British Airways Executive Club: Guide to Avios, elite status and transfer partners

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 currently called Executive Club, and its currency is Avios. With a substantial global route network and a loyalty currently 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 traveler 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.

Related: With 5 airline loyalty programs using Avios, here’s why I focus on British Airways Executive Club

How to earn elite status in the British Airways Executive Club program

Tier points count toward status, and there are four different status levels:

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• Blue — the level where everyone starts
• Bronze — achieved after 300 tier points are earned by March 31, 2025
• Silver — achieved after 600 tier points are earned by March 31, 2025
• Gold — achieved after 1,500 tier points are earned by March 31, 2025

Like some other airline programs, British Airways Executive Club also has two additional levels of status that aren’t published:

In the past, British Airways Executive Club members were given a “Tier Point year collection end date” that fell on the eighth day of the month following the date they joined the Executive Club. So, if you joined the loyalty program on Aug. 14, 2023, you’d have until Sept. 8, 2024, to earn your desired status tier. That said, this changes on April 1, 2025, when British Airways makes all tier point collection end dates March 31.

British Airways will also switch to a revenue-based elite status model April 1, 2025, as it renames Executive Club to The British Airways Club. While status benefits will not change, status in “The Club” will be awarded based on spending (on flights marketed and operated by British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia) rather than distance flown or fare class.

Starting April 1, 2025, members will earn 1 tier point per British pound (about $1.24) spent on flights on these airlines (including those pesky carrier-imposed surcharges) and ancillary purchases like seat selection, excess baggage and sustainable aviation fuel, excluding airport fees and government taxes.

However, if the fare is unavailable or undisclosed (as often happens with vacation packages), you’ll earn tier points based on a percentage of miles flown, your cabin class and booking class. Likewise, you’ll earn tier points based on a percentage of miles flown, your cabin class and booking class on flights marketed by partners besides American Airlines and Iberia. You can check the percentages you’ll earn for each airline partner on British Airways’ website.

Additionally, from April 1, 2025, the following tier points will be needed to earn status in The British Airways Club for the remainder of the current tier point collection year and the entirety of the following tier point collection year:

• Bronze: 3,500 tier points
• Silver: 7,500 tier points
• Gold: 20,000 tier points
• Gold Guest List: 65,000 tier points (with at least 52,000 earned through British Airways-marketed flights and British Airways Holidays) to earn and 40,000 tier points (with at least 32,000 earned through British Airways-marketed flights and British Airways Holidays) to renew

For most travelers, Silver and Gold status will be harder to earn under The Club than the existing Executive Club.

Blue benefits

• Collect Avios on revenue flights with BA or its partners
• Share Avios in a household account (up to six members)
• Select seats for free 24 hours before departure (excluding exit-row seats and not including travel on basic fares)
• Save preferences, such as special meals and seating
• Access Reward Flight Savers

Bronze benefits (Oneworld Ruby)

• All the Blue benefits
• Priority check-in and boarding
• Free seat selection seven days before departure
• Bonus Avios when flying British Airways or select partner airlines
• Status freeze for maternity/paternity/adoption

Silver benefits (Oneworld Sapphire)

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
• Additional Avios when flying British Airways or select partner 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 (Oneworld Emerald)

• 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
• Additional Avios when flying British Airways or select partner 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

Lifetime Gold is earned after collecting 35,000 lifetime tier points before March 31, 2025, or 550,000 lifetime tier points after April 1, 2025; there’s no limit on the time you can take to collect. Existing lifetime tier point balances will be converted April 1, 2025, so if you’ve earned 50% of the tier points required by March 31 (17,500), this will be converted to 50% of the new requirements April 1 (275,000 tier points).

Gold Guest List benefits (Oneworld Emerald)

• 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

Related: Still better than business class: A review of British Airways First on the 777 from London to Washington

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 — the rewards that can be redeemed for flights — Avios.

Avios

Avios are the air miles earned for flying, credit card spending and leveraging other partners. Therefore, Avios are the currency customers can use for reward flights, upgrades and other things like gift vouchers.

You can earn Avios based on your ticket price and any add-ons when you fly, such as carrier charges, cabin upgrades, prebooked and prepaid seats, and additional bags.

Then, you will receive additional Avios based on your elite status. You will earn 7 Avios per British pound (about $1.24) spent as a Bronze member, 8 Avios per pound spent as a Silver member and 9 Avios per pound spent as a Gold member when flying with British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia.

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. Until March 31, 2025, the number of tier points awarded depends on your ticket type and the class and distance 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 flights in the U.S.) of less than 2,000 miles typically earn 40 tier points for each sector. So, taking many 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 as mentioned earlier, all members will follow the same dates starting in April 2025.

From April 1, 2025, tier points when flying BA, Iberia and American Airlines will be awarded based on the amount spent rather than the distance or fare class flown.

Related: British Airways rebrands loyalty program, unveils new revenue-based system for earning elite 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 the opportunity to earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. In our January 2025 valuations, TPG valued Avios at 1.4 cents each, making the full bonus worth $1,050.

The British Airways Visa Signature Card has a $95 annual fee and earns 3 Avios per dollar spent on British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level purchases. Plus, you can earn 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel. All other purchases earn 1 Avios per dollar spent.

Cards with transferable rewards

Savvy TPG readers know 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 substantial welcome bonuses that you can 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.
• 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 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of 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: Book through the British Airways Vacations website to earn an extra 1 Avios per dollar spent. BA also partners with major hotel brands like IHG and Accor and cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, so you can earn additional Avios on nonair travel.
• Airbnb: Earn 2 Avios per dollar spent on vacation rentals.
• Car rentals: Earn 3 Avios per dollar spent with Avis and 1 Avios per dollar spent with Budget.
• Uber: Earn 1 Avios for each pound spent for rides in the United Kingdom.
• Lounge Pass: Buy access to a club lounge at over 350 airports worldwide and earn 5 Avios per dollar spent.
• Airport parking, Heathrow Express airport train and valet parking at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR): Earn 5 Avios per pound spent.
• Heathrow Rewards: Earn 1 point per pound spent when you shop, dine or park at Heathrow Airport, 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, becoming a full member in 2025)
• Iberia, including Iberia Express and Air Nostrum
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Oman Air (joining in 2025)
• 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 (also an earning partner)
• 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 operated by British Airways:

British Airways introduced Reward Flight Savers on all BA-operated routes. This program allows Executive Club members to pay more Avios in exchange for reducing the significant fuel surcharges, 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):

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:

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. This program charges just 11,000 Avios for flights anywhere in the continental United States and Canada operated by Alaska Airlines, or 16,500 Avios for flights operated by American Airlines.

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. You can sign up on the British Airways website 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 hover over the “Book” tab in the upper left corner and click “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.