British Airways is the largest full-service airline in the United Kingdom and flies to more destinations in the U.S. than any other European carrier.
The airline’s loyalty program is called Executive Club, and its currency is Avios. With a substantial global route network and a loyalty currency that is easy to earn and redeem, it is a program that should be on your radar, even if you aren’t traveling to the U.K.
Here’s what you need to know about earning and redeeming British Airways Avios for rewards and how to earn elite status in Executive Club.
What are Avios?
Avios is the rewards currency used by the following loyalty programs:
- British Airways Executive Club
- Iberia Plus
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Vueling Club
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Finnair Plus
Avios can be transferred between any of these programs at a ratio of 1:1, so each Avios is theoretically worth the same in each program. There are, however, different ways in which Avios can be redeemed in each program. This means the savvy reader can achieve different values depending on which program the Avios are used in — and how.
This guide focuses on Avios earned and redeemed in the Executive Club program.
How to earn elite status in the British Airways Executive Club program
Tier points count toward status, and there are four different status levels:
- Blue — the level where everyone starts
- Bronze — achieved after 300 tier points are earned between April 1 and March 31 each year (called the tier point collection year)
- Silver — achieved after 600 tier points are earned in a tier point collection year
- Gold — achieved after 1,500 tier points are earned in a tier point collection year
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Note that changes to British Airlines’ tier point collection year will be implemented in April 2025.
Like some other airline programs, British Airways Executive Club also has two additional levels of status that aren’t published:
- Gold Guest List — achieved after 5,000 tier points are earned in a tier point collection year, and maintained in subsequent years by earning 3,000 tier points in a tier point collection year
- Premier — invitation-only elite status
Blue benefits
- Collect Avios on revenue flights with BA or its partners
- Share Avios in a household account (up to six members)
- Free seat selection 24 hours before departure (excluding exit-row seats and not including travel on basic fares)
- Save preferences, such as special meals and seating
- Access to Reward Flight Savers
Bronze benefits
- All the Blue benefits
- Priority check-in and boarding
- Free seat selection seven days before departure
- 25% bonus Avios when flying with Japan Airlines
- Status freeze for maternity/paternity/adoption
Silver benefits
Silver is the equivalent of Gold on many other airlines, where the benefits really kick in.
- All the Bronze benefits
- Free seat selection at the time of booking
- 50% bonus Avios when flying with Japan Airlines
- Two 71-pound checked bags in economy (excluding basic economy), applicable to everyone on your booking
- Business-class lounge access (with one guest) when flying BA and partner airlines
- Priority baggage delivery
- Priority phone support
Gold benefits
- All the Silver benefits
- Free seat selection at the time of booking, including exit-row seats and exclusive access to 1A and 1K in first class
- 100% bonus Avios when flying Japan Airlines
- Additional free checked bag in any class and a weight allowance of 71 pounds per bag, applicable to everyone on your booking
- First-class check-in desk and lounge access when flying BA and Oneworld airlines (lounge access includes one guest)
- Use of BA arrivals lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) Terminal 5 after a long-haul flight (no guests)
- Access to Gold Priority Rewards, which allows you to force an Avios reward ticket by paying double Avios for flights (you must book more than 30 days in advance)
- Additional reward availability in economy
- Gold upgrade voucher for two (at 2,500 tier points in one year)
- Two Gold upgrade vouchers for one (at 3,500 tier points in one year)
Lifetime Gold is earned after collecting 35,000 tier points; there’s no limit on the amount of time you can take to collect.
Gold Guest List benefits
- All the Gold benefits
- First-class lounge access when flying BA and Oneworld airlines (with up to five guests for BA-operated lounges)
- Access to Gold Guest List redemptions, also known as jokers, which allow members to get BA to open up Avios redemption seats (for up to five passengers), provided certain booking classes are still up for sale
- Priority assistance helpline
- Concorde Room card for access to the Concorde Room at LHR and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) (with one guest)
- BA arrivals lounge access after a long-haul flight (with one guest)
- Hilton Honors Diamond status
- Upgrade to Business First on the Heathrow Express
- Gift one Gold and two Silver partner cards each membership year
Requalifying for status with British Airways requires the same amount of tier points, except for Gold Guest List. However, BA has a “soft landing” for members who don’t retain the same status level in the following membership year.
If members fail to maintain their status, they’ll slip to the level directly below, rather than having to start again.
What is the difference between Avios and tier points?
Many frequent flyer programs differentiate between redeemable miles and elite qualifying miles. This is partly because airlines award multiples of actual miles flown to passengers in premium cabins or those with elite status for redeeming, but they award progress toward status based on actual miles flown.
British Airways Executive Club has a split. Rather than having elite qualifying miles, BA awards tier points, which count toward status. Sometimes confusingly for those new to the world of miles, BA calls its mileage currency — i.e., the miles that are earned and can be used for spending — Avios.
Avios
Avios are the air miles earned for flying, credit card spending and spending with partners through online shopping, hotel stays and rental cars. Therefore, Avios are the currency customers can use for reward flights, upgrades and other things like gift vouchers.
