How to accumulate and use Avios points

For the astute traveler, Avios points offer valuable benefits, but using them is becoming more expensive

We go over how to accrue, monitor, and maximize your Avios points.

Avios is a travel-related loyalty program that offers points that can be redeemed for benefits like airline and hotel discounts.

We examine how earning and using Avios points could help you save money on your vacation as Christmas draws near.

Describe Avios points.

Avios is a worldwide currency for rewards. When you make purchases with British Airways and other companies the airline partners with, you can earn Avios points, which are loyalty points.

Around the world, millions of members accrue Avios points that they can use for lodging, flights, and other travel-related expenses.

How to get points in Avios.

Initially, you register on the airline's website to become a member of the British Airways Club, formerly known as the British Airways Executive Club.

When you make purchases from British Airways and the more than 2,000 companies it has partnerships with, you can then accrue Avios points. This can happen when you book hotels, purchase food and clothing online, and purchase flights.

When making purchases that qualify for Avios points, you will normally be prompted for your British Airways Club membership number. These points are then automatically added to your loyalty account.

Avios points are offered by a number of companies, including John Lewis, Uber, MandS, Deliveroo, Selfridges, and financial services firms Nutmeg, HSBC, and Revolut.

By connecting your British Airways Club and Nectar accounts, you can also exchange Nectar points for Avios and vice versa. Avios can be exchanged for Nectar points in 400-point increments. Each 400 Nectar points earns you 250 Avios.

You can also earn Avios by completing surveys for Avios For Thoughts and using an American Express credit card to make purchases.

With the Avios app, you can easily find ways to spend your points and keep track of how many you've accrued.

Where can my Avios points be spent?

You can use Avios points to pay for hotels, flights, and other travel-related expenses once you've accrued enough of them.

Depending on how they are used, 1,000 Avios points are worth between 10 and 20. Tickets for business or first class, for instance, might cost about twenty dollars, while those for economy flights might cost eight to twelve dollars.

Beginning on December 15th, reward flights will also cost more Avios, which will alter the equivalent value of Avios points.

For a return trip, British Airways currently offers airline seats for between 1 and 25,500 Avios. Reward flights are reservations made with Avios. It is also possible to pay for flight upgrades with Avios points.

Additionally, you can use Avios points to partially pay for flights or vacations with British Airways, American Airlines, and some other deal partners between the UK and North America. Part payments begin at 1,000 points, and you will continue to accrue points for the portion you pay for.

To view the deals that are available when you look for flights, vacations, and rental cars from the airline, you must log into your British Airways Club account.

Avios points are also accepted by the British Airways High Life Shop and High Life Caf when purchases are made prior to departure for onboard delivery. Food and fragrances are among the items you can order in advance for delivery during your flight. Or, even if you're not flying, use your Avios to purchase things for home delivery.

On its own website, Avios allows you to use points to reserve accommodations in any of 300,000 hotels, as well as tours and other travel-related activities.

Both online beverage retailer The Wine Flyer and car rental companies Avis and Budget, which are available at thousands of airports and non-airport locations worldwide, accept Avios points.

Reward flights will cost more.

The Avios cost of reward flights for all British Airways and partner flights is scheduled to rise on December 15, 2025. According to the company, "changing market conditions," inflation, and higher airline taxes are the causes of the price increase.

Customers of BA will therefore have to pay more Avios per flight than they do now.

For instance, the price of an off-peak single economy flight from London to Geneva is currently 9,250 Avios points + 50p, but starting on December 15, it will rise to 10,000 Avios points + 1.

In the meantime, it currently costs 180,000 Avios points + 375 for a peak business class return flight from London to New York. The total will rise to 198,000 Avios points plus 399.

All customers who wish to book reward flights with Avios, regardless of the cabin they choose, will be impacted by the price increase, which also applies to upgrades to the cabin.

When you search for a reward seat on your British Airways Club account starting on December 15, the new reward flight costs will appear as the Avios plus cash amount.

Keep in mind that you won't be charged more for any reward flights you have already reserved for travel on or after December 15th.

However, after December 15th, new rates will be applied if you modify the destination, cabin, or seasonality (off-peak/peak) of this reservation.

The higher rates only apply to reward flights and have no effect on Avios' portion payment.

What airlines employ Avios?

You can use Avios points on flights with several other international airlines in addition to British Airways. The airlines listed below make use of Avios points.

Oneworld Alliance Airlines: American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, and Sri Lankan Airlines; IAG Group: British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus; Qatar Airways: Avios is a member of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Finnair: Finnair Plus members can use Avios.

Are Avios points transferable?

Points from various Avios-related loyalty programs, such as Club Iberia Plus, AerClub, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Finnair Plus, and Loganair Loyalty, can be moved between accounts and given as gifts to friends and family.

Points starting at 49 can be exchanged for 2,000 points. Instantaneous Avios transfers to British Airways Club accounts are available, as is the option to postpone delivery until a later time.

An email confirming the Avios transfer will be sent to both the sender and the recipient; if you are the sender, you may choose to add a message. Members of British Airways Gold tier can transfer for free, but there is a 50 fee.

If you have more than one Avios account, you can merge them by moving Avios from one to another before closing the empty account.

I want to buy Avios points.

On the Avios website, you can subscribe to buy Avios on a regular basis, buy Avios to top off your balance, or increase your Avios to receive more per purchase.

Purchasing Avios: Each transaction can purchase a minimum of 2,000 Avios (for 49, or 40.82 points per 1) or a maximum of 200,000 Avios (for 3,539, or 56.51 points per 1).

Boosting Avios You can pay to increase the number of eligible transactions from the previous 30 days by one, two, or three times. You can use up to three times as many Avios points on your purchases as a result of this. At the lowest cost (between 92p and 96p), you can do this with up to 300,000 Avios points annually. Following that, the price goes up to 1.77.

Join Avios You can sign up for Avios points by making a monthly or annual payment. The recurring monthly subscription begins at number 26 and earns 1,667 points every month. You can earn 1,667 points every month with the annual subscription, which starts at 259 and saves you 53 annually compared to paying monthly for the same number of points.