn-points
• Virgin Atlantic, Spend points (Points Plus Money): https://www.virginatlantic.com/flying-club/spend-points
• Virgin Atlantic, Reward seats (demand pricing; Saver from 6,000; £70 change fee): https://www.virginatlantic.com/flying-club/spend-points/reward-seats
• Virgin Atlantic, Household accounts: https://www.virginatlantic.com/flying-club/household-accounts
• American Express, Travel Transfer Partners: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb/rewards/membership-rewards/travel/airlines?currenttravelproducttype=Travel
• Tesco, Clubcard T&Cs (1 point = 1p): https://www.tesco.com/shop/en-GB/zone/clubcard-terms-and-conditions

RewardsSorted is independent and has no commercial relationship with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Tesco, Sainsbury's or American Express. Information only, not financial advice.