You can earn Avios based on the price of your ticket and any additional add-ons when you fly, such as carrier charges, cabin upgrades, seats pre-booked and paid for, and additional bags.
Then, you will receive additional Avios based on your elite status. You will earn 7 Avios per British pound (about $1.34) spent as a Bronze member, 8 Avios per pound spent as a Silver member and 9 Avios per pound spent as a Gold member.
Tier points
British Airways awards tier points for all flights taken on British Airways, Aer Lingus or any of BA’s Oneworld partners, which count toward status in Executive Club. The number of tier points awarded depends on your ticket type and the class flown.
Short economy-class flights of less than 2,000 miles can earn between 5 and 20 tier points, depending on the fare class booked and the price. The more expensive the ticket, the more likely you will earn more tier points. Short-haul business-class flights (or domestic first class, in the U.S.) of less than 2,000 miles typically earn 40 tier points for each sector. So, taking lots of short flights in premium cabins can quickly earn elite status.
Starting in 2025, all Executive Club members’ tier point collection years will begin April 1 and end March 31. Previously, status years aligned with when the member joined Executive Club, but all members will follow the same dates starting in April 2025.
Unlike the loyalty programs of some U.S. airlines, there is currently no spending requirement to earn status in the Executive Club program. You must earn the tier points and take two qualifying flights on British Airways each membership year for Bronze status. You must take four qualifying flights and meet the tier point thresholds to earn Silver or Gold status.
How to earn Avios
Credit cards
The easiest way to earn a meaningful number of Avios on everyday spending is by applying for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card.
This card — issued by Chase and, therefore, subject to the 5/24 rule — offers new applicants 85,000 Avios after they spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values Avios at 1.4 cents each in our September 2024 valuations, making the full bonus worth $1,190.
The British Airways Visa Signature Card has a $95 annual fee and earns 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level. Plus, you can earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel. All other purchases earn 1 Avios per $1 spent.
Cards with transferable rewards
Savvy TPG readers know that we usually recommend sticking with cards that earn transferable points because of their added flexibility. This strategy still applies if you’re trying to accrue Avios. British Airways is a transfer partner of Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making Avios one of the easiest currencies to earn.
Points or miles transfer from Capital One, Chase, Bilt, Wells Fargo and Amex at a 1:1 ratio (in addition to occasional transfer bonuses), while Marriott points transfer at a 3:1 ratio. Plus, you’ll get a 5,000-Avios bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
The following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses that you could easily convert to Avios:
- American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible restaurant purchases (up to $100) within the first six months of card membership.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- 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.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Other ways to earn Avios include:
- Purchasing Avios: They are often on sale.
- Online shopping portal: Earn bonus Avios from many online merchants, with some stores offering 10 or more Avios per dollar spent.
- Vacation packages: Search the British Airways Vacations website since you can earn an extra 1 Avios per $1 spent. BA partners with major hotel brands such as IHG and Accor, so you can earn additional Avios.
- Airbnb: Earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on vacation rentals.
- Car rentals: Earn 5 Avios per pound spent with Avis and 2 Avios per pound spent with Budget.
- Lounge Pass: Buy access to a club lounge at over 350 airports worldwide and earn 5 Avios per dollar spent.
- Heathrow Rewards: Earn 1 point per pound spent when you shop, dine or park at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), British Airways’ primary hub. You can then convert these Heathrow Rewards points to Avios at a 1:1 ratio.
- Surveys: Members can use e-Rewards and Avios for Thoughts to earn Avios for completing surveys, including 600 Avios when you complete your first survey.
Which airlines can I book with Avios?
British Airways is a founding member of Oneworld, a global alliance of more than a dozen airlines.
Assuming there’s award availability, you can use your Avios from your British Airways accounts for flights on any Oneworld airlines:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Finnair
- Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect partner)
- Iberia, including Iberia Express and Air Nostrum
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air (joining in 2024)
- Qantas, including QantasLink and Jetconnect
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Jordanian
- Royal Air Maroc
- S7 Airlines (currently suspended)
- SriLankan Airlines
In addition to the Oneworld partners listed above, you can also use Avios from British Airways Executive Club to redeem for flights on:
- Aer Lingus
- Vueling
- Sun-Air, a BA franchise partner in Scandinavia
Hawaiian Airlines is set to join the Oneworld alliance following the Alaska Airlines-Hawaiian Airlines merger.
How many Avios will I need?
