If you don’t know, Avios is a type of rewards point earned through the four frequent flyer programs that use these points. They are Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling. With the ability to earn these points through multiple channels, the possibilities are endless. Continue reading our Avios guide to learn more!
Avios Quick Facts
| Frequent Flyer Programs | Aer Lingus AerClub British Airways Executive Club Iberia Plus Vueling Club |
| Credit Cards | Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card British Airways Visa Signature® Card Iberia Visa Signature® Card |
| Redemption Options | Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and partner award flights, upgrades, hotel stays, leisure and more (varies by program) |
| Average Avios Value | $0.015 |
Collecting Avios
As mentioned, to start collecting Avios points to use towards your next vacation or flight, you must enrolled in the participating frequent flyer programs: Aer Lingus AerClub, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus or Vueling Club.
Because registration is free, it is a great idea to go ahead and sign up for all 4 of these programs.
By joining all of these Avios-earning programs, you will have the option of transferring Avios between them at any time. Additionally, you will have access to more offers and availability for flights, giving you many opportunities to earn and use your Avios.
Collect Avios when you book flights on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling or with any of their airline partners. Simply enter your frequent flyer member number when you make the reservation.
Aer Lingus partners:
British Airways partners:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Italy
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Jordanian
- S7 Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
- Vueling
Iberia partners:
- Air Italy
- American Airlines
- Avianca
- British Airways
- Bulgaria Air
- Cathay Pacific
- COPA Airlines
- Czech Airlines
- El AL
- Evelop
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Interjet
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- S7 Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
- Ukranie International
- Vueling
The method of using credit cards will be your fastest and easiest way to start earning Avios. There are actually three credit cards that are co-branded rewards cards issued by Chase: Aer Lingus Visa Signature, British Airways Visa Signature and Iberia Visa Signature. All three of these cards also share similar features.
| Welcome Bonus | Get 50k Avios when you spend $3k in 3 months. Get another 50k Avios when you spend $20k in 1 year. |
| *Bonus Value | $1,500 |
| Priority Boarding | Aer Lingus cardholders only |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | 3x Avios on Avios purchases* 2x Avios on hotel stays 1x Avios on everything else |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | No |
| 10% Flight Discount** | Iberia cardholders only |
| Annual Fee | $95 |
* Includes Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia purchases.
**When you book your flight on iberia.com/Chase10.
You’ll also get rewarded for spending at least $30,000 on your card within a calendar year. The spend bonus varies, depending on which Avios credit card you have:
- Aer Lingus. 1 economy company ticket valid for 12 months
- British Airways. 1 Travel Together ticket valid for 2 years.
- Iberia. $1,000 discount voucher toward 2 tickets on the same flight.
Not only will you have the option of transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards from the mentioned Chase cards to your Avios account, you will also have the option to transfer American Express Membership Rewards too.
Additionally, you can even transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Avios at a rate of 60,000 points to 25,000 Avios.
For more credit cards that are Avios transfer partners, we recommend:
Each Avios program has their own partners and ways of collecting Avios. For more details, visit the carrier’s rewards program site (linked below):
You can also purchase Avios from three of the four Avios programs. Each one has different purchasing rates. Each program also offers limited-time bonuses on Avios purchases. You’ll want to check to see if there are any offers before buying additional Avios.
Spending Avios
You can start redeeming your Avios for award flights, but keep in mind that they are distance based. That means longer flights will need more Avios.
Because Vueling and Aer Lingus have fewer partner airlines, we will go more in depth on British Airways and Iberia award flights. Normally,
- British Airways is best for short direct flights
- Iberia is best for Oneworld partner roundtrip flights with connections
British Airways and Iberia award charts are almost identical:
British Airways Award Chart
Disclaimer: This British Airways Avios reward flight chart is based on the last published information and is for illustrative purposes only. British Airways no longer publishes an award chart publically. To calculate the actual cost of your reward flight, log into British Airways and use their search and book tool.
Iberia Award Chart
Disclaimer: This information is for illustrative purposes only. To get the current cost for your Iberia flight, use their flight calculator and book with Avios points.
As you can tell from the charts above, it’s slightly more economic to fly using British Airways economy during off-peak times. However, if you want to fly business class, then Iberia costs much less for long-haul flights.
In addition to using British Airways and Iberia award flights, you can always put your Avios towards awards flights with partner carriers.
You can use also use your Avios for:
Aer Lingus Other Redemptions:
- Upgrades
- Hotel stays
- Leisure
British Airways Other Redemptions:
- Upgrades
- Inflight food
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Experiences
- Wine
- Avios eStore
Iberia Other Redemptions:
- Upgrades
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Merchandise
- Leisure
- Services
Avios Tips & Tricks
Using the information compiled from our research, we’ve noticed some great deals using sweet spots you can access using your Avios point on partner airlines via Iberia or British Airways.
| Carrier | Flight Details | Class | Avios |
| American Airlines (via Iberia) |
Short roundtrip flights | Economy | 11,000 |
| American Airlines (via Iberia) |
Domestic roundtrip (includes Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean) | First | Less than 34,000 |
| American Airlines (via Iberia) |
Roundtrip to Western Europe or Northern South America | Business | Less than 100,000 |
| American Airlines or Alaska Airlines (via British Airways) |
One-way from the West Coast to Hawaii | Economy | 13,000 |
| Japan Airlines (via British Airways) |
One-way within Japan | Economy | 6,000 |
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Bottom Line
Although you might be thinking Avios may not be for your because you don’t fly internationally, their many partners allows a lot of flexibility. The four travel programs allow for an easy way to collect and spend your Avios. If you’re liking our Avios guide, be sure to share it with a friend. For more posts like this check out our list of credit card bonuses and ways to save money!
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