How Avios points work: how to collect and spend them
Avios points offer worthwhile rewards for the savvy traveller but the cost of using them is on the rise. We explain how to collect, keep track of, and make the most of your Avios points
Daniel Hilton
Avios is a loyalty programme that offers travel-focused rewards, and the points can be exchanged for perks like money off flights and hotels.
With summer just around the corner, we look at how accruing and spending Avios points could help you save money on your holiday.
What are Avios points?
Avios is a global reward currency. Avios points are loyalty points you can get from British Airways and other businesses the airline partners with when you spend money with them.
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Millions of members worldwide collect Avios points to spend on flights, hotels or other travel experiences.
How to collect Avios points
First you sign up to be a member of the British Airways Club, formerly the British Airways Executive Club, via the airline’s website.
You can then collect Avios points when you make purchases from British Airways and more than 2,000 other businesses it has partnership deals with. This can include when you buy flights, shop for food or fashion items online and make hotel bookings.
You will typically be asked for your British Airways Club membership number when making purchases that are eligible for Avios points, and they are added automatically to your loyalty account.
Some of the businesses that offer Avios points include John Lewis, Uber, M&S, Deliveroo, Selfridges and financial services companies Nutmeg, HSBC and Revolut.
You can also convert Nectar points into Avios (and vice versa), by linking your Nectar and British Airways Club accounts. Nectar points can be converted into Avios in increments of 400 Nectar points. You get 250 Avios for every 400 Nectar points.
Other ways to collect Avios include when you make purchases with an American Express credit card, and by filling out surveys for Avios For Thoughts.
You can keep track of your points with the Avios app, which will also show you the latest ways to collect points and easily search for ways to spend them.
Where can I spend Avios points?
Once you’ve collected enough Avios points, you can use them to pay for flights, hotels or to help fund your travel adventures.
The value of 1,000 Avios points is roughly between £10 to £20, depending on how they are redeemed. For example, they could be worth around £20 for business or first class tickets or £8-12 for an economy flight.
With British Airways, you can currently buy airline seats from £1 and 18,500 Avios for your next flight to Europe, or from £100 and 50,000 Avios to destinations further afield. Flights booked using Avios are called ‘reward flights’. Avios points can be used to pay for flight upgrades too.
You can also use Avios points to make a part payment to reduce the cost of a flight or a holiday using British Airways, American Airlines between the UK and North America, and certain other deal partners. Part payments start from 1,000 points, and you will still collect points on the part you do pay for.
You’ll need to login to your British Airways Club account to see the offers available when you search for flights, holidays and car hire from the airline.
The British Airways High Life Shop and High Life Café take Avios points too when you buy before you fly for delivery on board. You can pre-order things like food and fragrances for delivery during your flight. Or spend your Avios on Home Delivery items, even if you're not flying.
Avios has its own website where you can use points to book hotel stays in any of 300,000 hotels, as well as tours and experiences to go on during your travels.
Car rental companies Avis and Budget, available at thousands of worldwide airports and non-airport locations, accept Avios points – as does online drinks shop The Wine Flyer.
What are Avios rewards flights?
Avios reward flights are tickets booked primarily with Avios points rather than cash. They are offered by British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways.
Reward flights require a fixed amount of Avios plus a cash payment for taxes, fees, and carrier charges. You can use ‘Avios only’ flights to pay for the fare or reduce the price with ‘Avios part payment’ (using a minimum of 1,000 Avios points).
Reward flights can provide good value for Avios users, especially when booking premium cabins or using companion vouchers – if you have a British Airways American Express companion voucher, you can book a second seat for a companion for no additional Avios.
Guaranteed seats are available on British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, as well as oneworld partner flights. Flights are available for booking up to 355 days before departure and can be changed or cancelled for a fee of £35 per person.
British Airways recently announced its latest Avios-Only flights, on which 100% of the seats are exclusively available as reward seats, will be flying from London City Airport to Madrid and Toulon Saint-Tropez.
Available exclusively to members of The British Airways Club, return prices start at £2 plus 21,500 Avios for Toulon, and £2 plus 28,000 Avios for Madrid, including 23kg checked baggage.
Avios reward flight costs have increased
From 15 December 2025, the Avios cost of reward flights increased for all British Airways and partner flights. The firm says the price hike is a result of increased taxes on airlines, inflation, and “changing market conditions”.
It means BA customers will have to fork out more Avios per flight than they used to.
For example, an off-peak single economy flight from London to Geneva has increased to 10,000 Avios points + £1, up from 9,250 Avios points + 50p.
Meanwhile, a peak business class return flight from London to New York has increased from 180,000 Avios points + £375 to 198,000 Avios points + £399.
The price hike affects all customers who want to book reward flights with Avios, no matter the cabin they book, and will also apply to cabin upgrades.
Note that any existing reward flights that you have already booked for travel after 15 December will not be subject to increased rate.
However, if you make a change to the destination, cabin, or seasonality (off-peak/peak) of this booking after 15 December then new rates will apply.
The increased rates will not affect Avios part payment, and only apply to reward flights.
Which airlines use Avios?
As well as British Airways, you can also spend Avios points on flights with a number of other global airlines. The following airlines use Avios points:
- IAG Group: British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus
- Qatar Airways: Avios is part of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Finnair: Finnair Plus members can use Avios
- Oneworld Alliance Airlines: American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, and SriLankan Airlines
Can Avios points be transferred?
Avios points can be transferred between accounts – including by being ‘gifted’ to friends and family – and within different Avios-related loyalty programs like Club Iberia Plus, AerClub, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Finnair Plus, and Loganair Loyalty.
You can gift points starting from £49 for 2,000 points. Avios transfers to British Airways Club accounts are made instantly, or you can delay delivery to a date that you prefer.
Both the sender and the receiver will get an email confirming the Avios transfer, and if you’re the sender you can opt to include a message. There's a £50 fee to transfer, but it's free for British Airways Gold tier members.
If you have multiple Avios accounts, you can also combine them by transferring Avios from one to another, and then closing the empty account.
Can I buy Avios points?
The Avios website allows you to purchase Avios to top up your balance, boost your Avios so you get more per purchase, or subscribe to buy Avios regularly.
Buying Avios – You can buy a minimum of 2,000 Avios (for £49, equating to 40.82 points per £1) and a maximum of 200,000 Avios (for £3,539, equating to 56.51 points per £1) per transaction.
Boosting Avios – You can pay to ‘boost’ your eligible transactions from the last 30 days by a factor of 1, 2, or 3. This allows you to up to triple the number of Avios points on your purchases. You can do this with up to 300,000 Avios points per year at the lowest cost (from between 92p and 96p). After that the cost increases (to £1.77).
Subscribe to Avios – You can pay monthly or yearly to subscribe to Avios points. The monthly subscription starts from £26 on a recurring basis to collect 1,667 points per month. The yearly subscription begins at £259 and allows you to collect 1,667 points per month, saving you £53 a year versus paying monthly for the same number of points.