Though British Airways Executive Club does not publish an official redemption chart, TPG has found that the airline follows this award pricing for one-way Avios redemptions:
| Zone
(distance in miles) |
Economy off-peak | Economy peak | Premium economy off-peak | Premium economy peak | Business off-peak | Business peak | First class off-peak | First class peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1
(1-650) |
4,750 | 5,250 | N/A | N/A | 8,500 | 9,750 | N/A | N/A |
| Zone 2
(651-1,151) |
7,250 | 8,250 | N/A | N/A | 13,500 | 15,750 | N/A | N/A |
| Zone 3
(1,152-2,000) |
9,250 | 10,750 | N/A | N/A | 17,750 | 18,350 | N/A | N/A |
| Zone 4
(2,001-3,000) |
10,000 | 12,500 | N/A | N/A | 31,250 | 37,500 | N/A | N/A |
| Zone 5
(3,001-4,000) |
13,000 | 20,000 | 26,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 68,000 | 80,000 |
| Zone 6
(4,001-5,500) |
16,250 | 25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 62,500 | 75,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
| Zone 7
(5,501-6,500) |
19,500 | 30,000 | 39,000 | 60,000 | 75,000 | 90,000 | 102,000 | 120,000 |
| Zone 8
(6,501-7,000) |
22,750 | 35,000 | 45,500 | 70,000 | 87,500 | 105,000 | 119,000 | 140,000 |
| Zone 9
(7,001-plus) |
32,500 | 50,000 | 65,000 | 100,000 | 125,000 | 150,000 | 170,000 | 200,000 |
British Airways has introduced Reward Flight Savers on all BA-operated routes. This program allows Executive Club members to pay more Avios in exchange for a reduction in the significant fuel surcharges, which are some of the industry’s highest.
Here is the partner award chart for flights operated by partner airlines, excluding American Airlines and Alaska Airlines Zone 1-4 (all flights are charged at the peak price):
| Zone
(distance in miles) |
Economy | Premium economy | Business/domestic first | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1
(1-650) |
6,000 | 6,750 | 12,500 | 24,000 |
| Zone 2
(651-1,151) |
9,000 | 11,250 | 16,500 | 33,000 |
| Zone 3
(1,152-2,000) |
11,000 | 15,000 | 22,000 | 44,000 |
| Zone 4
(2,001-3,000) |
13,000 | 25,000 | 38,750 | 51,500 |
| Zone 5
(3,001-4,000) |
20,750 | 40,000 | 62,000 | 82,500 |
| Zone 6
(4,001-5,500) |
25,750 | 50,000 | 77,250 | 103,000 |
| Zone 7
(5,501-6,500) |
31,000 | 62,000 | 92,750 | 123,750 |
| Zone 8
(6,501-7,000) |
36,250 | 72,250 | 108,250 | 144,250 |
| Zone 9
(7,001-plus) |
51,500 | 100,000 | 154,500 | 206,000 |
For some flights operated by partner airlines using Avios, you may see slightly different pricing than in the table above when redeeming through British Airways Executive Club. For example:
- Aer Lingus Zone 1 flights are priced at 4,000 Avios in economy
- Iberia Zone 1 flights are priced at 5,000 Avios in economy
- Qatar Airways Zone 1 flights are priced at 8,000 Avios in economy
Related: 5 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Finnair Iberia and British Airways
For shorter flights operated by American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, the following prices apply:
| Zone 1 (up to 650 miles) | 12,000 | 24,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 (651-1,151 miles) | 16,000 | 20,500 |
| Zone 3 (1,152-2,000 miles) | 18,000 | 40,000 |
| Zone 4 (2,001-3,000 miles) | 20,000 | 50,000 |
Flights in Zone 5 or above (such as to Europe) operated by American Airlines are priced using the regular partner award chart.
Executive Club charges per leg, so if you are taking connecting flights you will need to add together the cost of each.
If you want to book domestic flights in economy for fewer Avios, consider transferring your Avios from Executive Club to Finnair Plus, which charges just 11,000 Avios for flights anywhere in the continental United States and Canada.
How do I book flights with British Airways Avios?
First, you will need a British Airways Executive Club account to transfer points or search award availability. Click here to sign up if you don’t already have an account.
British Airways’ website is one of the best options for searching Oneworld award availability. Most redemptions can be booked online through the Executive Club website.
There are two main ways to search for award availability. Immediately after logging in to BA’s website, I usually hover over the “Book” tab in the upper left corner and click on “Book a flight with Avios.”
BA lets you easily search plus or minus three days at the top of the results page.
When you select your preferred flight, you will then see the price in Avios along with fees and taxes.
Can I use a combination of Avios and cash?
There are two different ways to do this:
- You can partly pay with Avios to reduce the cost of a cash ticket. This is not dependent on award availability, and you will earn Avios and tier points as normal.
- Paying additional cash (in addition to the fees and taxes) can reduce the number of Avios needed for redemption.
You may not have sufficient Avios in your account to cover the cost of the entire flight, or you may not wish to use so many Avios for one redemption. So, British Airways gives you the option to pay with a combination of Avios and cash for redemptions on British Airways or its partners.
Bottom line
British Airways has a huge route network, especially in North America and across Europe, making it a great option for those flying from the U.S. to Europe. Plus, BA remains committed to maintaining international first class, and while none of its products are world-leading, they are fairly consistent.
Avios are one of the easiest loyalty program currencies to earn and redeem. Redemptions for short-haul travel can offer great value, though fuel surcharges remain the biggest frustration with the program.
