Avios is the points currency used by British Airways, Qatar Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Finnair. You can spend them on flights, upgrades, hotels, car hire and even shopping. But they're not worth the same amount everywhere. Spend them in the right place and each one stretches much further.
The 5 rules
What are Avios actually worth?
There's no fixed value, but you can work out what you're getting on any booking with one simple sum:
Example: a £2,400 flight that costs 100,000 Avios plus £400 in fees gives (2,400 − 400) ÷ 100,000 × 100 = 2p per Avios.
As a rough guide, here's how different uses tend to compare:
| How you spend them | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Long-haul business or First | Often 1.5p or more |
| Short-haul with Reward Flight Saver | Around 1p, sometimes more |
| Hotels, car hire and shopping | Often under 0.5p |
If a booking works out well under 1p per Avios, it's usually better to pay cash and save your Avios for something bigger.
1. Fly business class on long-haul
The biggest gap between cash prices and Avios prices is in premium cabins on long flights. A business class ticket can cost several thousand pounds in cash, while the Avios price is often far less dramatic. That's where your points do the most work.
Economy on long-haul is usually the weakest use of Avios on long flights. You still pay sizeable taxes and charges, but you're saving a much smaller cash fare.
2. Choose off-peak dates
British Airways uses a calendar of peak and off-peak dates. Peak dates, such as school holidays and the summer, cost noticeably more Avios for the exact same seat. Off-peak dates cover most of the year.
If your dates are flexible by even a few days, check the calendar on the British Airways website before you search. Moving a trip from peak to off-peak can save tens of thousands of Avios on a long-haul return in business class.
3. Use Reward Flight Saver for short trips
Reward Flight Saver lets you book British Airways flights for Avios plus a fixed, capped cash amount, instead of paying full taxes and charges. It's what makes Avios so useful for city breaks in Europe.
- Book a return to Europe for a set number of Avios plus a low fixed fee.
- It's most valuable at short notice or in busy periods, when cash fares jump but the Avios price doesn't.
- Look for the Reward Flight Saver option when you search for reward flights on the British Airways website.
4. Same Avios, different airlines
Your Avios aren't stuck with British Airways. You can move them between British Airways Club, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub and Finnair Plus, usually instantly and for free. Each one prices flights and fees differently, so the same trip can cost much less through one of them.
- Qatar Airways: book through Qatar Privilege Club for lower surcharges than British Airways on many long-haul routes, and the chance to fly the Qsuite, one of the best business class seats in the world.
- Iberia: book Iberia flights on the Iberia website to see their own, often lower, fees. Good for Madrid and Iberia's routes to South America.
- Aer Lingus: useful for flights to the US from Dublin or Shannon, where you clear US immigration before you fly.
- Finnair: a good option for Asia via Helsinki.
5. Double up with a Companion Voucher
The British Airways American Express cards give you a Companion Voucher when you spend £15,000 in a card year. It lets a second person travel with you on a British Airways reward flight for the same Avios as one seat. For two people flying long-haul in business, this is the single biggest saving in the Avios world.
Read more in our BA Premium Plus review.
What to avoid
- Hotels, car hire and shopping: easy to book, but the value per Avios is usually poor.
- Part-paying with Avios at checkout: using a few thousand Avios to knock a small amount off a cash fare rarely gives good value.
- Peak-date long-haul economy: lots of Avios plus high fees for a seat that doesn't lie flat.
- Moving Avios before you've found a seat: transfers between programmes can't always be undone.
- Letting them expire: keep your account active by collecting or spending at least once every few years.
Your booking checklist
- Decide where you want to go and roughly when.
- Check the peak and off-peak calendar, and move your dates if you can.
- Search reward seats on British Airways, Qatar Airways and Iberia for the same route.
- Compare the Avios and the taxes and fees for each.
- Run the value sum. Aim for at least 1p per Avios, and much more for premium cabins.
- Move your Avios to the right programme if needed, then book straight away.
See the cards that earn the most
Every UK card that earns Avios or Virgin Points, compared side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Do Avios expire?
Avios in a British Airways Club account stay valid as long as you collect or spend at least once every 36 months.
Can I combine Avios with my family?
Yes. A British Airways Household Account lets people living at the same address pool their Avios into one balance.
Is it better to use Avios on short-haul or long-haul?
Long-haul business class usually gives the best value per Avios. Short-haul with Reward Flight Saver can still be great value, especially at busy times when cash fares are high.
Can I move Avios between British Airways and Qatar Airways?
Yes. You can link your accounts and move Avios between them, usually instantly. Only do it once you've found the seat you want.